Ever since Myanmar undertook a series of political, economic and administrative reforms in 2011, the country’s economy has steadily improved. According to data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Myanmar is enjoying some of the highest growth rates in the region. ADB predicts that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 8%, higher than any other country in Southeast Asia.

Indonesian President, Joko Widodo’s – also known as Jokowi – suggestion that it would be a “good idea” for Australia to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was certainly cause for some baffled reactions which soon sparked a flurry of speculations. Coming just before the ASEAN-Australia special summit, one cannot be faulted for being sceptical of his endorsement.

The internet has changed the way most of us live. Through internet related technological innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and e-commerce, a lot of our day to day tasks have been made easier. Such innovations could also boost industries, making it easier for those who engage in certain types of business to carry out their tasks. The mushrooming of e-wallets in Asia – particularly Southeast Asia – could be useful for the tourism industry.

2017 was an exciting year for the e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia.

Relations between ASEAN and Australia are longstanding, yet substantive action to enforce mutual commitments may have been lacking till now. As the first of its kind, the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit is expected to do much to foster deeper trade relations between ASEAN and Australia, as well as advance joint counter-terrorism efforts within the region.

Earlier this month, China’s National People’s Congress voted to abolish the presidential term limit, effectively allowing President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely over the world’s most populous country. Previously, under the Chinese constitution, Xi Jinping would have been required to leave office after two five-year term limits.

The path towards meeting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) goal of securing 23 percent of its primary energy from renewable resources by 2025 is no simple feat. Based on policies that are being currently practiced and are in consideration for the future, the region’s renewable energy share in its primary mix is only slated to reach 17 percent by 2025.This leaves a 6 percent gap between target and actual rate of adoption.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of the growing digital economy in Southeast Asia is the gaming industry. Sea – formerly Garena – became the first Southeast Asian tech company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017. Sea is a gaming company but has also ventured into e-commerce and e-payments recently.A trend that has also been fuelling the games market in the region is the rise of eSports. eSports is essentially a competition using video games.

“Where is ASEAN?”. This is the question that Charles Santiago, chairperson of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), heard the most when he was in Bangladesh recently. Earlier this year, Charles led a team of current and former legislators from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand on a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh.

ASEAN is currently facing some dilemmas on renewable energy as they have to focus on the need to deliver secure energy, grow consistently, and also develop in a sustainable way. According to a research paper from the Journal of Ocean Engineering and Marine Energy in January 2018, fossil fuel producing countries like Malaysia are looking increasingly to renewable and sustainable energy sources and particularly those that can be used in rural electrification.