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Speaking Freely
Speaking Freely is a Front Page feature for guest writers to have a say on issues relevant to Asia.
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How to win a lost war
If you decide to go to war you have to decide to win. The question after Iraq and Afghanistan is what does it mean to win a war? The answer in the 21st century: coming out on top in the political narrative to communicate superiority in the battle space of policy, morality and the conduct of warfare, regardless of the military outcome. - Andreas Herberg-Rothe (Oct 4, '13)

Disturbing discourse in Pakistan
Deadly blasts last week in Peshawar underlined to many Pakistanis that it is Taliban militants holding the nation hostage through constant violence, not the United States as right-wing leaders seem to claim. Politicians advocating expanded dialogue with the Taliban seem ignorant to the militants' historic tendency to use these as a smokescreen for strengthening operations. - Deedar Hussain Samejo (Oct 4, '13)

Military limitations stayed Obama's hand
US President Barack Obama's unexpected reversal on bombing Syria may have followed a Pentagon appraisal that the regime had obtained - through Russian sources - enough satellite jamming devices to divert "smart" missiles. This would have quickly turned a US strike into a humiliating display of weakness, leaving Obama with no option but to send precious fighter-bombers into Damascus's well-equipped air defense system. - Gregory Sinaisky (Oct 3, '13)

Mindanao examines rebel siege scars
Using "human shields" for their rebel siege was never going to endear the Moro National Liberation Front to the people of Mindanao. But as the badly scarred Zamboanga City, with over 100,000 displaced people, regroups after last month's sustained attacks, reflection is due on the chain of events that lead to urban warfare in the southern Philippines, beginning with a 1996 peace deal. - Sergio de la Tura (Oct 2, '13)

India and Pakistan have to walk the talk
While India has said Pakistan must cease being "the epicenter of terrorism in our region" before a historic settling of differences, Delhi will face difficult decisions of its own - principally over Kashmir - along the roadmap being proposed towards peace. Viewing rapprochement as key to its plans to remain in Afghanistan, the United States can be relied upon to nudge the doubting couple together. - Irshad Salim (Oct 2, '13)

China exports mask domestic weakness
Recent optimism over Chinese export numbers, and claims that the slowdown in China's economy may be bottoming out, may be optimism too soon. The fall in import growth serves as a worrisome signal of the core economic problem: declining internal demand. - Tom Velk and Olivia Gong (Oct 1, '13)

A tectonic shift in the Middle East
As Israel and Gulf countries mull the implications a US nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran's allies are considering significance of the bonhomie for Iran's "axis of resistance". While it was domestic factors that eventually brought President Hassan Rouhani and President Barack Obama together, it is in the international arena that the dramatic shift will have its biggest impact. - Pervez Bilgrami (Oct 1, '13)

Pakistan rots from the top down
Pakistan's capacity for change has been badly fractured as its moral, intellectual and political consciousness is undermined by incompetent, corrupt leaders. Unless the people can develop a collective consciousness and focus on putting a younger, educated generation in power, the violence will continue and Pakistan will never fulfill its destiny of becoming a peaceful Muslim nation. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Sep 30, '13)

Pakistan forced to rethink India policy
As Pakistan increasingly realizes that terrorism and militancy are a by-product of its strategic depth maneuvers in the 2000s, instinctive mistrust of India is fading. The benefits of peace will also soon become clear, with high hope invested in the success of bilateral dialogue that such as that between the countries' prime ministers on Sunday. - Deedar Hussain Samejo (Sep 30, '13)

A whiff of reform in Cambodia
The ease with which Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has brushed aside claims of electoral fraud and an opposition boycott of parliament following contested elections in July suggests a huge vote swing against him had little impact. Yet evidence of how the poll rattled him can be seen in uncharacteristic demands for reforms and accountability. - Peter Tan Keo (Sep 30, '13)

Abe flexes ugly military muscle
International comment on the choice of Tokyo to host the 2020 Olympic Games has been mildly supportive, but very little has been said about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's warmongering attempts to drop a constitutional pledge to "forever renounce" military force to settle international disputes. History demands the more attention. - Brian Cloughley (Sep 27, '13)

Iran's liberalism shifts with oil price
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's decision to allow moderates in Iran to participate and ultimately win an election reflects a sober realization of the economic situation on the ground, but also mirrors past liberal stints in Iran when diminished oil revenues provoked a jolt towards democracy. Disheartening for diplomacy, removing sanctions could simply reawaken cocksure, oppressive governance. - Amin Shahriar (Sep 26, '13)

Libya: Still Gaddafi's fault?
Western media decrying a lack of support for Libya's nascent democracy blame poorly run institutions created by former dictator Muammar Gaddafi rather than the chaos that has followed "Operation Odyssey Dawn". At the forefront of critics seeking deeper US engagement are lobbyists for energy firms bemoaning the fact that an anticipated rebuilding bonanza is yet to materialize. - Dieter Neumann (Sep 26, '13)

Delusional reality of Pakistani peace
Pakistani political parties who blame the US's war on terror and drones attacks for the rise in militancy appear blind to factors such as the state's past support for sectarian outfits, the incapacity of law enforcement agencies to tackle terrorism and the impact of Islamization programs. Unless these root causes are recognized, militants will retain the strategic upper hand and peace talks will fail. - Sameera Rashid (Sep 25, '13)

Modi and minority rights
Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for prime minister in 2014, strikes a competent figure for those wishing to entrust the Indian economy to his hands. But the controversial record of the Gujarat chief minister shows he is the wrong man for minority rights, the unbiased rule of law, and secularism. - Liam Anderson (Sep 24, '13)

Putin wins the war on terror
Russian President Vladimir Putin's policy of combating jihadists wherever possible and his will to put Russia's full diplomatic and military weight behind his fight against terror are in stark contrast to the Obama administration's focus on dialogue and humanitarian actions. Russia's international prestige is growing as it outplays the US in a fight it started but seems unable to finish. - Riccardo Dugulin (Sep 24, '13)

Singh needs to shine in Washington
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the US this week offers him a chance to inject renewed vigor into the strategic partnership ahead of India's general elections next year. Unless he can explore the scope for improved cooperation in areas of shared need such as securing energy resources, creating jobs and improving infrastructure, bilateral momentum could again stall. - Sanjeev K Shrivastav (Sep 23, '13)

The gospel according to Vladimir Putin
The deepest challenge Vladimir Putin made to "American exceptionalism" while chastising the US over its Syria strike plan was towards the concept's theological roots. For the United States, a country that sees itself as a "shining city on a hill", mandated by providence, the Russian president's reminder that "God created us all equal" bordered on heresy. - Ninan Koshy (Sep 23, '13)

Mollah: a Bangladeshi travesty of justice
Veteran Bangladeshi politician Abdul Quader Mollah has been sentenced to death on appeal for committing crimes against humanity during the nation's 1971 independence war against Pakistan. The death sentence imposed without the possibility of appeal is incompatible with international human rights law and is logical only when seem as the result of a political vendetta. - Mohammad Hossain (Sep 20, '13)

Afghanistan, corruption and Karzai
While US nation-building funds have fueled Afghan's endemic graft, final responsibility for the problem's exponential growth rests with the Afghan leadership. That bribes are now double the country's domestic revenue attracts no condemnation from President Hamid Karzai or other influential Afghans - most likely because he and his government and officialdom are the main benefactors. - Brian Cloughley (Sep 20, '13)

US needs cultural weapons for North Korea
The United States' reliance on feeble sanctions and China to try to denuclearize North Korea have only seen Pyongyang accelerate profit-making enterprises from its nuclear weapons programs. A better chance of normalizing relations lies in encouraging educational and cultural exchanges; when North Korean elites start to see richer people in other countries, the jealousy spurred could lead a revolt with power behind it. - Brian Min (Sep 19, '13)

Toxic agenda-setting in Washington
While the Obama administration beats the war drum and produces dubious proof that Bashar al-Assad gassed his own people, a potentially larger tragedy is brewing at the site of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant. The 300 tonnes of radioactive water leaking every day from the destroyed plant into the Pacific could directly impact about a third of the world's population. - Jonny Connor (Sep 19, '13)

Arab society fails to grasp its destiny
Oil wealth has blinded Arab populations to how Western nations have manipulated them into decades of subservience to authoritarian rule. As obsolete rulers are overthrown by their own people, the dismantling of social, economic and institutional infrastructure will open the path to a complete take-over by foreign masters. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Sep 18, '13)

Collaborators open door to the devil
The willingness of lackeys to pander to the West has undermined the global South from colonial until present times, with ministers from Iraq to Libya turning to "the winning side" only to usher in chaos and oppression. Syria is the latest stage for collaborationists who have such contempt for their own people that they cannot imagine local solutions to local problems. - Hafsa Kara-Mustapha (Sep 18, '13)

New role for India in Myanmar
A history of volatile relations, an ongoing border dispute and the mighty shadow of China - these loom large as India pursues a policy of full engagement with Myanmar. But as New Delhi pushes to expand its interests by putting private businesses at the forefront, India is uniquely positioned to benefit and help Myanmar overcome challenges amid the political transition now underway. - Sonu Trivedi (Sep 16, '13)

Politics worsen Turkey's faultlines
Instead of responding with compromise to the national divisions made clear by a summer of anti-government protests, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party continues to excuse all by pointing to its strong electoral mandate. Such a strategy will likely alienate all but pro-government supporters, yet the opposition can seemingly reply only with belligerent rhetoric. - Ozan Serdaroglu (Sep 16, '13)

Syria's looming economic disaster
Syria's civil war has devastated the country's economy, wrecked its infrastructure and sent the local currency into freefall. No matter the war's outcome, absent funds, professionals and political will to do what is necessary for recovery, the outlook is bleak. - Artem Perminov (Sep 16, '13)

Paving the way for the Road to Damascus
What Syria is really about involves water rights, pipelines, nation-state reconfigurations, militarized economies ... and on, and on. Somewhere well down the list are chemical weapons (perhaps), but these suit war-waging, propaganda-propounding elites. In the face of their criminal and deadly simplifications, it's high time we restored fear-mongering in America to its rightful place as a privilege that must be earned. - Norman Ball (Sep 13, '13)

Myanmar facing stock market riddle
A viable stock market in Myanmar would offer wider opportunities for local companies and local and international investors, but a premature opening could result merely in legalized gambling and risks to the wider economy. - Dennis C McCornac (Sep 11, '13)

No joy in US or Chinese exceptionalism
While American exceptionalism led the US to blunder into Iraq and now perhaps Syria, Chinese exceptionalism has seen Beijing ignore international human-rights standards and claim 80% of the South China Sea. Neither power appreciates that the issues facing humanity today are global issues that require global solutions - and global standards of behavior. - Mark C Eades (Sep 11, '13)

A post-9/11 view of John Adams
Although his strategies helped keep American free from the whims of European powers and their trans-Atlantic Wars, second president John Adams' search for national security through peaceful neutrality has been long forgotten by modern America. The US has instead embraced the partisan strife and perpetual war footing he rejected. - Dallas Darling (Sep 10, '13)

Who shall guard the guardians of India?
China is testing the mettle of the Indian political leadership with small-scale military incursions across the Indian line of their disputed borders. The PLA is not yet confident enough to invade, though that day will come. As things stand, India will lack the political resolve and military capability to support its inferior forces. - Aruni Mukherjee (Sep 10, '13)

Diplomacy offers route out of chemical crisis
Diplomatic bargaining is more likely to cool the chemical weapons crisis in Syria than military strikes with a high risk of blowback. If Damascus' allies can pressure it into signing the Chemical Weapons Convention, this could lead to benefits for regional stability such as Israel abandoning the nuclear opacity that motivated Syria to build up its chemical stockpile in the first place. - David Lowry and Gordon Thompson (Sep 9, '13)

Putin eyes Syrian abyss for the US
While Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly compared a US war on Syria to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, privately he's likely thinking of the Soviets' 1980s conflict in Afghanistan. By refusing to send troops to Damascus but providing it with sophisticated weapons, Putin can ensure the US is dragged into a protracted war that bleed its money and credibility dry. - Ahmed E Souaiaia (Sep 9, '13)

West's wars of choice target the weak
The defining feature of the brutality that has become a hallmark of Western behavior in the Middle East is its cowardly nature, as the UK vote against military action in Syria shows; that it finds it much safer to attack countries lacking effective deterrents. Wars of choice are waged against the weak and isolated. Libya and Iraq were both of these things; Syria is neither. - Dan Glazebrook (Sep 6, '13)

Traps on the road towards barbarism
The downfall of the Soviet Union created a psychological trap for the West - that of a belief in invincibility. This is seen in the manner in which it is trying in Syria to present power as moral responsibility to protect. Convinced that advanced weapons are a guarantee of its security, the West has accepted barbarism and developed a contempt for civilized behavior. - Nicholas A Biniaris (Sep 6, '13)

China, India face stability challenge
China plans to relax import restrictions on India, build up defense ties and construct an industrial park in Uttar Pradesh. However, as China's stakes in India increase so too does its responsibility to ensure stability in the region. - Anand V (Sep 6, '13)

The re-politicization of violent conflict
Violence and conflict in the Cold War era seemed to fit into clear categories of interpretation: East versus West, or imperialist aggression. At first the aftermath saw conflicts involving ethnic groups and the formation of small states, now superseded in a more globalized yet fragmented world with politicized communities seeking influence amid the world order. - Andreas Herberg-Rothe (Sep 5, '13)

How Assad keeps the upper hand
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is well aware of the post-Iraq syndrome which sees Western powers unable to commit to any serious extent in the Middle East, and knows he can count on Iran, Hezbollah and Russia's support. Since Assad has the strategic upper hand in the conflict, by starting a "limited war" Washington will merely put Israel in the firing line. - Riccardo Dugulin (Sep 4, '13)

Houses of the holy in China and Moscow
Just like the Led Zeppelin track, the song will remain the same in China after the Bo Xilai trial, as the party does whatever it takes to survive so the next generation of leaders can continue to line their pockets. Like Edward Snowden, Bo betrayed his house. But Bo did so for his own enrichment, Snowden fell for a seemingly noble but hopeless cause. - Jonny Connor (Sep 3, '13)

Obama challenges pathology of power
US President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional approval before using military force against Syria has been dismissed by his opponents as symptomatic of a lame duck presidency, even "red lines" turning to a "yellow streak". But as he veers from a gun-ho path, he is challenging the pathology of presidential power. - Dallas Darling (Sep 3, '13)

Constructing an American Confucianism
Ethnic Chinese scholars of "Chinese studies" in the United States tend to switch, and switch eagerly, to the English language to explain Chinese meanings, while Western scholars seem overtly keen on adopting at least some Chinese loanwords. Both groups embody an example of mutual learning that should be followed by national governments. - Thorsten Pattberg (Aug 29, '13)

India's partition debate best left to artists
Historical analysis that places the blame on early Indian or Pakistani leaders for the massacres following India's 1947 partition often provokes needless controversy. A better way for the countries to purge inter-communal hatred is to explore the consequences of bloodletting through the poignant and thoughtful work of filmmakers and novelists. - Jiwan Kshetry (Aug 29, '13)

Erdogan flies flag for Middle East stability
Support from the United States, Europe and Gulf monarchies for the military coup in Egypt leaves Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan further isolated after his regional vision took a battering during the Arab Spring. However, his strong moral stance over both the Egyptian and Syrian crises suggests Erdogan is still the standard-bearer for Middle East stability. - Mohammad Pervez Bilgrami (Aug 27, '13)

Survival instinct spurred Egyptian military
Despite weaving a narrative of a "battle against terrorism" and "rescuing revolutionary ideals", Egypt's military seized power from the Muslim Brotherhood to protect itself against an organization whose popular political ideology and power center was increasingly a threat to the army's future. While secularists were unnerved by the Brotherhood, the force they've back will revert quickly to true authoritarianism. - Sameera Rashid (Aug 26, '13)

Egypt: From counter revolution to civil war
As Egypt adapts to rule by military fiat, diverse Islamic currents once divided and hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood are coalescing against General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's illusory democracy. There are also new targets as extremists take charge on both sides, with Christians in the firing line, class conflicts deepening and almost the whole population feeling some form of injustice. - Monte Palmer (Aug 20, '13)

Fall of moderates seals Lebanon's fate
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's decision to wage war against rebels and Sunni jihadists in Syria has drawn Lebanon into a bloody conflict. Yet long before any shot fired in Homs, the Shi'ite militia's destruction of the base of Lebanon's economic success, Sunni moderate political parties, had sealed the country's fate. - Riccardo Dugulin (Aug 19, '13)

The Battle of Yarmuk, then and now
The legacy of the Imperial Byzantine army's defeat in August, 636 BCE by Muslim Arabs at the Yarmuk tributary reflects in some ways today's events. In Syria the battle is for the control of Damascus, and the overthrow of Bashar a-Assad involves once again the Persians, or modern Iran. As is the case with the 21st-century West, the Byzantine West was also totally exhausted, economically and militarily. - Nicholas A Biniaris (Aug 16, '13)

Manila, Tokyo brothers in arms
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Philippines President Benigno Aquino last month agreed to comprehensively enhance the two countries' strategic partnership. While the two sides have plenty of economic reasons for closer ties, a mutual desire to counterbalance China has widened the scope of bilateral relations. - Julius Cesar I Trajano (Aug 15, '13)

Chapulling in Turkey
When Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the term capulcu, or looters, to contemptuously describe Gezi Park protestors, he unwittingly created a new 21st-century term for rebelling against the tyranny of a majority. In Turkey, the mandate handed to the ruling party by its electoral majority has been undermined by theocratic steps towards a total Islamization of society. - Chuck Hamilton (Aug 15, '13)

Guatemalan path for Indonesian justice
By holding former president Rios Montt accountable for atrocities in Guatemala, if only temporarily, the country became the first to convict a former president for genocide in its own territory. It was a legal victory for human rights everywhere and ideally will serve as precedent for holding other leaders accountable. Who is to say something similar cannot happen in the courts of Jakarta or Timor-Leste? - Andrew de Sousa (Aug 14, '13)

Defamation and dissent in South Korea
South Korea's over reliance on its National Security Act as an instrument of censorship has seen a legal tool designed to shield individuals intrude upon important public debates. While not solely used to protect the powerful from criticism, it is proving too easy to manipulate the law to sanction and chill political discourse. - Taylor Washburn (Aug 13, '13)

Decoding India's Telangana conundrum
The people of India's coastal Andhra region are furious about the decision to carve the new state of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh, saying that the "loss" of Hyderabad through bifurcation would betray hard work put into creating the information technology boom town. However, the seeds of separation were inherent in a 1956 merger, which "Telanganaites" long sought to dissolve. - Mayurika Chakravorty (Aug 9, '13)

