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Welcome to Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s Southeast Asia Brief.<\/p>\n The highlights this week: The Philippines declares an energy emergency<\/strong>, Thailand gets permission to sail the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, Singapore wants China to step up<\/strong>, and fuel prices ground planes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Philippines Declares Energy Emergency<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On March 24, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared<\/a> a national energy emergency.<\/p>\n The Philippines has seen one of the world\u2019s sharpest increase<\/a>s in petrol prices, according to research by AFP, going up more than 50 percent in a month. Diesel prices<\/a> are even worse, having nearly doubled in the same period.<\/p>\n As part of his statement<\/a>, Marcos announced the formation of a committee focused on mitigating the impact of price rises on vital sectors and looking for ways for the private sector to consume less fossil fuel.<\/p>\n Other concrete measures included fuel subsidies, commuter subsidies, the expansion of public transport, and the temporary reduction and suspension of toll charges.<\/p>\n The government further announced<\/a> it was seeking a 30-day rice price cap. It is also considering suspending<\/a> fuel taxes.<\/p>\n The government has already promoted<\/a> a slew of measures to try to conserve energy, such as ordering civil servants to use less air conditioning and cut back on travel.<\/p>\n The announcements come as fuel prices prompted strikes<\/a> by transport workers, a group with a strong tradition<\/a> of protest.<\/p>\n The energy crunch is prompting the Philippines to also turn to countries with whom it has tricky relationships.<\/p>\n In an interview<\/a> with Bloomberg<\/em>, Marcos said there was \u201ccertainly\u201d going to be a reset of relations with China.<\/p>\n He suggested the crisis could provide fresh impetus for talks, reopened in 2023 but since stalled, about joint energy exploration in disputed areas of the South China Sea.<\/p>\n Russia has also stepped into the gap, with a tanker<\/a> carrying more than 700,000 barrels arriving last week. (Moscow\u2019s imminent ban<\/a> on gasoline exports will likely limit repeats.)<\/p>\n Still, one should not over-index on the idea of a strategic tilt. The Philippines has also turned<\/a> to Japan for fuel.<\/p>\n There are also signs of anger<\/a> at the crisis imposed on the country by the United States\u2019 war, with one independent senator denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump. But for the moment, popular ire seems directed at Marcos.<\/p>\n The Philippines is particularly exposed to the oil crisis, but countries<\/a> across the region are taking similar measures.<\/p>\n In Cambodia, where the fuel price increased<\/a> 68 percent due to the war, according to the Khmer Times<\/em>, the government has told state bodies to implement strict fuel efficiency measures. It has also cut fuel taxes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Laos\u2014impoverished, highly indebted, and extremely dependent on imported oil\u2014has introduced a three-day school<\/a> week.<\/p>\n It has also slashed<\/a> service fees for electric cars and ordered government agencies not to buy new gas-powered vehicles unless strictly necessary.<\/p>\n Vietnam is encouraging<\/a> work-from-home measures and set some fuel taxes<\/a> at zero until April 15.<\/p>\n Thailand\u2019s prime minister has urged<\/a> citizens to economize on fuel and not hoard.<\/p>\n There is also a universal scramble for supplies. The U.S. waiver of sanctions<\/a> on Russian oil at sea prompted a number of countries in the region to express interest\u2014though as noted above, this plan may now have run into problems.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Australia and Singapore are working<\/a> together to help shore up each other\u2019s energy supplies.<\/p>\n Australia is seeking a similar arrangement with Malaysia<\/a>, which Iran has allowed to sail ships through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Singapore pages China.<\/strong> \u201cChina can play an even bigger role in supporting regional prosperity and stability,\u201d Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong declared<\/a> March 26 at the Bo\u2019ao Forum for Asia conference in Hainan, China.<\/p>\n Citing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the breakdown of international law, and the rise of protectionism, Wong added that the foundations of global stability are \u201cunder severe strain.\u201d<\/p>\n China, Wong hoped, could be part of plurilateral arrangements to help keep the show on the road.<\/p>\n China\u2019s economic and technological leadership, especially in digital and green tech, makes it a key contributor on issues from infrastructure to international regulations, he said.<\/p>\n Contrast this to the comments<\/a> made about the United States by Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan\u00a0in a March 23 interview with Reuters. \u201c[T]he underwriter of this world order has now become a revisionist power, and some people would even say a disruptor.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, Balakrishnan underscored Singapore\u2019s strong economic relations with both China and the United States.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it in our national interest to be forced to choose sides? I do not think so. We have to be relevant, to be useful, but not being used by either side.\u201d<\/p>\n Thai ships through Hormuz.<\/strong> On March 28, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced<\/a> he had reached a deal with Iran to let Thai oil vessels pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The deal is potentially a big win for Thailand, which is among the most oil import-dependent<\/a> countries in the region.<\/p>\n One ship had already passed<\/a> through previously. The Iranian Embassy in Thailand commented on the event, posting on X, \u201cFriends have a special place.\u201d<\/p>\n As previously discussed, on March 11 a Thai cargo ship was struck<\/a> by an Iranian missile. This prompted a protest from Thailand, which enjoys a notably cordial relationship with Iran.<\/p>\n Cambodian journalists sentenced to 14 years.<\/strong> Two Cambodian journalists had their 14-year prison sentences for treason upheld by a court<\/a> on March 26.<\/p>\n Pheap Phara and Phorn Sopheap stood accused of posting a photo taken in a restricted area during the July border conflict with Thailand.<\/p>\n Vitally, the image was later republished by Thai media, which claimed the image showed unplaced land mines in the background. (Thailand\u2019s claim<\/a> that Cambodia had been laying new land mines was a key spark of last year\u2019s conflict.)<\/p>\n The pair\u2019s lawyer has said he will file<\/a> a petition to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling. Various groups have condemned<\/a> the ruling.<\/p>\n Nop Vy, executive director of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association, also criticized<\/a> the sentence, saying: \u201cFor me, this 14-year sentence is unacceptable and severe. It may intimidate [journalists] reporting on border issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo of the Week<\/p>\n