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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.
The Rohingya Trapped on a Remote Tropical Island
By Zaw Win
Thousands of Rohingya refugees have been relocated to Bhasan Char, which is closer to an island prison than an appropriate location for resettlement.
Cambodia’s Myanmar Crisis Diplomacy: Give Talks a Chance
By Sao Phal Niseiy
As unpalatable as it sounds, political dialogue with the military offers the best route out of the country's political and humanitarian crisis.
The US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Still Has Serious Flaws
By Pierfilippo M. Natta
Uyghur rights should come ahead of corporations' profit. Not according to the U.S. legislature.
Workers’ Rights Denied in Kazakhstan: Zhanaozen’s Legacy
By Mihra Rittmann
The trajectory of labor rights restriction in Kazakhstan can be traced to what happened in Zhanaozen in 2011 -- and the aftermath.
Vietnam’s Annus Horribilis for Human Rights
By Stewart Rees
Today's conviction and imprisonment of human rights defender Pham Doan Trang is part of a concerted crackdown on dissent.
Bob Dole and a Lost Era of China-US Cooperation
By Chi Wang
Like the late Senator Dole, the Greatest Generation had a unique memory of World War II-era alliance between the U.S. and China.
Japan’s Lesson for the World: Robots Won’t Save Us
By Paul Christensen
Rethinking Japan’s global relevance in the 21st century.
Moving North Korean Women’s Rights Issues Center Stage on Human Rights Day
By Rosa Park-Tokola
There are barriers to the participation of young North Korean women in the human rights movement.
India and China Can Quit Coal Earlier, But the World Must Work Alongside Them
By Beibei Yin
We need a much more ambitious global partnership on the phasing out of coal, one that thinks and acts beyond what is perceived as feasible today.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Sentence Matters. We Cannot Forget Myanmar.
By Michael Bailey
Aung San Suu Kyi inspired a generation of young people who are keeping the dream of freedom alive in Myanmar.
Europe’s Global Gateway: Complementing or Competing With BRI?
By Frederick Kliem
The EU’s enhanced infrastructure connectivity strategy is often framed as being in competition with China, unnecessarily making Global Gateway an instrument of geopolitical rivalry.
What China Learned From the Collapse of the USSR
By Kunal Sharma
Three key lessons have helped the Chinese Communist Party avoid following its Soviet namesake into the dustbin of history.