Thailand’s upcoming general election: A preview

Written by Ken Mathis Lohatepanont

The blurring of the lines between the government and the opposition means that voters may very well end up with a government that straddles Thailand’s traditional divides.

Southeast Asia9DLMarch 14, 20239dashline, Thailand’s upcoming general election: a preview, KEN MATHIS LOHATEPANONT, Thailand, 2014 military coup, military coup, 2017 constitution, election, Thai election, Thai Senate, Thai House of Representatives, Thai Prime Minister, majoritarian electoral system, conservative parties, opposition parties, COVID-19, Prayut Chan-o-cha, general election, prime ministerial term limit, Prawit Wongsuwan, prime ministerial candidate, Palang Pracharath Party, PPRP, United Thai Nation Party, UTN, patronage systems, Democrat Party, Bhumjaithai Party, marijuana legalisation, Prayut regime, Pheu Thai Party, Thaksin Shinawatra, self-imposed exile, military junta, Government House, coalition, Move Forward Party, parliament, Thai parliament, public debate, economic contraction, high inflation, economic policies, minimum wage, welfare state, Pom 700, Constitutional Court, infrastructure, electric vehicles, global hub, banking services and credit, Paethongtharn Shinawatra

The real reason Europe dislikes the Inflation Reduction Act

Written by Thijs Stegeman

Given the current challenges to the liberal order, improved coordination and consideration among its defenders is crucial. This starts with the US acknowledging and discussing the legitimate concerns of its allies instead of dismissing them.

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The very consequential presidency of Joe Biden

Written by Dr Richard Johnson

Whatever happens in the remaining two years of the first Biden term, the octogenarian president can already feel confident that he has left a major legacy and will be recorded as a very consequential president.

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Normative power Taiwan? Human rights and Taiwan-EU relations

Written by Marcin Jerzewski

In the context of Taiwan-EU relations, the primary objective of cooperation on human rights should be to address the main areas of concern delineated by the EU.

In Conversation with Dr Elvin Ong

9DASHLINE recently sat down with Dr Elvin Ong to discuss his new book Opposing Power: Building Opposition Alliances in Electoral Autocracies. This insightful study of East and Southeast Asian electoral autocracies from 1965 to 2020 illustrates why and how opposition parties build alliances to fight autocratic incumbents, and under which conditions they don’t.

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Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy will not make big waves in Southeast Asia

Written by Alessandro Vesprini and Matteo Piasentini

The best option for South Korea is to double down on diplomacy, economic ties, and military sales, as well as tighten the dialogue with like-minded middle powers in the region.

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Reading tea leaves: Taiwan’s November 2022 ‘midterm’ elections

Written by Alexander C. Tan

With the 2024 presidential and legislative elections about two years away — which might as well be an eternity in politics — the DPP has time to regroup and recalibrate its message.

Bite the hand that fed you: Imran Khan’s populist challenge for the military

Written by Marcus Andreopoulos

Out of office, Khan is proving to be a relentless source of pressure, first for Bajwa and now for Munir. Khan has accused the military of holding the country back during a time of economic and humanitarian catastrophe.

South Asia, Power Politics9DLFebruary 22, 20239DashLine, Bite the hand that fed you: Imran Khan’s populist challenge for the military, Marcus Andreopoulus, Pakistan, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), elections, military, tensions with India, Taliban, Afghanistan, Durand Line, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, Islamabad, military aid, Washington, united states, Beijing, Imran Khan, populism, populist rhetoric, Russia, mafia media, general election of 2018, Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League (N), General Pervez Musharraf, 1999 military coup, Sharif and Bhutto Zardari dynasties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), domestic policy, defence, security, and foreign policy, civilian government, financial crisis, military budget, celebrity politicians, Donald Trump, anti-establishment statements, corruption, political elite, cult of personality, us versus them, minority rights, equality, Islamic welfare state, geo-economics, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), mob lynchings, blasphemy laws, primacy of the military, Chief Minister of Punjab Aleem Khan, military’s intelligence wing (ISI), Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, conspiracy, Arshad Sharif, United States Capitol

Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law

Written by Hannes B. Mosler

Alongside Japan, South Korea plays a central role for Western allies in the region to support value-based multilateralism with liberal-democratic principles and norms at its core.