Time for China and ASEAN to make up
Remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a recent Southeast Asia tour underline that Beijing remains committed to engagement with ASEAN countries, despite increasing territorial posturing. China is starting to show more tolerance of individual countries' geopolitical maneuvers to hedge against it, and ASEAN could return the favor by redefining the strategic partnership with China. - Karl Lee (Aug 9, '13)

The post-terror terrorism of war
Heightened terror alerts from the US State Department serve as a reminder that terrorism originates from imperialism and military aggression against the poor and helpless. With the War on Terror a recipe for disasters far more destructive than rational minds can perceive, new thinking is needed to create peace; but that won't emanate from leaders intent on a never-ending war. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Aug 8, '13)

Rouhani's reforms depend on Supreme Leader
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has further signaled to the West his intention to pursue diplomacy through the appointment of a prominent reformist to the foreign ministry. Yet he is also keeping hardliners happy by handing them plum cabinet positions. Such appointments and the reform drive, however, ultimately rely on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini's will. - Hamza Mannan (Aug 8, '13)

Politics fuel a rising sectarian fire
The rise of sectarian conflict in the Middle East and South Asia is rooted in the increasing ability of politicians to hijack religion for their own ends rather than any playing out of theology in the Sunni-Shi'ite divide. No one, not least peacemakers and Western governments trying to twist religious differences for their own benefit, stands to gain from this distortion. - Shireen T Hunter (Aug 7, '13)

Cambodia: Social media fuels new politics
Young voters were quick to reach for their smartphones and computers to record and report election-day irregularities in Cambodia's July 28 national poll. As the number of social media-savvy electors grows, sites such as Facebook are becoming the place for wide-ranging debates that will change the country's political culture. - Marta Kasztelan (Aug 6, '13)

India-China make a tryst
From energy to trade and counter-insurgency, India and China's converging interests in Myanmar are too deep to be easily undermined by economic competition and strategic power politics. By bridging their trust deficit and recognizing the potential for joint development, Beijing and Delhi could make the country a prototype for future Sino-Indian cooperation. - Sonu Trivedi (Aug 5, '13)

The war within a war in Syria
Fighting between Kurdish militants and al-Qaeda elements in Syria fuels Kurdish aspirations for independence, but is also bringing new threats to regional stability. This war within a war is a new development and a conflict that mocks Western intentions to back only the "good guys". - Hannah Stuart (Aug 2, '13)

How 'One China' risks aviation disaster
Taiwan's civil aviation authorities have full responsibility for administering one of the busiest air transport hubs in Asia, yet politics have prevented it from joining the International Civil Aviation Organization, leaving the country with no access to crucial safety information. A truly seamless global aviation security network will be impossible unless the ICAO accepts US-backed plans to end Taiwan's exclusion. - Kent Wang (Aug 2, '13)

Fourth revolutionary wave to engulf Egypt
The revolution that removed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011 and caught a second wave when his elected successor Mohammad Morsi was removed by the military a year later is now entering its third stage as the remnants of the Mubarak elites try to keep power. A fourth wave is inevitable in this house of cards on shifting sands. - Nicola Nasser (Aug 1, '13)

Challenges loom for post-2014 Pakistan
Anti-US camps in Islamabad expect Washington's withdrawal from Afghanistan to end drone attacks, stabilize Pakstian's domestic security and ease its economic woes. Realists expect exactly the opposite to happen on those three fronts, with the power vacuum that will be created across the border also having potentially disastrous long-term consequences. - Arshad Mahmood (Jul 30, '13)

Asia laps up lax Israeli weapons rules
Israel's limited political, economic and diplomatic leverage make its arms trade a vital facet in spreading influence and achieving foreign policy objectives. For customers such as South Korea, Vietnam, India and China, the offer of cutting-edge weaponry with lax technology transfer rules is simply too good to refuse. - Alvite Singh Ningthoujam (Jul 30, '13)

America: the powerful and the powerless
If alive today, historians from the past would be baffled at how America, perhaps once the most powerful force in moral and intellectual discourse, became a nation devoid of the most basic principles in global political affairs. Paranoid and vengeful politicians have incapacitated a nation that is now so obsessed with power it risks suffering the fate of fallen empires. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Jul 29, '13)

Cambodia nearer civil war than peace
The totally antagonistic standpoints of the ruling Cambodia People's Party and the opposition National Rescue Party in the run-up to the weekend elections were evident on the campaign trail. That poles-apart reality on the ground means that as voters to cast their ballots, it is not inconceivable that the democratic process will lead to a new civil war. - Savath Pou (Jul 26, '13)

EU fuels blowback with Hezbollah blacklist
The European Union has placed Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations, though it can raise funds unabated to assist Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because only its "military wing" was proscribed. All the listing is will likely achieve is further destabilization of Lebanon - and provoking Hezbollah into plotting retribution against European interests. - Olivier Guitta (Jul 26, '13)

How Iraq will win the Arab Spring
As uprisings and civil conflict implode the traditional power hubs of the Arab world, Iraq's youthful population, gigantic oil resources and strategic location give it the makings a major regional player. Freed from totalitarianism ahead of the others, Baghdad also has a democratic headstart. But the chances of more prosperity still boil down to maintaining security. - Riccardo Dugulin (Jul 25, '13)

Narrowed political gap in Cambodia
A politically charged return by opposition leader Sam Rainsy and unprecedented youth participation - notably through social media - have energized the campaigning for Cambodia's July 28 elections. While Rainsy's path to power has now been blocked, and superior financial resources and media manipulation are expected to ensure the Cambodian People's Party retains its lead, the opposition has a clear chance to sow the seeds of long-term change. - Vannarith Chheang (Jul 24, '13)

Partition no panacea for Afghanistan
Western analysts who say Afghanistan must be divided by new borders to bring security to the country ignore the population's historic hatred of occupation and attempts at separation. Despite their country's chaos and cruel history of warfare, Afghans can still look across the border at Pakistan and say theirs is a true state, not one forged artificially from colonialism. - Ehsan Azari Stanizai (Jul 24, '13)

Pashtuns rue militant image
Propaganda portraying Pashtuns as violent warriors, based on their considerable presence in the Taliban's rank-and-file, ignores that the militants have never identified with the ethnic group, and that Pashtun history is replete with heroes who fought with the pen instead of the sword. While the situation can be partly blamed on the geopolitical vortex in Afghanistan, a fragmented Pashtun leadership is also responsible. - Ajmal Shams (Jul 24, '13)

US pivot risks Asia-Pacific cold war
As the US "rebalancing" to the Asia-Pacific accelerates a militarization of regional allies, US-backed governments are also increasingly trying to convince their populations that China is the principal enemy. By drawing more countries to its strategic vision in the region, Washington is creating blocs whose interactions could sow the seeds of global conflict. - Ninan Koshy (Jul 23, '13)

The 'alternative' discourse on Asia's rise
Asian countries neighboring China are concerned about its recent territorial aggression in the South and East China Seas, and India's border, yet are alarmed that the dominant discourse points to increasing militarization and conflict. Regional determination is growing to create the regional institutional mechanisms to avert the negative impacts of China's rise and instead showcase the positive aspects of the China success story. - Namrata Goswami (Jul 22, '13)

Tsarnaev and the politics of Rolling Stone(s)
If herostratic fame was part of alleged Boston marathon bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev's motivation, the teenage suspect got it by appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The magazine's decision to put the teenage suspect's face on its cover is revealing of US society's fascination with perpetrators of violence instead of their innocent victims. - Dallas Darling (Jul 19, '13)

Hezbollah on shaky ground in Syria
As a result of overstretching itself in Syria, Hezbollah is being forced to take a defensive line instead of the offensive stance which has served it well, and is losing moral high ground on the Arab Street. The collapse of its parliamentary alliance in Lebanon means the party has to fight two different conflicts - one political, one military - on two different fronts. - Riccardo Dugulin (Jul 18, '13)

Russia navigates uncertain Kyrgyz waters
As mine closures and anti-government demonstrations in Kyrgyzstan highlight rising political instability, Russia is sticking with President Almazbek Atambayev over the increasingly powerful provincial elites. As its southern neighbor fragments, factors such as the growing Chinese business presence in the country or fears of creeping "Afghanization" could easily prompt Moscow to switch sides. - Ryskeldi Satke (Jul 17, '13)

The quicksand of self-deception
Rising tensions throughout the Middle East and beyond are a result of far too many countries feeding into the West's delusional belief about its invincibility and mastery of the political game. For evidence of the West's decline, doubters need look no further than its alignment with Gulf countries who propagate hatred and intolerance for other Muslim traditions. - Nicholas A Biniaris (Jul 17, '13)

India-Bhutan ties reach a crossroads
The fact that India's decision to withdraw key subsidies likely cost Bhutan's ruling party last week's elections suggests New Delhi took it either to reinforce its clout over the tiny Himalayan Kingdom or in anger at the government's increasing closeness to China. Either way, Bhutan's largest development partner must be careful of forces unleashed through interference. - Medha Bisht (Jul 16, '13)

China plots strategic coup in the Pacific
Far from piecemeal aggression, China's assertiveness in the East and South China Seas is a direct, if subtle, challenge to the international order the United States created in the western Pacific after World War II. Unless the US upholds treaty obligations, the region will soon resemble the Chinese system of vassal states under the Ching Dynasty. - Richard C Thornton (Jul 15, '13)

Mali and China's 'Western' foreign policy
China's engagement with Mali, despite the Africa country's seemingly limited economic and strategic value, has led to speculation that Beijing envisions taking on the US's role of interventionist global policeman. However, China's refusal to make human rights demands and indifference to "responsibility to protect" suggest it will continue to be guided by its own cultural and political premises. - Moritz Pollath (Jul 12, '13)

Tough test awaits Korean education
Centuries of obsession with status and prestige make it a wrench for the Korean education system to consider abandoning its regimented Confucian structure in favor of progressive liberal methods, However, the choice is between a grade-grinding system that's become a zero-sum game pitting student against student and another that would see Korea produce more world citizens. - Taru Taylor (Jul 11, '13)

Rajapaksa autonomy move risks harmony
An attempt by Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa government to dilute an amendment that promises autonomy to the Tamil minority breaks pledges to bring self-rule to provinces, and to the Indian and Tamil parties initially party to the agreement. Colombo may claim that autonomy sullies the military victory over the rebels, but even the army doesn't agree. - Sumanasiri Liyanage (Jul 8, '13)

Rouhani just just another cog
Hassan Rohani's victory in the Iranian presidential election has attracted commentary suggesting reform is on the way. Given his history in the power structure, it is more likely he was anointed not at the ballot box by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in the same way as all previous presidents. The choice this time was geared towards improving international relations and to open the hearts of Islamic Republic's weary people. - Julia Ernest (Jul 3, '13)

Give Egypt a chance for change
As Egypt's generals enter the Tahrir Square fray, there is no political emergency in need of military dictates or intervention. It is short-sighted to think the Mohamed Morsi government in one year could deliver unthinkable goods and amenities. Instead of fireballs, constructive, creative thinking should be allowed to flourish. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Jul 2, '13)

When to trust Iran's electoral system
Tension between the moderate camp of Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani and the conservative establishment that oversees the electoral process means that claims of vote-rigging on the scale of those that emerged four years ago are unlikely to taint the next presidential election. As the 2009 vote showed, it takes both motive and an opportunity for cohorts to work together for a result to be fixed. - Amin Shahriar (Jul 1, '13)

China the key to India's Afghan puzzle
India's internal security and plans for economic expansion depend on post-US withdrawal Afghanistan not falling to Taliban elements controlled and manipulated by Pakistan's military intelligence. To bolster its aims, New Delhi must raise the specter of Central Asian terror to unsettle Beijing into pressurizing its "all-weather ally", Pakistan. - Prathapan Bhaskaran (Jul 1, '13)

Obama steps into China's African shadow
United States President Barack Obama and his entourage of business leaders have trade and investment in their sights on their wide-ranging tour of Africa. Wherever they go, Chinese money has probably been there first, and the specter of Beijing's flourishing influence in the region is a vital subtext. - Narayani Basu (Jun 28, '13)

Trust can break Indian Ocean vicious cycle
The growing US-India strategic partnership reinforces the view from China that Indian Ocean arc of Washington's Asian pivot is part of an encirclement strategy. Amid military build-up, a trust mechanism is sorely needed to hold back an arms race that will lead to all parties sacrificing increasingly shared economic and security interests. - Namrata Goswami and Jenee Sharon (Jun 27, '13)

How politics fueled India-Pakistan wars
Classic liberal beliefs that democratic nations are less likely to wage wars with each other, grounded in Immanuel Kant's theories, seem validated when applied to the painful history of India-Pakistan relations. If only democracy had been allowed to nourish in Pakistan from its founding, then three major wars and immeasurable misery could have been avoided. - Arshad Mahmood (Jun 26, '13)

Xi traces China's emerging world view
That China's president first swung through emerging countries and regions before reaching the United States underlines how Beijing's new leadership plans to take global engagement to a new level. The "Chinese dream" resonates with the aspirations of those countries, so as President Xi Jinping talks of changes in "great power relations", Washington should pay attention. - Anand V (Jun 25, '13)

The warrior and democratic society
The concept of the "democratic warrior" is rising as soldiers connect their warrior ethos with modern society and its liberal political goals across the world. While at first glance the concept appears self-contradictory, the potentially conflicting value systems can resolved through following classical republican virtues. - Andreas Herberg-Rothe (Jun 25, '13)

Is Egypt on the verge of civil war?
As the Egyptian government's ability to feed its population declines, so too is the Muslim Brotherhood's hope of transforming Egypt into the centerpiece of a modern Islamic empire that blends strict Muslim morality with economic and technological development. Domestic instability may spark a civil conflict, and Iranian, Russian and Chinese schemes to grasp the Middle East would fuel it. - Monte Palmer (Jun 25, '13)

US warriors in search of Afghan peace
The United States' plans to hold peace talks with the Taliban highlight the moral bankruptcy of the Washington's initial decision to invade Afghanistan. There's little chance of any peace succeeding without help from Iran and Pakistan, but it will be hard for them to help the US - a country that's continually undermining them through warmongering, drone attacks and threats. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Jun 24, '13)

Modernity makes a mark in Iran vote
The surprise victory of President-elect Hassan Rouhani in the Iranian elections represents the swing of the political pendulum by a voting public repulsed by eight years of hardline rule. In the battle between modernity and Islamic tradition, most moderates agree that revolutionary principles alone are too narrow a base to run a country where the middle class is in the ascendency. - Amin Shahriar (Jun 19, '13)

Pakistan sets sights on drones
New Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, under intense pressure from politicians and the public, has promised that his government won't secretly allow the US to conduct drone strikes on Pakistani territory. Given that the strikes are often inaccurate, and that enraging tribal citizens endangers its exit from Afghanistan, perhaps Washington should pay heed to its ally this time. - Sajjad Ashraf (Jun 13, '13)

US and China could use a go-between
At a time when US-China relations are crying out for an independent mediator, the world is bypassing the United Nations and resolving issues at multilateral and bilateral state levels. A strong path to peace is the selection of a third-party arbiter from among approved states or organizations to strengthen the principle of strategic cooperation. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (Jun 12, '13)

How prosperity destroyed Arabic culture
Despite oil-generated paper wealth and transitory economic prosperity, the Arab people have failed to regain the Islamic unity needed to restore their historical linkage to change and human progress. Since major public institutions in the Arab world were taken over by Western thinking and agents of influence, economic militarization has led to constant individualistic horrors. - Mahboob A Khawaja (Jun 11, '13)

US-China shadow boxing at Shangri-La
A few rungs lower than the presidential confab, China used the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore to mount a charm offensive targeting the US "rebalance" in Asia. Suggestions of "peace, development, cooperation and win-win" were quickly followed with hints that Beijing may carry out tit-for-tat maritime surveillance. The US hit back forcefully, and it was left to emerging regional players to seek equanimity and restraint. - Abhijit Singh (Jun 11, '13)

Kerry spouts nonaligned nuclear hysteria
US Secretary of State John Kerry's bold claim that Iran's nuclear program gets more dangerous every month is alarmist and exaggerated. The real crux of the hysteria is fear of the US losing its monopoly on nuclear weapons and technologies as Iran expands its nuclear enrichment capabilities and shares nuclear technologies with other nonaligned nuclear nations. - Dallas Darling (Jun 10, '13)

India blinded by China's shock and awe
The notion of China as a new-age El Dorado seems to permeate India's political and policy-making elite and some portion of its academic leaders, dangerously inhibiting New Delhi from perceiving how its own views and strategic approaches are and should be quite different to those of its northern neighbor. It also blinds India to the hard core at the heart of Beijing's rise in the world. - Madhu Bhalla (Jun 7, '13)

The closed Gate of Heavenly Peace
Twenty-four years, a generation and an Internet after China's leaders quashed the Tiananmen Square protest, the political stagnation continues. With wealth inequality and corruption now part of the Chinese Communist Party's DNA, it is either ironic or just plain tragic that the "people's government" has made it clear that the people have no role in decisions. - Peter Mitchelmore (Jun 4, '13)

Islamabad faces drone dilemma
Placing limits on Pakistan's cooperation with the US in the use of drones to fight the Taliban would ease intense political pressure over the issue for the incoming Nawaz Sharif government, but the resultant power vacuum in the northwest would enable the militants to regroup and inflict maximum damage on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. - Sajjad Ashraf (May 29, '13)

Neo-Nazi denial in Myanmar
Myanmar has a newly registered Nazi party, the Rakhine National Development Party, created in the wake of anti-Muslim violence in Rakhine State. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has dined publicly with its leaders, confirming the strength of race-based politics in the country, where fawning by Western interests has helped to create a sense of invincibility regarding such fascist attitudes. - Maung Zarni (May 23, '13)

Western hypocrisy over Chinese nukes
Speculation that China plans to depart from a strict nuclear policy that empahises minimum deterrent and a no-first-use pledge flies in the face of official rebuttals and the fact that its nuke arsenal hasn't expanded with economic advances. Instead of assuming Beijing is aggressive, Western nations asking why their own policy is based on preemptive strikes and not more defensive postures. - Hui Zhang (May 24, '13)

America's truth-seeking drone program
Hunting militants through morally and legally questionable bombing missions hardly provides real justice to the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The same international laws are broken by the drone program purportedly intended to protect American soil from foreign enemies seeking to eliminate its citizens. - Elliot Saunders (May 24, '13)

Turkey puts a new paradigm in play
The Arab Spring and the conflict in Syria have forced Turkey to reassess its policy stance of non-interference towards the Middle East "swamp". Ankara has grasped the opportunity created by the conflict to resolve its Kurdish question - taking a path its leaders hope will enable a reawakening of the country's regional ambitions. - Omer Aslan (May 24, '13)

