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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.
March 17, 2020
A Rare Rights Victory in China
By Shen Tingting
NGOs helped convince China to end the arbitrary detention of sex workers. A crackdown on civil society will make future reforms harder.
March 17, 2020
Democracy? Autocracy? Coronavirus Doesn’t Care.
By Maylin Meisenheimer
Capacity for governance best predicts the performance countries have against the coronavirus.
March 17, 2020
Did Vietnam’s Maritime Militia Really Swarm a China Military Base ?
By Do Thanh Hai
Though recent allegations raise more questions than they provide answers, they should reinforce the need for greater transparency in the South China Sea.
March 15, 2020
Battling COVID-19, One TikTok Challenge at a Time
By Dymples Leong
From China to Vietnam, the battle against misinformation on Generation Z's favorite social media platform continues.
March 11, 2020
Even Coronavirus Couldn’t Stop the 2nd US Carrier Visit to Vietnam
By Christopher Sharman
Mutual willingness to proceed with the visit indicates that the trust between Washington and Hanoi has reached a new level.
March 10, 2020
Japan’s Misguided Alliance With Myanmar’s Abusive Military
By Teppei Kasai
While other democracies have recoiled in horror, Japan has continued to pour overseas aid into Myanmar.
March 10, 2020
The Legitimacy of the Afghan Government Post-Election and After the US-Taliban Deal
By Najibullah Noorzai
How can the Afghan government revive its legitimacy ahead of the intra-Afghan peace talks?
March 09, 2020
ASEAN Must Do More to Help the Rohingyas
By Kasit Piromya
ASEAN must move from aid to rights advocacy in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
March 09, 2020
The World Sees a Public Health Crisis. Beijing Sees a Political Threat.
By Sarah Cook
Amid the coronavirus epidemic, suppression of dissent remains a top priority for the CCP, and the stakes are higher than ever.
March 07, 2020
Afghan and Burmese Women: Sisters in the Universal Struggle for Human Rights
By Kamal Ahmad and Farhat Popal
It is essential that the international community continue to invest in women and girls around the world.
March 06, 2020
The US-Taliban Deal Ignores Human Rights and Women
By Farahnaz Ispahani
The Trump administration's deal with the Taliban ignores human rights concerns.
March 06, 2020
The World Must Respond to Hong Kong’s Latest Politicized Arrests
By Benedict Rogers
Arresting mainstream politicians and a media mogul for peaceful protest marks a sharp escalation in the assault on Hong Kong’s freedoms.