By Hunter Marston Much of the news coverage on Vietnam’s economy in the past year focused on corruption scandals, inept state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and dim growth prospects. But this reporting has overlooked promising new signs of growth as the central…
By Abby Seiff In the past two decades, Cambodia has morphed into one of the world’s largest recipients of foreign aid. In the early 1990s, the United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC) carried out the biggest and most expensive experiment in…
Among President Xi Jinping’s new initiatives is a crackdown on corruption in the Chinese government aimed at catching the “tigers and flies,” the high-ranking bureaucrats and low-ranking township officials alike. Endemic corruption remains a consistent problem for the Chinese Communist…
By Greg Poling & Noelan Arbis Thailand’s Constitutional Court on November 20 ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment to change the structure of the Senate was unconstitutional. The amendment bill, which passed its final reading in parliament on September 30,…
By Murray Hiebert & Phuong Nguyen During the first week after Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines, relief operations were greatly hampered by the destruction of roads, bridges, and airports. The surviving roads were covered by wreckage and debris from…
By Vineeth Murthy India’s parliament has made headlines recently for its paralysis, dysfunction and grandstanding – not unlike the U.S. Congress. Along with the decline of parliament itself, parliamentary committees are in crisis – committees that are essential internal institutions…
Who is he? Lalu Prasad Yadav is a hugely popular and controversial Indian politician from the state of Bihar. He comes from a humble background, and belongs to the low-caste, Yadav. He served as Chief Minister of Bihar from 1990…
Who is she? Janet Lim-Napoles is the president, CEO, and founder of JLN Corporation, a diversified Philippine company with interests in real estate development, hotels, restaurants, information technology, and agriculture. Established in 2009, the company has grown significantly in the…
Who is he? Wong Hong Kuan is currently chief executive of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Wong joined the Singaporean civil service in 1995 as an assistant superintendent in the Singapore Police Force (SPF), and was later promoted to chief…
By Blake Day Singapore has faced a spat of corruption cases involving public officials in the past year. Some pointed to these scandals as early signs of future difficulties. But recent actions taken by the Singaporean government suggest that quite…