Tokyo, Seoul hold 'ugly' nuclear option
The strategic consequences of a sustained North Korean nuclear weapons program are immensely troublesome. As neighbors such as South Korea and Japan consider possible countermeasures, they might consider it time to reassess whether nuclear weapons are an option to maintain an "ugly stability" in the region. - Tahir Mahmood Azad (May 23, '13)

Darkness envelops Pakistan
Elections in Pakistan have seen one crony replaced with another, further distancing from power the educated and intelligent young generation that could shape a new future for the nation. Unless the generals and their political accomplices hand some power to the people, the moral and intellectual thread of society will continue to unwind. - Mahboob A Khawaja (May 23, '13)

New spark in the South China Sea
Sanctions Taiwan has imposed following the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard, including a hiring freeze on Filipino workers and banning tourism to the Philippines, are shows of sovereignty aimed at bolstering the administration's sagging approval ratings. Manila has no such problems, but economically and diplomatically it can't afford another front opening in the South China Sea. - Julius Cesar I Trajano (May 22, '13)

The sea rises in age of drone terror
The Obama administration's drone campaign in Pakistan, with its killing lists and execution boards, is reminiscent of the French Revolution's "Reign of Terror". Just like the guillotine - invented as an "enlightened" mode of killing - the unmanned weapons have ended up slaying hundreds of innocents. - Dallas Darling (May 22, '13)

Russia leads the way in post-Fukushima world
A Western backlash against nuclear power following the Fukushima plant disaster has seen atomic energy's contribution rolled back in numerous countries. Energy needs in developing nations demand acknowledgement that, thanks to Russian specialists, the impact of human error in the nuclear sector has considerably decreased. - Igor Alexeev (May 21, '13)

The decline of Malaysian apartheid
Scapegoating of Chinese in the wake of its disappointing recent polls reflects the degree to which the United Malay National Organization, leader of Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, remains invested in perpetuating race-based politics. However, there are clear signs of the demise of that model as desires grow for an inclusive modern nation free of corruption. - Sunil Kukreja (May 20, '13)

Chinese opinion jars with policy on Korea
An unexpectedly significant outburst of anger from China's elite at North Korea's brazen provocations may be enough to require that Beijing try to harmonize public opinion and foreign policy on the issue. If Beijing bows to the public demands and cracks down on Pyongyang this time, it could undermine the government's ability to censor debate on internal issues.- Niklas Swanstrom and Kelly Chen (May 17, '13)

Erdogan drags heavy bag to Washington
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan steps into the White House today for a long-awaited meeting with US President Barack Obama. The conflict in neighboring Syria will likely top the agenda, and, as he carries heavy baggage across the threshold, Erdogan will be only too aware that Middle East power games are becoming more complex. - Egemen B Bezci (May 16, '13)

Daunting challenges await Sharif
Nawaz Sharif, heading into a third term as prime minister after historic elections in Pakistan, has little time to bask in victory. Daunting challenges piling up in the pending tray include tackling economic malaise and foreign policy matters and dealing with a military establishment that ejected him in 1999. - Sajjad Ashraf (May 16, '13)

Nepal charges towards total impunity
The selection of Maoist nominee Lokman Singh Karki as the chief of Nepal's anti-graft body, despite mass objections from the public, political parties and civil society, has dampened hopes that a so-called "election government" formed to restore political stability will succeed. Seen as proxy of the Maoist leadership, critics say Lokman will usher in a era of impunity and abuse of power. - Jiwan Kshetry (May 16, '13)

An Austrian deal for North Korea
Like post-Second World War Austria, North Korea is a strategic crossroads for clashing great powers. To replicate Vienna's emergence as a stable and prosperous power, Pyongyang must counterbalance outside pressures with guarantees for military neutrality, while striving for financial independence through economic openness. - Ronnie Blewer (May 15, '13)

Dogma costs Islam innovative edge
Although Islam has been called the "Enlightenment of the East", that movement in the West established natural theology and destroyed faith as a universal category of social interaction; to the East, Islam established a religious-social imaginary. Today, the West is trying to project a secular universalism founded upon democracy, while Muslims exhibit signs of dystopia in a modern and post-modern world. - Nicholas A Biniaris (May 14, '13)

US plays with genocidal fire in Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is girding for an all-out Shi'ite war on Sunnis as he showed last month by turning his tanks on Sunni protesters in the northern city of Hawijah. If the United States sells Maliki more American weapons, including scheduled squadrons of F-16s, US President Barack Obama will be a willing co-partner in Maliki's Sunni genocide. - Mark Langfan (May 13, '13)

Hate thy neighbor in Myanmar
Violence against Muslims in Myanmar has been accompanied by their widespread identification as in some way being a "threat" to the country. Though such claims defy reality, they do strengthen the hand and public backing of the military. After all, it is not shared bread but a common enemy that brings people together. - David Hopkins (May 9, '13)

Red-line rhetoric in Syria
The US and allies, after initially throwing their lot behind the Syrian uprising, are now alarmed now by the advances of al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, which pose as big a threat to Israel as they do to the Syrian regime, Iran and Hezbollah. The best the West can hope for now is some form of direct occupation, which is why it is likely Israel has been invited to intervene. - Shahab Jafry (May 9, '13)

China's incursions show strategic blindness
Incursions by Chinese troops into eastern Kashmir are reflective of new leader Xi Jinping's assertive strategy on territorial disputes. While rallying behind People's Liberation Army causes may boost Xi's leadership, such aggression merely vindicates the "China threat" discourse among the country's neighbors. - Namrata Goswami (May 9, '13)

ASEAN market integration a tough call for members
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is preparing for integration of the region's markets. Attaining remaining politically sensitive goals is proving laborious, with the pace-setting economies of Philippines and Indonesia proving notably tricky. - Julius Cesar I Trajano (May 8, '13)

China's ideas gap necessitates theft
The relative absence of industrial innovation in China makes it dependent on copying (and stealing) the best from the West's trove of new ideas. That will continue until genuine freedoms and a safe environment that harbors open exchange and creativity are allowed by Beijing. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (May 8, '13)

Democracy in peril in Bangladesh
Instead of seeking the culprits behind a deadly building collapse, Bangladesh's government has been focused on closing down an opposition newspaper and arresting its editor. Such harassment of dissenting voices has been a regular feature of successive Bangladeshi governments, but the scale of the repression has grown alarmingly under the present administration. - Hasan Mir (May 8, '13)

India-China war delayed by technology
The asymmetry and imperious emperors that could provoke an India-China conflict aren't in place, and even if a war were to break out over remote border areas, international pressures and military parity require that at most, the two countries fight a very limited war that does not cause irremediable loss of face. - Mohan Guruswamy (May 7, '13)

Pyongyang's crimes lost in power plays
As the international community trains its focus on Pyongyang's nuclear brinkmanship, the brutal human-rights situation in the country is becoming a forgotten issue. While admonishing the North over threats to regional peace, it is equally important to stop it inflicting more suffering on its citizens. - Nazery Khalid (May 6, '13)

Pakistan: Good people and evil politics
Pakistanis are questioning the incompetence and corruption of politicians who for decades have used violence as a tool for personal gain. The only route out the morass is to disconnect the country from the bogus US-led "war on terrorism" and create a non-partisan government under new leadership. - Mahboob A Khawaja (May 6, '13)

Doubly deadly drones in Waziristan
Inhabitants in Pakistan's North and South Waziristan tribal agencies not only fear death from the CIA-operated drones targeting militants in the region; there is also a risk of the Taliban targeting them as suspected US spies directing the unmanned aircraft. Charged with placing American-supplied electronic tracking devices near militants' houses, the punishments for "collaborators" include death by explosive belt. - Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud (May 3, '13)

Social media overhyped in Indian politics
The spiraling number of Indians hooked on social media and high-profile "hashtag wars" between politicians has brought predictions that Twitter and Facebook will be key battlefields in the 2014 elections and pithy posts could swing key states. This ignores the stuffy mindset of Indian politics and that poor, starving India won't be swung by digital devices. - Shruti Pandalai (May 1, '13)

Albright's role in Iran dialogue
The world of misinformation concerning Iran's nuclear program continues to spin relentlessly. Somewhere near the center, David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, misses no real or perceived opportunity to blame the Islamic Republic for global security woes. - Ardeshir Ommani (Apr 29, '13)

What China wants from North Korea
North and South Korea are being relegated to bit-players in peninsular tensions as the contest increasingly becomes another front for their powerful sponsors. China is stoking the East Asian tensions to push US forces away from its coast, in the knowledge that US bases in Taiwan and South Korea have had the Chinese navy covered. - Joel Gibbons (Apr 26, '13)

The garrison state in Pakistan
Since the military elite's struggle with civilian power factions has subsumed all other state-building ambitions in Pakistan, such as developing modern educational institutions or a multifaceted industrial base, it seems apt to describe the nation as a "garrison state". The legacy of "fortress Islam" and woeful military governance in the past makes a stable democratic evolution even unlikelier today. - Ehsan Ahrari (Apr 25, '13)

Cold War lessons apply to Syria
President Barack Obama's reluctance to make hard decisions over the Syrian conflict has echoes of incoherent US policy behind the Bay of Pigs fiasco. As in the Cuban invasion, when Washington was unsure what would happen once the exiles established their presence on the beach, so too the current administration has no idea of what Syria should become if the rebels actually win. - Jared Metzker (Apr 24, '13)

Busting crime myths in Delhi
Delhi Police and the political and bureaucratic leadership see an increase in the force's budget as a panacea for the city's security woes. but the claim has been repeated far too often. Available resources are underutilized, and a stronger sense of intent by the force should precede the grant of additional funds. - Bibhu Prasad Routray (Apr 23, '13)

China-India border talks pivot on Tibet
For China and India to resolve issues surrounding Tibet that have for decades stalled progress on border talks, both countries must bring together their brightest minds to identify intertwining core interests. Although Beijing and Delhi both view the Tibetan independence struggle as a security threat, an impasse that prevents the Sino-Indian dynamic from reaching its full potential is allowed to persist. - Namrata Goswami and Jenee Sharon (Apr 22, '13)

Fleeing the peace in Vietnam
April 30 marks the 38th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon to communist forces. Without that day there wouldn't be as many Vietnamese restaurants in your neighborhood, though social and political systems in Vietnam remain unchanged. With hundreds of dissidents in jail for challenging one-party rule and state harassment embedded, there is still reason to flee. - Hoi Trinh (Apr 19, '13)

Qatar and Saudis divide and conquer
It's rich that Qatar promotes the rights of women, immigrants, and people without states, while being at heart a Wahhabist absolute monarchy. By funding groups and movements promoting Islamism, the Gulf kingdom has joined Saudi Arabia in Western-inspired tactics of division. - Sean Fenley (Apr 17, '13)

China's Catholic body vs the Vatican
While Western critics lambast China for its insistence on internalizing the running of the country's Roman Catholic establishment, the Vatican is just as stubborn when it comes to "protecting" its own officials, as seen in its handling of child abuse allegations. Both institutions are stuffy, tone-deaf bureaucracies, but at least Beijing has grown much more amenable to Catholic influence in recent years. - Vaughan Winterbottom (Apr 17, '13)

A Chinese nuke umbrella for North Korea?
By offering North Korea a nuclear security commitment against any Western attack on North Korea, Beijing could encourage Pyongyang to abandon its brinkmanship strategy, play down militarism, and adopt a peaceful developmental policy. The regional stabilization and diplomatic benefits would be felt by East and West, but achieving the ambitious strategy will take China's acceptance and generous US support. - Qingshan Tan (Apr 15, '13)

Afghanistan's fractured future
There is little doubt that whatever government replaces Hamid Karzai's administration in Afghanistan next year, it will be heavily influenced by the Taliban. The country will revert to its typical fractured state, with pockets ruled by warlords. US media rhetoric now concentrates on the Pakistan arena, hiding the American military's last desperate attempt to retain influence once it withdraws from Afghanistan next year. - Shahab Jafry (Apr 12, '13)

North Korea: the world needs a ghoul
Libya's Gaddafi is dead, Venezuela's Chavez too, while Iran's Ahmadinejad will be history after the elections in June - and Myanmar's Thein Sein now wears a suit. Powers need a bad guy for their geopolitical machinations, and it just so happens that there is simply no-one to equal Kim Jong-eun as he morphs from a regional to a global problem. - Hannes Hanso (Apr 11, '13)

West chemical fait accompli in Syria
While the West is concerned that forcing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s back against the wall could prompt him to attack Israeli defenses and population centers with chemical weapons , a successful intervention against him could equally see toxic weapons including binary warheads, aerial incendiary and cluster bombs falling into the hands of radical Islamic rebels.
- Bob Rigg (Apr 11, '13)

Towards a new Korean war?
North Korea's desperation to make the current crisis appear different from previous impasses suggests a scramble for survival, with bellicose rhetoric and behavior designed to enhance the Kim Jong-eun regime's international status and ensure a smooth power consolidation. With the brinkmanship already lending Kim the aura of a triumphant war leader, it seems his strategy is paying off. - Bruno Hellendorff and Thierry Kellner (Apr 9, '13)

'Occupy' Hong Kong plan a nightmare for Beijing
Plans for an "Occupy" Hong Kong movement, timed to coincide with official celebrations to mark next year's 16th anniversary of the handover to China, have been exposed, likely filling the city's pro-business and pro-Beijing camps with dread. While pro-mainland media are already predicting the plan would be "economic suicide", it seems ordinary Hong Kongers have little interest in taking part. - Kent Ewing (Apr 8, '13)

India's strategic culture is plain to see
Hardcore realism of projecting power beyond India's borders and the Nehruvian ethos of dialogue and international cooperation underline New Delhi's strategic power. Those exalting India to take Great Power status are frustrated by the duality, and in for a disappointment as the country takes the road to greatness by focusing on the war on poverty. - Namrata Goswami (Apr 5, '13)

China finds soft power in sport
Chinese sporting stars such as tennis player Li Na, hurdler Liu Xiang and basketball player Yao Ming are proving vital tools of soft power as Beijing tries to beat rival superpower the United States at its own game. Just as American athletes like Michael Jordan and Mohammed Ali changed how the world viewed the country, China hopes sporting achievement will develop into greater global influence. - Jieh-Yung Lo (Apr 3, '13)

How Christians lost their anarchist spirit
That the Gospels are filled with tales of Jesus and his disciples committing acts of civil disobedience or launching revolutionary non-violent campaigns seems hard to fathom given that today's Church hardly expounds the philosophy that governments are responsible for society's ills. A deeper exploration of early Christianity's anarchist leanings suggests the movement lit the Great Fire of Rome. - Dallas Darling (Apr 2, '13)

South Korea, Japan: a reignited rivalry
The ascendency of K-pop as Western interest fades in facets of Japanese pop culture that so intrigued in the 1990s reflects a shift in East Asia's power dynamic as Japan's post-World War II "economic miracle" drifts into memory. With territorial disputes replacing post-colonial tensions, it seems that despite Seoul and Tokyo's overlapping economic and security interests, another delicate stage in relations looms. - Jieh-Yung Lo (Mar 28, '13)

Anti-Hindu attacks rock Bangladesh
A wave of anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh launched by hardline Islamist group the Jammate-E-Islami Bangladesh has seen hundreds of temples, statues and shops demolished, with purportedly secular ruling party the Awami League failing to protect the minority by punishing the vandals. Unless the government takes aim at the extremist politics taking root, they will threaten the nation's stability. - Swadesh Roy (Mar 28, '13)

Passing the buck on North Korea
East Asian and Western calls for China to crackdown on North Korea, which surface each time the former's "little brother" launches another nuclear provocation, ignore the regional instability that would be unleashed if Beijing really cut off Pyongyang. The same critics seem blind to the real goal of the North's brinkmanship: security assurances, diplomatic recognition and trade concessions from the US. - Nadine Godehardt and David Shim (Mar 27, '13)

The politics of expediency in India
The Indian government is paying more attention these days to policies on crucial matters of national interest, largely with an eye fixed on gaining votes in next year's general election. More than that expediency is required in the world's largest democracy if genuine efforts at social emancipation and welfare are to bear fruit. - Sunil Kumar (Mar 26, '13)

North Korea stirs Cuban crisis memory
The cycle of provocation created by North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship and the US refusal to compromise threatens to lead President Barack Obama and Kim Jong-eun into "eyeball to eyeball" confrontation in a repeat of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Kim is, however, a more volatile prospect than Nikita Khruschev ever was. - Hui Zhang (Mar 25, '13)

China seeks military friends
Beijing has sent diplomats and top military brass to press official flesh in Central Europe, most likely in an attempt to gain more torque to lift the European Union embargo on the sale of arms to China. Poland is a particular target, with a strong track record supplying other Asian countries with simple technological solutions that the People's Liberation Army also wants. - Paul Behrendt (Mar 21, '13)

China seeks military friends
Beijing has sent diplomats and top military brass to press official flesh in Central Europe, most likely in an attempt to gain more torque to lift the European Union embargo on the sale of arms to China. Poland is a particular target, with a strong track record supplying other Asian countries with simple technological solutions that the People's Liberation Army also wants. - Paul Behrendt (Mar 21, '13)

India blots out Israeli issues
Israel has used wide-ranging outreach in India to overcome public opposition to burgeoning bilateral ties in defense, trade and people-to-people contacts. That some surveys now rank India as the world's most "pro-Israel country" suggest the latter's image molding has persuaded many Indians to forget points of difference like Iran and the Palestinian issues. - S Samuel C Rajiv (Mar 18, '13)

Now is the time for a solution in Kashmir
Increased repression in Indian-administered Kashmir and growing tensions with Pakistan along the Line of Control highlight that the the status quo there cannot last. There has never been a better time for a comprehensive solution to the conflict - most of what that will take is clear. What is eminently lacking is the will to take action now. - Shubh Mathur (Mar 15, '13)

China and North Korea's pit bull alliance
China not only benefits from North Korea stealing its limelight as one of Asia's biggest human-rights violators, Pyongyang also serves a key political weapon against the strangulation strategy being visited on Beijing by the US and its allies. Diplomatic efforts to paint China as "renegotiating" terms of bilateral cooperation with the North are a "dog-and-pony" show. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (Mar 15, '13)

Japan and Philippines align strategic interests
The convergence of Japan's and the Philippines' threat perceptions of China will ultimately determine the depth of the two sides' strategic cooperation. Domestic concerns have also influenced Manila's receptiveness to Tokyo's soft power diplomacy and strategic overtures, as bilateral ties with Tokyo moved from platitudes to genuinely empowering military assets and economic assistance. - Julius Cesar I Trajano (Mar 14, '13)

Securing the Indian state from the people
Renewed demands to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir by activists who say it protects human-rights violators underlines the draconian nature of numerous statues in Indian enforced for "national security". Often security and "anti-terror" laws not only contradict the tenets of democracy, they continue colonial-era legislation enacted to control a rebellious population fighting the British Empire. - Ninan Koshy (Mar 14, '13)

