20 May 2020 West Papua: Looking for an opening Johnny Blades Allowing more access would be an important first step to ending human rights abuses in the troubled Indonesian province.
20 May 2020 India’s Covid-19 tracing app: Power in the right hands? Aarti Betigeri Download rates for tracing apps can also be read to indicate how much trust there is in government.
20 May 2020 We’re all losers in the space arms race Sarah O’Connor Nations have battled one another for strategic advantage in space for decades. Actual fighting would be a step beyond.
20 May 2020 Development links: Education journeys, Pacific politics, doing the new Alexandre Dayant Links and stories from the aid and development sector.
20 May 2020 Covid-19: The need to aid Asia to open up Peter McCawley , Haider A. Khan For Western donors, this has not been their finest hour, yet collective action offers a chance to revive past success.
19 May 2020 As Jakarta trims defence, Beijing makes waves in the South China Sea Aristyo Rizka Darmawan Covid-19 has seen Southeast Asian countries cut defence budgets just as maritime threats look to be growing dire.
19 May 2020 Covid-19 chaos creates fertile ground for cyberattacks Gordon Kang Major events that capture population attention, whether pandemics or elections, are ripe for manipulation.
19 May 2020 PNG and Covid-19: The costs of economic stress Catherine Wilson Many people will seek cultural supports, while a few might turn to crime. But this is far from a harbinger for chaos.
19 May 2020 Diego Garcia: An American perspective Michael McDevitt A bid by Mauritius to claim the Chagos Archipelago puts the future of the base in question. Does the US have an answer?
18 May 2020 Covid-19 is not the biggest threat to UN peacekeeping Jasmine Westendorf Sexual misconduct undermines the fundamental goals of peacekeeping operations. Why does it persist?
18 May 2020 The false dichotomy at the heart of Australia’s China debate Iain Henry The conventional wisdom emerging around “sovereignty” vs “surrender” may be more foolish than wise.
18 May 2020 Constitutional questions over Solomon Islands’ coronavirus crackdown Joseph D. Foukona Sweeping emergency powers must be used in a manner “reasonably justifiable”, not as an excuse to marginalise opponents.
18 May 2020 Why Vietnam embraces multilateralism at this uncertain time Le Dinh Tinh Communities might be locked in isolation for Covid-19, but Hanoi has faith in the way the world can work together.
15 May 2020 Covid-19 exposes the need for a European constitution Alexandre Dayant The pandemic has ruptured the fragile solidarity at the heart of the European project. There is a chance to fix it.
15 May 2020 In an Olympic-sized challenge, Japan’s golden chance could go begging André Leslie Cancellation rumblings are understandable, but an all-or-nothing attitude is a risk, not only for sport but diplomacy.
15 May 2020 COVIDcast Episode 11: Dave Sharma MP on COVID-19 and Pacific relations Jonathan Pryke , Dave Sharma The latest episode in a podcast to discuss the implications of coronavirus for Australia, the region, and the world.
15 May 2020 Covid contest in Indian Ocean region: India, China jostle for top spot David Brewster Beijing’s Belt and Road could get very expensive indeed, with cash New Delhi will find hard to match.
15 May 2020 To act, or not? Al-Shabaab’s response to a Covid-19 crisis in Somalia Stephanie Carver , Samantha Kruber Turmoil offers a chance to radicalise and recruit new members, yet violence also poses a risk of alienating supporters.
14 May 2020 The Taliban’s empty promises of peace Susanne Schmeidl An insurgent attack on a Kabul maternity hospital, in a pandemic, exposes hollow claims of sparing the innocent.
14 May 2020 Muddled messages as Britain seeks to stay alert Lawrence Freedman Confusion reigned as Covid-19 lockdown eased, complex guidance raising fears Boris Johnson had made another mistake.
14 May 2020 Covid-19 and the acceleration of state surveillance Muhammad Faizal Abdul Rahman The pandemic has suddenly made the unthinkable acceptable. Data and privacy may never be the same.
14 May 2020 Australians doubt either US or China will emerge stronger after Covid Natasha Kassam New Lowy polling shows Australians are disappointed in Beijing’s Covid-19 response and despairing about Washington’s.
13 May 2020 Covid-19 and foreign policy: What’s changed, what hasn’t Dick Grant Health, climate, migration and foreign investment must each contend with the virus. But it’s not all doom and gloom.
13 May 2020 America’s rudderless Covid response Erin Hurley State and local officials have acted effectively to address the crisis, but they’re on their own, with no end in sight.
13 May 2020 The health challenge in PNG is far greater than Covid-19 alone Ishani Kaluthotage Dismal maternal mortality rates and deadly disease had already threatened to overwhelm a weak health system.
