Asia
Myanmar: postage stamps and political signals
Myanmar’s former military regime often used new issues of the country’s postage stamps to send political signals, not only to its own people but also to the…
Stalemate leaves Rohingya refugees trapped
It has been two years since the forced exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar, and for about a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, there is no sign of returning in the foreseeable…
Economic diplomacy: Tourism power, defining China, and Vietnam jackpot
Paying the piper
Last Thursday as Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne was talking up the role of values in foreign policy to a business audience in Canberra, Indonesia was…
Ghani vs Abdullah: The contest to be Afghanistan’s president
The fourth-ever presidential elections in Afghanistan’s history are expected to be held on 28 September, after several delays. Incumbent Ashraf Ghani and the country’s Chief…
Malaysia’s dangerous racial and religious trajectory
When Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition ruled the country, it faced an opposition that campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption, free and fair elections, and…
The sharp sword: China and the drone threat to Australia
In Saudi Arabia, a combined drone and cruise missile attack conducted by still-unknown forces (either Iran, Iraqi proxy groups, Yemeni militia forces, or a combination of all…
The Marawi siege and after: Managing NGO-military relations
Mindanao has always been a militarised zone due to the combined influence of insurgency, high criminality, and clan violence. Yet the five-month Marawi siege in 2017 and the…
What’s so strategic about baby-food?
The discussion about China’s bid for baby-formula supplier Bellamy’s Organic shows the usual confusion about just what should guide decisions on foreign investment in…
North Korea under Kim Jong-un: Podcast out now
Episode 10 of the Lowy Institute’s new podcast, Rules Based Audio, is out today. In Socialist Paradise: North Korea under Kim Jong-un, the Washington Post Beijing…
Micro-loans raise major questions in Cambodia
A recent report in Cambodia detailing human rights abuses in the microfinance sector has prompted government outcry – not against predatory lenders, but against the organisations…