Erdogan's rhetoric is Kerry's headache
Rising tensions between Turkey and the United States are a headache for Secretary of State John Kerry. Yet the strain lies not in any actions, but rather in rhetoric as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shows he is willing to put old alliances at risk for the sake of scoring points with a domestic audience. - Egemen B Bezci and Geoffrey Levin (Mar 13, '13)

Quagmire politics in Sabah
As tensions run high in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah following a stand-off between insurgents from the southern Philippines and Malaysian security forces, militant action is lending credence to claims that the conflict has been manufactured to stir trouble at a politically sensitive time. The risks are rising of a wider crisis that could delay Malaysia's general election. - Nile Bowie (Mar 12, '13)

US stuck in deaf dialogue in Korea
Provocations and diplomatic miscommunication of the kind now engaging North Korea and the United States echo throughout America's presence in the Korean peninsular. The Korean conflict is one of war fought with a "dialogue of the deaf" that has no ending. It's time for Washington to change its approach. - Dallas Darling (Mar 11, '13)

Bank critics miss relative value
The financial crash is widely attributed to failures of international investment banks (with various other "culprits" also held up for castigation). Yet the problem might lie deeper, in the roots of outdated but still over-popular economic theory espoused by Adam Smith (and even Karl Marx). The way out of the mess is even deeper - and it is all relative. - Friedrich Hansen (Mar 8, '13)

The alchemy of transition in South Asia
The failure of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal must not diminish attempts to create a robust transitional justice mechanism in Nepal. Blood on the streets in Dhaka may be used to undermine reparative measures in Nepal's transition to justice, but it is imperative that political classes are prevented from turning Bangladeshi "lead" into the pernicious "gold" of a general amnesty. - Michael Van Es (Mar 8, '13)

The strategy in Syria has failed
Saudi Arabia and Qatar must be urged to end their destabilization of Syria and find a non-violent political solution that ensures Sunni Islamic fundamentalists do not come to power. Syria is undeniably authoritarian, but its many sects are protected much better under the Arab nationalist al-Assad government than the Western-supported Free Syrian Army. - Sean Fenley (Mar 8, '13)

Time for India's right to look within
India needs a strong right-wing to counter the dominance of the Congress party. As the right's representative at 2014 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party under likely prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi must get its act together and emerge from a cacophony of indistinct policies. A first step would be the BJP declaring a sincere belief that India is not just for Hindus. - Tridivesh Singh Maini and Arko Dasgupta (Mar 7, '13)

China robots signal US challenge
The robotic invasion on factory floors in China points the way to the power of automation to "reshore" American industry. Along the way, the battle to maintain low-skilled jobs needs to end, and a swathe cut through regulations that prevent companies from attracting innovators. - Joshua Jacobs and Eftychis Mourginakis (Mar 5, '13)

US pivot puts Pakistan in a bind
The US's "pivot to Asia" will again force Pakistan to choose between two powerful and competing benefactors, this time with more significant regional implications than during the Cold War. While diplomatic and financial support has flowed freely from Beijing in recent years, rapprochement with Washington suggests Islamabad will make a familiar choice. - Hamza Mannan (Mar 4, '13)

Strikes on tribals a mistaken panacea
Deaf ears have met the demands of tribal people displaced by the battle between Pakistan's military and militants in the country's north-west. The army's Operation Rah-e-Nijat is having its own devastating consequences on the lives of ordinary people, and the constant barrage of US drone attacks has left them in a permanent state of shock. - Khan Zeb Burki (Mar 1, '13)

Foreign, domestic policy blur for Beijing
New foreign policy strategists in the hot seat as Xi Jinping takes the Chinese presidency must navigate relations at a time when international issues are having a greater impact than ever on domestic security and the public mood. From the South China Sea to Afghanistan, past approaches stressing indifference and neutrality simply won't suffice. - Nadine Godehardt (Feb 28, '13)

Iran and the implosion of Syria
Interference in the Syrian crisis underlines Iran's belief that only through opposing the creation of independent and sovereign states can it assert regional influence. As long as Tehran is allowed to aid non-state terrorist networks and militias, the disintegration of already failing Middle Eastern states will continue and terrorist threats against Israeli and Western interests will grow.
- Riccardo Dugulin (Feb 27, '13)

Southeast Asia's nuclear path post-Fukushima
Two years on from the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Southeast Asian states are undeterred from taking a nuclear path. Energy supply concerns, efforts to diversify and volatile fossil-fuel prices outweigh the risks and make the case for atomic fuel sources compelling. Vietnam, which plans to build 15 reactors by 2030, and Indonesia are at the forefront of the switch. - Sahara Piang Brahim (Feb 26, '13)

Casteism and corruption in modern India
Indian literary academic Ashis Nandy has said remarks in which he appeared to describe disadvantaged castes as the country's most corrupt were actually intended to to illustrate that these groups do not access to graft as an "equalizing force". The freedom of speech debate that's been sparked by Nandy's comments ignores their more importance significance for power equations developing in modern India.
- Niladri Ranjan Ray (Feb 25, '13)

ASEAN's great power dilemma
China and Japan are overhauling their strategy in Southeast Asia from vying for the balance of influence to competing for the balance of power. That shift, amid more frequent territorial disputes, makes the time ripe for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to shape a key monitoring role for maintaining maritime stability, while trying to protect a post-Cold War fundamental principle to stay above the melee. - Kei Koga (Feb 22, '13)

Change in the Middle Kingdom
Examine the composition of China's Politburo Standing Committee under Xi Jinping and it becomes clear that democracy reform is off the table, while economic reforms and political consolidation are the name of the game. That's bad news for those expecting the domestic security stance to relax, while the good news is that in the name of cooperation and stability, the territorial dispute with Japan will be shelved. - Stefan Soesanto (Feb 21, '13)

China edges closer to rule of law
Optimizing China's progress and development while maintaining a strong economy will require a more accountable and respected legal system, but Beijing need not abandon its Confucian and legalist traditions and blindly adopt Western ideals. Through a modern outlook, and transforming traditional wisdom into practical policy, China can develop a unique legal system that obtains the best of two worlds. - Thomas Velk and Shannon Gong (Feb 21, '13)

Ankara on line three, Mr Secretary
One of incoming US Secretary of State John Kerry's highest Middle Eastern priorities will be stabilizing relations with Turkey following the US embassy bombing and outspoken US criticism about Turkey's legal system. Kerry must answer Ankara's concerns knowing that public opinion blames the US not only for the Syrian crisis, but for most factors limiting Turkey's regional influence. - Egemen B Bezci and Geoffrey Levin (Feb 20, '13)

Rethinking the US-China-Taiwan triangle
The asymmetric security triangle that has defined US-China-Taiwan relations since the Cold War is becoming obsolete as the mainland becomes vital to Taipei's economic prospects and as Beijing develops the army, naval and air forces needed to counter American military support. A new inclusive triangle is the answer, with Taiwan serving as multi-dimensional entrepot for the two larger powers' business and political connections. - Brantly Womack (Feb 14, '13)
Israel fuels Syrian fire, risks contagion
Israel's air raid on Syria used the cover of chemical weapons concerns to disguise an attempt at military escalation aimed at either embroiling an unwilling United States in the Syrian conflict or gaining a larger say in negotiations to shape a future regime in Syria. Military intervention only promises more destruction for Syria, while Israel's buffer zone may create space for al-Qaeda-linked rebels to thrive. - Nicola Nasser (Feb 7, '13)

US goads Japan into China confrontation
A US delegation sent to Japan in late 2012 purportedly to diffuse island tensions with China was headed by two senior officials who in the past have stated that the US-Japan alliance can only survive if Tokyo renounces its pacifist constitution and develops a "capable military force" to face the "re-rise" of China. By becoming the US's "bait", Japan puts itself in the firing line. - John V Walsh (Feb 5, '13)

Protest never ends at Indian nuclear plant
A government crackdown on protests at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has done nothing to deter the hundreds of men, women and children from nearby villages who are leading a campaign to stall operations. While the agitators are winning wide support from environmentalists, commissioning of the plant has been delayed. - K S Harikrishnan (Feb 4, '13)

India-Israel anti-terror axis evolves
Secretive counter-terrorism and defense ties between India and Israel have burgeoned since the United States-led "war on terror" helped create an "informal" axis in 2003. By conflating its Kashmir and Pakistan struggles with what the Indian foreign ministry calls Israel's "cross-border terrorism problem" - the Palestinian resistance - New Delhi gains access to high-tech weaponry, surveillance equipment and sophisticated training. - Ninan Koshy (Feb 1, '13)

India at 64: A struggling democracy
Despite the economic progress on show as India last week marked its 64th Republic Day, corruption in public office and delays to development of education and infrastructure - as well as continuing caste and communal hatred - underline how far the country has strayed from the inclusive, prosperous vision of its original constitution. - Sunil Kumar (Jan 30, '13)

Identity crisis in ethnic India
Competing agendas between three major ethnic groups - the Kuki, Naga, and Meitei - underpin continued instability in Manipur, India's historically restive northeastern state. While there is no quick fix to long-simmering problems over identity and land ownership, New Delhi can no longer ignore tensions that are holding back development. - Nehginpao Kipgen (Jan 25, '13)

Time to bridge Sino-Indian border differences
Unless India and China can put themselves in each other's shoes, the Arunachal Pradesh border will remain the subject of one of the world's most intractable disputes. Delhi must appreciate that compromises suggesting Tibetan independence are a no-go area, while Beijing must understand why India can't back down. The longer both sides escalate the crisis, the bigger the cost to Asia. - Namrata Goswami and Jenee Sharon (Jan 24, '13)

Thein Sein a man of war, not peace
The International Crisis Group is to honor Myanmar President Thein Sein with its "In Pursuit of Peace, Prosperity and the Presidency Award" at a gala dinner in New York City. In doing so, like other international groups, the ICG confounds the country's continuing brutal realities by supporting the very men who have committed crimes against humanity and continue to do so under different guises and through different means. - Nancy Hudson-Rodd (Jan 17, '13)

India should beware influx of megastores
India's decision to open its retail sector to international competition bodes ill for small stores and the local range of outlets. It also opens the way to corrupt practices, with events already following a path seen in America and the UK. Gainers will be highly paid lawyers and tax-avoidance experts. - Brian Cloughley (Jan 15, '13)

Blaze-hit Kabul stores race deep freeze
Kabul merchants are facing a race against the onset of deep winter to rebuild and recover from a devastating market blaze that wiped out their stock and destroyed their cash holdings. Adding to their injuries, the government is failing to help them recover while demanding that store-owners now buy insurance policies. - Ali M Latifi (Jan 14, '13)

Why freedom is a war-cry in Kashmir
Indian outrage over a now infamous gang-rape in New Delhi is in contrast to the wide indifference to the plight of Kashmiris who have suffered similar atrocities on a vast scale, as well as massacres and disappearances, at the hands of Indian security forces. As Kashmiris seek escape from repressive laws, humiliation and occupation, they are offered pronouncements and measures that only increase the demand of azadi - "complete freedom". - Syed Zafar Mehdi (Jan 9, '13)

Asia should go within, not ape the West
Economic dynamism and a position as a crucible for tensions between global players give Asia a crucial place in the multipolar world emerging as centuries of American and European domination stutters to an end. Across the region, new centers of political power should adapt ancient civilizations and culture to conditions today rather than import failed Western economic and social models. - Francesco Brunello Zanitti (Jan 7, '13)

A Confucian Christmas in China
As long as Western scholarship on China floats on a platform of misleading cultural imperialism, such as historic European notions painting Confucius as a Christian saint rather than a sage, the West isn't learning anything new from Asia. It has more to offer than British, French, and German philosophers could ever satisfactorily translate. - Thorsten Pattberg (Dec 21, '12)

Chen marks new tone for Chinese dissidence
Blind Chinese human-rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng's escape from house arrest this year was significant for more than the feat itself, as Chen's background transformation from grassroots activist to renowned rights advocate also reflects accelerating growth and evolution of the Chinese dissident movement. From liberals within the party to democracy activists and Christian liberals, groups are increasingly overlapping as bottom-up momentum grows. - Man Yee Karen Lee (Dec 20, '12)

Turkey's Syria policy fits a classic role
Support for Western-led intervention in Syria from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) contradicts its Islamic orientation, while opposition from the military and secularists goes against their historic roles as US allies. The reversal mirrors the 2003 lead-up to the Iraq war, when the newly elected AKP backed US war efforts to build support and weaken its opponents. - Emad Abdullah Ayasrah (Dec 18, '12)

Can private universities lift India?
The performance of India's higher education institutions is a cause for alarm, particularly since the "English advantage" is being squandered as China pulls ahead in research and world rankings. While private universities and colleges are growing, they remain focused on profit over results and offer no solution to stagnation and mediocrity. - Pushkar (Dec 18, '12)

Democracy takes root in Bhutan
As Bhutan prepares for its second parliamentary elections, the past five years shows a strengthening of the "effective components" of democracy. Institutions have matured, new political parties and lobby groups have emerged, and freedom of expression has blossomed. However, the state's reticence on issues such as Nepalese refugees and human rights suggest the process is far from complete. - Medha Bisht (Dec 12, '12)

Rohingyas test Suu Kyi's credentials
Popular momentum in Myanmar behind proposals to expel its Rohingya people is based on outdated perceptions of the minority being given preferential treatment by colonial Britain, yet even "pro-democracy" leader like Aung San Suu Kyi appears loathe to condemn the religious violence in Rakhine State. Her silence suggests that 2015 general elections are simply too tempting a prize. - Ridwan Sheikh (Dec 10, '12)

Israel provokes a Doomsday test
Furious international reaction to Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to build a "Doomsday" settlement will undermine the two-state solution to his country's conflict with Palestine. The Israeli prime minister's defiance needs now to be met with action - and that will put the credibility of the powers on the UN Security Council to an historic test. - Nicola Nasser (Dec 6, '12)

Afghanistan takes stock of rebuilding
Reconstruction teams in Afghanistan have done a great job in overcoming many challenges to deliver international development projects that have boosted provincial livelihoods over the past decade. As a grateful nation taking over complete ownership of the infrastructure, the first step in the transition is to obtain a complete inventory of the assets put in place. - Ajmal Shams (Dec 4, '12)

Indian Internet freedoms in a maelstrom
Draconian reactions to Internet activity, such arrests over "likes" on social media pages and charges of sedition for cartoons, raise serious questions over the government's ability to cope with technological trends that are increasingly encroaching on the political world. While it's necessary to monitor cyberspace to prevent crime, the methods used undermine India's democracy. - Sunil Kumar (Dec 3, '12)

Myanmar reconciliation a distant dream
A year after the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire in Myanmar's northern Kachin State, government troops continue to abuse and drive out villagers even as President Thein Sein claims he is seeking to resolve the conflict through political means. If the government was sincere about restoring peace, it would make efforts to win the hearts and minds of the local people rather than brutalizing them. - Nhkum Gam (Nov 29, '12)

Can India stay the course in Afghanistan?
The discourse on Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the United States in 2014 is increasingly shifting to the role of India. New Delhi's recent attempts to protect the gains of broad-based engagement are seen by Pakistan as flexing muscle, but will prove measures of its committment to stay the course for a stable Afghanistan. - Shanthie Mariet D'Souza (Nov 29, '12)

India fails test of 'knowledge economy'
Expectations that a surge in science and engineering graduates would see India become an economic success powered by knowledge have ignored a higher education system characterized by some as a "complete mess". - Pushkar (Nov 29, '12)

Smoke and mirrors fail the CCP
The Chinese Communist Party will find it impossible to maintain its grip power by suppressing its membership, using foreign scapegoats, and ignoring deeply needed political reforms forever. There is an alternative, but the absence of any real attempt to redefine itself means the party faces impending extinction from within. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (Nov 28, '12)

Respect for elders trumps reform
As China's leadership change takes full shape, it's becoming clear that less-popular officials who demonstrated hard-earned, on-the-job experience have triumphed over the younger, more reformist and enterprising. As long as those who escape the complex institutional process unscathed are chosen over those who display educated ambition, there is less scope for trumpeted change. - Zhengxu Wang (Nov 27, '12)

Syrian coalition faces testing time
The Free Syrian Army failed to demonstrate it represented most of the Syrian people, and now international backers are asking the Syrian National Coalition to pass the test. With division splitting the ranks of its regional and international backers, recognition of the coalition will not be enough to end the war. - Ahmed E Souaiaia (Nov 26, '12)

Korea shows America its lost intimacy
Gaping contrasts between the experience of teaching the study machines that are South Korean students and labored efforts to enlighten eye-rolling, text messaging audiences in American classes reflects how both societies are headed. The intimacy and respect Koreans show teachers and elders suggests theirs is the better path. - John M Rodgers (Nov 21, '12)

Obama touches Myanmar maelstrom
As President Barack Obama demonstrated in his election victory, a culture of inclusion is a winning ticket for the future. His historic visit to Myanmar should be seen as opportunity to call out the leadership over institutionalized racial discrimination that denies foreigners a legal identity, and contributes to the frenzy of hatred seen in situations like an ongoing pogrom in Arakan. - May Ng (Nov 19, '12)

Indian liberalism has a rough week
A literary controversy rooted in sensibilities over how the majority treat Muslims in India has underlined an paradox for local liberals: while they tend to prove their liberalism by upholding their secular credentials, those championing the rights of minorities have a keen sense of a discomfort over the latter's intractable zeal for religion. - Mosarrap Hossain Khan (Nov 16, '12)

Manufacturing a future for Myanmar's people
Despite the passage of a Foreign Investment Law, reformists in Myanmar will struggle to wrestle the commanding heights of the economy from the business elites. Rather than prioritizing extractive resource sectors, manufacturing offers a compelling long-term opportunity to tackle Myanmar's economic malaise. - George Gorman (Nov 16, '12)

Pakistani rhetoric blind to reality
Words such as blasphemy, enforced disappearances, ethnic violence and grinding poverty were conspicuously absent when Pakistan presented its human-rights record to the United Nations. Normal Pakistanis may have wondered what country the delegation was describing. No matter the token legislative changes made by Islamabad, life is increasingly hard for the majority. - Dawood I Ahmed (Nov 9, '12)

Political Islam adrift in Indonesia
Growing friction and polarization within and among Indonesia's Islamic parties are symptomatic of their leaders' reluctance to hand over the reins and a failure to develop a media image that resonates with voters. This and the fallout from assorted scandals has cost the parties almost all their social and intellectual capital. - Donny Syofyan (Nov 8, '12)

