By Ben Schaare Though the Pacific Islands are envisaged as idyllic paradises insulated from high politics, many are facing internal troubles that could see the region become a new “arc of instability” for Australia, New Zealand, and the United States…
Who is he? Rizal Ramli, an economist and politician, is Indonesia’s new coordinating minister for maritime affairs. He has served twice in previous cabinets, first as the coordinating minister for economic affairs from 2000 to 2001, and then as minister…
By Phuong Nguyen President Thein Sein urgently wants to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement before Myanmar’s November elections. Yet nearly five months after his government reached a tentative draft nationwide cease-fire agreement with representatives of the Nationwide Cease-fire Coordinating Team…
Our feature interview this week covers Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement of August 15, the seventieth anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War. CSIS Senior Vice President and Japan Chair Dr. Michael Green joins to discuss the statement’s…
By Aung Din The relationship between civilian politicians and the military in Myanmar today is at one of its lowest levels ever. The roots of this mistrust date back to the early period of Myanmar’s independence and the beginning of…
By Richard Javad Heydarian The 70th anniversary of the end of Second World War has transformed into a critical juncture for Asia, particularly in Northeast Asia where Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula still grapple with a traumatic past. Despite…
By Desmond Walton The horrific bombing in central Bangkok on August 17 was the worst attack ever suffered by the Thais and will likely have a 9/11-type impact on the country’s internal security policies. The attack is a huge setback,…
This week we cover the challenges that Myanmar faces maintaining public health and fighting disease, specifically malaria. In this segment you’ll hear briefly from CSIS’s Dr. Stephen Morrison, and then Myanmar’s Deputy Minister of Health, Ms. Thein Thein Htay, then…
By Aung Din The majority of people in Myanmar perceive that the United States and the international community have been biased and one-sided when they approach the situation of the Rohingya, or Bengalis as they are called in Myanmar, in…
On the podcast this week we take a broader look at developments in the Philippines. Sumitro Chair Fellow Gregory Poling joins to discuss the candidates for next year’s election and what challenges Manila faces in ensuring both economic growth and…
