More and more people travel across international borders for the purpose of receiving medical care. Medical tourism, as this growing phenomenon is commonly called, features prominently in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore among the top world destinations thanks to relatively lower costs of care, cutting-edge equipment and expertise, and visitors’ friendly attitude.  At the receiving end of services, Indonesia is one of the major sending countries for outbound medical tourism as many Indonesians travel to Malaysia or Singapore in search of better care.

Thailand is well known internationally for its highly visible, diverse and increasingly vocal transgender, lesbian and gay cultures and communities.  In international media, both in the West and in much of Asia, Thailand is often highlighted for its so-called cultural “tolerance” of gender and sexual diversity.  However, in his public talk at SEA Junction on 28 March at 5-7PM Peter Jackson, Emeritus Professor of Thai history and cultural studies in the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific, will who how recent Thailand’s now very public queer c

In recent years, the harsh labor practices and poor living and work conditions of migrants from Cambodia and Myanmar in the fishing and seafood industry in Thailand have received international attention and prompted demands for systemic reform. Photographer Rahman Mahmud’s insights powerfully illustrate the Cambodian migrant children, women and men who sustain the industry with their exploited labor. In his words: “I have spent hours during the day in a fishing pier.

SEA Junction is collaborating with APCOM (www.apcom.org) to organize a public lecture by renowned Indonesian LBGT activist and Chair of APCOM, Dédé Oetomo on 29 November 2016 at 5-7pm. He will provide an in-depth analysis of the wave of attacks to LGBT people and communities in the context of the current socio-political and religious situation of Indonesia. The lecture will also serve as a side event to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) World Conference to be held in Bangkok on 28 November to 2 December 2016.

  2017 ASEAN will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Progress has been made towards more close-tied regionalism in Southeast Asia and mechanisms for joint governance have become more sophisticated. However, while ASEAN as an inter-governmental institution is keen to collaborate with the business sector and closely engage with it at all levels, its relationship with civil society remains fraught with tensions.