My latest article on critical international theory now has an issue

La Via Campesina's statement of solidarity with Myanmar: "Working people and peasants remain the backbone of Myanmar’s resistance ... We stand in unwavering solidarity with Myanmar’s peasants and working people — and with their Spring Revolution!" viacampesina.org/en/2025/10/m...

"Three historical arcs shaped Sudan’s path: colonial extraction, the security-rent state, and the popular revolution." This brilliant account of Sudan's revolution foregrounds three historical dynamics that also drive Myanmar's. abuhureirah.substack.com/p/sudan-at-t...

The Brazilian IR journal World Tensions has just published an open-access thematic double issue on Marxism and International Relations that includes an interview with me in English and Portuguese. 1/4 revistas.uece.br/index.php/te...

"Myanmar is undergoing a process of revolutionary state-building that offers a choice: back the population to reimagine the nature of the state & pursue justice, or continue down the current path that enables the junta’s destruction & undermines ASEAN." thediplomat.com/2025/10/supp...

Since 2022 Gen Z has organised revolutions & dethroned rulers in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Madagascar, & Peru. Countries w/a combined pop. of 790 million people, making it the largest wave of revolt in human history. foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/17/g...

1/3. I wrote an article over four years ago arguing that economic corridors were an essentially extractivist paradigm that facilitate the reproduction of imperial-hierarchical relations across the international ... theconversation.com/donald-trump...

21st century battle of green state capitalism vs brown climate barbarism off to a good start

New article: The tripartite structure of critical international theory, by @charliethame.bsky.social, doi.org/10.1017/S175... @internatltheory.bsky.social

The Tripartite Structure of Critical International Theory doi.org/10.1017/S175... For those interested in critical theory / IR, my latest, OA in @internatltheory.bsky.social Part homage to Andrew Linklater (@interpolaber.bsky.social), part statement of my approach to IR, developed through his

"The war is about elites in Bangkok and Phnom Penh weaponizing myth to distract from corruption, inequality, and repression. The people who pay the price are the rural poor, not the generals, oligarchs, or bureaucrats who send them to die." jacobin.com/2025/08/thai...

BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.

Khmer voices for peace: "Every dollar spent on weapons is a dollar stolen from the people ... Whether it’s a mother shielding her children in a Thai convenience store or an old man praying in a Cambodian pagoda, every innocent life lost is a tragedy ... we must agree on this."

Sign says: “Stop harming Cambodian workers. They don't know anything about this. If you want to show off how cool you are, go live at the border instead. Don't pick on people who can't fight back. That's not cool at all, you bastxrds.'" Good stuff & brave of the driver to speak up like that.

"In Bangkok there is a rogue military holding a civilian government hostage, in Phnom Penh a state gutted by the fever dreams of the Chicago School, both perpetrating a completely unjust and unnecessary conflict. The only losers in this war ... will be the poor of Thailand and Cambodia."

Thai voices for peace: statement from Assembly of the Poor. “We resist the ultra patriotism and militarism that makes states turn their back on people, while manipulating fear, hatred and loss as their political instruments.”

Wonderful interview, moving and inspiring in equal measure. Well worth your time.

Interview w/Paul Chambers: academic freedom in Thailand is in crisis, administrators lack courage to protect academics from security forces. www.bbc.com/thai/article...

Exciting news: a new special collection at TU library. 150+ books on Thai & SEA history, political economy, & IR, donated by prof. Kullada Kesboonchoo-Mead. Mostly Thai language but some English too. Full list here: bit.ly/3ZSEjqk

Postdoc in IR/PolSci in Bangkok next year. 6-12 months including a modest stipend & visa support. Link is a bit clumsy (seems admin must approve access) but further details here: lnkd.in/eW_sVc5b

“The revolution doesn’t end with the military being defeated…” In our latest episode, political analyst Charlie Thame unpacks Myanmar’s Spring Revolution—not just as a fight for democracy, but as a redemptive uprising to fulfill decades of broken promises. insightmyanmar.org/complete-sho...

Interesting interview w/ former UN humanitarian chief: - international community complicit in Gaza, indifferent in Sudan - need to rethink IO beyond UN, more open to the people, South, and better w/aid - Syria shows war works - met w/ "awful people" in Naypyitaw foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/28/g...

The person removed is Burmese, and likely can’t be removed to Myanmar because of the ongoing military dictatorship and its war against revolutionary forces there. So they removed him to South Sudan instead

Shameful by UK gov. Kyaw Zwar Minn stated in 2022 that he would leave the house when ASSK was released or the UK recognised the NUG; that he would only hand over the house "to the legitimate, elected government of Myanmar, not to the military". Good on him. www.reuters.com/world/uk-cha...

Excellent news. world.thaipbs.or.th/detail/lse-m...

