In 2019, Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis for medical purposes, before decriminalizing the substance in 2022, provoking a break with its strict drug laws. This turnaround was made possible by a political coalition in which the party in favor of decriminalizing cannabis found itself in a very favorable position following the 2019 elections. The article explores the political and economic context behind such legislative changes, as well as their impact in Thailand and the Southeast Asian region. Data were obtained during an eight-month field survey in Thailand, between September 2022 and April 2023. Semi-directed interviews and participant observation were carried out in three tourist destinations in the country, namely Phuket, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai. It is argued that, although legislative changes have fostered the emergence of a significant cannabis industry fueled by tourism, they have also provoked public health concerns, as the number of Thais consuming cannabis has increased exponentially. While several states in the Southeast Asian region are closely watching the effects of cannabis decriminalization, the results of the latest elections in May 2023 could bring about a major turnaround in Thailand’s cannabis industry.

Éric Frécon, associate research fellow at Irasec, contributed to the book “Indo-Pacific Perspectives : Australia, ASEAN and India” with a paper entitled “India, Australia, ASEAN... and, beyond, the Global South : A Sense of ‘Buddy Diplomacy’, away from the Narrow Great Powers’ Dilemma”.

Read the book.

Indo-Pacific Perspectives : Australia, ASEAN and India
Edited by : Vijay Sakhuja & Anu Maria Francis
Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Monash University

India announced its Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) in November 2019 at the East Asia Summit. In the same year, ASEAN came up with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Similar Indo-Pacific strategies were promoted by Japan, Australia and US during the period. These strategies underlined the importance of partnerships for establishing a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. In the context of rising China, the geopolitical strategies of ASEAN, India and Australia gain significance for fostering and promoting peace and security in the region.

We are pleased to announce the publication of an article written by Nicolas Lainé, associate research fellow, in CABI One Health.

Read the article.

Despite its recent growth in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, One Heath can be traced back to the colonial period when it was used to control the health of local communities and their animals while exploiting natural resources. At present, it is necessary to move away from this asymmetrical colonialist view and develop more inclusive perspectives.

We are pleased to announce the publication of an article written by Nicolas Lainé, associate research fellow, and Tulyawat Prasongmaneerut, Suthee Janyasuthiwong, Kim Foyoontpanich. The article appeared in CABI One Health.

This case highlights the importance of involving local communities in a One Health perspective by valuing their knowledge and engaging them as partners in research.

We are pleased to announce the publication of an article written by Herbary Cheung, adjunct researcher, and Asuncion Fresnoza-Flot. The article appeared in volume 23, number 3 of Qualitive Research.

An article written by Éric Frécon, IRASEC adjunct researcher, with Paco Milhiet, just published in issue 189 of Hérodote.
 

Read the article.

In a context which echoes Valéry’s 1875-1914 “Armed peace”, Beijing has also recently developed multimodal maritime capabilities that challenge the traditional balance of power in Indo-Pacific, namely : aggressive attitude in the China Sea, transnational economic projects through the Belt and road initiative, development of hybrid military capacities, etc.

Nicolas Salem-Gervais, Summer Aung, Amber Spreelung, Ja Seng, Jung Benatar, and Chan published an article on the website Tea Circle, a Forum for New Perspectives on Burma/Myanmar. This article outline the evolving language-in-education landscape following the coup, within and beyond military-controlled territory in Part 1 of a 2-part post.

Review by Nicolas Salem-Gervais in Moussons n°40 of the book :

Moving around Myanmar. Migration in, from, and back to Burma
Tony Waters, Ashley South, Chayan Vaddhanaphuti & Luke Corbin
Chiang Mai, RCSD, 2021, 288 p.

Read the review.

Article de Jérôme Samuel dans le numéro 104 de la revue Archipel, à lire sur OpenEdition Journals.

Cet article sʼinscrit dans le cadre dʼune étude systématique de la peinture sous verre javanaise aux XIXe-XXIe siècles, en abordant ici un corpus spécifique, celui des représentations des Lieux saints de lʼislam. Il se fonde sur lʼexamen et lʼanalyse de 84 peintures représentant les mosquées de la Mecque, Médine et Jérusalem, dont il propose dʼabord une typologie formelle.

The article written by Valérie Erlich and Jimmy STEF, doctoral student associated with IRASEC, analyses the impact of internationalisation dynamics on the higher education system in Singapore over the last fifty years.

Lien social et Politiques
Numéro 89, 2022, p. 107–129
L’enseignement supérieur en recomposition : entre institutions et parcours éducatifs
Diffusion numérique : 29 novembre 2022