Eid al-Adha, a Russian holiday?
An increasing number of Russian citizens and guest workers perform Muslim rites at significant personal cost and sacrifice. Moscow would do well to celebrate these days as public holidays, rather than to mark events such as "National Unity Day", created as a pastiche of Stalinist myth-making and designed to undermine religion. - Chris Monday (Nov 7, '12)

Spoilers to Philippine peace deal
President Benign Aquino has been lauded at home and internationally for forging agreement with the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on a framework to end the conflict in the southern Philippines. Yet shortcomings of the deal and a host of disparate actors waiting in the wings threaten to make peace elusive. - George D Gorman (Nov 5, '12)

Beware of the Islamist trap
The West lumps Sunni Muslim groups in the Middle East together as "Islamists", assuming that this supposedly cohesive force seeks control of the Middle East and is inherently hostile to the interests of the United States and its allies. This misperception ignores sweeping differences and incompatibility between models such as Turkey's Islam lite and Salafism, and draws a needless and dangerous battle line . - Monte Palmer (Nov 5, '12)

India waits for democracy with benefits
More than 60 years of nearly uninterrupted democratic rule in India has failed to deliver good health and even moderate levels of human development for a majority of people. That record hardly makes the country a glowing endorsement for the benefits of democracy. - Pushkar (Nov 2, '12)

North Korea takes risky path of reform
North Korean farm reforms this summer had the declared purpose of easing the current economic crisis and improving people's standard of living. Given the earlier disastrous consequences of currency revaluation, the government needs to carefully weigh the impact of this and other reforms before implementing them. - Sangsoo Lee and Stefano Facchinetti (Nov 1, '12)

The death of human rights in Nepal
The Nepali government's promotion of a colonel accused of crimes during the country's 10-year civil conflict underlines an apparent lack of political will to achieve transitional justice. Unless clear evidence of unlawful killings and torture during the war is examined by a truth commission or investigation, the country is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. - Gyan Basnet (Nov 1, '12)

Japan: Tax matters
As Japan's parliament enters an extraordinary session to debate a financing bill essential for the continued running of government, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has a chance to become a new Junichiro Koizumi - or at least appear to be that rare thing, a decisive Japanese premier. Bert Edstrom (Oct 30, '12)

Personality politics stifle Korean democracy
Personality politics in South Korea rooted in the country's Confucian traditions perpetuate a weak party structure, leaving leaders unable to tackle people’s grievances. In an ideal world for democratic growth, political enigmas like Ahn Chul-soo would drop out of electoral races so the system can be institutionalized and parties develop realistic policy agendas. - Steven Denney (Oct 29, '12)

All Central Asian roads lead to Muscovy
Constant jostling between great powers for Central Asian influence and resources underlines the region's growing strategic importance. As Russia, China and the US make varying alliances, the smaller countries in Central Asia must hedge their bets, strike a balance between the rising influences and avoid transnational oligarchy. - Himar Arjun Singh (Oct 26, '12)

The real problem with Iran is history
The narrative surrounding Iran and its nuclear program today is crucially missing a discussion on history and identity that might help to clarify why the US-Iranian relationship is so dangerous. Without recognition of Iran's desire to stand tall again on the world stage, America will be blind to reality. - Aaron Hesse (Oct 25, '12)

New thrust to India-Australia relations
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's recent visit to India provided a new thrust to bilateral relations that have been in the doldrums for years. By overturning the ban on uranium sales to India and paying attention to emerging areas of cooperation, Gillard has create a landmark opportunity for progress on many fronts. - Sudhanshu Tripathi (Oct 22, '12)

A farmer needs a wife in China and India
China and India both face a sex-ratio crisis that leaves men getting a bad press as the consequences of "missing women" work their way though the demographic pyramid. Solutions are needed, and some balance can be found in encouraging urban woman to marry rural sweethearts. - Lauren Johnston (Oct 19, '12)

NATO's dilemma: Turkey and Article 5
While the shelling of a Turkish town by Syrian artillery fits criteria of NATO's Article 5, which states an armed attack on one member is an attack on all, there was never a question of it being invoked. NATO should use the Syrian crisis as an opportunity to abandon such Cold War baggage, but it will likely revert to conventional deterrence and squander the chance for reform. - Riccardo Dugulin (Oct 19, '12)

West blinks at Wahhabism's dark side
Wahhabi forces foresee the fall of Iran and ultimately Russia and China to the combined forces of NATO and rebels backed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia after they grasp power in Syria. While the West has supported Wahhabism as a tool to prevent the spread of Iranian influence, it seems blind to the violence and intolerance the faith can unleash. - Zubair Khan (Oct 11, '12)

Ashes of Sino-Indian war stay warm
Half a century after the China and India war in the eastern Himalayas, aggressive posturing by both sides has seen increased militarization of the region - Beijing plans to deploy new fighters to support its 300,000 troops there, and Delhi has stationed Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles in Arunachal Pradesh. The region continues as a Sino-Indian flashpoint. Frameworks are required that can deal with misperceptions on both sides. - Namrata Goswami (Oct 10, '12)

Transatlantic dream or joke in Asia
The United States has urged the European Union to join in strengthening its Asian pivot, even as it tries to sabotage EU foreign affairs head Catherine Ashton's dreams of developing strategic ties with China. Try as it might, Brussels' desire for a more prominent role in Asia keeps on being thwarted, and a common transatlantic stance on the Pacific Rim is a risible proposition. - Emanuele Scimia (Oct 5, '12)

India renews Taiwan embrace
India is promoting itself as an alternative market for Taiwan to mainland China as a thaw in cross-strait relations eases Beijing's sensitivities over such flaunting of the "one-China" policy Delhi adheres to. The newfound push for improved trade ties with Taipei also reflects a new Indian assertiveness as its counters a Chinese encirclement strategy of building ties with countries like Pakistan and Myanmar. - Anindya Batabyal (Oct 4, '12)

Obama loses sight of Syrian reality
President Barack Obama's policy stance on the Syrian conflict stresses the US's unwillingness to commit to military intervention while using simplified premises such as "the future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people". While such a focus reassures the war-wary US public, it overlooks major risks such as a widening regional conflict and the strengthening of jihadist elements. - Riccardo Dugulin (Oct 3, '12)

China's pedagogic pitfalls
Although the English language will the medium for future Sino-US exchanges on economics, politics, and diplomacy, English-language training in China suffers from a misguided pedagogical mindset that views classrooms through a factorial lens and flaunts enrollment numbers as if these alone underscore linguistic success. The answer is to have Western instructors in the classrooms, new facilities and performance incentives, but Beijing doesn't seem interested - James Fishback (Oct 2, '12)

The end of translation
As a result of Western media and academia mistranslating ancient Chinese concepts into convenient biblical or philosophical terminology, few in Europe or America have any real grasp of Chinese culture. The same is true of the tens of thousands of unique non-European concepts in the Sanskrit-Hindu tradition. It's if billions of Chinese and Indians in 3,000 years invented nothing. - Thorsten Pattberg (Sep 28, '12)

The weaknesses of 'national security'
The United States and other countries have sought under the pretext of "national security" to achieve global superiority through interventionism and the development of massive weapons systems. Far from creating stability, the bullying and genocidal instincts inspired by such a security doctrine cause global volatility that inevitably spreads back to the source. - Dallas Darling (Sep 27, '12)

A notice warranting reform in India
India's police have a new method of making cash - the non-bailable warrant - related to minor offences that require suspects stay overnight in mosquito-infested cells, unless an "arrangement" is made. It is a symptom of a legal system so corrupt and backlog?ged that most authorities - from cops to lawyers to petty court officials - have a little work on the side. - Siddharth Srivastava (Sep 26, '12)

Seeking truth and reparation in Nepal
A proposal to grant amnesty to serious violators of human rights in Nepal's decade-long civil conflict as a founding provision for a truth and reconciliation commission seeks to deny justice to victims of the insurgency. If the transitional justice process contradicts the rule of law, there is little hope of Nepal becoming a a viable democracy. - Gyan Basnet (Sep 25, '12)

Canada's hostility to Iran is overblown
The Canadian government's severing of diplomatic relations with Iran this month was a pathetic act. As one of the main beneficiaries of the unipolar world, in cutting its relationship with Iran, Canada aimed to back an isolation of Iran, but events way from this Western viewpoint show the Islamic Republic is far from isolated. - Ardeshir Ommani (Sep 24, '12)

Existential threats and wars of choice
The forces assembling to assault Iran are not doing so because of some existential threat posed by that country, but are engaged in an exercise in great power aggression. Israel, the United States and Saudi Arabia believe that overthrowing the ayatollahs, will benefit their individually different interests. If the past is a guide they may be successful, at least in the short run. - Alan G Jamieson (Sep 21, '12)

Kim Jong-eun prepares balancing act
Korean leader Kim Jong-eun was bequeathed a poor hand of cards - including rotten hard and soft infrastructure, corrupt government, and a bloated military - against which reforms to be announced next month will struggle to make progress. Yet Kim recognizes the need for change and that if you can't be a Deng Xiaoping, it's better to be a Gorbachev than a Gaddafi. - Chris Green and Sokeel Park (Sep 21, '12)

Islam in the 21st century
If the Muslim world is to achieve success it does not depend solely upon the attitude of the West, as some intellectuals believe. It equally depends upon the attitude of the Muslim world towards itself, and reconciliation with its own internal problems. Otherwise it will collapse upon its own fervor and anger. - Nicholas A Biniaris (Sep 18, '12)

Japan and China on a conflicting course
The latest handling of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands row showcases obvious misperceptions between China and Japan. In so far as China's repeated claim on the disputed islands is not recognized by Tokyo, Japan's purchase plan is seen in Beijing as a serious encroachment. - Karl Lee (Sep 14, '12)

Point of no return in the South China Sea
As tensions over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea rise to worrying levels, serious actions are required to turn back from a point of no return. In this effort, much will be expected from the United States and China to lead the way toward stability. - Nazery Khalid (Sep 13, '12)

Europe offers path for a nuclear Asia
The relatively incident-free transition to Kim Jong-eun's leadership in North Korea still leaves the country's nuclear program a point of deep international contention. Those seeking a breakthrough on the issue could find inspiration in the experience of the European Community's post-war efforts to regionalize the management of civil nuclear power. - Sangsoo Lee (Sep 13, '12)

Food justice for women in India
About three-fourth of India’s population living in the rural sector is reeling under abject poverty, illiteracy, ill-health, unemployment, and other factors that lead to a low quality of life. A gendered analysis of poverty reveals not simply its unequal incidence but also that both cause and effect are deeply gendered - women face a greater risk of poverty than men. - Kiran Sharma (Sep 12, '12)

Time for a new ASEAN way
The crisis of consensus in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should be looked upon as an important opportunity for change. As the future of the organization depends on how much its members are willing to give in order to take, they should first consider making resolutions binding. - Khanh Vu Duc (Sep 10, '12)

Popular protests rile India's leaders
Warnings from India's Congress Party leadership that endemic protests "flirt with chaos" seem an attempt to glaze over the genuine grievances drawing people onto the streets. A more likely source of chaos is the failure of politicians on all sides to devise coherent policies that address economic and political issues. - Pushkar (Sep 7, '12)

Security vs liberty: completing or conflicting?
The raft of anti-terror measures Europe has taken to stay in step with post-9/11 US efforts highlight the inherent tensions between security concerns and civil rights. Once a champion of human rights and data protection, the scant resistance Brussels has shown to US demands suggests it has abandoned founding EU principles. - Hossein Aghaie (Sep 6, '12)

China, Europe export gangsters to Africa
Recent police shootings of striking miners in South Africa who had been seeking better pay have underscored the role of European firms in the exploitation of workers. At the same time, there is little to differentiate Chinese and European organized crime in Africa. - Emanuele Scimia (Sep 6, '12)

Myanmar reform on a familiar track
As Western countries cheer reform efforts in Myanmar, internal critics see the process as a cynical culmination of the "seven-step roadmap" drawn up by the military regime before President Thein Sein took power through election. The plan, which envisions the emergence of a "genuine and disciplined democratic system", guarantees the safety of ex-junta generals involved in widespread human rights abuses while opening the country to foreign investment. - Saw Yan Naing (Sep 5, '12)

Arab Nationalism's last heartbeat
More than turning points such as the 1967 Arab defeat or the 1981 Camp David agreement, the "Arab awakening" in 2010-2011 sounds the death knell for Arab nationalism. Protestors from Tunis to Dara'a sought to overthrow the crony capitalism of singled-out regimes - not to create Arab unity or launch a struggle against Israel. - Riccardo Dugulin (Sep 4, '12)

Much ado about nothing in Tehran
Tehran's efforts to paint its hosting of this week's Non-Aligned Movement summit as proof that Iran is not internationally isolated will garner limited political and economic gains. Despite NAM's supposed focus on redressing inequalities in the international political order, its prominent members share no long-term and reliable solidarity with Iran on its security and strategic concerns. - H Aghaie (Aug 31, '12)

Old allies, new dynamics in US pivot
United States efforts to reinvigorate Southeast Asian security alliances as part of its "pivot" to Asia are being impacted by tubulent domestic politics in the Phillipines and Thailand. While Manila is open to military cooperation that strengthens its public face against China's maritime assertiveness, Bangkok has resisted Washington's overtures in order to preserve blossoming ties with Beijing. - Julius Cesar I Trajano (Aug 30, '12)

Tehran jumps to Assad's rescue
This week's Non-Aligned Movement summit provides Iran with an opportunity to give its ally in Damascus diplomatic breathing space as the Syrian regime loses support in Arab countries and suffers high-profile defections. While Tehran will pursue all politico-diplomatic means to support the key member of its "axis of resistance", military involvement is a step too far. - Richard Javad Heydarian (Aug 30, '12)

The Taliban's al-Qaeda problem
An internal struggle between lower tiers of the Afghan Taliban favoring negotiations with the United States and top leaders refusing to sever links with the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network will intensify as Washington steps up its overtures. The Haqqani's Wahhabi form of religion doesn't mix well with the Sufi-soaked Islam found in most of Afghanistan, but the upper tier's ties with al-Qaeda run too deep. - Aasim Zafar Khan (Aug 29, '12)

Can civilians win the war in Pakistan?
A proxy conflict between the hawks and doves within the security establishment in Pakistan has once again pushed the country to the verge of a virtual coup d'etat. The followers of conspiracy theories see the army as a faultline at the epicenter of judicial activism. In fact, the standoff between the two pillars of the republic is a sign of transformation within the state. - Zulfiqar Shah (Aug 29, '12)

Revolution in democratizing research
While a democratic wave was sweeping the Arab world, a similar wave was silently sweeping the cerebral world of academic research. Interestingly, the demands in both cases weren’t very different. Publishers have weathered storms in the past - they were remarkably nimble in embracing the digital transformation. This is an opportunity for them to demonstrate their dexterity yet again.- Muralidhar S (Aug 28, '12)

India strengthens eastern naval flank
India's need to project power in the face of Chinese maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean region will play a big role in the US$600 billion Indian Navy plan to upgrade over the next decade. While the vision for the future aims to be "flexible" enough not to be labelled a "containment strategy", it must also include technological self-sufficiency and the ability to show leadership. - Abhijit Singh (Aug 28, '12)

APEC's role in 'new regionalism'
Expectations that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation would defy a lack of an enduring history of unity in West and East Asia and promote open regionalism have been partially realized, with APEC bringing countries together and establishing networks that were previously non-existent. However, as the body loses sight of economic goals and struggles to compete with regional sub-groupings, it faces the prospect of terminal irrelevance. - Ramzi Bendebka (Aug 27, '12)

The silent Ban diplomacy
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Asian-style diplomacy aims at building networks over time, so he talks less than he mingles behind the scenes and administrates. A drawback of this unconfrontational style is his unwillingness to target directly the people of troubled member states, and while he is often the voice of reason, his soft approach means his voice is drowned out by stronger leaders. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (Aug 24, '12)

Yen window open - for now
Japan's position as a currency "safe-haven" has helped the yen, despite a poor domestic economy, maintain its strong position against the US dollar. That creates a useful currency trading window linked to US economic data, although in the longer term a debt crisis in the Asian giant will slam it shut. - Omkar Y Godbole (Aug 23, '12)

The real Syrian problem
Rather than the embattled Syrian regime unleashing chemical weapons on its own population, a greater threat lies in the aftermath of its collapse should extremist elements gain the upper-hand. There are no guarantees rebels will not turn the considerable weapons stockpiles on minority groups that stood by the regime - or on enemy states like Israel. - Richard Javad Heydarian (Aug 23, '12)

Self-censorship stifles China's student elite
Modern China's bizarre mix of Leninist party politics and the unforgiving competition of capitalism has bred a need for conformity into students entering top universities. The rigors of the fierce race for a coveted spot teaches them that socially, emotionally and academically, it is safer to follow the party line. - Sam Sussman (Aug 22, '12)

Is Egypt's Morsi eyeing an AKP revolution?
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's clinical removal of the military's top brass despite the army's omnipresent role in Egyptian society has telling parallels with how Turkey's Islamist politicians wrested control from the "deep state". However, it took Turkey's Justice and Development Party years to unwind an ultra-secular order - Morsi has put his Muslim Brotherhood in a powerful position in just two months. - Richard Javad Heydarian (Aug 21, '12)

Indonesia and Chinese 'congagement'
Indonesia has relied on diplomacy in its efforts to curb Chinese maritime incursions into Southeast Asian waters, instead of leveraging the countries' bilateral economic, cultural and military ties as part of a "congagement" strategy. As Chinese expansionism might one day extend to Indonesian resources and sea-lanes, this congagement plan requires that Jakarta develop an "area denial" doctrine that mirrors Beijing's defense strategy. - Jennifer McArdle (Aug 20, '12)

Europe's Chinese riddle
The European Union is China's largest trading partner - and a rich partner is needed more than ever to help the EU's failed economies. But for what does China need Europe? Governments and business acting in tandem for one; certainly not hot air on human-rights issues. - Richard Zalski (Aug 20, '12)

Human development and the Arab Spring
Arab Spring countries prepared to decentralize power to catalyze interaction among people and social movements are well positioned for a development surge that harnesses their region's abundant socio-economic potential. Nations that repeat the pattern of concentrating power in political-corporate ruling cliques are doomed to repeat the failures of the past. - Yossef Ben-Meir (Aug 17, '12)

Theater of the absurd in Myanmar
The Disciplined Democracy Play, directed by President Thein Sein, formerly General Thein Sein, is a new production in Myanmar's theater of the absurd, with theatrical troupes, formerly troops, stationed all over Myanmar to ensure everyone learns their new lines. Unfortunately, not everyone yet recognizes that this is supposed to be different from the hackneyed and brutal decades-long performances of the past. - Nancy Hudson-Rodd (Aug 17, '12)

