Ongoing ethnic conflict becomes self-reinforcing, as continued warfare with deteriorating socioeconomic conditions will spur more alienation from the government.
Asia-Pacific
East Asia Region
Thinking about Prevention Pt. II
That prosperity and security rest on the Pacific is true not only for the U.S. but also for China.
Thinking About Prevention Pt. I
As many have remarked, neither the U.S. nor China would benefit from a protracted conflict between the two powerhouses.
China in Africa: a Lasting Friendship?
The China International Fair on Trade in Services, ending on June 1, 2012, signified yet another move forward in Sino-African relations.
The Strategic Sphere of Burma
The delicate situation in Burma has been complicated by the spectre of US-Chinese rivalry. Over the past year, as the Obama administration has voiced its intention for a higher security profile in East and Southeast Asia, fears of a “Cold War” rivalry has emerged in international political discourse.
Burma with Aung San Suu Kyi (Part 3): Back to the Future
Future: BBC’s report says that Aung San Suu Kyi has her aims set on an ethical, transparent, and human-rights friendly democracy and needs good investment from the world into the country. Aung San Suu Kyi, speaking about her country’s broader transformation in her Nobel speech, advocated “cautious optimism… not because I do not have faith Read More…
Burma with Aung San Suu Kyi (Part 2): Canvassing the Area
The Regional Politics: It is important to note that Burma sits between two aspiring superpowers India and China meaning it has some very complicated choices to make. Until recently China held up the Burmese communists and India threw its support behind the pro-democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi. 1. The Chinese Connection: China Read More…
Burma with Aung San Suu Kyi (Part 1): Then and Now
Background: From early 19th Century until World War II, Burma was ruled by the British Empire. The British set in motion their conquest of Burma in 1824, and in 1885 gained complete control of the Burma territory annexing it to British India. A faction of Burmese nationalists branded as the “30 Comrades,” led by General Read More…
Japan’s Crisis of Leadership
On 4 June 2012, Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko shuffled his cabinet for the second time in nine months, appointing new ministers for the Defence and Infrastructure and Transport positions.
The Return of Politics in China
In China, recent discussion of an economic crash masks an unpredictable control mechanism to prevent it: the return of politics.