Podcasts by New Naratifs Southeast Asia Dispatches

Unlawful Surveillance in Southeast Asia, Pegasus Case from 2023-12-06T23:52:29

This is a special edition of the podcast, the fourth of six episodes in the Pegasus series that New Naratif are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in English, while...

Penyadapan Ilegal di Indonesia, Kasus Pegasus from 2023-11-29T23:00

This is a special edition of the Southeast Asia Dispatches, the third of six episodes in the Pegasus series that we are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in Englis...

Unmasking the Menace of Pegasus from 2023-11-15T23:00

This episode was recorded in front of an online live audience as part of our Media Freedom Network Legal Briefing activity. It is also part of our Pegasus Series, a series of podcasts, comics, a...

Thailand's Press by the People from 2023-11-08T23:00

We’ve covered the political situation in Thailand before in this podcast – a constant struggle between pro-democracy factions and former royalist powers. Although there are members of the press ...

The Citizens' Agenda Indonesia from 2023-10-18T23:00

The Citizens’ Agenda is a space for citizens to express their concerns and increase their political ...

Cambodia’s Media Clampdown from 2023-09-27T17:07:01

In February 2023, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the closure of one of the country's last independent local news outlets, Voice of Democracy (VOD), saying it had attacked him and h...

The Threats of Anti Terror Law in The Philippines from 2023-09-20T23:00

In July 2022, Jasmin Rubia, Kenneth Rementilla, and Hailey Pecayo took part in a fact-finding mission to look into the alleged murder of Kylene Casao, a 9-year-old girl, and Maximino Digno, a 50...

The Struggle to End Child Immigration Detention in Malaysia from 2023-09-13T18:00

Based on April 2023 figures from the Home Ministry,  a total of 1,030 children, 43% of whom are girls, are currently being held in 19 immi...

Pegasus Spyware di Indonesia from 2023-09-07T01:01:02

This is a special edition of the Southeast Asia Dispatches, the first of six episodes in the Pegasus series that we are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in Englis...

Pegasus Spyware in Southeast Asia from 2023-08-30T23:00

This is a special edition of the Southeast Asia Dispatches, the first of six episodes in the Pegasus series that we are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in Englis...

Digital Security Support in Thai Protests from 2023-08-16T23:00

Thailand’s political situation has been rather tumultuous for a while. What began as pro-democracy marches by students in February 2020 expanded into endless protests against the pro-military ad...

A Tale of Queer Migration in Indonesia from 2023-07-05T23:00

This episode is based on their short comic trilogy called “The Rites of Passage: A Tale of Queer Migration” by Asmara S. Wigati. In this episode, Asmara and Bonni discusses the trilogy, Asmara’s...

Queerphobia in Indonesia's Newsrooms from 2023-06-21T23:27:29

In general, the national media in Indonesia either ignores LGBTQ+ issues or does not cover them at all. Otherwise, when they publish such content, they are blatantly reflecting hate and discrimi...

The Principles of Democracy from 2023-06-14T23:00:05

In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan and PJ Thum will be talking about New Naratif’s upcoming Principles of Democracy project and what it takes to build a democracy.

In the upcoming months,...

Managing the Cost of Living in Malaysia from 2023-06-07T21:24:28

The start of the new decade in 2020  was devastating and demoralising for many Malaysians. Millions of Malaysians' quality of life has been drastically lowered by the pandemic, political and...

Trans Healthcare in Indonesia from 2023-05-31T23:00:34

On May 18th, we released an episode talking about Indonesia’s n...

Enabling Filipino Children to Dream in Colour from 2023-05-24T23:00:36

Through their initiatives, FundLife, a purpose-driven not for profit organisation in the Philippines, is committed to improving this situation. They aim to establish educational and employment p...

The Fight for Reproductive Rights in Indonesia from 2023-05-17T23:00:32

Earlier this month, the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the government continued the legislative process of the Health Bill.The rapidity with which the government and the House ...

The Struggles of Refugees in Malaysia from 2023-05-10T23:00:03

In Peninsular Malaysia there are over one hundred and eighty thousand refugees. Regardless of origin or identity, they all run into the same core problem of legal recognition. Malaysian authorit...