Asian economies at risk from US funding moves
The six-month continuing resolution recently agreed by US Congressional leaders ensures that government funding keeps going if a budget can't be agreed upon by October 1. That is little consolation for defense interests in Asia and elsewhere, whose ventures with the United States can still be derailed. - Christopher Whyte (Aug 16, '12)

The pan-Afghan imperative
As Afghanistan's diverse tribes find common cause in fighting Pakistani manipulation, the time is becoming ripe for ethnic unity, balanced security forces and a "Pashtun awakening" that restores Afghanistan's sacred tribal structure and reverses the intra-Afghan animus stoked by Pakistan and the United States in pursuit of broader geostrategic aims. - Khalil Nouri and Michael Hughes(Aug 16, '12)

A disconcerting silence in Cambodia
Cambodia's underdeveloped publishing sector is kept that way by the country's poor educational standards, non-existent copyright rules and restrictions on the freedom of expression. However, as young people grow more confident about expressing themselves and explore new online technologies, hopes are rising for a new generation of Cambodian thought. - Ryan Paine (Aug 15, '12)

'Arab Summer' turns messy
The new order envisioned by Arab uprisings - liberal democratic institutions running a quasi-socialist state, with industry and agriculture revived as Arab-centric foreign policy come to the fore - is yet to emerge. Instead, economic and political chaos have stifled hope, with Islamist governments - wary of Western concerns and "bribed" by Gulf monarchies - fearful of altering relations with either Iran or Israel. - Richard Javad Heydarian (Aug 14, '12)

No end in sight to north Myanmar insurgency
Fighting between insurgents and government troops in Myanmar's Kachin state will continue to intensify unless Napiydaw addresses demands for autonomy and fundamental rights, say the rebel's political wing. With past ceasefire promises of political participation and economic incentives broken, the Kachin won't sign a new truce simply because the government takes a few democratic steps. - Saw Yan Naing (Aug 13, '12)

Istanbul Forum goals look good on paper
Turkey is seeking through the Istanbul Forum to boost cooperation with Aghanistan and Pakistan to promote economic development and resolve political, social and security problems. The goals are laudable, the prospects of success poor.
Egemen Bezci and James Warhola (Aug 9, '12)

Turning back to Napoleon
Osaka mayor Toru Hashimo is championing the cause of decentralization of power in Japan. In Europe, the burden of local debt is reversing a two-decade trend in that direction. Napoleon Bonaparte's model of a centralist state may underpin the outcome in both cases. - Emanuele Scimia (Aug 8, '12)

Baloch insurgency faces uncertain future
A shift from systematic militancy to indiscriminate violence by insurgents from Pakistan's Balochistan reflects the separatist movement's desperation as the West prepares to leave Afghanistan. Should Afghan security crumble after the 2014 withdrawal, Indian spymasters operating along the AfPak border will find it increasingly hard to supply weapons, finances and training to the militants, boosting Islamabad's counter-insurgency efforts. - Khuram Iqbal (Aug 8, '12)

Israel a role model for Japan
Japan's failure to rescue itself from years of stagnation is in marked contrast to the economic success of Israel since its own desolate period in the 1980s. The answer may be for Japan's would-be innovators to get out, get rich, and feed back. - Takahiro Miyao (Aug 7, '12)

The end of ASEAN centrality?
Cambodia's decision to relent to Chinese pressure and challenge Southeast Asian unity over maritime issues is ironic given the role diplomacy played in securing Cambodia's release from Vietnamese occupation. China also needs to remember that its soft power and influence in the region depends on it supporting, not undermining, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. - Amitav Acharya (Aug 7, '12)

Baptism of fire for India's home minister
Within days of getting his feet under his new desk, Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Sambhajirao Shinde is being lambasted for his response to low intensity explosions last week in the western city of Pune. Critics, pointing to low points of his previous roles - as Maharashtra chief minister and minister of power - say he's too inexperienced for his new, high-profile role. - Bibhu Prasad Routray (Aug 6, '12)

Saudi uprising trumps sectarian card
The Saudi Arabian counter-revolution against the Arab Spring relied on a time-honored strategy of exploiting sectarian divisions, with successes from Bahrain and Yemen to Egypt bolstering Riyadh's confidence that Wahhabi ideology - not democracy - would be the biggest winner. Fresh anti-regime protests spreading across the kingdom suggest the regime has overplayed this card. - Zayd Alisa (Aug 3, '12)

Iran's fate after Assad
The Arab Spring fed into Iran's growing confidence that it could lead a region-wide revisionist axis, Syria serving as a central ally. With the Bashar al-Assad regime faltering and post-revolutionary Arab republics turning to a cocktail of Sunni-based political Islam and pro-Western foreign policy, Tehran is slowly awakening to a much-changed Middle East. - Richard Javad Heydarian (Aug 2, '12)

Syria and the end of populism
Before his country's uprising, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad predicted that his country would be immune to the Arab Spring because his regime's policies were so popular among the Arab masses. Assad clearly failed to understand that the movement has been motivated by a desire to end perpetual rule, not to reward populism or benevolent leadership. - Ahmed E Souaiaia
(Aug 1, '12)

China: Lost in translation II
In the Age of Knowledge, where the average American or European will draw a blank if asked to name a single Chinese concept, late-20th and early-21st century Western "China Studies" are the greatest intellectual property theft of all time, and another impostor besides the evils of 17th-19th century missions to Christianize China. - Thorsten Pattberg (Jul 31, '12)
This concludes a two-part report. Part 1: China: Lost in translation

Sinking feeling in the South China Sea
Feeling cornered by increasing United States diplomatic and military backing for rival Southeast Asian claimants to territories in the South China Sea, China used compliant ally Cambodia as a wrecking ball for Association of South East Asian Nations unity. Half-hearted US assertions that its "pivot to Asia" has nothing to do with China's rise have contributed significantly to the convoluted situation in the sea today. - Nazery Khalid (Jul 26, '12)

India's Muslims and Hinduism's moksha
Anti-Muslim sentiment in India, marked by fears over terrorism, has corrupted crucial steps towards Hinduism's moksha, the end of the death and rebirth cycle and the religion's ultimate goal. Suspicion has eroded Hindus' ability to perceive the world correctly and to regard all others as fully equal; this is now bleeding into official state policy. - Dallas Darling (Jul 24, '12)

Sweet waters of Persian Gulf turn bloody
The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz today resemble more a war-zone bristling with US destroyers and warplanes than passages to the land of "milk and honey" known to Sumerians. While the Pentagon has likened this week's attack on an Indian fishing boat to the al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole, the shooting down of an Iranian passenger jet by the USS Vincennes is a more apt comparison. - Dallas Darling (Jul 20, '12)

Nepal: Put the politics first
Excessive factionalism and feuds in Nepal's party politics, such as a recent split within the Maoist coalition, threaten the country's democratic future. Divisions, all too often motivated by personal conflicts and greed for power and resources, undermine the role politicians should be playing in post-conflict recovery. - Gyan Basnet (Jul 19, '12)

Sanctions derail diplomacy on Iran
Prospects of a negotiated solution to the Iran nuclear crisis have dimmed as the West touts the deep impact of sanctions on Iran's economy as proof of their success, and Tehran revels in its resilience. The history of the Islamic Republic is replete with collective displays of sacrifice, and punitive measures simply hand hardliners an opportunity to outmaneuver pragmatists and moderates. - Richard Javad Heydarian (Jul 18, '12)

China pivots to Latin America
As the United States makes clear its determination to become more involved in the Asia Pacific, Beijing is also looking east - to the US backyard of Latin America. Yet the increased trade China brings to the region is not receiving an unalloyed welcome. - Emanuele Scimia (Jul 17, '12)

Manila seeks revival of military self-reliance
The Philipine armed forces' aging fleets of aircraft and warships and issues with corruption and mismanagement mask that the country was not always so militarily enfeebled. Facing an array of 21st-century challenges and with some critics saying modernization will benefit national economic and social development, Manila needs to make sure the army gets this latest shot at self-sufficiency right. - Ava Patricia C Avila (Jul 17, '12)

Trust deficit in Myanmar's 'transition'
Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi fears faith could be lost in a "democratic transition" seen in the Thein Sein administration's recent progressive steps. Such trust depends on Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy being able to alter the 2008 constitution to one that lays the foundations for democracy and the rule of law. However, the current statute prevents this. - Aung Htoo (Jul 16, '12)

Bhutan as a model
Bhutan, though not a wealthy nation, offers a compelling case study in how a young democracy, landlocked and with few natural resources, can better serve its citizens. Global respect for progressive governance initiatives such as car-free days, bans on junk food and the famous Gross National Happiness index, have shown that Bhutan can make an impact despite its small population and remote location. - David Matthew (Jul 13, '12)

Xi Jinping - the world's most powerful man?
If he can effectively manage foreign policy, tackle corruption and address rural poverty, incoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping has it in him to be the new posterboy of "the Middle Kingdom". Boasting strong leadership credentials, a popular wife and an enviable track record of presiding over economic growth, he has what it takes to lead one-fifth of the world's population. - Lewis McCarthy (Jul 12, '12)

India plans strategic encirclement of China
Constant rhetoric from India proclaiming that it has no desire to encircle or contain China is contradicted by New Delhi's commitment to military expansion and modernization on land, air and sea, and its increased cooperation with strategic states and historically contentious neighbors of the Chinese. However, Beijing has also undertaken actions easily interpreted as efforts to contain India's rise. - Daniel Thorp (Jul 11, '12)

Is al-Qaeda losing its Arab identity?
Through the creation of offshoots in the "Islamic Maghreb" and "Arabian Peninsula" - and jihadi escalation in the Sinai and Syria - al-Qaeda hopes to overcome the setbacks of recent years. As it does so, the Arab core of the worldwide terrorist franchise is being diluted, though new funding sources and alliances are developing in areas beyond its traditional sphere of influence.
- Riccardo Dugulin (Jul 9, '12)

Blemished gem of Pakistan's tribal regions
The historic city of Kaniguram, a picturesque seat of learning in Pakistan's tribal areas since the reign of Mehmood Ghaznavi, has become a ghost town since Operation Path to Salvation was launched by the army in 2009. With over 100,000 former Kaniguram residents displaced across the country or living in poorly equipped camps, the language and culture of the Burki tribe is under severe threat. - Khan Zeb Burki (Jul 6, '12)

Regime change in Syria: A true story
A bizarre coalition of the United States, al-Qaeda and the Gulf Cooperation Council are supporting with arms and fighters a rebel force in Syria that doesn't represent the people. The unlikely allies - aided by a biased Western media - are pushing forward with regime change despite the regional chaos that will descend once Bashar al-Assad is finally overthrown. - Francois-Alexandre Roy (Jul 5, '12)

Duplicity drives West's Syria policy
The West claims its interest in Syria's uprising is purely humanitarian, yet the United States and its allies, happy to generate controversy over Russian arms shipments to Damascus, are covertly pouring political and logistical fuel onto the flames of a civil war that threatens the stability of the entire region. - Bob Rigg (Jul 3, '12)

Remembering the other D-Day
America got its first taste of empire and the corporate, military and political elites' control over US foreign policy 114 years ago this week when the US Army landed on Daiquiri Beach in Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War. Even the horrors of World War II weren't enough to derail the militarization these elites have pursued since that first D-Day. - Dallas Darling (Jul 2, '12)

Nepal: Breaking the political deadlock
Nepal's Constituent Assembly ended with little progress towards its task of drafting a constitution has led Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's unalateral decision to re-establish the costly, ineffective body is folly. A better option to end the political crisis would be full parliamentary elections with a separate referendum on contentious issues such as federalism. - Gyan Basnet (Jun 29, '12)

To err is human, to smear divine
Attack adds clogging America's airwaves as the presidential race for November 2012 begins often focus on gaffes that make a candidate appear unfit for political office. By engaging in such hyper-cynicism rather than seeking much-needed solutions, the Republicans and Democrats place themselves above the sovereignty and welfare of the people. - Beverly Darling (Jun 28, '12)

Global power shift gives Pakistan options
The elimination of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011 heralded the end of a chapter of unprecedented instability and social disorder in Pakistani society. Memories from the subjugation the country suffered at the hands of internal and external adversaries during the decade-long "war on terror" will have a profound impact on Pakistan's future strategic outlook.
- Khuram Iqbal (Jun 27, '12)

Yemen's problems run deeper than security
Although the world focuses on Yemen's raging insurgency and al-Qaeda cells, more threatening to the country's long-term future is it widespread poverty, lack of food and depleting oil and water reserves. If Yemen cannot tackle economic under-development through diversification and socio-economic reform, then the post-Arab Spring era will repeat past mistakes. - George Kosmidis (Jun 26, '12)

The eagle and the dragon
The bald eagle that defines a bold America and the eastern dragon that characterizes a subtle China are both emblems of historic nationhood and general representations of what these powers want to become. While a dragon is fascinated at the marvel and the manipulation of humanity, the eagle sits prideful on its perch, focused on the next meal. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (Jun 22, '12)

North-south divide fuels Kyrgyz mistrust
A north-south divide in Kyrgyzstan created by the country's mountainous landscape and nomadic culture has worsened since violence erupted in the south between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in 2010. While Bishkek in the north pushes forward with a parliamentary democracy, southern towns like Osh and Jala-Abad increasingly ignore its rule. - Ryskeldi Satke (Jun 21, '12)

Will the BRICS rescue Iran?
Last year's failed attempt by emerging powers to seize the agenda on Iran's nuclear ambitions has underlined to Tehran that the BRICS simply aren't strong enough to meet its growing economic and security needs. As the West tightens a noose around the Islamic regime, Iran's would-be saviors are too busy with domestic political needs and mercantilist objectives. - Javad Heydarian (Jun 20, '12)

The Pacific 'pivot' gamble
Disputed maritime territories involving China and its neighbors, instead of being source of tension, could become a great bargaining chip. The United States could encourage its allies to sell or lease the territories to China at a fair price. In return, Beijing would need to enact major political reform. - Brett Daniel Shehadey (Jun 18, '12)

North Korea's crimes go unpunished
The continuing atrocities in North Korean concentration camps easily meet the United Nations definition of "genocide", which demands international intervention though diplomacy or possibly by force. However, for successive US administrations, defending the interests of these victims comes second to halting North Korea's build-up of a nuclear and weapons arsenal. - Robert Park (Jun 14, '12)

The real tragedy of Memogate
Pakistan's opposition has seized on the Memogate controversy surrounding President Asif Ali Zardari, saying the document which allegedly lists Zardari's concerns over a military coup proves he is an American stooge. Instead of viewing the imbalance in civil-military relations as something to be exploited for tactical gain, the country's political classes should be working to end it for the nation's good. - David J Karl (Jun 14, '12)

The long oil road to Tianjin
Sluggish economies in Europe and the United States (and increased US domestic fuel production) means Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, must find other buyers of its crude. China is a natural buyer, although the distance to Tianjin refineries is expensive. Instability in Nigeria's oilfields and further north could be a more pressing problem. - Emanuele Scimia (Jun 14, '12)

Dangers of stalled nuclear talks in Moscow
The stakes are high for everyone as Iranian and international nuclear negotiators prepare for talks next week in Moscow. Failure would pile more sanctions on curbs that are already hurting Iran's moribund economy. But Western powers are mistaken if they think the Islamic Republic will surrender: all indications point toward Tehran resisting pressure at any cost. - Hooshang Amirahmadi and Shahir Shahidsaless (Jun 12, '12)

Intersections of peace and war
Afghanistan became yet one more of many junctures on the road to the globalization of American "might makes right", as Muslims were mobilized against the Reagan-labeled evil empire of godless communism. That Osama bin Laden was one of the first prize recruits shows how intersections of violence and war often backfire. It is a lesson we are still learning in the gunning down of Arsala Rahmani last month. - Dallas Darling (Jun 11, '12)

Iran's Islamic pipeline a mad man's dream
Iran, blessed with vast resources of oil and gas, has for decades struggled to get these to ready markets due to the ever-tighter grip of Western and United Nations sanctions. Its latest plan to secure exports by transiting Arab states has no more likelihood of success than earlier efforts. At best, it is a mad man's dream.
- Mansour Kashfi (Jun 6, '12)

Lessons from Tiananmen to Wall Street
Occupy movements agitating for the rights of the 99% will have to unite globally and be well informed to be effective. They should support and mobilize for government officials who support workers and students. These are among the lessons and legacy of the bloody events in Beijing 23 years ago. - Dallas Darling (Jun 5, '12)

The socialist family business
Political families, like those headed by former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and disgraced Chongqing Communist Party chief Bo Xilai, perform a vital role in post-socialist societies by integrating politics, economics, foreign relations and ideology in perhaps the only way possible. But both became a threat to the hierarchy of the elite and were therefore cut down. - Chris Monday (Jun 1, '12)

False flags on China's rocky road
Increasing activity of Chinese 'netizens' in a buzzing blogosphere, recent sagas involving Bo Xilai and Chen Guangcheng - all point to relative progress toward a more open polity, suggesting that China can be on its way to democratic development. But the real political transition hasn't even begun. - Hilary Wong (May 31, '12)

Iran's pipe dream in space
Iran holds dear to its wish to send an astronaut into space by the end of the decade. At best, however, its capability is on par with North Korea and with sanctions in place over its controversial nuclear program, Tehran is unable to gain the technology needed to set its sights so high. Western analysts also see Iranian satellite launch missions as but a cover to boost its long-range missile capability. - Radhakrishna Rao (May 30, '12)

What made Iran's revolution any different?
America hasn't always backed popular uprisings around the world, preferring to sabotage revolution wherever it suited its own, rather than democratic interests. That forms the basis for its support of recent Arab revolts. By supporting the anti-democratic, dictatorial shah in Iran, it acted entirely in character. - Dallas Darling (May 29, '12)

The mediation mirage in Palestine
Almost two decades after it began, the United States-led "process" to win peace for Palestine and Israel is still a non-starter, with failure to deliver being proof enough that there has never been any attempt at serious mediation to solve the conflict, and it is time to cut the "make-believe" and make room for more viable options.
- Nicola Nasser (May 25, '12)

Okinawa remains an intractable thorn
The latest plan to quell opposition to America's military presence on Okinawa is unlikely to reduce an enduring source of tension in US-Japanese relations. It fails to address serious problems rooted in the complex economic and security relationship. As long as there is a US military presence on Okinawa and Tokyo buys local acquiescence, the objections will continue. - Stacie L Pettyjohn and Alan J Vick (May 24, '12)

Lingualism: Changing the names of the game
It's hard to imagine the President of the United State saying: "Allah Bless America!" or the Pope calling Jesus Christ and St Nikolas "a Buddha" and "a Shengren". Yet we demand at all times that Muslims have a God and that Confucius is a saint. The destruction of non-Western ideas with Western concepts of philosophy, religion, and science was hardly ever challenged, yet this could now change. - Thorsten Pattberg (May 23, '12)

