Southeast Asia Articles
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News/Analysis
By
Greg Lowe
18 Nov 2009
World Politics Review
BANGKOK -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's recent appointment of Thailand's former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, as an economic adviser was the diplomatic equivalent of precision bombing, whose shockwaves have sent relations between the neighboring Southeast Asian nations into a tailspin.
By Luke Hunt
18 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
Gripped by simmering cross-border tensions, a dysfunctional democracy and collective unease over the health of the monarchy, Thailand has seen its status as a major power in Southeast Asia and its influence in the wider region cast under a harsh light recently.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
10 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
In announcing his 37-member cabinet last month, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono lauded his new team as "credible and accountable," and expressed confidence in its abilities. However, many experts did not join in Yudhoyono's glowing encomium, and with good reason: Most of the cabinet-level appointments seem to be based on
considerations of political loyalty more than competence.
By Fabio Scarpello
10 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
DENPASAR, Indonesia -- The peaceful re-election of President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono this year added yet another layer of political stability to Indonesia's democratization process. But a battle between the country's anti-corruption commission and the Attorney General's Office is an
indicator of some of the difficulties the country still faces, and could be a
legacy-defining moment for Yudhoyono.
By Colby Pacheco
06 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
This week's visit of a high-level U.S. diplomat to Burma is the latest in a series of moves geared toward engaging with that country's reclusive ruling military junta. Unfortunately, though the aims of the Obama administration are admirable,
effecting change in Burma is something the U.S. cannot accomplish if it
acts alone.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
08 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The killing last month by Indonesian authorities of Southeast Asia's most-wanted
terrorist, Noordin Mohammad Top, was a major blow to Islamic
militancy in Southeast Asia.
But even as Jakarta's "law and order approach" to eradicating terrorism
continues to net key terrorist operatives, it has come under increasing
scrutiny for eroding the fabric of Indonesia's democracy.
By Luke Hunt
30 Sep 2009 |
World Politics Review
KUALA LUMPUR -- If timing matters in the art of diplomacy, then those
responsible for the death of Noordin Mohammad Top did the foreign
services of Indonesia and Malaysia a big favor. The killing of
Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist came as neighborly relations
were sliding rapidly into a political abyss -- amid declarations of a
"cultural war" over the historic origins of a traditional dance.
By Brian McCartan
31 Aug 2009 |
World Politics Review
YALA, Thailand -- After more than five years, Thailand's Muslim
insurgency shows no signs of abating. But despite concerns about the
possibility of connections to the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah, there are no signs of
the insurgency expanding or joining the ranks of international terrorism. Instead
it remains localized, which is where the Thai government hopes it will
remain.
By Luke Hunt
12 Aug 2009 |
World Politics Review
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysian authorities have stepped up border surveillance as more and more potential immigrants and refugees flee war-torn Central Asia and the Middle East, arriving here in search of passage onward to third countries like Australia. Despite the danger involved in making the passage and high risk of death, it still seems that many are willing to take their chances.
By Mark Oltmanns
10 Aug 2009 |
WPR Video
Thailand's southern insurgency has become
more violent of late, but Thai officials say the escalation is in
response to the government's increasingly effective counterinsurgency
strategy. Mark Oltmanns reports for WPR.
By Luke Hunt
10 Aug 2009 |
World Politics Review
CANBERRA, Australia -- Almost 1,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Australian waters so far this year, often risking their lives to make the trip in old and decrepit boats. Their sheer numbers -- four times more than for all of 2008 -- have left authorities worried, almost to the point of panic. The spike in arrivals seems to be linked to the current softer stance on immigration following the election of Kevid Rudd as prime minister.
By Luke Hunt
03 Aug 2009 |
World Politics Review
CANBERRA, Australia -- Hopes that Australia's new defense doctrine could prove refreshingly imaginative and contemporary seem to have died. Instead, the 2009 Australian Defense White Paper reads more like a throwback to the Cold War era, and has been roundly criticized for being too reliant on United States military muscle and unnecessarily insulting of the country's largest trading partner, China.
By Simon Roughneen
31 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
DILI, Timor-Leste -- Security sector reform is a vital part of state-building, especially in Timor-Leste, a country that came close to civil war in 2006. Significantly, though, few Timorese political leaders interviewed about the issue wanted to speak about one of the highest priorities for the U.N. Mission in Timor-Leste: completing -- and, by extension, to some degree implementing -- a comprehensive security sector review.
By Micah Springut
27 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
Two recent maritime incidents in the South China Sea involving the U.S. and Chinese navies are manifestations of ongoing jockeying between the two powers, and are a reminder that subtle shifts in power have put new areas of Asia into play. A number of trends call into question the efficacy of U.S. policy in the region and highlight a dilemma for the United States that will only deepen over time.
By Andrew Bast
10 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
Reading the reflections about Robert McNamara's life, it's striking how unforgiving they are. But to dismiss McNamara out of hand as a war criminal or a monster leaves us little with which to understand the decisions we face today. Empathy, of the kind Errol Morris delivered in his film "The Fog of War," makes the lessons of Vietnam more compelling.
By Luke Hunt
09 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has won another five-year
term in office, signaling voters' rejection of opposition campaigns
that promised tough government and promoted nationalism and big
business interests. The election, widely viewed as
free and fair, was also considered a major step forward for the
democratic process in the world's largest Muslim country.
By Thomas P.M. Barnett
06 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
As a kid, I was subjected to fear-mongering on population growth, which was not only out of control, but certain to lead to widespread conflict. Now, I find myself increasingly assaulted with the opposite "dangers": too few babies, and a rapidly aging world. Somehow the dire predictions have remained the same.
By Fabio Scarpello
06 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
DENPASAR, Indonesia -- As the roughly 171 million Indonesians eligible to vote get ready to elect their new president, their choice is likely to steer the future trajectory of Indonesia well beyond the next five years. This election is likely to be the last dominated by figures who played a role in the New Order regime, as former dictator Suharto's tenure from 1965 to 1998 was called.
By Colby Pacheco
01 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
For critics of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Burma has long served as proof of the organization's ineffectuality. ASEAN members have previously been reluctant to apply economic
sanctions to Burma because of a founding agreement not to intervene in
the affairs of fellow members. But the current trial of Aung San Suu Kyi presents ASEAN once again with a critical test in its quest for legitimacy.
By Simon Roughneen
29 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
For the Asian Tiger Economies, exports account for a majority of economic activity. Given that level of openness to global economic conditions, the muting of the Tigers' roar is not that much of a shock. More surprising, however, was a recent assessment suggesting the Tigers could be overtaken, for now at least, by economies that have long been regarded as stagnant basket cases.
By Luke Hunt
12 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
TAWAU, Malaysia -- A series of deadly raids has given the Philippine military the upper hand over militants fighting for an independent Islamic homeland in the country's south. Given the geography, no one expects the military to achieve a definitive victory over the insurgents. But the offensive will restore some lost prestige to Philippine
President Gloria Arroyo as she completes her last year of office.
