2020 by the Young Diplomats Society
2020 - what a year. Our regional content writers and special contributors recapped significant moments of 2020 across the world in our annual special edition: 2020 In Review. COVID-19 responses across the world, post-election protests in almost every continent, catastrophic natural disasters and the most exciting emerging world leaders. Unprecedented. The New Normal. A Year for the History Books. 2020 certainly packed a punch! We hope you enjoy reading about this year of surprises with us. Thank you to our regional content writers and special contributors!
2020 - what a year. Our regional content writers and special contributors recapped significant moments of 2020 across the world in our annual special edition: 2020 In Review.
COVID-19 responses across the world, post-election protests in almost every continent, catastrophic natural disasters and the most exciting emerging world leaders. Unprecedented. The New Normal. A Year for the History Books. 2020 certainly packed a punch!
We hope you enjoy reading about this year of surprises with us. Thank you to our regional content writers and special contributors!
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S T A S I A
RESPONSES ACROSS SOUTH-EAST ASIA
THE MIXED SUCCESS OF COVID-19
Despite being one of the first regions to be hit with
COVID-19, the number of coronavirus cases in Southeast
Asia has been significantly lower than in other parts of
the world. This, alongside the success of states like
Vietnam and Thailand, has led to wide reporting of the
region as an ideal model for pandemic response. Taken at
face value, it is easy to see why this might be the case.
With the 2003 SARS outbreak still in the living memory of
the region, there has been rapid government response
and the enforcement of behavioural changes that have
been demonstrably effective in containing the spread of
the virus. On average, it took 17 days for Southeast Asian
states to implement lockdown measures or a state of
emergency following confirmation of 50 cases.
Additionally, there has been strong regional cooperation
through ASEAN with the establishment of the COVID-19
ASEAN Response Fund at a Special Summit of April 14.
In Southeast Asia, COVID-19 has been treated as a public
health issue rather than a partisan issue, and perhaps it is
this difference in approach that has led to Western states
embroiled in facial mask counter-movements to claim
Southeast Asia as a success story. However, under close
examination, it is plain to see that the spread of COVID-
19 in Southeast Asia has not been without its own unique
challenges. Worrying spikes continue to occur on a
cyclical basis, and Indonesia and the Philippines are
currently facing runaway daily infections.
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