Missing links in the Arab Spring
Such is the nature of revolutions: They are initiated by dreamers, carried out by brave people, and taken over by opportunists. Several missing links in the Arab revolution suggest the process of rebuilding may take a long time, requiring much patience and sensitivity among global powers wanting to see a stable and democratic Middle East. - Monte Palmer (May 22, '12)

Europe's lost model identity
The European Union, its voters in anti-austerity overdrive, is giving up the one geopolitical "weapon" in play since the end of the Cold War: the sense of the political and economic experiment as a venture worth emulating. As a model for developing Southeast Asia, the EU is in reverse - replicating low wages, tough working conditions and social security in decline. - Emanuele Scimia (May 21, '12)

Nepal's constitution: Respect the dissenters
The transition to a new constitution and the rule of law cannot be achieved overnight (South Africa's model constitution was seven years in the making). Yet the rush to get Nepal's new code into shape has been seemly, with the result that it will not have legitimacy, simply because politicians have failed to hear the dissenting voices of the people. - Gyan Basnet (May 18, '12)

ASEAN shows "The Way" as Myanmar opens
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was vilified in 1997 with its decision to bring Myanmar, then a pariah state, into the fold, and again when it showed the way in November by handing it chairmanship of the group for 2014, based on "encouraging signs" of reform. Reasons for the sudden change in Myanmar are still open to debate, but the expectations of stakeholders have risen exponentially. - Balbir B Bhasin (May 17, '12)

US punishes Iran for Palestinian resistance
1983 in Beirut: Islamic Jihad claims responsibility as 241 American servicemen are killed by a suicide bomber. 2007 in a United States federal court: a judge rules that Iran should pay $2.65 billion to families of the victims. With the Islamic Jihad lacking substantial amounts of money in US and European banks, nobody alive to sit in the dock, and 24 years after the event, Iran proved an easy target to exact retribution for Palestinian resistance. - Ardeshir Ommani (May 16, '12)

Understanding terrorism in Pakistan
Empirical research debunks the "madman's deed" explanation of terrorism in Pakistan, showing that economic growth is positively correlated to acts of terror. While that may sound theoretically absurd, it points to a widening income gap as the problem, and inclusive growth and more political opportunity as large parts of the solution. - Luqman Saeed (May 11, '12)

Between the lines of Bali bomber's remorse
Bali bomber Umar Patek's remorse in the dock stretches credulity, yet he clearly wants to avoid the firing squad faced by other members of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network who carried out the 2002 attack. While those executions took place without much public angst, death to Patek may act as a force multiplier for other terror groups - something that the Indonesian authorities will be keen to avoid. - Bibhu Prasad Routray (May 10, '12)

US: China's aggression written in the stars
Concerns are growing in the United States that China's military has accelerated its pursuit of space-related weaponry that could win future conflicts, with anti-satellite missiles, laser and directed energy devices set to strengthen Beijing's "anti-access" strategy. Meanwhile, China's satellite industry is challenging US dominance over the global commercial space enterprise and boosting Beijing's diplomatic clout. - Radhakrishna Rao (May 9, '12)

It's not just Manmohan's fault
It's not just India's economic travails and ructions within his own government that have put a huge dent in Manmohan Singh's once-stellar reputation as the first prime minister in decades to win re-election. He labors under institutional constraints, and has the hapless distinction of being in command of neither his cabinet nor his own party. - David J Karl (May 9, '12)

On war crimes, the buck stops here
A lack of judgment and professionalism started long before US troops posed with Nazi SS flags in Afghanistan while committing hundreds of crimes against peace and humanity. War-like pathologies begin with bureaucrats in power and those who espouse doctrines of superiority.
- Dallas Darling (May 8, '12)

Dirty games cross the Afghan divide
Mutual hostility to occupation has always brought Afghanistan's ethnic groups together, reflected in never having succumbed to foreign invaders. But the diversity of society has produced a long history of confrontation between people of different clans that regional actors must stop exploiting. - Luqman Saeed (May 7, '12)

North Korea puts China in harm's way
North Korea's repeated choice of provocation instead of engagement flies in the face of the wishes of its sole ally, China, with Pyongyang's alleged decision for a third nuclear weapons test a signal for Beijing to weigh the pros and cons of its support very carefully. Reckless North Korea is turning out to be a strategic burden for China. - Thapa Pradip (May 4, '12)

China searches for maritime stability
As the United States and other nations, including the Philippines and Japan, appear overly fearful of China's naval activities, they may instead want to learn several valuable lessons from China's sparkling maritime history. Perhaps it is time to allow China to equalize the balance of power in the Pacific region, helping to bring stability and innovation. - Dallas Darling (May 1, '12)

The great US heist on Iranian assets
The United States government in the past quarter of a century has been in the illegitimate business of taking over, seizing, freezing and expropriating Iranian banks, financial assets and accounts opened in American and European banks. False claims and the targeting of Iranians in America are all part of the sting. - Ardeshir Ommani (Apr 30, '12)

Turkey's EU membership hits a wall
Greece is determined to rapidly finish the construction of a barrier designated to prevent migrants from crossing illegally its border with Turkey. The wall - which is going to run for 12.5 kilometers - epitomizes the apparently overwhelming gap separating Europe from Ankara and casts a further shadow over the latter's accession to the European Union. - Emanuele Scimia (Apr 26, '12)

China's dilemma: Power vs freedom
China's dilemma is that it must allow greater freedom of choice if it wants to improve quality of life, but that will threaten the Communist Party's monopoly on power. What China needs most is not democracy but limited government and the rule of law, reforming a politicized and corrupt economy where the road to riches is through the pursuit of power rather than freedom. - James A Dorn (Apr 24, '12)

India's Angi V sends strong nuclear signal
The Agni V inter-continental ballistic missile should be interpreted only as a "signal" of deterrence to China's claim to Arunachal Pradesh since Indian values, national interests and military forces are not geared towards the offensive. Though nuclear "signaling" is not without its downsides, the two of the rising powers need deft diplomacy to resolve their border dispute. - Namrata Goswami (Apr 23, '12)

After the storm in the South China Sea
The stand-off in the South China Sea between vessels from the Philippines and China represents a high-water mark in simmering tensions over disputed territories. Looking beyond frenzied diplomatic efforts that should restore calm, the incident may help spur efforts to establish long-lasting peace. - Nazery Khalid (Apr 20, '12)

Beijing takes steps to free-float currency
China's decision to widen the trading limit of its currency amid a slowing economy are evidence it is not worried about a hard landing or rapid yuan appreciation, yet external politics, including the US presidential election and this week's IMF/World Bank meeting, are no doubt central factors in the timing of the announcements.
- Richard Colapinto (Apr 19, '12)

India and China can do the unthinkable
India could forge new partnerships with China by offering Chinese goods an alternative to fragile sea routes, While that would require New Delhi to do the unthinkable and set aside differences over disputed borders, the benefits for both countries would be significant. - Ritvvij Parrikh (Apr 19, '12)

How the Arab Spring was sapped dry
The magnificent Arab Spring that started in Egypt and Tunisia in early 2011 has been brutally derailed, distorted and contained by an all-out counter-offensive orchestrated by Western powers and their allies. Post-modern and age-old tactics played their part. - Ismael Hossein-zadeh (Apr 18, '12)

Democracy still in the generals' grasp
Resounding victory for Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy is prompting Western governments to review their relationship with Naypyidaw, just as the government intended. But the pace of democratization is in the military's hands, and depends largely on it being convinced that a civilian government will not avenge past abuses, and on its ability to make peace with ethnic minorities. - Nehginpao Kipgen (Apr 12, '12)

Corruption a thorn in India's side
The Commonwealth Games fiasco, housing scams and investigations into the award of contracts for a mobile phone network form part of the swirling mass of corruption allegations that have fomented mass protest in India. Graft, bribery and cronyism have been important factors in India's growth story, and remain a difficult thorn to extract. - Saloni Kapur (Apr 10, '12)

Saudi Arabia's Syrian jihad
While the United States and its allies are wary of seeing Syria become a sectarian battleground, Saudi Arabia is enthusiastically hurtling towards it. Power brokers in Riyadh have clearly calculated that the potential fruits of toppling President Bashar al-Assad, and enthroning a Sunni-aligned regime, are well worth the political risk. - Joshua Jacobs (Apr 5, '12)

Lies, damned lies, and Chinese propaganda
Don't hold your breath for a miracle: China's state media are unlikely to be offering an apology for defaming the Dalia Lama. If it wants his support in containing the deepening crisis in Tibet, however, then Beijing should tone down its vitriol and engage in constructive dialogue. - Dhundup Gyalpo (Apr 4, '12)

Europe enters the new scramble for Africa
The beat of war drums along the disputed inter-Sudanese border is failing to repel a European Union push to cover a huge swathe of Central and East Africa. Like the United States, Europe is back to the old role of geopolitics where economic leverage trumps all else, and challenging China's developing interests in the chaotic but oil-drenched region. - Emanuele Scimia (Apr 3, '12)

Old rogues take different trajectories
North Korea's plans to move ahead with its satellite launch add to evidence that it is not about to follow in Myanmar's footsteps. Both were seen as international pariahs - except as viewed from Beijing, but now Pyongyang is making a conscious choice to continue its brinksmanship, while Naypyidaw looks to be choosing democracy. In the long run, all depends on who really holds the reins in both capitals.
- Ben Kolisnyk (Apr 2, '12)

Pakistan's empty nuclear claim
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says that access to civilian nuclear technology for his country would maintain a balance of power in South Asia. It may help move the balance from a present chronic shortage of electricity, but in strategic terms the argument is fallacious. - Saloni Kapur (Mar 30, '12)

US sanctions in Iran, victims at home
President Barack Obama's Persian New Year declaration that he will use American resources to provide Iranians with access to the Internet while the US government is prosecuting Iranian-Americans for providing food, clothes, medicine, clothing and educational materials to needy children flies in the face of logic and common sense. - Ahmed E Souaiaia (Mar 29, '12)

China's better route for North Korean refugees
Officials in Beijing should recognize that rounding up and forcibly repatriating refugees to North Korea, in clear contravention of international refugee law, is counterproductive to any goal of improving China's international image. Ceasing crackdowns on North Korean refugees is not just the right thing to do, it is also in China's national interest. - Sokeel J Park (Mar 28, '12)

Is it China's turn to change economic gear?
China's economy has reached a fork in the road where it could enter a moribund phase similar to Japan's over the past few decades, or continue with fairly high growth. Optimists point to China's important advantages, while pessimists emphasize problems that pose serious threats. Getting social and economic policies right is critical. - Takahiro Miyao and William S Comanor (Mar 26, '12)

Pyongyang's freeze dried nukes
North Korea's naysayers probably didn't expect to be able to say they told us so so quickly after Pyongyang announced its plan to launch a missile in contravention of the spirit of a recent food aid deal with the United States. Even the usual apologists admit that maybe they were a little too optimistic. - Ben Kolisnyk (Mar 23, '12)

Why Khamenei made his move
Iran's elections underlined President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's fraught relations with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who sought to quash a "deviant current" and consolidate his rule. For over two decades, he transcended the fray, but got into the thick of it amid a crisis of spiritual and temporal authority. - Kevjn Lim (Mar 20, '12)

Rare earths - the next oil
The decision of the United States, the European Union and Japan to file a joint case at the World Trade Organization against China over its handling of trade in rare earths - the first such cooperation by the three powers - highlights the strategic importance of what are, in fact, non-rare elements. China will not easily let go of its advantages in controlling supply. - Elliot Brennan (Mar 15, '12)

Broken dreams and Green Berets
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the massacre of 16 civilians in Kandahar, purportedly by a rogue US soldier, won't "change our steadfast dedication to protecting the Afghan people and building a strong, stable Afghanistan". This "dedication" has resulted in night raids, atrocities and some 40,000 Afghans killed since 2001, while spiraling levels of unemployment, corruption and poverty suggest no progress towards stability. - Muhammad Bilal Qureshi (Mar 14, '12)

China, EU share same ills
The economies of China and the European Union economies are, in theory and historically, quite different, yet, within both, reforms being urged from within bear a disconcerting similarity - and have a similar small likelihood of being adopted.
- Emanuele Scimia (Mar 13, '12)

How to not lose Russia
Some American praise for Russia's efforts to ensure the presidential election proceeded freely and fairly could put relations on a positive trajectory. Moscow's rising regional clout presents the opportunity for an equal partnership, but Washington must first set aside its propensity for moralism and respect the choice of the Russian people. - Nicolai N Petro (Mar 9, '12)

Myanmar democracy still in chains
The January release of political prisoners in Myanmar demonstrated the generals have the courage to reconcile. But no one should turn their back on the task at hand and few should be surprised that the military is not unleashing democracy. To change Myanmar, as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said, that the people themselves will have to take the initiative. - May Ng (Mar 7, '12)

Who really holds the gun?
It is time for the middle classes to unite against the burden of debt on society by taking direct action, such as refusing to service mortgages. They must un-learn what has been indoctrinated into them and recognize they are subsidizing a parasitical financial class. - Darius Guppy (Mar 7, '12)

Audacity of hope in North Korea talks
The recent nuclear agreements between the United States and North Korea allow new leader Kim Jong-eun to present vital food supplies to his people in this landmark "year of prosperity" while US President Barack Obama can hold up the foreign policy success in the lead-up to US elections. After those parties are over, however, the dynamic could shift dramatically. - Sangsoo Lee (Mar 6, '12)

Iran muscles in on Azerbaijan
Iran, a country with its own large Azeri minority, has for years been seeking to destabilize the secular government of Shi'ite Azerbaijan, a neighbor with vastly increasing wealth and one moving ever closer to the West in terms of security and energy. - Robert M Cutler (Mar 6, '12)

Wukan: Democracy or crisis management?
The first ever "free, transparent and democratic election" in the People's Republic of China's short history went smoothly on Saturday. But polls in Wukan are better as viewed as Beijing's first major success in diverting global attention from the real issues behind land-grabs and related protests. - Gene Q (Mar 5, '12)

Rising tide of conflict
Competing interests in the South China Sea are of importance far beyond East Asia itself, especially as the US has ramped up its presence in the area. A crucial center of maritime trade and potential source of fuel and minerals, it is poised to become increasingly - and dangerously - militarized. - Elliot Brennan (Mar 2, '12)

China's chance to to stem Syrian blood
China is using the Syrian crucible to test new foreign policies in the Middle East. Without the same historical baggage in the Middle East as Syria's neighbors, that brings a chance for some creative solutions to foster a new balance of power in the region. But first Beijing should seek to stem the flow of blood. - Francesco Sisci (Feb 29, '12)

Young America and China's dream
The deep distrust America has of China's economic expansion calls to mind Europe's 19th-century fears over "commercial invasion" by a rapidly emerging nation. Striking parallels between modern China's rise and the heady days of the United States' "Gilded Age" are best glimpsed not through thick history books, but in the personal accounts of young Yankees that witnessed the US's birth as a global industrial power. - Barbara Rendall (Feb 28, '12)

The genius of propaganda
North Korea's propaganda machine machine cranks out images of the country's poster child, new leader Kim Jong-eun, carefully targeted for the elite and the masses. While there is genius in the unrelenting massaging of the media, propaganda is not enough on its own to make North Koreans forget their hunger. - Ben Kolisnyk (Feb 27, '12)

US must drop the donkey policy
National pride is a driving force of Iran's nuclear program, yet the United States' "carrot and stick" approach to the issue is based on a profound misunderstanding of that fact. More suitable for a donkey than a proud people, American policy has carelessly scattered more seeds of mistrust. Showing respect rather than the stick may reap better results. - Hooshang Amirahmadi and Shahir Shahidsaless (Feb 24, '12)

Saudis embrace China in new polygamy
Saudi Arabia has been tethered to the United States since its foundation as a modern state in the 1930s. The "Catholic marriage", as the relationship was described in its heyday, has broken, replaced in the view of the exasperated Saudis as an "Islamic marriage" that increasing elevates China and will likely define the power dynamic in the Middle East over the next decade. - Joshua Jacobs (Feb 24, '12)

Terror and nuclear confrontation
Recent bomb incidents laid at the door of Iran easily qualify as works of terror, while the bombings of Iranian facilities and targeted assassinations including collateral civilian damage as a response to Iran's defiance over its nuclear program may not transcend that semantic either. - A Vinod Kumar (Feb 23, '12)

Do the Iran shuffle
It is little surprise that as tensions between the West and Iran reach crisis level, scarcely a story in the corporate media on the Iranian nuclear program appears without referencing the "existential threat" to Israel. Iran poses no such threat, and the card is merely played to shroud the joint US-Israeli imperial project. - Ben Schreiner (Feb 22, '12)

The sinicization of EU-Indian ties
In cash-strapped Europe, human rights seems to come one step behind economy and trade, never more so as the European Union prepares to seal the biggest trade deal in the world. That is why the EU is treating India as if it were China, with aggressions against Christians in Indian states absent from the agenda. - Emanuele Scimia (Feb 21, '12)

Indian press buries truth at the border
The shame of a lost war half has left a long tradition of anti-Chinese slant in Indian newspapers, to the extent that some give the impression that the war never quite ended. Brace yourself for more malignant stuff this year, which marks the 50th anniversary of the conflict. - Debasish Roy Chowdhury (Feb 17, '12)

Reason in a new age of regime change
With China and Russia throwing a spanner in the works of international machinations to bring regime change to Syria, it is high time to consider how Western power play hijacks the rights of people to seek change and peaceful solutions to problems in their own countries. - Shahnaz Durrani (Feb 16, '12)

The oil road through Damascus
Middle East oil transit routes are at risk from Islamist revolutions and Iranian threats. Instability all along the oil road is at its highest point in decades, and Syria's location as a potential energy path cannot have been missed. - Ronnie Blewer (Feb 14, '12)

Nepal: law and order denied
Nepal witnessed very grave human rights violations during a decade of conflict, and even after five years of peacemaking no attention has been paid to innocent victims and their families. Cheap political compromises that block the route to justice and a culture of impunity must give way to truth and reparation to end a vicious cycle of lawlessness. - Gyan Basnet (Feb 10, '12)

Syria: another US stepping stone
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shies from Bush-era talk of a "coalition of the willing", but the rallying call promote a political transition in Syria cannot be clearer. The fates of Libya and Syria could not be more similar. Deep in economic crisis, the US and Europe are looking to regenerate capitalism through widespread war with the developing countries before being ready for war with Russia and China. - Ardeshir Ommani (Feb 9, '12)

NATO's not so smart initiative
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has launched a trust fund project to secure or destroy hidden weapons and munitions in Tajikistan. The first initiative in a move to low-cost support , it should mark a breakthrough in multilateral cooperation, but budgetary constraints and commitments in Afghanistan are making the "smart defense" initiative anything but a reality. - Emanuele Scimia (Feb 8, '12)

