By Gregory Poling Ongoing troubles in the West Papua region, and the unwanted attention they have garnered, are a sore spot for Indonesian authorities. They undermine the larger narrative of an Indonesia finally at peace with itself, consolidating its democracy…
By Ben Schaare Angry protests outside of Nauru’s Parliament building on June 16 over alleged government corruption are evidence of Nauruans’ serious concerns about the government’s continued disregard for the rule of law. As its largest aid donors and Pacific…
By Gregory Poling Fijian prime minister Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama on May 6 reiterated that he will not attend any Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meetings as long as Australia and New Zealand remain full members, rather than development partners like…
By James Hurndell U.S. ambassador to Fiji Frankie Reed on October 30 announced that the United States would lift sanctions on Fiji and seek opportunities for reengagement with the Fijian military. While Fiji has an operationally experienced and sizeable military…
By Adelle Neary Fiji held its first elections in eight years on September 17, boasting a high turnout (83.9 percent) and a relatively predictable outcome. Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama, who first took power in a 2006 coup d’état, and his Fiji…
Who is she? Judith Cefkin is a career Foreign Service Officer and senior Burma advisor for the State Department. In her previous assignments, she has served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and has…
By Ashlee Betteridge Countries in the Asia Pacific have been the biggest beneficiaries of the doubling of Australia’s aid budget in the past decade. However the change of government last year, from the Labor Party to a Liberal-National coalition, has…
Who is he? Professor Yash Ghai is a scholar born in Kenya specializing in public, constitutional, and human rights law and development. He previously held prestigious positions at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and The National University of Singapore.…
The Leaderboard profiles the people behind the policies of the Asia-Pacific. This post features Laisenia Qarase former prime minister of the Republic of Fiji. Who is he? Laisenia Qarase is the former prime minister of Fiji who was ousted from…
During this week’s American – Australian Leadership Dialogue CSIS had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Tyson Sara, Australian Assistant Secretary of Defence for the Pacific. Sara, who has a portfolio including East Timor, discussed perspectives on the recent…