US academics are now mobilizing to support Paul Chambers! The American Political Science Association sent a strong letter to Sec of State Rubio, US Congress, & Thai gov't to demand that #Thailand drop all criminal charges against Chambers. Full text of letter here: apsanet.org/wp-content/u...

New books!

International actors are pushing for a negotiated settlement to Myanmar’s revolution. As Ye Myo Hein argues, this is unrealistic for two main reasons: www.foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas...

#BREAKING: American academic Dr. Paul Chambers, a renowned expert on the Thai military and security apparatus, has been arrested for lèse majesté and denied bail by a Phitsanulok court.

The Trump tariffs are an opportunity for Global South countries to shift production away from exports to the imperial core and toward meeting human needs and national development objectives.

A useful brief intro to Trump's tariffs. Case of Vietnam reveals how illogical it is: US$123bn deficit on $137bn imports = 90% "import tariff" by US. But Vietnam doesn't have a tariff on US exports, so cannot agree reductions to avoid US tariff. thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/t...

Student protester is bundled out of the Shangri-La Hotel where the BIMSTEC conference is being attended by Myanmar Junta leader, as he dragged out of the front door he shouts: "Thailand does not welcome tyrant killer Min Aung Hlaing, this meeting stained with over 6,000 innocent people's blood”

Paul is one of the foremost experts in civil-military relations in/of mainland Southeast Asia. Recent books include Khaki Capital and Praetorian Kingdom. His Google Scholar page has nearly 2000 citations. This could see him imprisoned for 15 years for the content of a lecture.

Paul Chambers, one of the best academic observers on the Thai military and security apparatus, has reportedly been arrested for lèse majesté, the royal defamation law.

Heads of state invariably cancel trips abroad following disasters of the magnitude of Myanmars earthquake. The fact that MAH hasn’t goes to show how desperate he is to be seen as one, and how little he deserves to.

No ceasefire, says the junta. Further proof that the Myanmar military is beyond depraved, as death toll pushes towards 3,000 myanmar-now.org/en/news/junt...

2/2: Our story on an elite sniper isn’t about glorification – it documents a generation lost to war after the junta's return. Anina attacks dictatorship & patriarchy, risking her life so Myanmar might someday have a government its people can trust during times like this. #whatshappeninginMyanmar

1/2: As #Myanmar reels from a massive earthquake, remember the uprising against its brutal military regime. Teen fighters like the remarkable Anina defend their homes when they should be building their futures. Pics by Valeria Mongelli for @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Edward Luce's obituary for Gwen Robinson, free to read.

Graphic notes based on XqSu’s article « Dust Storms, Green Waves » (published by @lausanhk.bsky.social on 24/03/21) by my friend lizar_tistry (on IG) on 26/03/21.

For anyone looking to donate to people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar here’s two trustworthy orgs. to consider: 👉 Advance Myanmar (UK): www.advancemyanmar.org/myanmar-eart... 👉 Mutual Aid Myanmar (US / Thai): www.mutualaidmyanmar.org

USAID employees being fired *while responding to a catastrophic earthquake*

7.3 richter earthquake with an epicentre in Mandalay, felt like I was in a boat in my 5th floor apartment in Bangkok; still experiencing aftershocks. Even the earth's crust is trying to shake off Ma Aye Loe. geofon.gfz.de/eqinfo/event...

"Education is also a revolution, a peacebuilding process,” Maw Mimar said. “Even though we manage to control the area, without education, we can’t really move forward.” foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/27/m...

On AA war objectives, AA spokesman Khaing Tu Kha: “Only when the fascist regime is wiped off Myanmar’s map will people be guaranteed safety ... We can only secure freedom and safety after the regime is completely eradicated.”” asiatimes.com/2025/03/arak...

Corridors promise seamless development—but often conceal violence, exclusion & inequality. In a new article, David Bachrach and I theorize the dialectics of 'corridorisation,' tracing how it reshapes lives & land in SEAsia. @antipodeonline.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

“Top scholars and thinkers“ “high-level meeting of minds” “a galaxy of keynote speakers” “prestigious conclave” 😂😂😂

This feature helpfully follows up on UNOCHR's 2024 report. Arms, aircraft, components, fuel trade has not stopped; drone exports increased dramatically. Not covered: MM business interests of snr. Thai politicians & armed forces, or major Thai conglomerates. prachataienglish.com/node/11342

After requests from Myanmar readers, briefly removing paywall on this post about groups leaving NUG command. It’s a bit controversial, but I think anyone following #Myanmar should be aware of what’s happening on the ground. open.substack.com/pub/lorcanlo... #whatshappeninginMyanmar

"Thammasat University & the Thammasat Association can no longer remain indifferent. The university ... owes the group an explanation as to why it has allowed such intimidation to take place. Its administration must do more to protect students & ensure campus activities remain free from harassment."