Op-Ed: Suga’s short legacy in Asean

13 Sept 08:47 Key points summarised by AI

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's decision to resign was driven by a significant decline in domestic popularity, largely due to public dissatisfaction with his COVID-19 response during the Olympics and a critical political defeat in his home constituency.
In ASEAN, Suga is remembered for strategically strengthening ties with key Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam and Indonesia, explicitly focusing on enhancing maritime security and surveillance cooperation to address regional concerns over China's rising power.
Future Japanese leadership is expected to continue Suga's foreign policy trajectory, emphasizing deeper security and strategic partnerships within the region, while also facing calls for Japan to assert greater independence in its international profile.

Uthenthawai students and alumni declare truce with Pathumwan rivals

Yesterday 20:34 Key points summarised by AI

Uthenthawai students and alumni have pledged to cease violent clashes with Pathumwan Institute rivals, coinciding with their campus's reopening after a 90-day closure.
The Minister of Higher Education is mediating the long-running conflict, while the campus closure has significantly disrupted in-person classes and laboratory work for over 1,000 students.
Uthenthawai resists relocation from its current site, citing a historical land grant from King Rama VI, despite Chulalongkorn University's plans to reclaim the land for an educational hub.
Concerns are mounting over the legality of the campus closure, its detrimental impact on uninvolved students, and the potential commercial development of the land, which critics argue contradicts the late King Rama VI's intentions.