Human rights
Duterte’s vaccine promise is a political placebo
As early as April, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte set a P50 million (A$1.45 million) reward for anyone who comes up with a vaccine for Covid-19. Since then, Duterte has…
Colonialism and cultural erasure in Xinjiang
On 17 September, the Information of Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China released a White Paper, “Employment and Labour Rights in Xinjiang”, detailing the…
Francis Fukuyama in Minsk
Thirty years ago, Francis Fukuyama sprang to international prominence by suggesting that history might be at an end. Ever since, lesser academic lights have queued up to tell…
Bangladesh: Fight the power or shut up?
Hip-hop artists have long used rap music to launch cultural protests about social injustice, police brutality, inequality and discrimination.
Songs such as Tupac Shakur’s …
Understanding the full spectrum of hate
What is the relationship between online and offline extremism? What types of data should be examined in order to understand this relationship? What is the full scope of violent…
The killings in the Philippines grow more brazen
Earlier this month, days after Manila went back into a hard lockdown due to a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections, unidentified assailants slipped past the Philippine capital’s…
The Beirut explosion and the plight of Syrian refugees
When you have the privilege of working in international relations, there are some experiences that stay with you for life. There are the places you go and the people you meet…
Podcasts
COVIDcast: Looking at China from the grassroots, with Dexter Roberts
In this episode of COVIDcast, Lowy Institute senior fellow Richard McGregor sat down with Dexter Roberts to discuss his new book, The Myth of Chinese Capitalism: The Worker, The…
UN report on US killing of Iranian commander misses the mark
In the early hours of 3 January 2020, missiles fired from US drones killed ten people near Baghdad airport. Drone strikes by the US are almost commonplace these days, but what…
Southeast Asian democracies in declining health amid Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting democracies in the Asia-Pacific region in ways that demand Australian attention.
The ability to weather a crisis of this magnitude depends…