How do ASEAN countries fare when it comes to legislating – and actually implementing – a more disabled-friendly environment? Tess Bacalla analyses how its countries fare in this feature for the Reporting ASEAN series.

On its 50^th year, has #ASEAN matured or is it in mid-life crisis? What are the milestones as it ends its first year as a community? How do citizens see ASEAN? What face of ASEAN do the media convey in their reporting? These are just some of the questions that will be discussed at the @ReportingASEAN media forum 2016, to be held on Dec. 2-4, 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand.

ASEAN and its members’ silence on the Philippines’ controversial anti-drug campaign is just one example of how the organization pushes economic openness over political and human rights concerns, writes Tess Bacalla in this feature for Reporting ASEAN.

Big things are happening in the #ASEAN neighbourhood! The Reporting ASEAN fellowship program is inviting mid-career journalists from ASEAN countries to submit fresh, in-depth, and ideas for stories investigating issues around ASEAN regionalism.

Pitch us a story idea we can’t resist, and we’ll support it. Deadline for applications: 31 October 2016.  For application details, read more.

Poor economic conditions at home and easy border crossings have meant that many Vietnamese are venturing to neighbouring countries like Laos and Malaysia for employment opportunities. Phuong Anh of Red Scarf magazine looks at the social cost of migration for work and the impact on the children of such migrants in this Reporting ASEAN story.

For Vietnamese students in Vientiane, summer is the long-awaited season for them to head home to connect with family, friends and their own culture. Phuong Anh of Red Scarf magazine finds out what various students are looking forward to doing back home in Vietnam during their holidays.

The Nguyen Du Vietnamese-Lao Bilingual School has the largest number of Vietnamese students in Vientiane. Making up a quarter of the school’s population, these students learn Vietnamese for six to eight hours every week and are also taught Vietnam’s history. Phuong Anh finds out more about the school.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate governance are taking root as a norm in Southeast Asia, Reporting ASEAN’s Johanna Son reports from discussions at a a July conference in Singapore. Companies increasingly have senior managers looking after sustainability, business schools are studying and doing research into corporate governance.

Courses and degrees in Southeast Asian studies have been around for a long time, but the emergence of the ASEAN Community has also led to the growing number of specialisation courses focusing on ASEAN in the region and beyond, reports Candida Ng in this Reporting ASEAN story for ASEAN Day.

The recent joint communique about the South China Sea dispute stopped short of mentioning the tribunal ruling invalidating China’s claims over most of the waterway. Tan Hui Yee of the Straits Times argues that while Asean has survived this test intact, its consensus-based system has muted its voice compared with the world powers weighing in loudly.

ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum will be held in Timor-Leste this year instead of Laos, due to concerns over possible restrictions and limited freedom of expression. It is also a show of solidarity to reiterate civil society’s support for the inclusion of Timor-Leste as a full member of ASEAN. Read the full CSO Statement here.

In the aftermath of the Brexit, Southeast Asia watchers are asking the question: Could it also happen in ASEAN? No, says Termsak Chalermpalanupap, who makes a strong case against why the regional association will not have any such upheaval in this analysis in The Diplomat.

Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will not discourage the Association of Southeast Asian Nations from pushing ahead with its own economic integration project, the bloc’s former chief said on Friday. In an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review, former ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said the association can learn from the EU’s experience.

The Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting might have concluded a week ago, but its aftershocks continue to rattle ASEAN as it reassesses its strategy in handling the South China Sea (SCS) dispute. Jason Salim takes a look at some of the editorial pieces and reporting in Southeast Asian newspapers regarding the “media statement” fiasco in this commentary.

The visit this week by democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will certainly brighten the spirits of the Thai people and could also lift the profile of the Thai junta and Myanmar’s top leader. Yet Achara Ashayagachat of the Bangkok Post argues that we shouldn’t romanticize too much about “The Lady” and her capacity.

The ASEAN Community’s interest in unskilled labourers remains poor, despite the fact that this group provides the real workforce that dominates labour flows around the region. Wasamon Audjarint of The Nation looks at the reasons behind the reluctance to protect these migrant workers.

Long known for their service in local communities, charity efforts and help during humanitarian disasters, faith-based groups gathered in Bangkok recently to discuss how their work could contribute to deepening socio-cultural and other linkages in the ASEAN Community. Mia Gomez reports on the meeting in this ‘Reporting ASEAN: 2015 and Beyond’ story.

While the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community has been on several counts a success, there’s still a lot to be done on the travel side when it comes to the secure and seamless movement of people. Tiffany Misrahi explains why a common ASEAN visa will boost tourism within the region and ultimately lead to more growth in Southeast Asia.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi led her party to a decisive landslide victory in last year’s elections in Myanmar. Democracy may have won but real struggles regarding governance will be the true test of her leadership. Mia Gomez looks at the challenges the new government faces in this story for the ‘Reporting ASEAN: 2015 and Beyond”‘ programme.

The discourse over the South China Sea disputes never abates as there is still no real clarity about who occupies what in the huge-contested Spratly Islands. Alexander L. Vuving of ‘The Diplomat’ attempts to list what different countries occupy in the South China Sea.