Governance

1 February 2021: Almost everyone in the country woke up in horror to the mounting bad news. An internet blackout and the inability to withdraw cash from ATMs have sparked anger and anxiety nationwide, as most employees in different cities were supposed to get their salaries via the banking system on the first day of the month. But this angst has gone far beyond the first month of the military takeover in Myanmar. It has since become a permanent feature.

As the dust of the 2022 Philippine presidential election settles, the alliances, the compromises, and the policy trajectory become more visible under the Marcos-Duterte government.  The well-run campaign and the curated candidate branding must now give way to the real governance work, so as to address the pressing issues faced by the post-pandemic Philippines. 

“The expansion of militarism around the world in the wake of the Ukrainian war will also negatively affect the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization. In the wake of the Ukrainian war, all countries are trying to strengthen their military power.”

This article provides an overview of how Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine is being viewed and assessed in various regions and countries in Asia, and how the governments there are positioning themselves and reacting: in the Southeast Asian ASEAN countries, in Northeast Asia, and in India, China, and Myanmar.

In Asia and globally, the fight against the coronavirus has illustrated the importance of public trust in authorities, particularly when it comes to the effectiveness of various policy approaches. But what does public trust stem from? Why is it so easily lost, and what does it mean to citizens during a crisis? As the world slowly recovers and opens up, countries in Asia are continuing to grapple with new outbreaks, vaccine hesitancy and other challenges. Reflecting on the past year and a half, we take a closer look at how countries in the region have managed the relationship between the people and the state, as well as the successes – and failures – that are defining their pandemic stories.

Residents of Kamikatsu, a small town in Japan, readily sort out their refuse in a long-term community programme. Can this success be replicated in other parts of Asia?

While the call for consumers to recycle plastic waste is loudly and widely proclaimed by governments and producers, it is only part of the solution to a crisis caused by the proliferation of plastic materials and their ability to endure. What else needs to be done? 

This article series draws on the interviews with advocates and practitioners on plastic issues in Asia, mapping out challenges and solutions towards a plastic-free future.