In The News

Failed Democracy in Thailand: Asia Sentinel

Pithaya Pookaman July 3, 2020
A bloodless coup transformed Thailand’s absolute monarchy into a constitutional system in 1932, yet the country does not enjoy full democracy today. Thailand’s elite do not trust citizens with decision-making, and there is a “reinvention of modern-day authoritarianism in the form of a triumvirate consisting of the military establishment, bureaucratic elite and business conglomerates,” explains...

“Sad Day for Hong Kong”: SCMP

Teddy Ng, Joyce Ng, Jun Mai and Tony Cheung July 1, 2020
Massive protests began in June 2019 over China’s increasing influence and proposed legislation allowing extradition to China. China released details of a new national security law for Hong Kong only after final approval. “Under the law, Beijing will exercise jurisdiction over ‘complicated’ cases such as those relating to foreign interference, or when local authorities cannot enforce the law...

Is the Virus Wrecking Democracy? Chatham House

Marjorie Buchser June 24, 2020
Most of the world's population has lived with some travel restrictions and social-distancing requirements at some point since the start of the year to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Economic recovery is a priority. Digital technologies allowed many people to safely communicate and work. The pandemic deepened dependence on technology tools and programs, explains Marjorie Buchser for Chatham...

How the World Sees the US Protests: Guardian

Uki Goñi, Lily Kuo , Jason Burke, Tom Phillips, Sam Jones and Julian Borger June 8, 2020
The US presidential election is less than five months away, and the decision about who leads the world’s largest economy and military impacts the rest of the world. More than 10 straight days of US protests demonstrate a deep divide. Protests began after police killed a handcuffed black man, despite pleas from horrified witnesses videotaping the death – just one among many such videos in recent...

Tiananmen Vigil in Hong Kong: SCMP

June 5, 2020
Thousands gathered in a Hong Kong park and other locations to mark the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, reports South China Morning Post. Authorities had banned mass gatherings to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but police did not stop the vigil. “The show of defiance came on a politically charged day as the legislature passed a law criminalising disrespect for the national...

UK Collision Course With China: Bloomberg

Alan Crawford June 4, 2020
The United Kingdom stands up to China on multiple fronts even while negotiating Brexit. “Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has criticized Beijing’s planned imposition of a security law on the former British territory of Hong Kong, and is taking steps to exclude Huawei from its fifth-generation mobile networks by lining up potential replacements,” reports Alan Crawford for Bloomberg. The...

When America Goes AWOL: Times of India

Nayan Chanda June 1, 2020
The United States, reporting 33 percent of the world’s Covid-19 cases with 4 percent of the population, has stepped back from global leadership. A bungled pandemic response delivered a blow to US moral and intellectual standing. “After having cut off funding for WHO – a critical player in these times – Washington announced it would not join a global effort to find a vaccine for the virus,” writes...