Covering Policy Issues from South Asia
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Bangladesh’s Escalated Anti-Drug Campaign Draws Fire from Rights Activists, Opposition0
- Blog
- May 24, 2018
Kamran Reza Chowdhury Dhaka 2018-05-23 Police in Barisal, Bangladesh, present suspected drug dealers who were arrested as part of an intensified nationwide crackdown against illegal drugs, May 23, 2018. BenarNews Bangladeshi rights activists and opposition politicians are criticizing as heavy handed this month’s intensified nationwide anti-drug crackdown in which, police agencies say, officers gunned down
At Kumaraswamy’s Swearing-In, Political Rivalries Set Aside For Fight Against BJP0
- Blog
- May 24, 2018
With party equations and alliances yet to be ironed out for the 2019 general election, the coming together of anti-BJP leaders at Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in will likely kickstart the battle to counter BJP nationally. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, BSP’s Mayawati, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
Electoral Tsunami for Malaysia0
- Blog
- May 24, 2018
Malaysians recover from the election shock, ending UMNO’s 60 years of power, and prepare for tougher job: ending corruption Philip Bowring Tuesday, May 22, 2018 Tsunami treasure: An electoral upset put the 92-year-old former Premier Mahathir Mohamad back in power; police haul away cartons of jewelry and other luxury items from defeated Prime Minister Najib
Managing Change in Myanmar: Policymaking after Dictatorship0
- Blog
- May 23, 2018
May 23, 2018 By Matthew Arnold As Myanmar’s fitful democratic transition moves forward, many observers are torn between early, high hopes for the end of military rule and a growing pessimism about wider democratic, economic, and social reforms. In the international community, much of this pessimism is a result of the dire and well-publicized situation in
How people become suicide bombers: the six steps to terrorism0
- Blog
- May 23, 2018
Anti-terror police guard the house of the family that detonated bombs in Surabaya, Indonesia, May 15 2018. Fully Handoko/EPA Robi Sugara, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Suicide bombings of three churches last week in Indonesia by a couple, Dita Oepriarto and Puji Kuswanti, who involved their children were the result of a long process
Religious persecution the new normal in India0
- Blog
- May 23, 2018
Religious persecution the new normal in India Fellow democracies that want India in a pan-Asian alliance are turning a blind eye to violence against Muslims and Christians Indian National Congress party activists hold placards and shout slogans against the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest in Kolkata on
Commentary
TAMIL NADU IN INDIA NOW ON SLIPPERY PATH0
- Commentary
- May 25, 2018
by N. S. Venkataraman 25/5/2018 In recent times, Tamil Nadu has been in the news for all wrong reasons. A few years back, investors and employees in Kerala and West Bengal, both those residing in the state or from outside the states, were reluctant to invest or seek employment in Kerala and
LOVE FOR POWER & AXIS OF EVILS0
- Commentary
- May 25, 2018
by F R Chowdhury 24/5/2018 We see in the history of civilization the lust for power to have control over others. In the old days, the kings and emperors conquered other territories to satisfy their ego and desire for power. In modern days it is not possible to conquer other lands. Now the appetite
ATTACK ON PAKISTAN’S INTERIOR MINISTER FOR BLASPHEMY ALLEGATION0
- Commentary
- May 24, 2018
An Islamist shot Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal under blasphemy allegation. About three decades ago, Iqbal’s mother was behind the controversial blasphemy law, which has been vigorously used against liberal Muslims and religious minorities, since its inception. The recent attack shows the level of growing militancy and religious intolerance, which is gripping the Islamic country
What to do with Pakistani militant Hafez Saeed? Pakistan and China grope for ambiguity0
- Commentary
- May 24, 2018
By James M. Dorsey 24/5/2018 Recent remarks by several senior Pakistani officials suggest that Pakistan and China are groping with how to deal with globally designated Pakistani militant Hafez Saeed as the South Asian nation gears up for elections expected in July and risks being next month put on an international terrorism finance
Why is the Taliban so strong?0
- Commentary
- May 23, 2018
MICHAEL KUGELMAN May 20, 201814:12 This past week, the Taliban entered the city of Farah, the capital of a province by the same name located in western Afghanistan. For a brief period, it took over several government buildings before being pushed out by Afghan ground forces and US airstrikes. The offensive marked one of the
An American’s letter to Sabika Sheikh0
- Commentary
- May 23, 2018
Michael KugelmanUpdated May 22, 2018 Dear Sabika, It’s been several days since the school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, where you, a 17-year-old Pakistani exchange student, were among the 10 victims. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about you from media reports and the moving testimonials from your family and friends. You were blessed
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Featured
The Rohingyas – Inside Myanmar’s Hidden Genocide, book review
The scale and nature of the violence unleashed by the Myanmar authorities against the Rohingya have prompted a top United Nations official to describe the operation as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Human Rights Watch has concurred, and Amnesty International has called for an investigation into these criminal acts. The violence, underpinned by the