ROBERT BORN WRITES– Sunday, March 24, marked the first time in five years that the Thai government allowed an election years after promising one. In 2014, a military coup removed the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s party–then headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Since then, the military junta…
Full Article THAILAND: Free and Fair Elections? Not So Fast – OR TOO SLOW?
Indonesia, which has long prided itself on being a secular nation, is now seeing a rise in the voices and power of Islamists. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (BTP), the Chinese-Indonesian politician and former governor of Jakarta, was convicted of blasphemy for insulting the Quran when he suggested that practicing Muslims…
Full Article INDONESIA: LOBBYING FOR A MUSLIM NATION?
JAMES ROYCE WRITES — After one of the longest election campaigns in national history, fittingly concluded with a week-long results-counting cliff hanger, Australia is welcoming back Malcolm Turnbull as its 29th prime minister. Despite running both a widely criticized and altogether lackluster campaign, Turnbull and his Coalition successfully scraped back…
Full Article AUSTRALIA: Welcome Back Malcolm, Now Get To Work.
Editor’s Note: On 27 June, we published the following analysis of the very important nationwide elections in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation – and a secular democracy with more Muslim citizens (by far) than any other country. Our analysis concluded with an endorsement for president in that contest.…
Full Article Asia Media and the Indonesian Presidential ElectionLAUREN CHEN WRITES – Media censorship in Hong Kong is on the rise, but it’s not just press freedom that’s at stake. Instead, say Samson Yuen and Kitty Ho of The Diplomat, at risk are the core values that have until now let the “Pearl of the Orient” shine. And it begs…
Full Article HONG KONG: One Country, One System?VITTO BANEZ WRITES – With Afghan elections around the corner, it’s no surprise that the Taliban have something to say. On March 10, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghans should sit out the elections, because they’re “an American conspiracy” cooked up by the U.S. for its own evil purposes. Evil…
Full Article AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Causes Trouble for Presidential ElectionsBRIAN CANAVE WRITES – A tide of anger is rising between the Philippines and Taiwan after the Filipino Coast Guard shot and killed a Taiwanese fisherman in the strait of the South China Sea separating the two nations. Since the shooting in the middle of May, media in the Philippines,…
Full Article TAIWAN: Death of Fisherman Sparks Tension with PhilippinesAsia Media staff writer Latifah RahmDel files this from Al Ain, Abu Dhabi — On Tuesday November 6, believe it or not, America wasn’t the only country bracing itself for an historical moment- so was the rest of the world! I was invited to watch the U.S. presidential election results…
Full Article UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Watching the Election from AfarThere is no doubt that the recent elections in Taiwan have sparked a fire of controversy in the days following, as media personnel dispute the influence of both China and the U.S. on the election results.
Full Article TAIWAN: Reporter Bares Pain of Election Results