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In Brief with Benedikt Staar

I do not see how reintroducing nuclear weapons to the southern side of the peninsula will make Pyongyang more willing to engage in dialogue. Besides anything else, such a move is much more likely to destabilise the region further and strengthen the Pyongyang-Beijing axis.

Italy-China relations under Meloni: Less hard-line than expected

Written by Lorenzo Lamperti

Unable to presently guarantee total alignment when it comes to sharing the American point of view on Russia and the current war in Ukraine, Meloni has chosen to present herself as fully aligned with Washington on the Chinese front.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLFebruary 16, 20239dashline, Italy-China relations under Meloni: less hard-line than expected, Lorenzo Lamperti, Italy, Giorgia Meloni, Taiwan, China, Xi Jinping, Andrea Sing-Ying Lee, Brothers of Italy, right-wing, Taipei, United States, US, People's Republic of China, Forza Italia, the League, Lega, Silvio Berlusconi, Matteo Salvini, Putin, Ukraine, Russia, Russia-Ukraine war, Conte government, memorandum of understanding, MoU, Beijing, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Huawei, 5G, Mario Draghi, elections, 2022, Tibet, military action, democracy, Autocracy, Central News Agency, Lucio Malan, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Tsai Ing-wen, G20 summit, Bali, Italian government, sanctions battle, Xinjiang conflict, Antonio Tajani, Wang Yi, bilateral dialogue, economic relations, crucial sectors, Chinese businesses, Golden Power, LPE, semiconductor equipment, Atlanticism, Guido Crosetto, Australia, Lithuania, foreign policy, ruling coalition, 15th Conference of Italian Ambassadors, Indo-Pacific

A united Taliban — an existential threat to Pakistan

Written by Dr Siegfried O. Wolf

Islamabad must realise that the Taliban constitutes a hostile government in Afghanistan and that it is not able to drive a wedge between the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban.

Faultlines9DLFebruary 15, 20239dashline, A united Taliban— an existential threat to Pakistan, Siegfried O Wolf, Pakistan, Afghanistan, terror attacks, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP, Pakistani Taliban, Afghan–Pakistan border, Islamabad, Afghan Taliban, US/NATO troops, US, Afghanistan-Pakistan border regions, military campaign, terrorist groups, Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad, military operations, armed forces, Kabul, Islamic State-Khorasan, IS-K, National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, Ejaz Haider, Haqqani network, Kabul faction, Yaqoob Mujahid, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Haibatullah Akhundzada, Kandahari faction, western military powers, Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, Federally Tribal Administered Areas, FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani military, Pakistani military operations, anti-Pakistani sentiments

Cambodian election in 2023: No space for the opposition

Written by Perle Petit

Hun Manet’s image as a ‘clean politician’, in combination with the relative stability of the country (when compared to regional neighbours), will most likely play in the government’s favour in terms of improving Cambodia’s relationship with the West.

Southeast Asia9DLFebruary 14, 20239Dashline, Perle Petit, Cambodian election in 2023: No space for the opposition, Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), elections, ASEAN, China-US power struggle, foreign policy, CPP victory, regime legitimacy, Joe Biden, the West, nepotism, corruption, repression, Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Sam Rainsy Party, Human Rights Party, opposition, political competition, crackdown, Supreme Court, independent media, civil society, parliamentarians, treason, exile, electoral legitimacy, electoral autocratic ‘window-dressing exercises’, political ban, Candlelight Party (CLP), National Assembly, co-opted legal system, CLP Vice President Son Chhay, mass trials, Dam Sith, National Election Committee, Hun Manet, Commander of the Army, CPP’s Central Committee, old guard, China, US, President of the Senate

Taiwan: A partner for a resilient Indo-Pacific

Written by Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

With the Taiwan Strait as a potential military flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific, embedding Taiwan in regional cooperation frameworks will support the efforts of like-minded democracies to deter Beijing’s destabilising actions which are affecting the entire region.

