Showing 1 - 10 of 10
New hope in a post-Trump world
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 16/11/2020
» Following Thai politics is making me increasingly frustrated, and I'm losing hope that things will ever get back to normal. Case in point: not only do we have a cabinet minister who served four years in an Australian prison for drug trafficking, but now one of his wives has been appointed to a position in the Prime Minister's Office.
Dream state
Asia focus, Ben Bland, Published on 28/09/2020
» When Indonesian President Joko Widodo decided last year to pursue outlandish plans to build a new capital city in far-flung Kalimantan, advisers shook their heads in despair. But they were not surprised.
Rough sailing
Asia focus, Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata, Published on 29/06/2020
» Life aboard a Chinese fishing vessel was a nightmare of abuse for Mashuri, who says he's never going to sea again. The 22-year old Indonesian is now safely back on dry land, working as a technician at a motorcycle garage in Lumajang, East Java.
Identity defender
Asia focus, Patpon Sabpaitoon, Published on 08/06/2020
» In today's deeply interconnected world, protecting our identity is a growing cause for concern. Everything we use to prove who we are, from ID cards and passports to access cards at our workplaces, is underpinned by a lot of impressive technology. But bad actors with equally impressive hacking skills are always lurking in the background, ready to compromise the latest advances in security.
The biometric threat
Asia focus, Jayati Ghosh, Published on 02/03/2020
» Around the world, governments are succumbing to the allure of biometric identification systems. To some extent, this may be inevitable, given the burden of demands and expectations placed on modern states. But no one should underestimate the risks these technologies pose.
Tension tourism
Asia focus, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 21/10/2019
» It has been a long, tense journey for people on the Korean Peninsula. Recently, some have come to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel, following summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, and between Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Asia's multilateral balancing act
Asia focus, Myong-Hyun Go, Shafqat Munir and Ambika Vishwanath, Published on 07/10/2019
» After World War II, Asia emerged from years of conflict and centuries of colonialism. The United States quickly became the main guarantor of regional security, signing bilateral defence treaties and establishing preferential trade and investment relationships with its Asian allies -- in particular the Philippines, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Pakistan.
A Tiananmen solution in Hong Kong?
Asia focus, Minxin Pei, Published on 02/09/2019
» The crisis in Hong Kong appears to be careening toward a devastating climax. With China's government now using rhetoric reminiscent of the warnings that preceded the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 1989, Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters -- and, indeed, its democracy -- could well be in grave danger.
China's new travellers
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 13/08/2018
» When the tour boat Phoenix capsized and sank in rough seas off Phuket on July 5, the lives of hundreds of Chinese people changed forever as they dealt with the loss of 47 loved ones.
The third path
Asia focus, Tanyatorn Tongwaranan, Published on 23/04/2018
» Rooted in traditional norms and religious beliefs dating back centuries, our world has long accepted gender as a binary concept consisting of two identities: male and female. Thus, only those whose gender identities match their birth-sex enjoy fundamental human rights.