FROM A BYSTANDER
Aung San Suu Kyi at ICJ / Nobel peace laureate will defend genocide
The Myanmar military and the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi are literally between a rock and a hard place. Two cases of violation of the Genocide Convention filed against Myanmar have shaken its leaders.
Hongkongers’ search for an identity
Protests and demonstrations are not new in Hong Kong. Even before returning to Chinese control in 1997, Hongkongers had demonstrated on different demands. When Chief Executive Carrie Lam wanted to push an extradition bill—that would allow both Hong Kong residents and visitors to be sent to China for trial—through the Legislative Council in March, it immediately triggered criticism and protests, particularly from the millennials of Hong Kong, demanding immediate withdrawal of the law. It is not surprising that the current protests that began in June continues with violent weekend street battles with the police.
Recounting the Brexit drama in five acts
It’s been more than three years that the Brexit drama is being enacted in Britain—dividing the country, its political parties and the parliament.
Will the US-Iran relations ever normalise?
It is amazing that the United States and Iran have maintained an extremely bellicose relation for the past four decades, much to the anxiety of nations of the Middle East. It all began when the Islamic Republic of Iran was proclaimed under Imam Ayatollah Ruhollah
G7 Summit: Semblance of unity
The two-day 45th G7 Summit concluded recently at the French resort in Biarritz. What was unusual this time was the fact that the summit ended without issuing a final communique, essentially because there was hardly any consensus on any of the major issues
Hong Kong Protest / Beijing’s Catch-22
It’s been just 22 years since Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, after 156 years of British colonial rule. Recent events in Hong Kong suggest that the long British rule has left considerable English influence on the ethnic Chinese of the region. Though the older English-speaking generation is on the wane, the young English-speaking millennials seem to be spearheading a political movement for democracy and social justice.
Will the Rohingyas ever return to Myanmar?
Since the massive exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine to Bangladesh in 2017, a lot has been written and said about the plight of these unfortunate people. After nearly two years, it appears that the outraged world community has forgotten about this persecuted ethnic minority.
Dawn of the second phase of Arab Spring
The second phase of Arab Spring has dawned on the Arab world. It is not a surprise that people in Algeria and Sudan have risen to demand changes in the leadership in their countries, while Libya is also locked in serious conflict over who should rule the country.
President Obama's TPP is as good as dead
Nobel Laureate President Barack Obama wanted to leave behind three foreign policy legacies – the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal (TPP), the Iran nuclear deal and the normalisation of relations with Cuba. Sadly, TPP is now as good as dead.
Modi's war on blackmoney
Midway Through his tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared war against blackmoney holders. On November 8 he declared Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination were no longer legal tenders.
Populism carries Trump to presidency
Will he [Donald Trump] carry out all the threats he made during the campaign? What will he do for the powerless groups in the American society? That is something we shall have to wait and see.
Rohingya crisis deepens in restive Rakhine
The incident is a serious challenge to Suu Kyi's fledgling democracy as she tries to establish civilian authority over the powerful military. The military continues to ignore Suu Kyi's call to abide by the rule of law and respect human rights.
Trump threatens to challenge election results if he loses
The American Federal Election Commission (FEC) has already started the Presidential Election process, which will culminate on November 8, 2016.
Goa BRICS Summit
India hosted the eighth BRICS summit in Goa on October 15-16 amid much fanfare. The group was formed with five major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - with a view to challenging the existing global financial architecture (World Bank, IMF, etc) dominated by the West, particularly the US. These five economies - representing 43 percent of world population, 30 percent of global GDP (over USD 17 trillion) and 17 percent of world trade - held its first summit in Russia in June 2009.
Antonio Guterres - The next UN Secretary General
The hunt for a successor to Ban Ki-moon has come an end at Turtle Bay, New York. Ban Ki-moon completes his second five-year term by the end of December 2016. As the 71st General Assembly went into session, UN corridors were abuzz with three issues –
Jingoism should not get out of hand
Over the past couple of weeks, relations between India and Pakistan have taken a nasty turn. Rhetoric emerging from Delhi and Islamabad has not only deeply worried people in the sub-continent, but also leaders around the world. The heightened military tension between the two nuclear neighbours of South Asia did not come suddenly. It was in the making since July, 2016.
Can Kofi Annan restore Rohingya rights in Myanmar?
There seems to be a very thin light of hope that the lot of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state of Myanmar may change for the better.
China takes its place on the international stage
China hosted the 11th G20 summit from September 4-5, 2016 at Hangzhou for the first time since the group formally started holding