Responding to COVID-19 in Southeast Asia

Countries in Southeast Asia have mobilized a wide range of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—with some better-prepared than others. Without a swift response, countries in the region risk a severe outbreak, especially among the more vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons. The U.S. should examine its current aid portfolios—especially for poorer countries in the region—and consider whether it can offer additional assistance to its friends in Southeast Asia. It should also seek to safeguard liberty in the midst of a crisis that some countries could see as a carte blanche to expand government power.
 
Southeast Asia has a broad spectrum of responses to the coronavirus, from the well-prepared in Singapore to the woefully inadequate in Cambodia.
 
The U.S. should examine its current aid portfolios—especially for poorer countries—and consider whether it can give more aid to its friends in Southeast Asia.
 
The U.S. should support the most vulnerable countries, condemn political weaponization of the virus, and promote freedom of information and strong civil societies.
 
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