Editor
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Why China won’t back off the South China Sea – whatever the world might say
July 14, 2016
Written by Jing Cheng. A much-anticipated ruling on the South China Sea dispute initiated against China by the Philippines finally came down – and unsurprisingly, the Hague-based international tribunal that judged it ruled in favour of the Philippines, rejecting China’s claims of historical rights to the sea’s resources. The Philippines welcomed the ruling, and celebrated …
Controlling the Media in Japan
July 11, 2016
Written by Griseldis Kirsch. “Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. No censorship shall be maintained, nor shall the secrecy of any means of communication be violated.” (Article 21, Constitution of Japan) In spite of this clear embracement of Freedom of Press, Japanese politicians, …
Philippine Democracy: Stuck at the Halfway House
June 28, 2016
Written by Basanta E. P. Thapa. The Philippines’ democracy is an unfinished project. The country’s strong civil society, which is usually considered a driving force of democratisation, has become a keeper of the status quo. A close look at three local chambers of commerce and industry and how they interact with their local governments makes …
Enforcing the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone Treaty
June 6, 2016
Written by Roland G. Simbulan All ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free ZoneTreaty (SEA-NWFZT) on 15 December1995 in Bangkok. The ‘Bangkok Treaty’, as it became known, entered into force on 28 March 1997. The NWFZT is considered a model for regional de-nuclearization. The treaty covers …
Survey Fatigue and the Search for ‘Good’ Data: post-disaster strategies
June 2, 2016
Written by Claire L. Berja. Leyte in the Eastern Visayas of the Philippines was one of the areas hardest hit by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Tacloban, the city that became the ‘poster town’ of the disaster, is located in Leyte facing the Pacific Ocean at the head of the Leyte Gulf. Leyte is one of …
World Humanitarian Summit- a new way of solving the old problem?
May 24, 2016
Written by May Tan-Mullins. I am not a fan of big summits and conferences. I find it a waste of time and money, which could be better used to help the world’s poor, sick, hungry and insecure. However, big summits are becoming a necessity in today’s globalized world, to harness global leaders and institutions, to …
Indian state elections give Modi a boost – but the country is fracturing
May 23, 2016
Written by Anderson Jeremiah. On the face of it, the results of elections in four important Indian states seem like an endorsement of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and his Baratiya Janata Party (BJP). But scratch the surface, and plenty of other forces are there: anti-incumbency feeling, the rise of Hindu political identity in general, …
Modi fights to strengthen his hand in India’s state elections
May 16, 2016
Written by Ipshita Basu. Elections to the state legislative assemblies have just got underway in India. Throughout April and May, voters in five of the country’s 29 states will nominate representatives to the country’s Upper House of Parliament. And for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these elections will be decisive in determining how much influence his …
Philippines 2016: How ‘Dutertismo’ can make a difference
May 11, 2016
Written by Roland G. Simbulan. The clear mandate given by the Filipino electorate for Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the next president of the Philippines in the 2016 elections is a clear signal that the nation urgently seeks meaningful social change. The Commission on Elections estimates that 84% of voters participated in the 2016 elections, …
Top 5 Things to Expect of a Duterte Presidency
Written by Vladimir Guevarra. Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency is upon us. The stance of the tough-talking mayor of Davao city on crime and corruption is pretty clear, but his policies on the economy are less so. Here’s the outlook for the Philippines under Duterte over the next six years: #1 On Society – Expect more discipline …
