Joseph Rachman

Joseph Rachman is the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly Southeast Asia Brief. He is a freelance journalist based in Jakarta.

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Articles by Joseph Rachman
Soldiers carry the coffin of Sgt. Maj. 1st Class Ananda Udon during a royal funeral ceremony in Sisaket, Thailand, on Dec. 14.
Soldiers carry the coffin of Sgt. Maj. 1st Class Ananda Udon during a royal funeral ceremony in Sisaket, Thailand, on Dec. 14.

Southeast Asia’s Year in Review

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
This picture shows an aerial view of villagers wading through the mudflow to find a shelter in the aftermath of flash floods in Tukka village in North Sumatra province, Indonesia, on Dec. 3.
This picture shows an aerial view of villagers wading through the mudflow to find a shelter in the aftermath of flash floods in Tukka village in North Sumatra province, Indonesia, on Dec. 3.

Why Indonesia’s Not Out of the Flood Zone

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim presides over the signing of a Cambodia-Thailand peace deal at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim presides over the signing of a Cambodia-Thailand peace deal at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26.

Malaysia’s Borneo Election Spells Trouble for Anwar

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during a press conference at Malacanang Palace in Manila, the Philippines, on Nov. 13.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during a press conference at Malacanang Palace in Manila, the Philippines, on Nov. 13.

The Philippine Government Is Creaking Under the Weight of Scandal

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
A motorbike rides past a house hit by Cambodian artillery during the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict in Surin Province, Thailand, on Nov. 3.
A motorbike rides past a house hit by Cambodian artillery during the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict in Surin Province, Thailand, on Nov. 3.

Why the Thai-Cambodia Peace Deal Is in Tatters

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
Workers install photovoltaic panels at the Ningxia Tengger Desert New Energy Base in Zhongwei, in China's northern Ningxia region, on May 9, 2024.
Workers install photovoltaic panels at the Ningxia Tengger Desert New Energy Base in Zhongwei, in China's northern Ningxia region, on May 9, 2024.

A Power-Hungry Southeast Asia Wants China’s Energy This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Joseph Rachman, Indra Øverland
A couple wade through a flooded street as Super Typhoon Fung-wong hits Bulacan, the Philippines, on Nov. 9.
A couple wade through a flooded street as Super Typhoon Fung-wong hits Bulacan, the Philippines, on Nov. 9.

Why Extreme Weather Hits Southeast Asia So Hard

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
A high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train attendant waits for passengers at Halim Station in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 24.
A high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train attendant waits for passengers at Halim Station in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 24.

Indonesia’s Belt and Road Railway to Nowhere

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
Motorists stop at a traffic light next to the logo of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in front of Petronas Twin Towers ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 23.
Motorists stop at a traffic light next to the logo of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in front of Petronas Twin Towers ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 23.

ASEAN’s Mixed Feelings About U.S.-China Detente

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
A car with "ASEAN" written on the side drives past a crowd with a Malaysian flag sticking out of the window.
A car with "ASEAN" written on the side drives past a crowd with a Malaysian flag sticking out of the window.

Why World Leaders Are Descending on ASEAN

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
A man in a canoe rides past houses in flood water.
A man in a canoe rides past houses in flood water.

How Storms Are Shaping Politics in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
Six people in suits sit on one side of a wooden table across from ten men also in suits, with the flags of Myanmar and China atop the table in front of a Chinese mural scene.
Six people in suits sit on one side of a wooden table across from ten men also in suits, with the flags of Myanmar and China atop the table in front of a Chinese mural scene.

The Myanmar Junta Is Making Powerful Friends

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
A police official looks on between national flags during the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 9, 2024.
A police official looks on between national flags during the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 9, 2024.

The ASEAN Plan for a Post-American World

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
Students from several universities protest against the parliament’s plan to purchase SUVs for lawmakers at the National University of East Timor (UNTL) in Dili on Sept. 15.
Students from several universities protest against the parliament’s plan to purchase SUVs for lawmakers at the National University of East Timor (UNTL) in Dili on Sept. 15.

Timor-Leste’s Protests Fit Into a Regional Trend

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
A woman rides a motorbike wearing a red helmet and face mask by a strip of lit-up storefronts.
A woman rides a motorbike wearing a red helmet and face mask by a strip of lit-up storefronts.

Trump’s Tariffs Start to Bite in Vietnam

Southeast Asia Brief
Joseph Rachman
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