Hello friends!

Inversing the structure today because I want as many people as possible to read about Kong Nay, who died at home in Cambodia last week. A legend whose life and talent tells a story much bigger than him.

Premium readers, see you Wednesday. Everyone else, see you Friday for a Myanmar update.

Erin Cook

Rest in peace to the legend Master Kong Nay. The traditional Khmer musician, who earned the master moniker with his chapei dang veng, died Friday at home in Kampot at the age of 80. There have been a few obituaries but I’ve found the biography page from the Fukuoka Prize, which honours contributions to culture across Asia, in 2017 is the most comprehensive.

He was known as the ‘Ray Charles’ of Cambodia after losing his eyesight to smallpox at the age of four. Unlike many of his artistic compatriots, Kong Nay survived the hideous Khmer Rouge years and was one of few chapei players left. 

I’m only new Kong Nay, but I fell hard for his collab with VannDa, the rapper, in which the pair from wildly different generations and sounds came together on Time to Rise. A beautiful video that honours Kong Nay and my pick (for a second time) for something to watch this week. 

What I’m watching this week

🇹🇭 Senate results and a bummer Monday for Srettha

A new week in Bangkok — that’s five whole days for mayhem potential! And here comes the Senate. ‘Former army general Kriangkrai Srirak and ex-provincial governors Weerasak Wichit Saengsri and Thawatch Suraban and trade union leader Chinchote Saengsang’ have made the cut in the provisional senate results, Bloomberg reports. The final makeup is crucial if the government wants to get through reforms to the 2017 constitution. 

It’s outside the Senate the government needs to start worrying about. Prime Minister Srettha Thaivisn’s already abysmal polling numbers have slid further in recent weeks to a low that would make even Rishi Sunak shudder. Nida polling released over the weekend has him at 12.85%, down from 17.75% last time around. It could always be worse — he could be Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The Pheu Thai Party boss/daughter of Thaksin came in at 4.85% from a previous 6%. The new numbers certainly won’t put a pin in rumours that Srettha might be out of a job soon, but it may explode Paetongtarn’s plans. 

🇮🇩 Mammoth hack fall-out threatens minister

Last month’s hack on a temporary National Data Center (PDN) facility in Indonesia continues to shake out. At least 282 databases from all sorts of national and regional government agencies have been affected by Brain Cipher, a variant of the LockBit 3.0 ransomware. Sorry nerds, I don’t know what that means but the Indonesian government has already said they won’t be paying the USD$8 million ransom. 

It’s since come out that only 2% of the data was backed up. Immigration is particularly hard hit. Videos of backed-up arrivals have plagued the internet, but one woman told the Jakarta Post her experience. Immigration has delayed her husband’s trip to Malaysia — for cancer treatment, no less  — indefinitely as reentering the data manually is expensive and time-consuming.

It’s a pain for regular people, especially since we still don’t really know the full scope, but it’s a huge headache for the government. “If there is no backup, that's not a lack of governance. That's stupidity,” Meutya Hafid, the chair of the House commission overseeing the incident, said in a parliamentary hearing Thursday evening. Keep watch this week. Advocates and those looking for heads to roll have their sights firmly set on Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi, Reuters reports. 

🇻🇳 🇵🇭 One sea, two stories

Vietnam has been very quiet while the Philippines clashes with China in the South China Sea. Is that set to change? Voice of America has a long one here looking at recent data from the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative from the US-based CSIS. It shows Vietnam methodically building up its outposts in the Spratly Islands. 

‘Beijing still controls the three largest outposts in the Spratly chain but, thanks to the recent dredging and landfill work, Hanoi now controls the next four largest. Manila’s largest island in the archipelago — Thitu — ranks ninth in size,’ VOA reports. 

But, it hasn’t pushed relations to a breaking point like we see between China and the Philippines. ‘China is willing to work with Vietnam to maintain solidarity and friendship, consolidate mutual support, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation,’ Global Times reported Chinese President Xi Jinping said after he met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Beijing on Wednesday.  

It’s a stark contrast to the Philippines. Stay out of it, US, says China. Tell Manila off for its “provocations” Beijing said after Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell flagged concerns for the way this is all heading, Reuters reports. “The United States should stop condoning and supporting the Philippines' provocations and nuisance and take practical actions to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said. 

Interesting reads

Queer Singaporeans Share How They’re Celebrating Pride This Year Beyond Pink Dot (Rice)

“I didn’t go to Pink Dot this year. Don’t get me wrong, I think Pink Dot is awesome. For a lot of LGBTQ+ Singaporeans (me included!), Pink Dot’s the first time you ever see people openly expressing their sexualities. 

I just don’t need to go to Pink Dot to feel safe about my identity anymore. I’m out to my parents and they’re okay with it. I know Pink Dot matters a lot to my 19-year-old sister, who isn’t out yet. She hasn’t missed one since she was 17. 

Why the west shouldn’t worry about Putin’s visit to Hanoi (The Conversation)

The entrepreneurs who are creating new wealth in Vietnam and shaping the direction and pace of its cultural norms, economic growth and technological links, have markedly different experience sets than the older generation.

This generational shift towards a western background, both in business and beyond, suggests to us that Putin’s state visit may indeed be a largely ceremonial exercise. We see Vietnam’s leadership rolling out the red carpet for Putin as part of their long-standing “Bamboo diplomacy”, in which Vietnam pragmatically engages with all powers.

US military launched a secret anti-vax campaign in the Philippines – here’s why I’m not surprised (The Conversation) 

Under the pithy slogan #Chinaangvirus (#ChinaIsTheVirus), these fake accounts explicitly and repeatedly doubted the effectiveness of China’s Sinovac COVID vaccine, in some cases calling the vaccine “fake”. In others, it suggested that the virus’s origin in China was all the evidence needed to be suspicious of the vaccine, whose origin was also in China.

The logic may be elusive, but the sentiment seemed to resonate. At least, the Philippines struggled mightily with vaccination uptake initially, with only about a third of the population taking up the vaccine over the first eight months of its distribution.