This page will no longer be updated. The project ended in August 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic will become the defining event of this decade. It is not only the most severe public health emergency in recent history, but also an economic and social crisis of unparalleled proportions. It touches every aspect of human life. From March to August 2020, this blog investigated how the pandemic was shaping lives across the Asia-Pacific region. Our FES experts, partners and guest contributors from Kabul to Manila and from Ulaanbaatar to Jakarta shared their insights from the ground and offer food for thought as we jointly attempt to understand the repercussions of this crisis and chart a way forward.
The views expressed in this blog series are not necessarily those of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
From vulnerable workers in Thailand and the economic struggle in Indonesia to public health in the Philippines – reports from South East Asia More
From the peace process in Afghanistan and textile workers in Bangladesh to tourism in Nepal – reports from South Asia More
From elections in South Korea and diplomacy in Mongolia to the Olympics in Japan– reports from East Asia More
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The wider picture: Trade, geopolitics, climate change, decent work, unions and many other topics More
Discover the full spectrum of analysis by FES partners and experts More
Daily life in times of COVID-19 More
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48 articles from 16 countries to understand the repercussions of this crisis.
Thailand is steadily heading towards 100 days without a local transmission. However, some experts are warning of the country becoming a victim of...
The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated patterns of bilateral acrimony and geopolitical rivalry. The United States and China are missing a critical...
Buffeted by domestic difficulties and degradation of the international context at both global and regional levels, South and North Korea are already...
Rising geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic constitute a major challenge for Mongolia’s multilateral and regional initiatives. To avoid...
The coronavirus pandemic is uncovering the possible downfalls of Myanmar’s co-dependent development model. In a post-COVID world, the Southeast Asian...
Nepal’s foreign and security policy is traditionally characterized by a balancing act between India, China and the United States. The geopolitical...
The bloody clashes in the high Himalayas between Indian and Chinese soldiers in mid-June add yet another dimension to the unfolding geopolitical churn...
Almost everything we are doing in isolation is connected to the arts: we read more, watch more movies, listen to more music. We all are trying to find...
Countries have resorted to various policy tools to create the fiscal space needed to underwrite the expenditure of stimulus packages, conceding that...
The struggles faced by low-income Malaysia have long been clear. The COVID-19 crisis offers a lifeline: it has firmly brought into mainstream thought...
Improvements in environmental indicators due to COVID-19 present an unprecedented opportunity for an economic transformation which is ecologically...
The COVID-19 crisis is forcing us to recognise the failures of existing social and economic systems. If we continue with neoliberalism as usual, it...
Ever since the first case of COVID-19 emerged on 25 January, Malaysia has been battling not one, not two, but three crises. Firstly, the public health...
While COVID-19 is disrupting economies, it is also pushing frontiers to fast-track and adopt innovations. The pandemic has underlined the urgent need...
The negotiations on the Asia-Pacific Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are in their final stages. The agreement, once ratified,...
Social media is a dominating force in public discourse. In the case of Mongolia, proactive and transparent use by public health authorities has helped...
The remarkable success in keeping the number of coronavirus infections low and deaths at zero allows Vietnam to gradually reopen its economy. Life is...
Gig workers hold a unique position in the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19. Some parts of the gig economy – delivery of food, groceries, and...
Often overlooked, workers in the tourism sector are now facing severe social challenges owing to the closing of UNESCO heritage sites and the absence...
Over many years, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to revitalize the Japanese economy, following a policy known as “Abenomics”. While...
Award-winning Indian cartoonist Sharad Sharma puts the spotlight on the economic and social plight of artists in this comic drawn for FES Asia. The...
The young and up-coming jazz scene in Ulaanbaatar is hit hard by the lockdown in an already challenging economic environment, as are artists of all...
As an economically developing country heavily dependent on export-oriented sectors and remittances, Bangladesh needs to pursue a multi-pronged...
With millions of workers in lockdown, the Philippine government has initiated several cash assistance programs to save both the lives and livelihoods...
TikTok, the most installed app amid the COVID-19 pandemic, makes influencers on social media “essential workers”. The platform presents an opportunity...
India, the world’s second most populous country, is under an unprecedented eight-week lock down. While the lockdown is necessary to contain the...
In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, public health and religious piety have to be carefully balanced. Lockdown and social distancing policies are...
In this crisis, we see that many suffer significant losses of income and employment as a result of social distancing measures. India's Self Employed...
Across Thailand, millions of migrant workers are struggling due to the lockdown, unable to get home, and often without any work. The government has...
Access to rights and collective representation through unions is vital to tackling the pandemic. Safe workplace measures must be jointly designed and...
Balancing two mighty neighbours is part of the DNA of Mongolia’s diplomacy and economic relations. The country’s economy depends heavily on trade with...
Governments, funders and humanitarian agencies must act now to save lives and mitigate the potentially catastrophic impacts of COVID-19 on refugee and...
The most populous country in South-East Asia was initially slow to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the government has stepped up travel...
In Asia’s densely populated cities, social distancing possibilities are limited. The pandemic reveals the need for more sustainable responses and...
For millions of Thai workers, the lost income due to the COVID-19 response is fast becoming a more pressing daily concern than social distancing....
Female doctors and nurses carry a double burden during the COVID-19 crisis. Unions in Nepal are demanding urgent action to safeguard workers’...
Amid the world’s largest lockdown, migrant workers face an impossible choice: Risk contracting the virus or go hungry. Indian journalist Sanjay Kapoor...
The COVID-19 pandemic has a strong gender dimension. It is increasing women’s vulnerabilities and risks in their roles as workers and caregivers....
The corona crisis is sending shockwaves through political, economic and social systems. The challenges for the Asia-Pacific region are enormous, and...
Trade unions have a critically important role in mitigating the economic and social effects of the coronavirus crisis. UNI Asia-Pacific Regional...
South Korea’s strategy in the fight against the coronavirus is viewed as a model throughout the world. Now the country is conducting parliamentary...
The measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a decline in CO2 emissions. But without structural changes in place, this will not benefit...
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the long-standing symptoms of a weak and inequitable public health system in the Philippines. A densely populated...
Bangladesh’s textile sector is highly dependent on demand from Europe and the United States. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will hit...
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the urgency for peace in Afghanistan to unprecedented levels. For the fledgling peace process, it is either an...
More
In Nepal, the last tourists are leaving. Their guides stay behind. How are workers in the tourism sector coping with the COVID-19 crisis?
All realms of public life in Asia will be affected by the most severe pandemic in our lifetimes thus far.
Isabelle Urumath
Regional Communications Coordinator
isabelle.urumath(at)fes.asia
Mirco Günther
Director, FES Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia
mirco.guenther(at)fes.asia
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