The Week Ahead: Vietnam prepares for state funeral

Hello friends!

We’re going to have a bit of a different week this week. Usually, I like to do my Monday newsletter and then two regional round-ups at some stage during the week. But we’ve got a lot going on — mostly just Vietnam and the Philippines, but both countries are really going for it — so I’m going to mix it up this week. 

Today, a look ahead. And then we’ll catch up with it all as the week plays out. 

These Monday newsletters are always free for all readers. If you’d like to support that please join us here:

See you tomorrow for a post-SONA recap.
Erin Cook

🇻🇳 Vietnam in mourning after death of Nguyen Phu Trong

Vietnam will enter two days of national mourning on Thursday and Friday, the government said over the weekend following the death of Nguyen Phu Trong, Reuters reports. A state funeral will be held on Friday. By the sounds of it, Vietnam will grind to a halt for those days with no public entertainment permitted and a hell of a lot of flags at half-mast. 

Nguyen Phu Trong was, of course, the general-secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party before he died on Friday. President To Lam temporarily took on his duties from Thursday. Nikkei Asia has a very extensive and intriguing obituary here that highlights Trong’s legacy as a leader who brought the country into the spotlight of the world stage and the consolidation of power-era through the anti-corruption purges beginning during the pandemic.

That second point is the one I’m more interested in and I’m really looking forward to revisiting later in the week as all the analysis comes in. 

🇵🇭 Ahead of SONA, Sara puts herself under suspicion with terrible gag

State of Nation Address. Oh my days, no one does it like the Philippines. From 3pm Manila-time today, every news outlet in the country will be singularly focused on the annual event. President Bongbong Marcos has a hell of a lot to chat about this year from the post-pandemic economic recovery to the South China Sea. 

But for gossipy outsiders like myself, the real story is that Vice President Sara Duterte has declined to attend. That in itself is interesting, given how huge the address is. Then she had to go and say something bananas: She won’t be there because she’s the self-appointed ‘designated survivor.’ Such a thing does not exist in the Philippines and the response to the comment has ranged from eye-rolling to wondering if she’s making a bomb threat. You all just didn’t get it, she said.  

I was so impressed with Marcos Jr’s speech at the Shangri La Dialogue earlier this year I am, dare I say it, looking forward to this afternoon. If he can bring that energy and insight to domestic issues, I think it could be very valuable. Also will be keeping my eyes peeled for Heart Evangelista, who will certainly treat the event like it’s the Oscars. 

🇹🇭 Srettha heads back to court

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thaivisin will be back in court Wednesday, Reuters reports. “The court calls for more information including evidence and from individuals that were previously summoned,” the Constitutional Court said in a statement. It doesn’t sound like it’ll be particularly juicy, but with his job on the line and the Court vowing an outcome by September who can say! Move Forward watchers will have to wait until Aug. 7.

🇮🇩 Transition reaches key ministry, but nepotism criticism lurks

President Joko Widodo is on his way out and Prabowo Subianto is on the way in. Good news for Thomas Djiwandono, nephew and financial affairs adviser to Prabowo, who was last week sworn in as a deputy finance minister. The transition in this ministry is being widely watched, with many of Prabowo’s flagship policies very fiscally ambitious. “The addition of Thomas will make it much easier to communicate,” Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said at a joint press conference last week, as reported by Reuters. 

🇲🇾 Mahathir is in hospital

Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister of Malaysia (twice) and freshly 99 years old, has been hospitalised for a bad cough, Bloomberg reports. He went to the National Heart Institute last Monday. There has not been much of an update since on how he is travelling — or even if he is still in — but given his age and bumpy health issues earlier in the year, it is definitely worth flagging. 

Interesting reads

TikTok e-commerce grows fourfold in ASEAN, narrows gap with Shopee (Nikkei Asia) 

Since its e-commerce debut in 2021, TikTok has launched a hiring spree in Southeast Asia, where incumbent players have reduced headcounts in an effort to become profitable. By 2023, TikTok quadrupled its employees to over 8,000 and became on par with Lazada, Momentum Works said.

In particular, TikTok grew its e-commerce feature by leveraging its livestreaming function, where influencers and merchants show everything from beauty and fashion products to home appliances to help users make purchases in real time.

Cyanide poisoning suspected in six deaths at Bangkok hotel (Al Jazeera) 

Authorities appeared eager to stress that the crime is of a “private” nature and there is no security threat to Thailand’s key tourism sector. It is suspected that one of the six deceased laced tea with the deadly chemical in connection with a dispute over money.

“We found cyanide in the teacups – all six cups we found cyanide,” Trirong Phiwpan, commander of the Thai police forensic division, said at a news conference. “After staff brought tea cups and two hot water bottles, milk and teapots, … one of the six introduced cyanide.”

Strife-torn Myanmar marks 77th anniversary of the assassination of independence hero Gen. Aung San (AP) 

Myanmar’s military government held a wreath-laying ceremony in the country’s largest city Friday to mark the anniversary of the assassination of the country’s fallen independence heroes, including Gen. Aung San, the father of the country’s ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Neither Suu Kyi, who is imprisoned, nor Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the current head of the army-led government, attended this year’s main ceremony at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Min Aung Hlaing led the army’s 2021 seizure of power from Suu Kyi’s elected government.