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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.
Moon Jae-in’s Stalled Odyssey to Peace in Korea
By Chung-in Moon
President Moon’s Korea Peace Initiative has faced mixed results and daunting challenges, but there are no better options.
South Asia’s Cultural Climate Is at Risk. What Can the US Do?
By Knox Thames
Encouraging South Asian nations to protect their historic multiculturalism will help reduce human rights violations, protect religious and ethnic minorities, and promote peace and stability.
Blinken Must Urge Modi to Repeal Repressive Laws
By Carolyn Nash
While in New Delhi, Blinken should press Modi to repeal and amend laws that jeopardize human rights.
Reality Check: China’s Digital Yuan Is Not a Threat to the West
By Sara Hsu
There are enough real issue between the U.S. and China. There is little need to invent tensions, such as with the Chinese digital currency.
UNESCO and Japan’s Rewriting of History
By Mindy L. Kotler
At UNESCO, Japan lays bare the difficulties of achieving shared values within the Quad.
In Vietnam, the Party’s Rolling Crackdown on Dissent Continues
By Stewart Rees
Proponents of an EU trade pact said it would nudge one-party Vietnam towards greater respect for human rights. The evidence so far points in the other direction.
The World Must Not Forgot North Korea’s Crimes Against Humanity
By Benedict Rogers
Seven years after a damning U.N. report on North Korea’s human rights abuses, nothing has changed.
Give ASEAN Diplomacy a Chance in Myanmar
By Moez Hayat
Brunei’s adherence to the “ASEAN way” seeks a diplomatic solution to the crisis that also preserves the unity and continued relevance of the organization.
Myanmar: Sanctions Are the Key to a Democratic Future
By Tin Tun Naing
To compel the military to change, Western governments need to go after the income that helps sustain it.
Foreign Media Face a Trust Crisis in China
By Mu Chunshan
Western media have lost a good deal of their credibility with ordinary Chinese. How can they recover that trust?
Torture in Myanmar: Don’t Let the Junta Normalize Cruelty
By Tomas Max Martin, Ergun Cakal, and Hannah Russell
Torture – and the fear that it engenders – has been central to the military junta’s efforts to quell popular resistance.
Returning to Multilateralism to Ensure Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Access
By Chee Leong Lee
Both China and the United States can and should do more to ensure equitable access to vaccines around the world.