Pragmatics of Looking East
Improving relations with Bangladesh and Myanmar
Courtesy: Lynsey Addario
Rising uncertainty in Sri Lanka
After winning a decades-long war in 2009, President Mahinda Rajpakse leveraged his popularity to assume greater powers for himself by amending the Constitution, making him virtually leader-for-life. Could this lead to one-party rule? And what will this mean for Sri Lanka and its Tamil minority?
Courtesy: isa_adsr/Flickr
Kashmir: The inconvenient truth
Today, Kashmir is very much part of the cauldron that is "Af-Pak", the storm that is raging across the Pashtun belt in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As in Af-Pak, the base for the jihad that is being waged in Kashmir mainly comprises a small fringe of a single community – the Valley Sunnis.
Courtesy: Dept. of Defense
The Folly of Holding Afghan Elections
Afghanistan analyst Candace Rondeaux believes that pre-election violence, corrupt candidates and electoral fraud in Afghanistan's parliamentary elections to be held on September 18, 2010 are more a certainty than the outcome of the polls.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Beyond Pakistan and Cyprus
Turkey’s reorientation offers opportunities for better ties with India
Courtesy: Haqeeqat.org
Peace and the Pakistan military
A stable army in Pakistan, whether back in the barracks or in the presidential palace, means peace with India.
Courtesy:
From post-war to post-conflict
Sri Lanka’s political trajectory is worrisome – it is assumed that economic development will blunt political aspirations and grievances. Civil and political rights are at best considered irrelevant.