Southeast Asia in March 2026: the most important developments in politics
Southeast Asian politics in March 2026 was shaped by governments' responses to the war involving Iran, and by domestic contests in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto offered on March 1 to mediate between Iran and the United States, a proposal Tehran welcomed. On March 6 he said Indonesia would withdraw from President Donald Trump's Board of Peace if it did not benefit Palestinians. On March 23 he said Indonesia never pledged $1 billion to the board, although reports cited amounts of up to $1.28 billion, and he reaffirmed Indonesia's role as a peacekeeper. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he would table a parliamentary motion condemning the attack on Iran.
In the Philippines, the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte moved forward. A House panel found the complaints sufficient in form on March 2 and sufficient in grounds on March 18, opening the evidence and witness phase. Her lawyer said she would not attend the first hearing on March 24. A Swiss court ordered the freezing of assets belonging to Imelda Marcos and her son, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a decades-old human rights case. Marcos signed a bill on March 25 letting him suspend the fuel excise tax, and his remarks on possible energy talks with China in the South China Sea were read in Philippine media as hinting at a reset.
Thailand's Anutin Charnvirakul said on March 12 that his coalition was complete with 291 seats, excluding the Klatham and Democrat parties. Parliament elected him prime minister for a second term on March 19, and China congratulated him. His cabinet list was finalised for submission to the king on March 27.
In Malaysia, a proposed constitutional amendment to cap the prime minister's term at 10 years failed by two votes, and Anwar was sued over his comments about an alleged plot to overthrow his government. Myanmar's military convened a new parliament after cancelling elections. Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and the Communist Party met to nominate new state leaders.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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