Covering Policy Issues from South Asia
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Myanmar panel claims soldiers possibly committed war crimes, but not genocide, against Rohingyas0
- Blog
- January 22, 2020
scroll.in | Jan 21, 2020 The International Court of Justice is expected to rule on a genocide case against the country on Thursday. A Myanmar government-appointed panel on Monday established that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that members of the security forces were among “multiple actors” who committed possible war crimes against the Rohingya
Afghanistan’s Borderlands: Unruly, Unruled, and Central to Peace0
- Blog
- January 22, 2020
The Asia Foundation January 21, 2020 By Adrian Morel In Games without Rules, author and former Asia Foundation colleague Tamim Ansary argues that bringing rural Afghanistan under centralized rule has been the defining challenge of the Afghan state since the reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani in the 18th century. He debunks the colonial myth of
India: Supreme Court’s hearing-as-usual approach on CAA shows Indians need to go back to streets0
- Blog
- January 22, 2020
Supreme Court order marks the completion of the first phase of the anti-CAA-NRC-NPR movement. Here’s what Indians should do now in the second phase. YOGENDRA YADAV 22 January, 2020 Just four days before the 70th anniversary of the Republic of India, the Supreme Court has served a grim reminder. The battle to reclaim the republic will have to be fought by
Iran’s State Media Distort Western News Coverage of Rare Khamenei Sermon0
- Blog
- January 21, 2020
Voice of America – English By Michael Lipin, Mehdi Jedinia January 18, 2020 Iranian state media have given a distorted view of Western news coverage of a rare public sermon by Iran’s supreme leader, ignoring how Western outlets highlighted perceived shortcomings in his responses to domestic problems. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led Friday prayers in Tehran
From Modi to Imran Khan, Trump’s visit to Delhi holds a victory for all sides0
- Blog
- January 21, 2020
New Delhi is chuffed over the positive reports from envoys who visited J&K. What the government needs now is a Modi-Trump hug to take care of anti-CAA protest images. Jyoti Malhotra 21 January, 2020 The Narendra Modi government has unveiled a number of initiatives over the last week, all pointing to the culmination of one big
Sri Lanka diplomatic pendulum swinging back?0
- Blog
- January 20, 2020
New interest in India, while China for years has been widening its footprint with transport projects By AT Contributor, Colombo Sri Lanka and India vowed to strengthen military ties and widen maritime links with neighbors after security talks, the president’s office said Sunday, as China’s economic clout increases in the region. China, a long-time regional
Commentary
How well equipped is Pakistan Military for modern warfare0
- Commentary
- January 19, 2020
by Kashif Mehmood 19 January 2020 The Post Balakot episode of 27 Feb, 2019 was an eye Opener for the people sitting at the helm of affairs in New Delhi , the Military masterminds of India and the Defense top brass . Apparently un-nerved, composed on TV screens and going with the usual rhetoric of
STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH A BANG AND A WHIMPER0
- Commentary
- January 19, 2020
by William Milam 19 January 2020 I was disconnected, electronically and, to some extent psychologically, from current events during December. I have now reconnected, and being so has its downsides. As I came back online, President Trump had another brain cramp and appeared to be preparing to start a war with Iran. I guess we
Escalating to De-Escalate – From Balakot to Ain al-Asad0
- Commentary
- January 19, 2020
By Waqas Jan 18 January 2020 With tensions between the United States and Iran dramatically escalating just days into the new year, the risks of a new and even more damaging war erupting in the Middle East have once again reached worrying levels. This was sparked by the brazen US drone strike which targeted General
Strategic stability in the new decade: Ports of Asia in a period of escalation0
- Commentary
- January 19, 2020
by ASANGA ABEYAGOONASEKERA 19 January 2020 “The previous Government gave it [Hambanthota Port] on a 99-year lease, and even though China is a good friend of ours and we need their assistance for development, I am not afraid to say that was a mistake.” Gotabaya Rajapaksa[i] 2020 dawns with a US airstrike. The significance of
Unforgettable Zia, As I Knew Him0
- Commentary, Issue 29 – Summer 2019
- January 18, 2020
By R Chowdhury 23 May 2019 Following my escape from Pakistan Army in 1971, I was posted to Z Force of Colonel Ziaur Rahman in the eastern theater of the Bangladesh liberation war. The nearly 20-day journey took me from Lahore to Khem Karan to Rajoke to Ferozepur to Delhi to Kolkata to Agartala and
Bangladesh: The Quagmire Of The CAA And The NRC0
- Commentary
- January 17, 2020
January 17, 2020 Those who will not reason are bigots, those who cannot are fools and those who dare not are slaves. ~Lord Byron by Sabria Chowdhury Balland 17 January 2020 Recent political developments in India have opened up a Pandora’s box, to say the least. These developments are overtly targeting the country’s largest minority,
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Featured
The Baghdad Air Strike: Pre-emptive self-defence or Assassination?
By Devansh Kaushik | January 9, 2020 Introduction In the early hours of January 3, missiles launched by a USAF MQ9 Reaper slammed into a convoy exiting the Baghdad International Airport, killing Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, deputy commander of an Iraqi militia. General Soleimani was the leader of the elite
Indian Muslims: Are they ‘invaders’, ‘scumbags’ or equal citizens?
By Adil Khan Broadly speaking most Indian Hindus seem to entertain three perceptions vis-à-vis the Indian Muslims – that Muslims are: (i) ‘invaders’ and thus have no place in Hindu India; (ii) ‘scumbags’, liars, cheats and terrorists and thus be shunned; and finally, to some (iii) they are equal citizens and thus be treated accordingly.