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,…
By Rui Hao Puah UK Prime Minister David Cameron picked Southeast Asia as his first major overseas visit outside Europe since his Conservative party won the general elections in May. His four-day trade and diplomatic mission from July 26 to…
Who is he? Abu Wardah Santoso is the leader of the East Indonesia Mujahideen, or MIT, a terrorist group based near Poso in the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi. Santoso has pledged his organization’s support for the Islamic State. Santoso’s…
With India’s Independence Day observed on August 15, we examine the history of India’s independence and growth since 1947 by looking at the numbers: 68 The number of years since India gained independence from the British Empire on August 15,…
In this episode we discuss the challenges in balancing the U.S.-Thai security relationship with continued concerns over the Thai military’s intervention in domestic politics and civil liberties following the May 2014 coup. Desmond Walton, the U.S. military attaché to Bangkok from…
By Michael Green Why was Abe’s statement so significant? August 15 marks the seventieth anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the end of the Second World War. This landmark date comes at a time of growing nationalistic sentiment across Northeast Asia…
By John Juenemann In light of China’s aggressive posturing in the South China Sea, the Philippines has stepped up defense cooperation with a number of other countries that share its concerns about China, including Australia, Japan, the United States, and…
Who is he? Thomas Trikasih Lembong is an experienced Indonesian investment banker. From 2000 to 2002, Lembong was the head of asset management and investment at the now dissolved Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency. A Harvard graduate with a bachelor’s degree…
By Phuong Nguyen Burmese elite politics were historically a realm of intrigue and abrupt changes, in which a high-ranking general could fall from power overnight and traces of his influence would be erased almost instantly. This happened again on August…
By Aung Din Many things look rosy for Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), ahead of landmark elections in Myanmar in November. The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), is divided and…
