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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.
On International Women’s Day There Is Nothing for Uyghur Women to Celebrate
By Zubayra Shamseden
The Chinese state has gone to extraordinary lengths to cover up the suffering of Uyghur women.
Uyghurs Stand With Ukrainians
By Omer Kanat
All of us who have our liberty must do better in ending the nightmares of people under assault, wherever they are.
Malaysia Should Scrap the Death Penalty Once and For All
By Brian Yap
The move would send a strong signal to other Southeast Asian governments.
Singapore’s PAP: The Politics of Dominance
By Shashi Jayakumar
What factors best explain the remarkable longevity of the People's Action Party?
Uzbekistan Should Stop Harassing, Jailing Bloggers
By Svetlana Vorobyeva
Several bloggers have been deprived of their liberty because they used social media platforms to air criticisms in Uzbekistan.
The West Shouldn’t Push India to Condemn Russia
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Instead of lecturing India, the West should take India’s interests seriously and make better offers to New Delhi than Moscow does.
Living and Dying for Rice in North Korea
By Doohyun Kim
The world must send food aid, specifically rice, to North Korea to avoid a humanitarian disaster.
For Vietnam, Climate Justice Means Tackling Disparities Globally and at Home
By Kanni Wignaraja and Caitlin Wiesen
For middle-income countries like Vietnam climate change mitigation cannot come at the expense economic development and improving the lives of the poor.
Biden’s Afghanistan Policy Pleases No One. But Some Critics Are Wrong Too.
By Jasmine Bhatia and Sarajuddin Isar
Both proponents and critics of the controversial decision to order the unfreezing and splitting of Afghanistan’s foreign reserves are getting it wrong.
It’s Time to Put the DOJ’s China Initiative on Trial
By Dai Huizhong
The DOJ's efforts to combat Chinese espionage have not made America safer -- quite the opposite.
Building a Just Peace for Women in Pakistan’s Tribal Belt
By Shehryar Fazli
The renewed militancy prompted by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan threatens hard-won gains for the women of northwest Pakistan.
The UN Shouldn’t Let the Olympics’ Celebration of Uyghur Repression Go Unchallenged
By Sophie Richardson
Where is the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report detailing human rights violations against Uyghurs?