Myanmar’s New Feminist Narrative from 2023-04-26T23:00:22

In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan and Thet Wai talks about Myanmar's New Feminist Narrative and Wai's experiences as a feminist activist in Myanmar.

Thet Wai is a gender rights r...

Santa Ana: Stories by the Riverside from 2023-04-19T06:16:10

The episode will be presented to you by Levi Masuli, who will be telling the story of former migrants turned riverside vegetable farmers in Santa Ana of the Rizal Province, Philippines.

L...

Indonesia's Police Brutality & Media Freedom from 2023-04-12T18:00:33

One of the key pillars of democracy is the ability to freely criticise those in power. But as we all know, such is rarely the case in Southeast Asia. Whenever journalists criticise any police-re...

Research as Activism from 2023-03-29T18:00:20

With an increasingly hostile atmosphere towards media workers in Southeast Asia, New Naratif’s Media Freedom Insights publications try to better understand their life experiences. New Naratif’s ...

On Media Freedom and Digital Security from 2023-03-16T02:00:21

Bonnibel Rambatan talks to Damar Juniarto, Executive Director of SAFEnet, about digital rights and digital security, the increasing judicial harassment of expression in the digital space in Sout...

Resilience Against Digital Authoritarianism from 2023-03-02T02:00:44

It is important for any coalition of democratic allies to play both defensive and offensive roles, promoting resilience to authoritarian digital threats while building an affirmative alternative...

Legal Rights for Haiyan’s LGBTQ Survivors from 2023-02-16T02:00:02

In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan talks to Arturo Golong, or Arthur, a trans woman who was also Haiyan’s survivor, and Mavic Conde, a Filipino environmental journalist, about how things are goi...

Development Through Distress from 2023-02-01T17:01:51

Previously, Teo S. Marasigan, Filipino activist and New Naratif's researcher, published research series on OFWs titled Listen

On Media Freedom and Public Journalism from 2023-01-12T02:58:33

In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan talks with Evi Mariani, one of the co-founders of Project Multatuli, a collective initiative dedicated to carrying out the ideals of public journalism by givin...

Myths & Migration from 2022-12-15T04:59:39

On this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan talks about New Naratif’s Research Department and the idea of research as activism with Lengga Pradipta, Migration Researcher at New Naratif.

Migration ...

Advocating for Trans Liberation in Southeast Asia from 2022-12-01T06:42:06

On this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan talks about trans liberation in Southeast Asia with Erik Nadir and Nhuun Yodmuang from Asia Pacific Transgender Network, also known as APTN, a trans-led organi...

Duterte’s War On Women, Workers and Farmers from 2022-03-11T09:54:43

Content warning: This podcast includes references to sexual assault.

On this week’s episode, Jacob Goldberg speaks to Peter Murphy, chairman of the International...

Communist Democracy in the Philippines from 2022-01-21T08:57:36

On this week's episode, Jacob Goldberg speaks to Professor Jose Maria Sison, who goes by the nickname Joma. Joma is the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which h...

New Naratif in 2021: A Year of Many Firsts from 2021-12-17T06:27:42

New Naratif founder PJ Thum and editor-in-chief Jacob Goldberg reflect on the tough decisions, impactful stories and blossoming team spirit that made 2021 our most memorable year yet.

Can Malaysia’s Cycle of Statelessness Be Broken? from 2021-11-05T10:37:21

Earlier this year, New Naratif published a piece about Wong Kueng Hui, one of the man...

Is Malaysia’s Parliament Dead? from 2021-08-20T02:12

On the 16th of August, Malaysia’s 8th prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet, who came to power via Listen

Why Malaysia’s COVID-19 Aid Isn’t Reaching Queer Communities from 2021-08-06T06:13:04

Since March 2020, Malaysia has been placed under several movement control orders (MCOs) that restrict movement and business operations in order to curb COVID-19 infections. However, the MCOs hav...

Why Some Malaysian Teachers Are Paying for Students’ Mobile Data from 2021-07-29T21:52:48

Every so often, heartwarming stories emerge of educators and students alike overcoming hurdles in order for learning to continue, whether that’s a teacher travelling over Listen

Undocumented and Unvaccinated: Malaysia’s Unequal Vaccine Rollout from 2021-07-23T08:03:18

Infection rates continue to climb in Malaysia’s latest wave of COVID-19 infections. Listen

COVID-19’s Mental Health Impact: How are Refugees Coping? from 2021-07-09T05:32:41

This podcast includes references to suicide.

