Safeguarding indigenous rights in the age of artificial intelligence
The technology can be used to document endangered languages, map customary lands and strengthen indigenous leadership in climate action. Properly designed, AI tools could help…
The Asian View
The bureaucracy of belonging
The writer's father spent a lifetime trying to prove he belonged to Pakistan. Even after his death, the state refuses to acknowledge him.
US President Trump’s search for a Nobel Peace Prize
The writer says: "Expect him to cycle through attempts to be the peacemaker in the desperate hope of winning a Nobel Peace Prize. And expect those on the other side of the table…
AI ‘waifus’ pose grave emotional risks
AI "waifus" are not just characters on a screen; they are tools explicitly designed by leading AI companies to engage, manipulate and blur the lines between authentic human…
ASEAN at 58: Not perfect, but indispensable
Far from being an obsolete talk shop, ASEAN—now marking its 58th birthday on August 8, 2025—is still the single most important political mechanism preventing Southeast Asia…
Bangladesh must stop driving its talents away
The writer argues that with reforms, Bangladesh could nurture its own talents and reverse the tide.
Why is critical thinking not included in Bangladesh’s curriculum?
The writer says: "After 12 years of schooling, Bangladeshi students are emerging five years behind the global standard. That's not a learning gap, it's a canyon and not the grand…
What South Korea must see beyond US tariff deal
The agreement with the United States must be the beginning of a new chapter — one in which external pressure sparks internal reform and short-term compromise paves the way for…
Is the death penalty still relevant?
The writer says: "Malaysia’s abolition of all mandatory death sentences was a good first step. However, further reforms are needed."
Can shaming stop corruption?
According to the writer, the Philippines should feel embarrassed to be third from the bottom among the ASEAN countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index or CPI, the most…