COMMENT 144 – Five lessons from the Jihadi Easter attacks in Sri Lanka
Ten years after the civil war, Sri Lanka had recovered the sense of normality most of us take for granted in the West. No special controls regarding explosives and weapons, no special surveillance on potentially violent groups. When the first blasts of the present infamous attack were heard, those...
COMMENT 143 – On the Asian Century, Pax Sinica & Beyond (II): The Philippines...
This is the first comment in a series concerning the Philippines’ quest to define its role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It aims to shed light on the social and economic aspects of BRI-related projects in the Philippines from a comparative perspective, using the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor...
COMMENT 142 – On the Asian Century, Pax Sinica & Beyond (I): The CPEC...
COMMENT 142- SADF Column Series 'On the Asian Century, Pax Sinica & Beyond'
The CPEC of the BRI and Its Impact on the Indian Ocean Region
The implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the increasing Chinese presence in South Asia is a matter of both domestic, regional and global...
COMMENT 141 – A for Azhar, B for border trade suspension, C for China:...
Abstract
The month of April, 2019, was eventful in South Asia. First came the suspension of border trade between India and Pakistan at the Line of Control (LoC), followed by the horrors of the Sri Lanka Easter bombings that left the world shocked for days. Just afterwards we witnessed...
COMMENT 140- Why is PTM becoming a major challenge for Pakistan’s ruling establishment?
Pakistan is currently facing a number of challenges both at home and abroad. Domestically the country has locked horns with its arch-rival India on the Eastern border, while also facing security threats in its Western border shared with Afghanistan. However, the issue most threatening to Pakistan’s “all-powerful” military establishment...
COMMENT 139- Georgia and India: A ‘love hate relationship’ with bigger prospects
Georgia is a tiny country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Having applied to join the EU, the nation also cherishes and seeks to revitalise relationships with its Asian neighbours, large and small. China has brought in huge investments and lines of credit in recent years. Local...
COMMENT 138- The Easter bombings and the growing Jihadist Terror in Sri Lanka: Context...
Introduction
On April 21 - Easter Sunday, 2019 - the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka witnessed several waves of bomb blasts – including suicide bombings - targeting churches, popular luxury hotels, and other widely accessed places in three of the country’s cities. The explosion of an improvised explosive...
COMMENT 137- Illegal and Ecologically hostile fishing in Goa’s Zuari River
Introduction
The issue of overfishing affects not only artisanal fishers but also marine ecology in general. Ecologically hostile fishing gears such as trawl nets and purse-seine nets are deployed in the Zuari River even though their use is banned by the Goa Fisheries Department within a radius of five kilometres...
Comment 136 – The 46th OIC Summit: a landmark in dialogue
The Indian Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, addressed for the first time the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The 46th summit, held on 1 March, heard her as a guest of honour. Whilst the 180-odd million Muslim population is a minority in...
COMMENT 135- The why and how of getting the Teesta Agreement signed by India...
The why and how of getting the Teesta Agreement signed by India and Bangladesh
The Teesta water sharing dispute has been simmering between India and Bangladesh for a long time. Despite the derailment of the Teesta negotiations in 2011, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s inability to get the agreement signed...