Asia
Indonesia, and the origins of a decolonialisation movement that swept the world
Book Review: Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David Van Reybrouck (Norton, 2024)In survey of public opinion in former colonial powers a few years back, the…
Myanmar: If sanctions aren’t the solution, what is?
The decision by Australia in February last year to impose sanctions on 16 members of Myanmar’s ruling junta, as well as two military holding companies, received rare praise from a…
The most important factor hardening China’s stance on Taiwan
Tarik Solmaz’s recent article in The Interpreter, Three factors hardening China’s stance on Taiwan, provided an incisive snapshot of three of the factors aggravating Beijing’s…
Economic diplomacy: Budgeting for deglobalisation
Moving onThere has been quite a movement in Australia in recent times towards better coordination of the three main arms of international relations policy – defence, development…
Beyond borders, beyond loss: How regional cooperation can safeguard Asia’s biodiversity
Asia, a crucial region for migratory species, is witnessing their alarming decline. A major United Nations report released this year warned that one in five of the world’s…
A code of conduct won’t solve the South China Sea crisis
Negotiations over a “code of conduct” (COC) in the South China Sea between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China waxed and waned for two decades. Last July,…
Targeting girls education: Pakistan’s tribal areas suffer under Taliban influence
The long, rugged border running along Pakistan’s northwestern tribal areas that separates Afghanistan provides no barrier to the influence of the Taliban and its radical policies…
“India Out”: What this campaign means for South Asian neighbours
Profound social and political shifts are taking place in South Asia as anti-Indian sentiment grows throughout the region, seen most strongly in Bangladesh and Maldives. Both…
Dams, salt, and the sad fate of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest river system, was once a promising destination for migrants from the north of the country during the centuries that shaped the southern region…
North Korea’s population problem
In a rare display, North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-un shed tears when discussing his country’s declining birth rate in December 2023. It was the first time that North…