China  / India  / Indo-Pacific  / South Asia  / Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Has Become a China-India Great Power Battleground
August 31, 2022

Since last month, the Yuan Wang 5, a Chinese satellite-tracking vessel, has been slowly sailing from Chinese waters to the Hambantota Port on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Just months ago, when Sri Lanka was still under the leadership of the Rajapaksas, a political family that had ruled the Sri Lankan ethnocracy for almost two decades, allowing the 730-foot-long Chinese naval ship into port would not have generated as much attention. However, with the small island state suffering its worst economic crisis on record, its indebtedness to Beijing an economic albatross around its neck, and geopolitical tensions between India and China increasing, the ship’s arrival generated plenty of alarm.


Southeast Asia  / Thailand
The Thai PM’s Future Is in the Hands of a Favorable and Predictable Court
August 25, 2022

After Wednesday’s Constitutional Court ruling, Prayut Chan-o-cha stepped down as Thailand’s prime minister, giving way to caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who has, since the planning of the May 2014 coup that brought them both to power, been his deputy. Long regarded as the architect of the military-backed putsch, Prawit takes the helm tarred by past scandals, sporting a poor image with the Thai public, and having been associated with a government that has been hounded by protests and political upheaval. Since the ruling, journalists and commentators speculated on what the Constitutional Court’s decision means for Thailand, for Prayut himself, and for a ruling coalition that has faced a slew of political challenges


East Asia  / Japan
Abe Shinzo Excelled at Foreign Policy, But He Failed Women Badly
August 4, 2022

A lone gunman claimed the life of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on July 8, shocking a largely violence-free nation. Tributes poured in from all over the world and commentators in many countries praised Abe’s enormous contributions to foreign policy, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where Japan under his leadership has emerged as a critical regional power. In remembering Abe, however, little has been said about his domestic legacy. On the surface, Abenomics brought about an era of quantitative easing and relatively low unemployment. Abe promised to boost productivity and bring solutions to Japan’s aging society. And while exports grew and Japan had long stretches of positive economic growth, an essential segment of Japan’s population was left largely behind: women.


Cambodia  / Japan  / Myanmar  / Southeast Asia  / Thailand
Abe’s diplomacy in Southeast Asia leaves a lasting legacy
July 22, 2022

In eulogies and memorial commentaries that followed the death of former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated by a homemade shotgun in the city of Nara in July, scholars and statesmen have stressed the importance of his Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. Some have even credited him with inventing the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. Yet few have properly addressed Abe’s legacy in Southeast Asia. Abe, like many prime ministers before him, had always shown a keen interest in the region. Japan understood the significance of Southeast Asia to Japan’s post-war economic growth, as well as the political ties that would be essential to the maintenance of Japanese security.


Southeast Asia  / Thailand
Chuwit neglects the heavy social and economic costs associated with casinos
July 8, 2022

Recently former politician and massage parlor tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit suggested that Thailand, ailing from the after effects of COVID-19, should legalize gambling and encourage the opening of casinos, as a part of an all-inclusive “entertainment complex.” In an effort to offer Thailand’s many visitors a more unique experience, Chuwit recommended four locations: Pattaya, Koh Larn, Bangkok and Phuket, each with its own array of services, including cocktail lounges, massage parlors, and assorted entertainment, including amusement parks. The idea, in principle, is to broaden Thailand’s tourism offerings and boost badly needed revenue for national and local governments. But there’s a flaw in Chuwit’s gambit to loosen Thailand’s grip on one of society’s many vices. It’s a terrible idea.


Africa  / China  / India  / Indo-Pacific  / Russia
BRICS: China Remains the Primary Challenge for India
July 4, 2022

With the world’s attention focused squarely on Ukraine, the leaders of the five BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – met virtually at the 14th Summit, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. While some of the focus of the meeting was centered on the possibility of expanding the group into Iran, Argentina, and/or Pakistan, India was able to steer clear of the rancor raised by their Chinese and Russian counterparts at Western countries, instead focusing mainly on the humanitarian situation unfolding in Ukraine. Modi, who met with G7 leaders in southern Germany, managed to avoid the diplomatic pitfalls that would have been injurious to India’s relationship with the United States. Likewise, refraining from joining the Western chorus on Russia while knowing Moscow would be the principal target of criticism at the G7 allowed India to balance two delicate bilateral relationships.


Cambodia  / Southeast Asia  / Thailand  / United States
Biden’s new economic framework holds slow gains for Southeast Asia
June 29, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged a “new era” of U.S.–ASEAN ties. While Southeast Asian states like Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia announced their interest in Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the economic gains from the framework could be a long time coming. Biden launched the IPEF while on a late May visit to Tokyo, describing it as “writing the new rules for the 21st century economy.” Almost five years after the United States withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the new IPEF has 13 participant countries and aims to revitalise American economic interest in the Indo-Pacific region, providing a reasonable alternative to China.


Southeast Asia  / Thailand
Chadchart should work to widen Bangkok’s civic spaces
June 29, 2022

Last week, newly-elected Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt signed an order that declared seven public areas as suitable venues for public demonstrations, including the Bangkok Youth Center, Lan Khon Mueang Town Square, an area under the Ratchavipha Bridge, and four others. Chadchart had suggested that designating the seven areas would both ease the impacts of protests on Bangkok’s commuters, as well as keep protesters safe. Protesters would need to give at least 24 hours notice before the city can authorize and prepare for them.


Southeast Asia  / Thailand
Elephant welfare in Thailand: a growing ethical, political, and cultural concern
June 17, 2022

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, the tourist-driven economy elevated the use of elephants for the amusement of visitors and the profits of owners. In the space between the pandemic and slow economic recovery, several stories have emerged about the plight of elephants, both those privately owned and in the wild.  In 2019, a baby elephant named Ploy in the training village of Ban Ta Klang in Surin province was photographed in chains, with its trainer holding a daunting rod, supposedly used in training the animal to perform a variety of tricks. Earlier this year, also in Surin, a baby elephant named Pho Jai was forcibly made to dance at a monk ordination ceremony.


China  / East Asia  / Indo-Pacific  / Japan  / Taiwan  / United States
How Engaged Was China at the Shangri-La Dialogue?
June 16, 2022

It was in 2007 that the Shangri-La Dialogue came into its own, with China and the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific at the center of its discussion. While China didn’t send ministerial-level officials, Vice Minister and Lt. Gen. Zhang Qinsheng’s presence at the 2007 Dialogue suggested that Beijing viewed the forum as an opportunity to advance its public diplomacy and demonstrate China’s ability to be more transparent and inclusive about its operations in the South China Sea and beyond. Zhang’s speech, in which he declared that China’s “peaceful development is not a makeshift, but a serious choice and pledge of the Chinese government and people,” hinted at the same.