13 May 2020 In beef over barley, Chinese economic coercion cuts against the grain Darren Lim , Victor Ferguson Beijing has become adept at punishing countries with legally “dressed up” informal economic sanctions.
12 May 2020 For Australia, a testing friendship Daniel Flitton It’s not a question for polite conversation, but PMs will always wonder, just how reliable is Australia’s big ally?
12 May 2020 Breaking with intelligence: Trump and the case of pandemic blame Arzan Tarapore Spurious virus claims are not a case of history repeating. Rather, it’s policy that ignores intelligence altogether.
12 May 2020 Where did Kim Jong-un go? Khang Vu We should be cautious when speculating about a North Korea collapse.
12 May 2020 Vietnam defies the odds on Covid-19 Helen Clark Quick action by the government has helped prevent widespread infection – and turned the tide of public distrust.
11 May 2020 What’s missing from the Strategic Update Sam Roggeveen Cute but not cuddly – the goal for defence should be to impose unacceptable costs on a predator that tries to attack.
11 May 2020 Denials, delays, and conspiracy theories: Iran’s Covid mismanagement Mahmoud Pargoo The crisis reveals fundamental failures: a politicised health system, multiple power centres, and no respect for law.
11 May 2020 Weight on the scales Ali Wyne Middle powers might seek to balance the US and China, but inevitably their own actions change the equation.
11 May 2020 Can Covid-19 response be a model for climate action? Natasha Kassam , Noah Yim Mass behaviour change, policies guided by science, acting for the greater good: just what the climate crisis needs.
8 May 2020 Malaysia needs a shadow cabinet to check an amateurish government Chin-Huat Wong Covid-19 has exposed Malaysian politics as a scramble for self-interest. There is a better way.
8 May 2020 COVIDcast Episode 10: Australia’s role in shaping a post-corona world Penny Wong , Hervé Lemahieu The latest episode in a podcast to discuss the implications of coronavirus for Australia, the region, and the world.
8 May 2020 Indonesia’s democracy is flawed, but do enough people care? Fadhilah Fitri Primandari Covid-19 puts healthcare and the economy at the top of the agenda, although poor governance is making matters worse.
8 May 2020 Under cover of Covid-19, conflict in Myanmar goes unchecked James Barklamb Repression and violence against ethnic minorities carries on, even in the face of international investigations.
8 May 2020 Samoa’s constitutional crisis: Undermining rule of law Fiona Ey Amid the Covid-19 emergency, a set of legal amendments threatens judicial independence and human rights.
7 May 2020 Wuhan lab claims: Is Australia questioning China? Or the US? Both? Sam Roggeveen , Natasha Kassam , Ben Scott Leaked claims, supposed intelligence dossiers, angry outbursts. Lowy experts look to make sense of a Covid controversy.
7 May 2020 Economic diplomacy: Lifting the doona on a post-pandemic world Greg Earl Australia can boast success in containing the virus. But its economy may still shrink more than other G20 nations.
7 May 2020 Creating a Pacific bubble Joe Rafalowicz Australia’s special ties with Pacific Islands and New Zealand offer a chance to ensure mutual safety and prosperity.
7 May 2020 With US Afghan exit, Russia eyes Central Asian security Azima Akhmatova An unstable Afghanistan threatens all kinds of trouble for its neighbours. For Russia, it may be a golden opportunity.
7 May 2020 Digital declarations: Political ads on PNG social media must be clear Shane McLeod Local politicians are deploying Facebook’s paid advertising tools. The dominant social platform should take a hard look.
6 May 2020 Beyond Covid, might China overreach? Biren Nanda The virus has further complicated US-China ties, as both nibble away the bonds of multilateralism.
6 May 2020 Thailand: Killings of insurgents ends southern separatist ceasefire Craig Keating The focus is the Thai state. Foreigners and foreign interest are not targets in this fight.
6 May 2020 Discontinued: America’s Continuous Bomber Presence Peter Layton Ending a long-standing program, the US shows its commitment to defending friends in the Western Pacific is on the wane.
6 May 2020 Coronavirus: The end of sexist economics? Tara Davda , Priya Chattier Gender-responsive coronavirus policies are not only smart economics, but provide opportunities to do the right thing.
6 May 2020 Philippines: Bangsamoro, between conflict and Covid-19 Georgi Engelbrecht A year after its creation, the autonomous region faces the threat of a pandemic, on top of lingering fractures.
5 May 2020 Who would Beijing prefer wins in November? Elliott Zaagman China looms over American politics, yet while bilateral ties are straining, a new president might not be welcome news.