Blog
The Debate
The Debate is our home for the best opinions from around Asia. Whether it is negotiating with Iran, responding to North Korean provocations, discussing Japan's looming demographic issues, or considering the new balance of power in the Asia-Pacific, some of the region's leading thinkers offer their take.
The Urgent Need to Advance Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering Laws
By Andrew Jackson and Philip Citowicki
Australia is 8 years late in fulfilling a promise to expand its anti-money laundering laws.
How the US Can Make up Lost Ground in Solomon Islands
By Eileen Natuzzi
The United States must do more than “be visible” in Solomon Islands; it must actually make a difference in people’s lives.
Agent Orange in Vietnam: Legality and US Insensitivity
By Phan Xuan Dung
The U.S. government's claims that it has never deployed chemical weapons has rankled Vietnamese netizens.
Tackling the Pandemic of Inequality in Asia and the Pacific
By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the circumstances of those already being left behind. At the same time, COVID-19 has created a generational opportunity to build a more equitable and sustainable world.
Carrie Lam’s Departure Signals a Further Crackdown in Hong Kong
By Joey Siu
Lam’s replacement was a key demand of the 2019 protests, but no one should be celebrating her announced retirement now.
Look to Hong Kong, Not Ukraine, For Signals About China’s Taiwan Plans
By Dennis Kwok and Johnny Patterson
Few took it seriously when Xi Jinping first said he would consolidate control over Hong Kong. We must not make the same mistake when analyzing Xi's plans for Taiwan.
How the Candlelight Party Can Restore Political Pluralism to Cambodia
By Sam Rainsy
Since the banning of the Cambodia National Rescue Party in 2017, an old party has kept its flame burning.
Sri Lanka and the Neocolonialism of the IMF
By Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan
Sri Lanka has few options other than an IMF bailout. But engagement with neocolonial international financial institutions is actually one of the causes of Sri Lanka's economic woes.
At Long Last, Signs of Justice for 1997 Cambodia Massacre
By Brad Adams
The brazen attack in broad daylight 25 years ago has ingrained impunity in Cambodia more than any other single act in the country’s post-Khmer Rouge history.
Will the War in Ukraine Turn Russia Into an ‘Asian’ Country?
By Xiaochen Su
With Europe’s near-complete rejection of the Ukraine invasion, will Russia start to embrace a new, Asian identity?
Japan and Australia Should Sanction the Myanmar Military
By Elaine Pearson and Teppei Kasai
Betting on ASEAN’s fruitless diplomacy undermines international action.
Why Indonesia Should Stand With Ukraine
By Edward Parker
In an increasingly turbulent global strategic environment, it is high time for Indonesia to get off the fence.