Asia Briefing: Elections in Thailand and Indonesia, and the resurgence of measles in Southeast Asia
- Analysing the results in Thailand’s election, the appearance of Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong and the players and the personality politics of Indonesia’s election
- The Islamic influence on the anti-vaccine movement in Southeast Asia, and the recent spate of measles cases reported in staff at Hong Kong airport
It’s a year of elections in Asia and we’re looking at what has happened in Thailand’s recent polls, including the defiant appearance of the exiled Shinawatras at a wedding in Hong Kong, as well as taking an in-depth look at the vote in Indonesia, scheduled for April 17.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo is poised to win a second five-year term but we’ll explore the contrasting visions for the country’s future, presenting Widodo and his challenger, Prabowo Subianto. Asia desk editor Lynn Lee analyses the intriguing crosswinds shaping Indonesian politics.
The Asia Briefing team also takes a look at a major public health story. It’s been more than 50 years since a measles vaccine was developed, but the disease is resurgent in several parts of the world. Meaghan Tobin has been covering the soaring number of cases in parts of Southeast Asia and the anti-vaccination sentiment taking root.
Our team speaks with Elizabeth Cheung, health reporter for SCMP’s Hong Kong desk, who has been covering the recent measles outbreak in the city. This is a disease the world thought had been brought under control, if not eradicated entirely, but as we’ll hear, governments across the region are being forced to confront it all over again.