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Forum: The Rules-Based International Order in the Indo-Pacific

In recent years discussions among scholars, analysts, and policymakers have focused on the nature, transformation, and/or ostensible crisis of the rules-based international order. We invite three experts to offer differing perspectives on these ongoing debates in the context of the Indo-Pacific in this Forum for 9DASHLINE.

Emerging Issues9DLFebruary 8, 20239dashline, Forum: The Rules-Based International Order in the Indo-Pacific, rules-based international order, NON-ALIGNMENT, VAN JACKSON, Indo-Pacific, strategic non-alignment, Sri Lanka, Asian political economy, minor powers, sovereign debt, India, worker precarity, East Asian development model, global economic order, Sino-US competition, United States, China, spheres of influence, zero-sum, Indonesia, East Timor, Singapore, Pacific Island nations, Non-Aligned Movement. As great powers try to, great powers, Cold War, hedging, Third-World politics, FLEUR JOHNS, Multilateral, automated socio-technical systems, diplomacy, Automatic Identification System (AIS), mangrove forests, Indo-Pacific lionfish, ecology, GEORGE LAWSON, international order, Covid pandemic, war in Ukraine, costs of living, Western power, liberal, AUKUS, Taiwan, Myanmar, financial crisis

Forum 2023: Intra-Indo-Pacific cooperation between India, Japan, and South Korea

9DASHLINE invites several experts to assess the prospect of security-oriented cooperation between India, Japan, and South Korea. Given potential threats like an increasingly assertive China and a nuclear-armed North Korea, how can New Delhi, Tokyo, and Seoul benefit from increased cooperation?

East Asia9DLFebruary 3, 20239dashline, Forum 2023: Intra-Indo-Pacific cooperation between India, Japan, and South Korea, India, South Korea, Indo-Pacific, DR ANIT MUKHERJEE, China, India-South Korea, naval cooperation, maritime exercises, anti-submarine warfare, arms trade, defence, Quad, Australia, US, multilateral exercise, Franco-Japanese bilateral exercises, military, military intelligence, emerging technologies, NAZIA HUSSAIN, power rivalry, middle powers, minilateral groupings, Japan-India Maritime Exercise, JIMEX, Malabar exercises, Yoon Suk-yeol, US-China contest, Quad Plus, Milan naval exercise, counter-piracy capabilities, ABHIJIT SINGH, Special Strategic and Global Partners, New Delhi, strategic relations, 2+2 Ministerial Dialogues, India-Japan Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, military supplies, maritime cooperation, defence trade, intelligence sharing, cyber cooperation, space cooperation, Russia-Ukraine war, Tokyo, North Korea, defence technology, regional security footprint

2023: More tumultuous times ahead for Sri Lanka?

9DASHLINE asks several experts how they assess the prospects for political and economic recovery in 2023 after the turbulence of last year.

South Asia9DLFebruary 2, 20232023: More tumultuous times ahead for Sri Lanka?, 9DashLine, Sri Lanka, economic crisis, anti-government protests, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, economic recovery, RAJNI GAMAGE, Unsustainable debt, balance of payment challenges, bankrupt, foreign debt obligations, Mass protests, World Bank, poverty, IMF, tax reforms, state-owned enterprise reforms, geopolitics, balancing game, India, Japan, Western powers, China, debt restructuring, democracy, police surveillance, arrests, political opposition, emergency laws, military, rule of law, ASANGA ABEYAGOONASEKARA, Rajapaksas, powder keg, people’s uprising, Ranil Wickremasinghe, iron fist, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), economic hardship, law and order, Ukraine war, oil prices, Colombo, financial assistance, political-economic crisis, internal and external geopolitical shocks, BHAGYA SENARATNE, currency default, youth-driven protests, Economic stability, political stability, popular mandate, legitimate president, Extended Fund Facility (EFF), inflation, accountability, attitudinal change

Two years after coup, Myanmar junta adapts to isolation

Written by Hunter Marston

Western aid is far away and will remain hostage to both Myanmar’s immediate neighbours, with whom they must coordinate, and broader concerns about security on the European continent, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will grip Western leaders’ attention for the foreseeable future.