Who is she? Carrie Hessler-Radelet is the newly confirmed director of the Peace Corps. Nominated by President Barack Obama in July 2013, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 5. Hessler-Radelet served as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching…
By Murray Hiebert & Greg Poling The year 2015 provides the Obama administration with new opportunities in Southeast Asia to reinforce and bolster the rebalance to Asia. Myanmar In Myanmar, the United States should expand its support and training efforts…
By Dylan Kean Myanmar, now that it has concluded its term as ASEAN chair, faces the task of getting its economy in shape to prepare for the planned ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which will be implemented at the end of…
By James Wallar Malaysia will assume the chair of ASEAN in 2015, the year the grouping has pledged to achieve the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Observers should not expect a “big bang” in November 2015 when ASEAN heads of state…
By Phuong Nguyen The National Defense Authorization Act for 2015 recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes a few provisions allowing slightly expanded U.S. military engagement with Myanmar. In addition to supporting the Department of Defense’s continued consultations…
By Oliver Backes On November 12, 2014, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev led the Russian delegation to the East Asia Summit (EAS). While Russia has taken part in this forum since 2011, it has yet to make a commitment to…
By Sanjay Pulipaka Last week, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi visited Myanmar to participate in the Association of South East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) meetings and announced that India`s “Look East Policy” has become an “Act East Policy.” In the…
By Dylan Kean President Barack Obama traveled to Myanmar’s capital of Naypyitaw November 12-14 for his first ASEAN and East Asia Summits in two years, as budget battles in Washington had kept the President from making the trip last year.…
By Ernie Bower Asia generally, and Southeast Asia particularly, is undergoing a fundamental shift in governance as incumbent regimes struggle to respond to a newly empowered, massive group of voters (in some cases) or constituents who have access to information via…
By David I. Steinberg One of the most widely used analogies in popular discussions of social science data is the glass of water—is it half empty or half full? It is a useful popular analogy because of its essential meaninglessness;…