These days, almost anyone you meet can talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their lives for the worse. S...

Heroes by Necessity: Reframing Refugee Stories from 2021-06-25T04:14:31

When you hear the word “refugee”, what picture comes to mind? Is it an image of a boat full of people trying to find a safe place to stay, or is it a desolate refugee camp? Often, the narrative ...

Why Are Politicians Afraid of Art? from 2021-06-11T05:14:10

Do politicians and rulers have anything to worry about when it comes to the influence of art in politics?

This year alone, Fahmi Reza, a Malaysian political graphic designer and activist ...

Thai Protesters Gagged and Released from 2021-05-28T09:49:45

After 10 months of protests, in which Thai people took to the streets to call for reform of the monarchy and the political system, more than 600 activists have been arrested and charged for thei...

Why Do Indonesian Dictionaries Call Women “Whores”? from 2021-05-13T19:26:13

Language has the power to shape our understanding about the world. It’s a cultural, political, and psychological tool that impacts our psyche and the way we relate to people around us. But who g...

The Plight of Transnational Families in Malaysia from 2021-04-29T20:20:18

For more than a month, Malaysian authorities detained Nigerian national Listen

Resisting Myanmar’s Coup With Civil Disobedience from 2021-04-16T10:43:57

On the 1st of February this year, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing launched a coup, aborting Myanmar’s five-year experiment with electoral democracy. The army toppled the civilian government a day...

Undi18: Malaysian Youth Fight to Lower the Voting Age from 2021-04-01T18:39:18

In 2019, Mala...

Our Mothers’ Land: Women Resist the Privatisation of Nature from 2021-03-19T06:33:30

On this episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Deborah Augustin speaks to Febriana Firdaus, an independent journalist based in Indonesia, and Leo Plunkett, a filmmaker and video journalist, about...

Empowering Refugee Youth Through Education from 2021-03-05T03:19:05

Refugee children in Malaysia are denied access to the formal education system. This leaves informal community-based learning centres as their only option.

On this episode of Southeast Asi...

A Deep Dive Into Indonesia's Human Rights Anthem from 2021-02-19T04:00

Art and music have always been a part of social change and activism. They have the power to intervene in politics and create lasting impact. In Indonesia, Efek Rumah Kaca is an indie rock band w...

Getting to Know Our New Editor-in-Chief from 2021-02-05T03:35:46

2020 was a bumpy ride, but we’re already excited for what 2021 has in store for us, starting with a new addition to our team. For the first episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches this year, Debora...

New Naratif's 2020 Year in Review from 2020-12-11T05:50:56

From internal changes to being called in for questioning, this year has been action-packed from start to finish for New Naratif. On the final episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches for 2020, PJ Th...

Behind Malaysia’s Drug Laws: A Family’s Ordeal from 2020-11-27T03:54:39

Like most Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia has extremely strict anti-drug laws that are often punishable by death. Filmmakers Loh Jo Yee and Hidayah Hisham delve into Malaysia’s criminal just...

A Future Rooted in Our Forests from 2020-11-12T03:52:52

The Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve in Malaysia is an area that has an important role to play in conserving biodiversity. It is home to rare species such as the Malayan Sun Bear,  the Sel...

Crumbling Caliphate from 2020-11-06T03:29:11

In recent weeks, the Caliphate podcast produced by the New York Times has attracted controversy after its main source was arrested on terrorism hoax charges in Canada, raising questions about ho...

Doth Indonesia Protest Too Much? from 2020-10-15T22:12:13

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Indonesia in recent weeks as tensions have risen following the passage of a controversial “omnibus law” on 5 October 2020 that demonstrat...

Malaysia's Shifting Political Alliances from 2020-10-02T04:17:49

Last week, a senior Malaysian politician claimed to have the majority of support amongst Members of Parliament to form a new government. This comes as no surprise to Malaysians, who have watched...

The Plight of Indonesia’s Vulnerable Domestic Workers from 2020-09-18T02:09:03

In Indonesia, unclear work contracts, unlimited workloads and poor working conditions are just a few examples of issues that plague domestic workers. In a country with approximately 4 million do...

