Thai junta aims to control Buddhist fundamentalism

Subject Buddhist fundamentalism in Thailand. Significance The government’s National Office of Buddhism announced on March 22 that it intends to appoint a new abbot for the Dhammakaya wat, the country’s largest Buddhist temple and the centre of a religious movement with millions of followers. The previous abbot, Phra Dhammachayo, who is facing charges of money laundering, land misuse and embezzlement, was stripped of his monastic rank by King Maha Vajiralongkorn in February. This is the most high-profile corruption scandal in the Thai Buddhist sangha (clerical leadership) in a generation. Impacts Regional Buddhist fundamentalism will intensify local backlashes against ethnic and religious minorities in South and South-east Asia. Peace talks with southern separatists would have a better chance of succeeding if the junta controls Buddhist excesses. Anti-Christian sentiment among Buddhist fundamentalists puts Christian health and education facilities at risk.

Significance The two sides have resumed CoC talks after a pandemic-induced hiatus. Meanwhile, Chinese-US rivalry in South-east Asia is escalating, as demonstrated by recent high-profile naval exercises in the South China Sea. Impacts ASEAN’s South China Sea claimants will resist any pressure from Beijing to compromise their claims in return for Chinese COVID-19 vaccines. South China Sea tensions will not impede commercial maritime traffic in the region. Any US-Chinese military confrontation in the Taiwan Strait would have considerable political fallout in South-east Asia.


Significance She addressed two key issues during her trip: tensions in post-coup Myanmar and China’s growing regional footprint. Shortly after she left the region, the United States announced that it would donate unused COVID-19 vaccines abroad, including to South-east Asia. Impacts Washington will tighten its sanctions on the Myanmar military while supporting ASEAN’s five-point plan to ease the country’s crisis. The National Unity Government, a parallel administration to Myanmar’s junta set up by its opponents, will try to attract greater US backing. Manila and Washington may extend negotiations over renewing their Visiting Forces Agreement to prevent the pact expiring in August.


Significance It is the only country in South-east Asia with a large-scale nuclear plant, although this was never loaded with fuel. Other countries in the region have tentative plans to develop nuclear power programmes. Impacts The current absence of nuclear power programmes will help avert the diversion of capital from renewable energy development in the region. South-east Asian countries with small, non-power reactors, built for research, will try to maintain these facilities. Across the region, the need for electricity grid investment will increase as more decentralised generation sources are deployed.


Significance The United Kingdom eyes a strategic tilt to the Indo-Pacific, with South-east Asia a key focus because of its economic dynamism and the convening power of ASEAN. The aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will deploy to the Indo-Pacific for six months later this year. Impacts The United Kingdom’s view of China as a systemic challenger makes a trade pact between the two countries unlikely. UK efforts to conclude a trade deal with India will be frustrated by Delhi’s protectionist approach. London will pursue closer defence cooperation with Tokyo.


Significance It seeks to accelerate recovery from COVID-19 by capitalising on the rise in internet use and digital trade during the pandemic. However, new restrictive laws on internet use in several countries run counter to these regional digital integration goals. Impacts Beijing will give technical and political support to countries such as Cambodia seeking to replicate the Great Firewall on a smaller scale. Authoritarian regimes will use internet controls to advance their commercial interests. Western donor funding for digital projects could be halted.


Significance Meanwhile, the Myanmar junta and the military-aligned Thai government are under pressure from opponents, and the Philippines is gearing up for elections. With COVID-19 vaccination rates varying greatly, some countries in the region are better placed than others to revive their pandemic-hit economies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-153
Author(s):  
Adebayo Serge Francois Koukpaki ◽  
Kweku Adams ◽  
Adegboyega Oyedijo

PurposeThis research explores the significant contribution of human resource development (HRD) managers in building organisational brands in the hotel industry through the lenses of dynamic capabilities for sustaining competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative case study design, this study deployed a semi-structured interview research method. It used a purposive sample of 20 HRD managers across twenty different hotels in India and South East Asia (ISEA) to explore their contribution to organisational brands. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsThe findings show the significance of HRD in building organisational brands. From a dynamic capabilities perspective, it was found that HRD has an impact on fostering brand awareness culture; HRD functional branding enhances the creation and sustaining of quality service culture; functional branding of HRD helps differentiate the brand and quality service, for product development and innovation by linking talent development and growth of key competencies and capabilities; brand training and behavioural training directly influence the right behaviour knowledge and effective communication that is translated into the enhancement of guest experience; and finally, organisational branding through branding culture and employer branding creates organisational wealth.Originality/valueThe authors propose a new conceptual framework for the branding of the Heroes to reclaim the HRD's splendour in the realm of other functions in the hotel industry in ISEA contexts. While the authors do not claim an external generalisability, we believe that an analytical application of this framework could be relevant in similar environments. The study also claims that HRD practitioners could use parallel literature repertoires from brand management discourse to value their strategic contributions in building and maintaining their reputational position at the board level. Practical implications and further research are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duc Phan ◽  
Prem Yapa ◽  
Ha Thanh Nguyen

PurposeThis paper compares and contrasts graduate accountant skills and employers' expectations in South East Asia (SEA).Design/methodology/approachWe analyse the employers' expectation performance gap (EPG) in three countries – Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam – to provide a reflection on current professional accounting development in SEA. The study relies on data derived from multiple sources including job advertisements, CIMA “ready for business” project, Glassdoor website and other secondary data sources.FindingsThe findings indicate that over recent decades, the changing nature of the economy, state, and interest of the business sector (including the “Big Four”) have led to the wider adoption of professional accountancy qualifications. The findings suggest that graduates should be equipped with active learning activities such as project-based and work-integrated training to fill the expectation gaps between local university educators and employers.Research limitations/implicationsDrawing upon a literature review of professional accounting education, we use the results of the documentations and secondary analysis to describe the performance expectation gap of accounting education in SEA.Originality/valueThe study indicates a large discrepancy between the teachings in accounting education and employer requirements in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia and propose different methods to fill this employability gap in South East Asia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 817-829
Author(s):  
Beulah Pereira ◽  
Kevin Teah ◽  
Billy Sung ◽  
Min Teah

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in-depth interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Larry Jewelry, a luxury jeweller with boutiques in Hong Kong and Singapore. Given the ever-evolving luxury jewellery market in South East Asia, it is paramount to understand the success factors of the luxury jewellery sector. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth interview approach is used to understand the antecedents of the success of the luxury jewellery sector. Specifically, this paper presents a complex business model of Larry Jewelry and an in-depth interview with the CEO of Larry Jewelry for current insights in the sector. Findings This paper highlights the history of Larry Jewelry, its product segments and the key elements of its business blueprint. Specifically, the success of Larry Jewelry is attributed to its business model and strong branding on quality, craftsmanship, rarity, human interaction and trust. Originality/value Despite the substantial growth in the luxury jewellery sector, there is relatively little research on the success factors of this industry, especially in South East Asia. The current research provides practical insights into business blueprint of a successful luxury jeweller in Hong Kong and Singapore.


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