Upcoming Events in the U.S. and beyond

June Events

1. Protest and Digital Repression: Repercussions and Pushback in Myanmar and Thailand Location: ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, webinar Date: June 28, 2022, 3:00 pm (Singapore Time) Speaker: Thinzar Shunlei Yi, Janjiira Sombatpoonsiri

Recent protest movements in both Myanmar and Thailand have met with digital repression meant to deter or curb the movements’ activities and to undermine their support. In an era when on- and off-line mobilization frequently intersect, that repression has been instrumental in attempts to suppress pro-democracy activism. In Myanmar, online campaigning against the State Administration Council regime that seized power in February 2021 has been met with Internet shutdowns, blocking and removal of online content, and digital surveillance. Ownership changes in the telecommunications sector threaten to increase the junta’s control of the Internet. In Thailand, military-backed regimes have long blocked contentious online content, weaponised computer-related lawsuits against dissidents, consolidated surveillance infrastructure, and deployed cyber troops to manipulate social media. Digital repression has intensified in the aftermath of the country’s 2020-2021 youth-led protests. This webinar will address digital repression in Myanmar and Thailand, the intertwining of digital and traditional approaches to repression, and its impact on protest movements. It will consider how Myanmar and Thai protest movements have countered regime efforts to stifle digital activism. More info here Register here

July Events

1. The 7th International Conference on International Relations and Development (ICIRD) Location: Chiang Mai University Date: July 22 to 23, 2022

The 7th International Conference on International Relations and Development (ICIRD) under the theme “Disruption, Challenges and Resilience in Contemporary Southeast Asia” will be held virtually and onsite from 22-23 July 2022 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. More info here

September Events

1. Myanmar in a Changing World:

Myanmar Conference 2022 Location: Humboldt-University Berlin and via Zoom Date: September 1 to 3, 2022 Hosted: Humboldt-University Berlin and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Organized by: the Myanmar-Institut e.V.

The ongoing pandemic and a severe ethical and legal uncertainty about possible ways of conducting research in and about Myanmar after the coup, Myanmar scholarship is also set to change. The conference invites considerations about how to engage with Myanmar now. We want to examine various ways of keeping Myanmar research vibrant. This includes the challenge to decolonise it.. More info here

2. ASEAS(UK) Conference 2022 Location: Association of Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS UK), via Zoom Date: September 8 to 10, 2022 Organizers: ASEAS(UK)

ASEAS(UK) invites scholars and PhD students from all academic disciplines to submit panels or papers on any research topic within the field of Southeast Asian Studies. As an international and multi-disciplinary scholarly organisation, ASEAS particularly welcomes submissions from Southeast Asia-based scholars and proposals that would develop cross-disciplinary collaboration. Multimodal presentations suitable for the online environment are also welcome and we invite proposals for screenings of documentaries or fiction films, from Southeast Asia. More info here

October Events

1. New York Conference On Asian Studies Location: Syracus University Date: October 7 to 8, 2022

We invite submissions from scholars across all disciplines on all topics related to Asia and Asian Studies. We are particularly interested in topics related to our main theme: “State and Society in Asia: Past and Present.” Recent events such as the successes and failures of states at mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic; the targeting of religious, racial, and ethnic minorities; widespread protests against military regimes; the possibility of a new cold war between China and the US; and the dramatic takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban forces have highlighted the evercrucial role of the state in Asian societies, both in its presence and absence. In bringing scholarly perspectives to these current events, questions that interest us include: What historical legacies of the state persist in contemporary Asia? What roles do technology and urban development play in extending state power to unprecedented degrees? Conversely, how does a vacuum in state infrastructure in countries like Afghanistan create conditions for regime change? Can countries like Myanmar continue to isolate themselves and not suffer social and economic hardships? More Info here