Will COVID-19 Change The Way We Protest? from 2020-09-04T14:39:28

The past few months have shown us that not even a pandemic can slow down advocacy or activism. Globally, people from across the world continue to mobilize against injustice. In the United States...

Thailand’s Defiant Youth from 2020-08-22T15:47:14

Amid an ongoing state of emergency to contain COVID-19, young people around Thailand have taken to the streets to call for Prime Minister Prayuth's resignation and for systemic reforms. Proteste...

Freedom of Expression in Myanmar from 2020-08-09T00:00

After winning the general elections in 2015, the National League for Democracy (NLD) became the first democratically elected, civilian-led government in Myanmar since 1962, which kindled hope th...

Youth Power in Malaysian Politics from 2020-07-26T00:00

In July 2019, the Malaysian Parliament passed a Constitutional Amendment to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. This amendment means that an estimated 8 million eligible voters will be added to ...

Activist Burnout: Fostering Sustainable Activism from 2020-07-12T00:00

During these uncertain and tumultuous times, activists have gone above and beyond to help the most vulnerable groups in our communities. But what happens when activists start to feel burnt out d...

Myanmar's Trailblazing Podcaster from 2020-06-28T00:00

On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Adam Bemma speaks to Myanmar’s trailblazing podcaster, Nandar. Last year, Nandar started the G-Taw Zagar Wyne podcast along with members of h...

Unpacking Urban Poverty from 2020-06-14T00:00

In Southeast Asia, poverty is often associated with rural communities. As a result, conversations around urban poverty have largely taken a backseat in public discourse.

On this week's ep...

Teaching Children to Cope With COVID-19 from 2020-05-31T00:00

In the age of COVID-19, family dynamics have understandably shifted. As a result, we’ve seen more parents openly talk on social media about their struggles with balancing work, child care and se...

Citizen of the Earth: A Refugee Speaks Out from 2020-05-17T00:00

During the COVID-19 pandemic, society’s most vulnerable are at risk in several ways. Refugees and migrants in particular, whether documented or undocumented, face challenges such as having inade...

The Age of the Journalist from 2020-05-03T00:00

Today is World Press Freedom Day. In Southeast Asia, journalists face both legal and financial challenges when reporting. But now more than ever, quality journalism is important to keep people i...

Surviving the Pandemic When Home is Unsafe from 2020-04-19T00:00

Globally, lockdowns are a key tactic to combat COVID-19. Phrases like ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ are used on social media to encourage people to stay indoors during this pandemic. But what happens w...

An interview with Effendy Aritonang, the National Director of Yayasan Fondasi Hidup from 2020-04-05T00:00

On this episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches: our Editor-in-Chief Aisyah Llewellyn talks to Effendy Aritonang, the National Director of Yayasan Fondasi Hidup - an Indonesian NGO based in Medan, ...

An Interview with Benny Wenda from 2020-03-07T00:00

In August 2018, Febriana Firdaus (via skype) and Thum Ping Tjin sat down with Benny Wenda, a West Papuan Independence leader, Chairperson for the United Liberati...

Episode 20 — Lese Majeste in Thailand and reporting on the Rohingya crisis from 2019-12-16T07:37:43

Adam Bemma speaks to a Thai democracy and human rights activist about his arrest under the country’s lese majeste law and Victoria Milko looks at the difficulties...

Episode 19 — Rohingya refugees are still stuck in camps, two years later from 2019-10-22T08:00:29

This week, Victoria Milko visits refugee camps on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border around the two-year anniversary of an exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar (00:50), Kelly Anissa speaks to Malaysian st...

Episode 18 — Domestic workers march for labour rights in Timor Leste from 2019-10-08T11:36:16

This week, Laura McDowell and Teodosia Dos Reis join domestic workers in Timor Leste as they march for their rights (00:50), Adam Bemma talks to political groups in Thailand trying to decentralise ...

Road to Raqqa — Part Two from 2019-09-18T05:34:46

In 2016, 22-year-old Febri made a decision to move to Syria and live under Islamic State, better known as ISIS.   In the final of a special two-part series for New Naratif, Deputy Editor Aisyah Lle...

