In The News

Cambodia Garment Worker Dreams of Better Future

Kyle James February 14, 2014
Bargains for intricate fashions so plentiful in boutiques around the world are only possible because workers in less developed nations like Cambodia endure long hours, with a workweek that encompasses six 12-hour days, earning less than $3.50 per day. “This exhausting regimen is a reality for the majority of Cambodia's approximately 600,000 garment workers,” writes Kyle James. He profiles...

Tread With Caution in Highly Sensitive Burma

David I. Steinberg February 13, 2014
The government in Burma (Myanmar) is loosening political controls, and welcoming more trade and interactions with the rest of the world. The strong culture has resisted waves of Indian, Chinese and Western influences in the past, suggests David I. Steinberg, distinguished professor of Asian Studies emeritus at Georgetown University, and new connections are introducing rapid change that could...

Islamabad Hides Behind Taliban Talks

Shams uz Zaman February 7, 2014
Pakistan and Taliban representatives have started peace talks. Pakistani media debate “whether a military operation or negotiations are the best solution to the Taliban insurgency,” reflecting deep divide between Pakistani secular liberals and religious conservatives, writes Shams uz Zaman for Asia Times. He suggests that Pakistan’s liberalism represents wealth and double standards rather than...

Cambodian Regime Realigns Its Foreign Relations

Murray Hiebert, Phuong Nguyen February 4, 2014
Political turmoil in Cambodia – with the opposition challenging 2013 election results and demanding that Prime Minister Hun Sen step down – is having an effect on the country’s foreign relations. “The truth is, even if his party manages to win the next elections, Hun Sen will have to continue to deal with growing demands for greater transparency, better rule of law, and more democracy,” note...

The Specter of Mass Killings in Burma

Larry Diamond February 3, 2014
Myanmar, or Burma’s struggle to build a democracy is visible in many spheres of life including many problematic provisions in the new constitution: “These give the military a quarter of the seats in parliament (and thus a veto over constitutional reform) … and complete immunity from civilian oversight,” writes Larry Diamond for the Atlantic. “They also continue to deny Burma’s minorities (...

Asia's Global Travel Boom

February 3, 2014
Three out of five global citizens are Asian, and the continent’s growing middle class has wanderlust. “Rapid urbanisation, increased disposable income and a relaxing of travel restrictions have enabled more people to travel and budget airlines are opening up routes from India and other parts of Asia,” reports BBC News in an article rich with graphics. China in particular is both major destination...

China’s Rise Leads India and Japan to Wary Embrace

Harsh V. Pant January 30, 2014
Japan and India are forging closer ties, in part because of shared interests as Asian democracies but also to counter China’s assertive rise and prepare for a decline in US security spending. Harsh V. Pant of King’s College points out that “changing geopolitical realities are now forcing Delhi to acknowledge significant convergence between its own regional interests and that of longstanding US...