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...

Appeasement Policy for China: Project Syndicate

Brahma Chellaney July 2, 2020
India’s buffer with China is shrinking, and India’s leaders should have anticipated China’s incursions in the Ladakh region, suggests Brahma Chellaney for Project Syndicate. China opposed India’s designation of Ladakh as a new federal territory, and labeled its recent moves as defensive. “While India was preoccupied with the COVID-19 crisis, China was apparently planning its next attempt to...

India’s Limited Options on China: The Wire

Ashok K. Mehta June 22, 2020
India failed to anticipate China’s aggression along the shared border and now must respond to a deadly clash that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and, by some reports, twice as many Chinese – along with China’s claim to Galwan Valley. Both sides have engaged in road-building and moved troops in the area. Ashok K. Mehta reviews events since early May and India’s premature assurances that the...

Blood Spilled on China-India Border: Diplomat

Sudha Ramachandran June 17, 2020
A standoff punctuated with frequent clashes in recent weeks along the Line of Actual Control turned violent with the death of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley in Ladakh. China did not release casualty figures. Indian sources suggested as many as 40 Chinese died in brutal hand-to-hand combat that did not involve firearms. Both India and China claim the area. The battle occurred with border...

Cyclone Amphan and Deadly Havoc: BBC

May 21, 2020
A violent cyclone with wind gusts up to 185 kilometers per hour struck Bangladesh and India, with governments evacuating millions from the coasts. Meteorological departments forecast heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides. “The cyclone comes as tens of thousands of migrant workers continue to flee cities for their villages during India's lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus,” notes the...

Terrorists Storm Hospital: Afghanistan Times

Faizi Mansour May 13, 2020
May 12 was a particularly brutal day in Afghanistan. “Terrorists stormed a maternity hospital in west of Kabul on Tuesday morning, killing at least 16 people including four women and children and injured 16 others, in a gun battle with security forces that lasted for hours,” reports Afghanistan Times. Also, “More than 24 others were killed in a suicide bombing at a funeral in eastern Nangarhar.”...

Right to Education: Dawn

Marvi Soomro May 12, 2020
Around the world, governments close schools to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and encourage teachers and parents to support ongoing studies. From primary school to university, lockdowns expose inequities in available technologies, parent capabilities and motivation, quiet spaces, books and other resources. “Major barriers like the digital divide and the weakness of education systems threaten to...