Road to Raqqa — Part One from 2019-07-31T09:18:04

In 2016, 22-year-old Febri made a decision to move to Syria and live under Islamic State, better known as ISIS. In the first of a special two-part series for New Naratif, Deputy Editor Aisyah Lle...

Episode 15 — Bringing medical care to one of Myanmar's most remote areas from 2019-03-25T09:35:34

This week, Victoria Milko takes a look at how providers are bringing healthcare to the Naga Self-Administered Zone (00:50), Adam Bemma speaks to Hasan Al-Akraa, a refugee in Malaysia who uses so...

Episode 14 — Overcoming barriers as Timor-Leste’s first blind broadcaster from 2019-03-11T09:51:44

This week, Adam Bemma takes a look at the political parties running in Thailand’s general election (00:51), Laura McDowell profiles Timor-Leste’s first blind broadcaster (9:09), PJ Thum intervie...

Episode 13 — From Singapore's old-school activists to the fishing industry in Thailand from 2019-02-25T08:36:29

This week, Kirsten Han invites us to lunch with Singapore's Old Left (00:52), Mike Tatarski looks at the effects of Vietnam's booming tourism industry (09:31), PJ Thum talks to Cambodia...

Debat Pilpres Kedua 2019 from 2019-02-23T15:02:03

Joko Widodo dan Prabowo Subianto bertarung dalam debat capres kedua pada tanggal 17 Februari 2019. Wakil Editor Bahasa Indonesia di New Naratif, Aisyah Llewellyn membahas dengan Konsultan Editor...

The Indonesian Presidential Election from 2019-02-11T09:43:04

Indonesia is heading to the polls on 17 April. Incumbent president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo with his new vice-presidential pick Ma’ruf Amin, an influential Muslim cleric. They're facing off against ...

Episode 11 from 2019-01-28T09:52:30

This week, Jamie Fullerton visits an ethical elephant park in Vietnam (00:50), Victoria Milko brings us through the history and struggles of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities (10:39), and Adam Bemma t...

Episode 10 from 2019-01-14T07:56:21

This week, Adam Bemma speaks to LGBT rights activists working to establish an advocacy network in Laos [00:50], Victoria Milko visits a peace park set up by the Karen ethnic group in conflict-em...

Episode 9 from 2018-12-10T07:47:05

This week, Teodosia Dos Reis and Laura McDowell attend the anniversary of Timor-Leste’s Santa Cruz Massacre (0:53), Teguh Harahap looks at the future of Kuda Lumping dance seances in Indonesia (...

Women in Journalism from 2018-11-26T08:08:39

Despite the large number of women going to journalism school every year, studies have shown that men continue to dominate the media industry and hold positions of power in the newsroom. 

...

Episode 7 from 2018-11-12T04:25:21

Southeast Asia Dispatches is a fortnightly podcast bringing you reports, interviews and perspectives from New Naratif’s network around Southeast Asia.

This week, Victoria Milko talks to t...

Episode 6 from 2018-10-29T05:41:13

This week, Tehmina Kaoosji takes a look at the sustainability of the palm oil industry in Malaysia [00:48], Adam Bemma speaks to young Thai rappers pushing boundaries [07:00], Kirsten Han interv...

Episode 5 from 2018-10-01T03:10:02

This week, Adam Bemma speaks to the wife of a community worker disappeared in Laos six years ago [01:41], Mark Tilly talks to architects about the development and urbanisation of the Cambodian c...

Episode 4 from 2018-09-17T02:23:10

This week, Adam Bemma speaks with a Syrian refugee stuck in the transit lounge of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport [00:51], Victoria Milko visits churches in Yangon trying to keep...

Episode 3 from 2018-09-03T04:03:13

In this week’s episode, Kirsten Han visits a modernist building in danger of demolition in Singapore [00:48], Samantha Cheh talks to PJ Thum about anti-LGBT pseudo-science in Malaysia <...

Episode 2 from 2018-08-19T17:38:01

This week’s episode includes a look at child marriage in Malaysia by Tehmina Kaoosji [00:48], an interview with Aisyah Llewellyn about her story on US-Indonesian relations during the As...

Episode 1 from 2018-08-08T16:17:11

A fortnightly podcast bringing you reports, interviews and commentary from New Naratif’s network around Southeast Asia.

This week’s stories include educating child labourers in Myanmar wi...