ASEAN needs a makeover
It is time to ditch consensus rules and equip states with the means to address regional crises The military coup in Myanmar and its violent …
Divided ASEAN must act to halt Myanmar’s slide toward collapse
Path to effective collective action lies in casting off long-standing aversions Michael Vatikiotis published in Nikkei Asia, 5 March 2021 https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Divided-ASEAN-must-halt-Myanmar-s-slide-toward-collapse The Association of Southeast …
Biden’s Asian pivot – will it work?
To defend its primacy in the region, the US should look more to using soft-power strategies. It should not be reduced to simply containing China’s …
Announcing “Lives Between the Lines: A Journey in Search of the Lost Levant”
For release on 29 January 2021 WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON TO PUBLISH ‘LIVES BETWEEN THE LINES: A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF THE LOST LEVANT’ BY MICHAEL …
In the post-pandemic conflicts to come, Asia will have to fend for itself
NOTE: First published in the South China Morning Post on 25 May 2020 With the scale and impact of the coronavirus pandemic, we are told …
Coronavirus is paving the way for a return to military rule in Asia
NOTE: This article was published in the South China Post on 4 April 2020. I am re-posting today because it seems to be even more …
Towards a new colonial era
China and the US demands weaker countries take sides or face retaliation The worry is that much as the colonial powers did centuries ago, both …
Southeast Asia Stumbles Over Politics
These are challenging times for Southeast Asia. Despite buoyant economies, healthy investment and growing trade ties, predictability and certainty in the political sphere seem elusive …
Speaking of the Future: Presentation to the World Indonesianist Forum, October 2018
To help Indonesia cope with the future, Indonesians, especially the younger generation, need a better understanding of their past. Across the world, I sense that …
Review of “Blood and Silk” from the South China Morning Post
Book review – Blood & Silk: Power & Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia offers a bleak prognosis for region’s future By Salil Tripathi Author Michael …