Asia
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Papua New Guinea’s Marape Government – a new approach to foreign investment?
The Marape government’s approach to foreign investment – and to governance generally – marks a significant, and welcome, shift away from the sometimes dubious deal-making that marked his predecessor’s approach…. Continue reading »
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Pompeo came to Indonesia, he saw, he scurried
Does anyone in Washington know anything about Indonesia? Clearly not, or White House staff would have urged State Secretary Mike Pompeo to enjoy fall in Washington. So there must be another reason for a 32,000 km round trip other than to escape Trump’s tirades…. Continue reading »
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Indonesia Can Lead the Way for ASEAN on US and China – Just say ‘No’ to both.
The U.S. has been pressing many Southeast Asian states to join it in its efforts to politically and militarily contain China. Indonesia – the de facto leader of ASEAN – can show the way for ASEAN members by just saying “no” to requests and actions from both the U.S. and China that it judges are contrary… Continue reading »
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The dangers of excessive foreign policy zeal in dealing with China.
We have displayed excessive zeal in embarking on wholesale policing of university agreements with foreign institutions, in the highly publicised raids on a third-tier Labor politician in Sydney who has no access to issues relevant to our national security, in the questioning of Chinese journalists here and, above all, in the much publicised attempt to… Continue reading »
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Securing an ‘Asian NATO’ or destabilising Korea relations? (EAF Oct 15, 2020)
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo intended to meet his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on 7 October. But the visit was cancelled after US President Donald Trump contracted Covid-19…. Continue reading »
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Protests against Indonesian economic reform: stability and a minimum wage have gone
Indonesian President Joko Widodo wants to snare foreign investors. They’re a wary lot. Though excited by big markets and the chance of bigger returns, they’re fearful of losing fortunes, and with good reason: Risk…. Continue reading »
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Forgotten East Timor: Island, principles, people
Did Gough Whitlam greenlight Indonesia’s violent seizure of East Timor in 1975? The invasion and 24-year occupation took the lives of up to 300,000 people in a population of 650,000 living on a wretchedly poor leftover from European colonisation…. Continue reading »
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Thailand’s political fault lines grow
The Bangkok student demonstrations over the past few weeks represent another of the manifestations of discontent about Thai governance, which, over the past couple of generations, have burst through the fault lines of the Thai polity…. Continue reading »
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Trump pressures South Korea over China
When most around the world had battened down the hatches for a rough ride through the last days of the US Presidential election campaign, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has become seriously preoccupied again with the Trump administration…. Continue reading »
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Japan’s New Leader, Suga Yoshihide, Will Maintain the Old Regime (Jacobin Sep 27, 2020)
Suga Yoshihide, longtime aide to Abe Shinzo, has now replaced him as Japan’s prime minister. Suga will preserve the main features of Abe’s long stint in power: creeping militarism, subordination to the US, and a high-handed approach to political opposition…. Continue reading »
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Asian voice: Wang Gungwu (East Asia Forum Oct 9, 2020)
Against the backdrop of the current tension between China and the United States, Wang Gungwu’s contribution to mutual understanding between East and West is more essential now than ever…. Continue reading »
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The comeback kid heads to Washington
Champions of Donald Trump’s style of politics will warm to Prabowo Subianto. They’ll understand why Washington is forgetting Indonesia’s Defence Minister was once banned from the US and Australia for alleged human rights abuses, and get onside with another tough…. Continue reading »
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Indonesia: keeping the communist myths flying
It’s that time of the year again when Indonesians look sideways at the neighbours, whisper about family histories, question loyalties…. Continue reading »
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Oh dear, what will the neighbours say?
Widodo’s lacklustre leadership – compounded by going soft on corruption and nuzzling up to the army – is opening space to big business, the military and faith fanatics with no interest in reform. This is worrying indeed and should be flashing alerts, particularly to Australia…. Continue reading »
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War crimes in Afghanistan: where will justice fall?
