Accepting migrants in South Korea
As an ethnolinguistic state, South Korea is in a similar position to many Western European nations during the first wave of postwar migration. Migrants are accepted mainly for…
OPINION
What Trump augurs for Sino-US ties
Trump's approach to China has been both consistent and, well, simplistic. On the one hand, he has long blamed weak US policy toward China as responsible for the decline of…
Duterte, Trump, and the question of ‘fascism’
Perhaps no thinker has better described what we are confronting in our era than the Italian philosopher Umberto Eco, who forwarded the concept of “Ur-Fascism,” namely a less…
The significance of synchronising foreign and defence policies
The complexity of the security environment in which Indonesia operates necessitates the establishment of high-level, regular channels of coordination between foreign and defense…
Myanmar looks more like ASEAN’s Syria than a democracy-in-waiting
Over the past three years since the Myanmar military seized power, the armed conflicts have morphed into a civil war, with anti-junta groups fighting for their own interests…
What’s in BRICS for us?
The rising economic power of BRICS spells opportunities to diversify our trade beyond traditional markets like the US and Japan.
Divided nation chooses US president in a bitter, closely fought race
Today, Americans go to the polls to choose their president, as well as winners in a slew of Congressional and local races. The US and the world await their verdict with bated…
Mail-in, early ballots to decide US polls
A good number, about 68 million—per a Nov. 1 CBS News report—have mailed their ballots or have voted early in person. Their counting, however, will be made together with the…
Myanmar’s prolonged debacle: What is the endgame?
The government of President Prabowo could offer a fresh outlook on resolving the Myanmar crisis, perhaps in a third-party role, considering that our two countries share a similar…
Dynastic politics undermines institutions and the very notion of meritocracy
Pakistan's politics is still dominated by dynasties and family networks that manage to retain their grip over the country’s top political offices and a significant number of…