Last year, President Obama announced the ‘Pacific Pivot,’ a rebalancing of American international emphasis away from Europe and the Middle East and toward East Asia. In declaring this new foreign policy doctrine, President Obama addressed the Australian Parliament and revealed the deployment of an additional 2,500 U.S. troops in Australia. This symbolic measure established the … Read more
And they are those who are afraid of little girls? They seem, fittingly to dislike education and enlightenment. They claim to be following the commands of God, Who commands us to seek learning! That is one command they blithely ignore. Kishwar Naheed, Pakistani Poet The shooting of Malala Yousufzai, a young student activist and blogger … Read more
In India, gender inequality begins before birth. A land of paradoxes, the nation that recently bade farewell to its first female president and boasts the likes of Indira Nooyi and Indira Gandhi as natives, was also ranked among the top five most dangerous countries for women. In an ironic twist of fate, the technology that … Read more
In these trying times for Nepal, the reputation of the country’s Prime Minister, Baburam Bhattarai, has faced mounting strain. Over the past two months, as Nepal’s Constituent Assembly buckled empty-handed under him, Bhattarai has taken an onslaught of attacks to quit from the opposition, the political media, and his own party. So far he has … Read more
Nepali politics has always been gracious enough to leave plenty of room for disappointment. After four years politicians were given to draft a Constitution—marred by consecutive extensions—the Constituent Assembly botched its final chance at redemption in May. It collapsed empty-handed over a core issue: the federal framework of the nation. After elections are held in … Read more
While visiting Hanoi recently, HPR staff writer Jay Alver noticed an astounding number of privately owned businesses in the city. Slightly confused, he asked a local guide how this could be true, given the supposedly absolute control the Communist Party wields. Smiling a bit, the guide responded slyly that with increasing liberalization in Vietnam and … Read more
Generally, the photos and videos released by North Korean state media are meant to uphold the regime’s aura of power and greatness. But in February 2011, state television aired footage of Kim Jong-un holding binoculars upside down as military officials surrounded him, a mistake uncharacteristic of the tightly controlled government. For the then-vice chairman of … Read more
Last week, at the student symposium Tiananmen in History and Memory, I ended my speech with a quote from Nobel Laureate Liu Xiao Bo: “Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth.” Liu Xiao Bo’s words are not new to my ears, squaring perfectly with … Read more
Fashion junkies on the lookout for the latest in luxury styles can check off a new venue: China’s annual legislative assembly. This year, all of the major designers made an appearance. One delegate was wearing a $1,000 Hermes belt, another was toting a $4,500 snakeskin Celine bag, one was clothed in a $2,000 fur coat, … Read more
When Chinese citizens express their opinions through online outlets, they write in the presence of a state-appointed cyber police force. In a fairly recent development, the Communist Party has begun to employ professional web commentators to monitor online bulletins and blogs in order to ‘cleanse’ the internet of anti-party sentiments and to promote the party … Read more