One year out from the 20th anniversary of the start of the Australian occupation of Afghanistan, a report is about to explode like a cluster bomb, showering shrapnel of guilt, denial, blame and even deep sorrow…. Continue reading »
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Widodo, a man of contradictions; a book review (Inside Indonesia Sep 9, 2020)
The complex research that Bland is demanding has existed for decades, and it is not too difficult to find…… Continue reading »
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The South China Sea: Grasping at Straws and Whistling Past the Graveyard
As their struggle for dominance in the region heats up, China and the U.S. are cranking up pressure on Southeast Asian countries to choose between them. As they become ever more desperate, officials and pundits are now ‘grasping at straws’ and ‘whistling past the graveyard’ in response to the rapidly deteriorating political situation in… Continue reading »
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Brave Thai students put government in a quandary
Student-led protesters in Bangkok are publicly demanding a fundamental change that was once merely thinkable – reform of the monarchy… Continue reading »
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So much potential, so much let go
PM Scott Morrison wants the right to cancel agreements (there are reported to be 130) between foreign governments and authorities outside Canberra if deemed ‘contrary to Australia’s national interests’.The prime target is said to be Victoria jogging down China’s One Belt, One Road, but beware elbowing state initiatives aside…. Continue reading »
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Australia’s policies towards China have little support in the region.
The Southeast Asian states see themselves as being in a region where China and Japan have the most influence, and where the US’s influence is declining. The foundations of Australia’s strategic logic are very shaky…. Continue reading »
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Japan’s Shinzo Abe Quits in Bid to ‘Escape’ Potential Prosecution (The Daily Beast Aug 28, 2020)
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, decided to resign Friday ostensibly because of his health, but also because he fears the unpleasant and unhealthy conditions of a Japanese prison…. Continue reading »
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The confusing and wasteful role of the States in our foreign relations
The role of the States in relations with foreign countries has been raised by Scott Morrison. It has an unfortunate anti-China ring about it but he is correct to assert the primacy of the Commonwealth in foreign relations. In Japan, in the late 1970’s I found state commissioners a pest. They confused Japanese ministers and… Continue reading »
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Making the paranormal the new normal
Last Monday was going to be the most spectacular splash of all, a grand semi sesquicentennial commemoration of Indonesia’s independence. Then came Covid19. While the Jakarta government promised a vaccine, others were relying on ritual…. Continue reading »
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Thailand’s students revive their tradition of protest
Thailand’s authorities so far are responding relatively calmly to the latest political protests. They need to: like all nations, Thailand has had enough shocks in 2020…. Continue reading »
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Rodrigo Duterte’s war on many fronts (East Asia Forum 9 August, 2020)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his penultimate State of the Nation Address as the onslaught of COVID-19 pandemic continues. Instead of providing a concrete plan to address the rise and spread of the virus, he used the opportunity to attack his political enemies and reiterate his declaration of a war on many fronts…. Continue reading »
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Why America shouldn’t have nuked Japan (Asia Times 6 August, 2020)
US belief that atomic bombings were necessary to obviate even deadlier invasion of Japan is as false 75 years later as it was at the time….The idea of a Soviet occupation of Japan was their worst nightmare…. Continue reading »
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Is Indonesia’s ‘dreamy idealist’ losing the plot?
Akhirnya! At last! Just in time for the 75th anniversary of the declaration of Indonesia’s independence next week (17 August) we’re starting to examine our big neighbour with some honesty…. Continue reading »
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Killing slowly to show love
WARNING: This article contains observations which some may find disturbing…. Continue reading »
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After AUSMIN: How to Ensure Strong Ties to the US and Asia
Following the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) on 28 July, former ambassador to Washington, John McCarthy, argues our strengthening alliance with the US does not preclude building closer relations with Asia, including a potential modus vivendi with China…. Continue reading »
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Malaysia: What’s Next with conviction of Najib Razak
After years of investigative exposés and legal wrangling, former Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty last Tuesday 28 July of serious crimes related to the 1MDB financial scandal…. Continue reading »
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