BOOK REVIEW
Playful lessons for North Korea's young leader
The Lily: Evolution, Play, and the Power of a Free Societyby Daniel Cloud
Princeton University political philosopher Daniel Cloud's gift to North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-eun could not have come at a better time. The book explains to the Young General, that by grasping evolutionary forces, free societies - as the Dao De Jing puts it - "accomplish everything by doing nothing." Something for Kim to ponder among his ambitious plans to join the "elite club of nations" this year. - Mark A DeWaever (Feb 6, '12)

Lest we forget in Myanmar
Optimistic reports of positive change flow freely from Myanmar, as the president portrays himself as a leader who sincerely wants to improve citizens' livelihoods, alleviate poverty and include the oppressed opposition in the political process. But the West blindly supports the shallow democratic transition, and increasingly runs the rising risk of being on the wrong side of history. - Nancy Hudson-Rodd (Feb 3, '12)

Time for Japanese opposition to stand tall
Japan is mired in a deep socioeconomic malaise and is still struggling to recover from the tsunami and nuclear disaster of last year. This makes it hardly the right time for the opposition party to engage in the petty politicking it seems to prefer.- Brad Williams (Jan 31, '12)

Moscow populism and the Great Game
As the scale of rallies against Vladimir Putin suggests that Russia's political life is on the cusp of change - and with it, the emergence of alternative visions of power projection in Central Asia. Any rollback would give the American leadership more room to hatch favorable deals in the region, and allow China to expand its horzons too. - Uran Bolush (Jan 30'12)

Oil embargo on Iran a conundrum for Europe
Maybe for the first time in its history, the European Union is playing a tough geopolitical game, but it must weigh up the sustainability of its move to ban Iranian oil. Some Iranian officials have already threatened to stop exporting crude to Europe promptly to provoke a surge in prices and prevent European countries from finding other supplies at similar costs in the short term. - Emanuele Scimia (Jan 25, '12)

Refugees blur Bhutan's image
Bhutan has a carefully cultivated image of mountain vistas and peaceful Buddhist temples with a content people whose state of mind is measured by a Gross National Happiness. This fine picture makes no account of the forced expulsion of a significant portion of the population. - David Koppers (Jan 24, '12)

US meets resistance to Iranian sanctions
The ongoing United States presidential and congressional campaign to pressure the European Union, Turkey, Japan, China and India to stop halt importing Iranian oil and related financial transactions is facing resistance by the importing companies and countries. - Ardeshir Ommani (Jan 19, '12)

The progress flows in Myanmar
What large-scale protests as seen in the Arab Spring could not achieve in Myanmar, now may take place sheerly through the weight of history. Perhaps not wanting to be a surrogate of China or another North Korea, Myanmar sees reforms as a chance for new economic opportunities with the West. - David Koppers (Jan 18, '12)

Afghanistan: What is truly deplorable
The circumstances surrounding the desecration of bodies in Afghanistan by US soldiers has gained world attention. The truth is that the act is hardly illustrative of a few bad apples. Rather, the incident is illustrative of a system of US imperial militarism that is rotten to its very core. - Ben Schreiner (Jan 17, '12)

Europe is the missing link
Recent announcements by the United States indicate that it will seek to solidify its influence in the Asia-Pacific and thus, inevitably, North Africa. It is a strategy that could have far-reaching effects, both positive and ominous. Without proper support from its allies, this complex game of chess could become one of dominos. - Emanuele Scimia (Jan 13, '12)

The war is with China, the battleground Africa
The obvious intent of the United States' stated focus on the Asia-Pacific is to remind the rising China that America is still the big dog; the glaze at the Asia-Pacific is not that region at all, it is Africa. - Dieter Neumann (Jan 12, '12)

The cost of our habits
Smoke it, chew it or just second-hand inhale it - tobacco and production have become the target of both health and political advocates seeking a better place for all of us. Rights seem to dictate that people be allowed to smoke themselves to death, while the same rights seek to protect non-smokers. All the while, the tobacco industry lines itself to the tune of billions. - Ardeshir Ommani (Jan 9, '12)

Afghanistan: US press withdraws
Lost amid the attention paid to the United States withdrawal from Iraq is the fact that nearly 100,000 US troops (and a near equal number of private contractors) remain entrenched in Afghanistan. Yet the American media have largely packed up and withdrawn from Afghanistan, possibly moving away from a situation that reeks of US imperialism. - Ben Schreiner (Jan 5, '12)

Policy and politics of democracy in Tunisia
The first Arab democracies have their work cut out for them as they attempt to leave behind an era of corruption and human-rights abuses. In this environment, a successful coming of age for the Tunisian government may act as an example to the rest of the Arab world. - Ahmed E Souaiaia (Jan 4, '12)

Finding justice in Guantanamo
The events of 9/11 and the "war on terror" changed the global outlook and the way governments function. An unfortunate example of this is the decision by the supposed bastion of justice and human rights, the United States, to create a detention facility at Guantanamo as part of the war. - Gyan Basnet (Jan 3, '12)

A journey through Inner Mongolia
Spending time in Inner Mongolia is an interesting experience, especially when in some places Mongolian culture is overshadowed by Chinese culture. - David Koppers (Dec 20, '11)

Kashmiri people should decide
Multiple wars, isolation, human-rights issues and ongoing angst between two nuclear-armed neighbors should be enough for all parties to agree that a solution is necessary in the territorial question of Kashmir. Give the people of Kashmir a choice or the players, including the world community, could see devastating results. - Gyan Basnet (Dec 19, '11)

The false monolith of political Islam
Willful ignorance of one's supposed enemies is not even the most damaging effect of America's continued rhetoric about the monolithic face of political Islam. Describing these various groups and regimes as a unified threat is a self-fulfilling prophecy. - Brendan P O'Reilly (Dec 16, '11)

Self-immolation tests China
Contrary to most observations, self-immolation does not suggest growing frustration among the Tibetans. Rather, it indicates newer kinds of protest in the face of newer kinds of repressive measures from Beijing. - Abanti Bhattacharya (Dec 15, '11)

Apathy in the face of cruelty
The harsh conditions and lack of opportunity that Africans are forced to live with are met with another wave of injustice and discrimination in northern Africa and Europe as they try to emigrate north to find a better life. - Ahmed E Souaiaia (Dec 14, '11)

Derivatives and free trade
The United States depends on "free trade" for continued expansion - whether in the shape of opium pushed on China or as no less destructive derivatives forced on the rest of the world. The US Congress will not support protectionism when there is still "free trade" in banking to secure. - Zhuubaajie (Dec 13, '11)

Winning and losing in Afghanistan
The war in Afghanistan has been a quagmire from the beginning that was driven by the 9/11 tragedy. Western powers got their man, but the toils of war remain. The US and its partners have recently announced a 2014 pull-out. The benefits and the losses are many, just as the players are after the withdrawal. - Gaurav Agrawal (Dec 13, '11)

The East-West dichotomy revisited
How do cultures of the East versus the West deduce or induce the world and reality around them? This affects the world of a society and an individual and the interpretation of the many religious beliefs they hold. - Thorsten Pattberg (Dec 12, '11)

India puts the Indo in 'Indo-Pacific'
Indian ambitions to become a linchpin for the United States as it challenges China's aggressive posturing revolve around US pledges that the "Indo-Pacific" bilateral relationship is a "defining partnership" of the 21st century. That the "Indo" in "Indo-Pacific" can be taken as referring to India and not the "common values and interests" the US shares with Indonesia, tends to muddy expansive waters. - Rukmani Gupta (Dec 7, '11)

A new beginning for the United Nations
The United Nations' structure still reflects conditions at the time of its founding in 1945, but fundamental questions need to be asked about how well it is equipped to fulfill its goals and maintain peace in today's world order. Reform within the UN itself will not suffice in new political circumstances and the troubled times more than half a century after its creation. Fundamental change is essential. - Gyan Basnet (Dec 5, '11)

Making sense of self-immolation
An opinion piece in the China Daily added insult to the injury of Tibetan persecution with an attack on the Dalai Lama over the recent spate of self-immolation by Buddhist monks and nuns. While it is a violent act, it can also be an inherently individualistic act of self-sacrifice that exacts no apparent cost for others. - Dhundup Gyalpo (Dec 1, '11)

India and the Asia-Pacific chessboard
India's place within changing Sino-United States political and security equations needs to be reckoned with. Common sense would dictate that 'hedging' and 'balancing' is perhaps the best safety net, but foreign policy fundamentals need to be revisited, especially in regard to the most pressing issues with China. Engagement rather than balancing and containment should be India's policy brand. - Medha Bisht (Nov 30, '11)

Asia and the sea powers, 1911 and 2011
There are fascinating comparisons between Britain's naval dominance in around Asia early in the 20th century and that of the US a hundred years later. There are also stark - even bizarre - differences, including America's indebtedness to its greatest Asian "rival", China. - Alan G Jamieson (Nov 29, '11)

The capitalist myth
Conventional wisdom decrees that the private sector is good, and the public sector bad. That all regulation of the private, capitalist, sector stifles innovation. Yet it is unregulated capitalism that lies at the root of the current economic crisis. - Dafydd Taylor (Nov 15, '11)

Japan and Europe toward the exit from history
Up until 1991, the Land of the Rising Sun and the Old Continent were the United States' bulwarks at the eastern and western rims of Eurasia’s landmass: the first line of containment against the Soviet Union along the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Now, despite the diplomatic acrobatics staged by US officials, the status of Japan and Europe as cornerstones - in their respective regions - of the American security system is questioned. - Emanuele Scimia (Nov 14, '11)

West's Spring lacks focus
While the Arab protester could cry out for democracy, those in the West are left with less inspiring rhetoric. Perhaps the Western protesters need a form of inspiration more familiar to their Arab counterparts. If the authorities seek to make an example of some individuals to end the protests, they will create martyrs. That could be the factor that transforms the discontent into something more focussed and urgent. - Dafydd Taylor (Oct 31, '11)

China-US trade ties too important to fear
Discord over the Sino-America trade imbalance and its causes is potentially dangerous. The trade relationship is one of mutual dependence. The two economies are so integrated there's only one sensible way forward - deepening that integration. Misleading currency chatter does not help. - Nick Ottens (Oct 28, '11)

Cambodia's unrealized peace promise
Twenty years after the Paris Peace Agreements that ended Cambodia's civil war with the Khmer Rouge, the country has seen a fair degree of prosperity and development. However, Prime Minister Hun Sen's scant regard for the rule of law has allowed a corrupt elite to ruthlessly pursue wealth at the expense of the impoverished, with little progress seen towards the democratic future that long-suffering Cambodians were promised. - Ou Virak (Oct 27, '11)

Indonesia's 'war' against the people
The threats from a number of lawmakers in the Indonesian House of Representative calling for the dismissal of the Corruption Eradication Commission need to be stopped. Dismissing the commission - which is waging a successful battle - would be like fighting a "war" against the civilized Indonesian people. - Yasmi Adriansyah (Oct 26, '11)

What happens to liberal values in hard times?
Millions of Asians have made the West their home. What are the likely social and psychological consequences for us "others" in these hard times? With no end to bad economic news, how many Europeans and Americans will retain or abandon liberal values? If more of the latter, which members of society are likely to become victims of growing intolerance and injustice? - Pushkar (Oct 25, '11)

China's grand strategy
After a 200-year hiatus China's Grand Strategy has been reinstated and looks to be as successful as ever. It is inexpensive and delivers sustainable, tangible benefits to the Chinese people. Expect to see elements of it emulated, first by Asian countries and later - who knows? - by us. - Godfree Roberts (Oct 24, '11)

A European future
For Europe, the future really should be bright. Yet there is one vital ingredient missing - a sense of self-confidence. The sort of self-confidence for which the United States is renowned, and China seems, in the past few years, to have rediscovered. - Dafydd Taylor (Oct 20, '11)

Indonesia: Among the happiest people
Indonesian people often refer to themselves as being open-minded, at the same time some of them are afraid of trying new things. It is a country of diversity and tolerance. At the same time it is a country of covert intolerance and internal fear of new things that seem alien to its culture. Indonesia is a developing country, but the Indonesian people are perhaps among the happiest people in the world. - Zeyneb Temnenko (Oct 18, '11)

Language imperialism - 'democracy' in China
Since European languages have their own histories and traditions, they cannot sufficiently render Chinese concepts, such as shengren and minzhu, which are erroneously translated as "philosophers" and "democracy. The solution would be to not translate the most important foreign concepts at all, but adopt them.
- Thorsten Pattberg (Oct 17, '11)

North Korea tied to China
While North Korea may wish to not be as reliant on China as it presently is, the visit by North Korean Prime Minister Choe Yong-rim to China shows that its domestic policies and global isolation have left it with little choice but to look to that country to once again ensure it stays afloat. - Bruno de Paiva (Oct 14, '11)

South China Sea: A new geopolitical node
The South China Sea occupies a special position in the world as the place where the interests of major powers - the United States, Japan and those rising giants, China and India - intersect. A whole set of challenges and threats in a region of growing economic power and potential conflict make the turbulent waters a flashpoint that will have a huge influence on the course of world politics in coming decades. - Prokhor Tebin (Oct 13, '11)

Verify, don't trust
Just a few weeks before the US$3.6 billion Chinese-backed dam was suspended, the government saw popular opposition as no obstacle to work already underway on the mega-project. Predicting the next twist in the saga is difficult in a country of limited transparency, when the decision to suspend might yet be reversed again with a new government take on "the will of the people". - Curtis S Chin (Oct 12, '11)

Why is USA targeting Pakistan?
The only way out of the quagmire of accusations, counter-accusations, lies and deceit between the United States and Pakistan is an early withdrawal of American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces and an end to this war. Cooler, smarter heads in Washington must rule and drive home the point, as the problem is the occupying forces, not Pakistan. - Yasmeen Ali (Oct 6, '11)

The importance of Camp David
If the first historic act the new Egyptian government achieved in regard to its neighbors was to repudiate the Camp David agreements, then, by defining a common external enemy and entering into a war-time mentality, the reinsertion of emergency laws would be justified, the power of the military establishment over civilian officials would be effectively reinstated and overall democratic possibilities would be crushed. - Riccardo Dugulin (Oct 5, '11)

The South China Sea is not China’s Sea
It would be absurd if England were to try to claim sovereignty over most of the English Channel, Iran the Persian Gulf, Thailand the Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam the Gulf of Tonkin, Japan the Sea of Japan, or Mexico the Gulf of Mexico. For their own sake, the major powers must not abandon the South China Sea to be turned into a Chinese lake and Southeast Asian nations to fall into China's orbit. - Huy Duong (Oct 4, '11)

Is Asia the light of the future?
Communist-cum-free market China, democratic but caste-ridden India, nuclear-stricken Japan, opium-ridden Afghanistan, and the vast oil and gas reserves of central Asia and the Middle East crescent, form a landscape full of opportunities and existing or potential conflicts. What the appropriation of the paradigm of science achieved was globalization that is building a common destiny for all. - Nicholas A Biniaris (Oct 3, '11)

India: fighting corruption or adapting to it?
The fight against corruption may be the fashionable thing going well in India. But there exist some forms of corruption still to be recognized as such. A startling example of a double murder to obliterate a scam speaks a lot about the issue. - Ton Lenssen (Sep 28, '11)

Crisis thinkers or thinkers in crisis?
A recently released report on Myanmar by the International Crisis Group (ICG), the world's best known think tank on crises, brims with hope. But once past the optimistic title, Myanmar: Major Reform Underway, multiple shortcomings and intellectual sins that undermine its credibility make the report grim reading. - Maung Zarni (Sep 27, '11)

Palestine's bid: An open letter to Obama
Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims will see a veto of Palestine's application for statehood by United States President Barack Obama as conclusive proof he is pandering to the Jewish vote for self-serving, short-term political reasons, says a Palestinian refugee. Obama's expected veto at the United Nations will be devastating to America's national interests and relations with the rest of the world.
- Zakariya A Jalamani (Sep 20, '11)

Questioning Indonesia's place in the world
Indonesia's lack of influence in the global political-economic arena belies its size and abundant natural and human resources. Numerous internal challenges that typically face developing nations are to blame, but by tackling the most daunting - corruption, rule of law and poverty - Jakarta can prove that the country is headed towards greater power status - Yasmi Adriansyah (Sep 19, '11)

The Development Deception
There is a dangerous lie that permeates the media, government and general discourse of nearly every single nation on Earth. That lie is the Development Deception; it is grossly misleading for the nations who over-consume the world's finite resources to be considered developed. - Brendan P O'Reilly (Sep 15, '11)

Normality trumps rhetoric in Yeonpyeong
A stroll through the quiet streets of South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island some nine months after North Korean shelling killed four people suggests life has reverted to the slow pace of the past. However, howitzers, bunkers, tanks and barbed wire fences are constant reminders to stoic residents that the island's proximity to the North makes it a significant political bargaining chip. - Matthew Clayton (Sep 14, '11)

Clausewitz and Sun Tzu after the neo-cons
Battles and even campaigns can be won following Sun Tzu, but it is difficult to win a war by applying his Art of War principles which, unlike Carl von Clausewitz's theories, didn't consider the post-war political-social landscape. Military prowess, neo-conservative desires and the application of some Sun Tze principles have been factors in the United States Army's military successes and likewise in its obvious failures. - Andreas Herberg-Rothe (Sep 13, '11)

Inward look at Chinese outward investment
Fear of being displaced by China tops off many claims that its companies' overseas investments bring wanton damage to the environment, the abuse of local workers, and disregard for traditional customs. Such anxieties are based on an ignorance of the facts or context amid China's dramatically changing profile as an outward investor. - Jean-Marc F Blanchard (Sep 12, '11)

A democracy only in name
Myanmar is celebrating the United Nations' International Day of Democracy, urging its citizens to be "true patriots" and "honest with good attitude for the motherland" during the country's still uncertain political transition. Yet the sober reality of life under both the old and new governments, particularly for rural farmers, is the antithesis of the regime's declarations. - Nancy Hudson-Rodd (Sep 8, '11)

Grand bargaining reloaded?

Hyun In-taek, South Korea's hardline unification minister, has been replaced by Yu Woo-ik, a close confidant of President Lee Myung-Bak and a former ambassador to China. It can be hoped the move does not result in a complete policy reversal, in a kind of desperate, short-term attempt to cater to voter sentiment ahead of presidential elections in 2012. - Bernhard Seliger (Aug 31, '11)

North Korea seeks rice deal
Myanmar may be about to supply North Korea with rice, following a meeting in Yangon between officials from the two countries. With a barter deal the most likely arrangement, the question is what can impoverished North Korea bring to the table. Nuclear expertise is one possibility. - Bruno de Paiva (Aug 18, '11)

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