Covering Policy Issues from South Asia
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Asia’s “best” GDP figures do not add up: Why you should not believe the Bangladesh government figures.0
- Blog
- February 22, 2021
joseph Allchin February 19, 2021 A picture of the rooftops in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, which generates about one fifth of the country’s GDP of the country. (Credit: zakir hossain chowdhury zakir/Alamy Live News) Not content with being labelled a human development star, Bangladesh followed with an altogether even more totemic crown: being labelled Asia’s
Mayanmar: Where were the protesters when the Rohingya were being murdered?0
- Blog
- February 21, 2021
Kenan Malik Myanmar’s coup has brought thousands on to the streets, but in 2017 they were empty Sun 21 Feb 2021 For almost three weeks there have been mass protests on the streets of Myanmar. On 1 February, the Tatmadaw, or military, moved against the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, claiming fraud in last
Russia Alleges US, Not Taliban, Breaching Afghan Peace Deal0
- Blog
- February 19, 2021
By Ayaz Gul February 17, 2021 FILE – Taliban peace negotiators in Qatar. ISLAMABAD – A top Russian diplomat says the Taliban insurgency is “flawlessly” adhering to the terms of a 2020 peace deal with the United States to help end the war in Afghanistan and is urging Washington not to renege on its commitments. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s
India, Canada and the new vaccine politics0
- Blog
- February 17, 2021
by GRANT WYETH 17 February 2021 As a pharmaceutical powerhouse, India finds it now holdsthe cards over Canada and what it sees as its irksome PM. The threat of wealthy countries hoarding vaccines for themselves and denying access to smaller and poorer countries has become the world’s primary cooperative concern. Yet how vaccine nationalism
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reconcile amid shifting alliances0
- Blog
- February 17, 2021
by Syed Fazl-e-Haider 17 February 2021 For Riyadh, the road to Beijing goes through a friendly Islamabad. As it feels the heat of a new administration in Washington, Saudi Arabia has put the brakes on further deterioration of relations with its long-time ally Pakistan. Riyadh had already withdrawn $2 billion out of a $3
Imran Khan’s address to Sri Lankan Parliament cancelled0
- Blog
- February 16, 2021
by Editor February 16, 2021 Imran Khan. Photo.Jawad Zakariya.Wikimedia Commons Share on WhatsApp By P. K. Balachandran/Daily Express Colombo, February 16: Sri Lanka has cancelled Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the Parliament, scheduled for February 24, citing COVID-19 constraints. Khan is set to arrive in Colombo for a two-day visit on February 22. Foreign
Commentary
MYANMAR’S MILITARY COUP AND A POTENTIAL CIVIL WAR: A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL TREATY AND CUSTOMARY OBLIGATIONS0
- Commentary
- February 22, 2021
by Tejas Sateesha Hinder 22 February 2021 Introductory Remarks Myanmar, by aiding and transferring militants, has violated its obligations under the Convention on the Rights and Duties of Duties of States in the Event of Civil Strife and Havana Convention on the Rights and Duties of States in the Event of Civil Strife. The
Turkey signals sweeping regional ambitions0
- Commentary
- February 22, 2021
By James M. Dorsey 22 February 2021 A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from South-eastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern
Elections in Bengal: Intense Political Battle Ahead0
- Commentary
- February 21, 2021
by Rajesh Kumar Sinha 21 February 2021 The state assembly elections are about to take place in five of the Indian states in the next few weeks. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry in the south and Assam and West Bengal in the east, will have the election process underway soon. Elections in India, are a
POLITICAL HYPOCRISY KNOWS NO BOUNDS OR BORDERS0
- Commentary, Featured
- February 20, 2021
by William Milam February 19, 2021 Just when I thought I had witnessed the ultimate in political hypocrisy at the end of Donald Trump’s historic and depressing impeachment trial, Sheikh Hasina – the prime minister of Bangladesh – has restored my faith that South Asian politicians can match any politician anywhere on the hypocrisy
India, Extremism and Terrorism0
- Commentary
- February 17, 2021
by Rabia Javed 18 February 2021 In South Asia, peace remains elusive due to several causes like religious extremism, radicalism, and fundamentalism from India.Post 9/11, India employed numerous policies to malign Pakistan for terror activities in the region. India always tried to sabotage peace in the region through different clandestine activities and this was
Saudi moderation has its limits0
- Commentary
- February 17, 2021
By James M. Dorsey 17 February 2021 Two recent reports documenting significant Saudi progress in countering ingrained religious anti-Jewish, anti-Christian and anti-Shiite supremacism as well as anti-Western and other xenophobic attitudes suggest the kingdom’s receptivity to external pressure as it endeavours to position itself as the leader of a vaguely defined ‘moderate’ form of Islam.
ISSN 2471-9501 (print)
ISSN 2471-951X (online)
Featured
Bangladesh: Torture, Custodial Deaths, and Unfair Trials after the 2009 Mutiny of the Bangladesh Rifles
www.hrw.org/ “The Fear Never Leaves Me” “The Fear Never Leaves Me” Map of Bangladesh Map of BDR Pilkhana Headquarters, Dhaka Summary Methodology I. The Bangladesh Rifles II. The February 25-26 Mutiny III. Abuses against Suspected Mutineers IV. Due Process and Fair Trials Concerns V. Recommendations Acknowledgements DOWNLOADS Download the full report Download the report in
POLITICAL HYPOCRISY KNOWS NO BOUNDS OR BORDERS
by William Milam February 19, 2021 Just when I thought I had witnessed the ultimate in political hypocrisy at the end of Donald Trump’s historic and depressing impeachment trial, Sheikh Hasina – the prime minister of Bangladesh – has restored my faith that South Asian politicians can match any politician anywhere on the hypocrisy
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