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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.
How China Games the Universal Periodic Review System
By Renee Xia and William Nee
China will try to manipulate a U.N. human rights review in January. States can’t let that happen.
Bombing Revives Fears of Islamist Militancy in the Philippines
By Georgi Engelbrecht
The December 3 bombing of a Catholic mass in Marawi City was an ominous warning as the Bangsamoro peace process approaches a crucial juncture.
Hong Kong’s Dismal December
By Benedict Rogers
The oppression of rights and political participation in Hong Kong marked new milestones at the end of 2023. The international community must hold Beijing to account at its upcoming UPR.
A Legitimate Election in Bangladesh Depends on a Free Press
By Gypsy Guillén Kaiser and Angelita Baeyens
Journalists, whose daily reports are the lifeblood of information flows that make dynamic economies possible, risk being silenced in an amplified government crackdown.
UNESCO Has Failed to Prevent Forced Evictions at Angkor Wat
By Sambath Reth
The rights group Amnesty International claims that thousands of families have been evicted from the world-famous temples over the past year.
A New Era of Japan-ASEAN Relations
By SUKEGAWA Seiya
‘Trust’ and ‘Mutual Benefit’ are the watchwords.
Setting the Record Straight: The KMT Defense Blueprint for Taiwan
By Howard Shen
If elected, Hou Yu-ih plans to publish Taiwan’s first National Security Strategy within the first ten months of the presidency.
How the Global Refugee Forum Can Help End Afghanistan’s Refugee Crisis
By M. Ashraf Haidari
Ultimately, restoring sustainable peace in Afghanistan is the only durable solution to the plight of its refugees. But there is much that can be done to work toward that goal and help people now.
Japan-South Korea Cooperation Rests on the Rule of Law
By Jason Morgan and Kenji Yoshida
South Korea’s erratic court rulings and disharmony in the justice system are jeopardizing its bilateral relations with Japan.
Remember the Uyghur Genocide on the 75th Anniversary of the 1948 Genocide Convention
By Omer Kanat
The pivot toward engagement with China by stalwart advocates of Uyghur rights like the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom is concerning.
Centering Human Rights at the Heart of Diplomatic Efforts for Intra-Afghan Dialogue
By Nazifa Haqpal
Afghanistan has became “ground-zero for human rights and a graveyard of international norms.”
A Year Behind Bars: Release Tajikistani Human Rights Defender Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov
By Alva Omarova
On December 9, 2022, after a closed-door trial, the lawyer and human rights defender was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.