In The News

History as Excuse for Abuses: Economist

April 24, 2019
China and India at times engage in a process of mythmaking and historical erasure in championing their thousands of years of history. A recent article for the Economist observes, “Nowhere more than in Asia do states and their rulers tend to think they represent not just, say, defined territories or peoples with a shared language, but rather whole civilizations, often cosmically ordained.” However...

Sri Lanka Attacks: BBC

April 22, 2019
A series of suicide bombings targeted crowded churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday and Monday. The government blamed a local jihadist group, arresting 24 individuals, and declared a national emergency. This included a curfew and limits on social media. The attacks killed almost 300 people and injured 500. The country is reaching out to the international community for assistance on...

Nationalist Surge Divides India: New York Times

Jeffrey Gettleman, Kai Schultz, Suhasini Raj and Hari Kumar April 19, 2019
Since his ascension to power five years ago, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party have championed Hindu nationalism despite the country’s long history of secularism. In the same election that brought the BJP into power, India’s Muslim minority, which makes up 15 percent of the total population, received record low representation in Parliament. During Modi’s tenure,...

Chinese Investment and Indonesia’s Election: CNBC

Huileng Tan April 16, 2019
Emerging economies throughout Asia initially welcomed Chinese investment, but questions emerge during election campaigns. Indonesians vote on Wednesday, and surveys report 53 percent express favorable views of China. “During his term, President Joko Widodo actively courted Chinese investment to push through large infrastructure projects in the sprawling archipelago that is Indonesia,” reports...

India Shoots Down Satellite: Economic Times

Pranab Dhal Samanta March 28, 2019
India’s prime minister announced that the country conducted an anti-satellite weapons test against a low-orbit target. Pranab Dhal Samanta explains for the Economic Times that most observation satellites operate in low orbit, providing navigation, surveillance and communication services. China launched its first low-orbit satellite in December and plans to add 150 more before 2025. “There’s no...

Thai Election: Straits Times

March 26, 2019
With high interest and high stakes associated with elections, political parties no longer patiently await official results. Instead, they turn to fast, global communications to tout victory, criticize results and shape the view of those on election watch. The goal is to weaken opponents, with the consequence of weakening entire nations and democracy. The Straits Times, relying on newswire...

India, Pakistan, Kashmir: The Guardian

Amanda Holpuch March 23, 2019
Tensions run high between Pakistan and India in recent weeks after political violence in the disputed Kashmir region. The Guardian reports that the path to possible war opened up after “Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday, carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants blamed for a 14 February suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian troops.” Although Kashmir is...