2 months after the ban went into effect, Farhatullah Babar, a senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, publicly called for access to the social media platform to be restored.
Elections in India are a paradoxical see-saw between trust and a legitimacy crisis.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/indian-democracys-tryst-with-trust/
The BJP’s vision for India is more in sync with what most Indians want – an India that is a military and economic power that they can be proud of.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/why-indians-want-modi-again-understanding-the-bjps-popularity/
Only a year ago, Chief Minister Sarma proclaimed that the party would not seek the votes of minorities.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/why-is-the-bjp-courting-muslims-in-assam/
The party may increase its vote share in these states but votes may not translate into seats in parliament.
Modi has made Hindu nationalism acceptable, even desirable, to a nation of 1.4 billion that for decades prided itself on pluralism and secularism.
Among those released was Dr. Hkalam Samson, a prominent Kachin Christian leader, and three members of the National League for Democracy.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/myanmar-military-releases-over-3000-prisoners-in-thingyan-amnesty/
Lai Ching-te's choice of Cabinet appointments suggests that he will continue to emphasize continuity with the Tsai administration.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/taiwans-incoming-lai-administration-takes-shape/
Can the return of exiled politicians ignite hope for Thai democracy and reshape its political landscape?
The opposition has dismissed the manifesto as a "jumla patra," a document of fake promises.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/bjp-election-manifesto-2024-focuses-on-narendra-modi-not-the-party/
The deputy prime minister will take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong next month.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/who-is-lawrence-wong-singapores-next-prime-minister/
A junta spokesperson said that the 78-year-old leader was relocated due to the intense heat in Myanmar's central plain.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/myanmar-junta-moves-aung-san-suu-kyi-to-house-arrest/
The nation’s pro-China foreign policy is on the ballot.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/solomon-islands-goes-to-the-polls/
Chinese cash is reaping political rewards ahead of the Solomon Islands election as the West fails to walk the talk in its Pacific step-up.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/chinas-influence-weighs-heavily-on-solomon-islands-election/
The upcoming general election is the first in J&K since the Modi government’s controversial decision in August 2019 to revoke its autonomy and strip it of its statehood.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/divided-india-bloc-could-help-bjp-in-indias-jammu-kashmir/
The split between the MDP and The Democrats, for example, could undermine the MDP’s chances.
Lee will hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong, in a long-planned transition.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/singapores-prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-to-step-down-on-may-15/
The restrictive law was first proposed 10 years ago. How could it affect Kyrgyz society now that it’s been passed?
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/kyrgyzstan-adopts-law-targeting-foreign-funded-ngos/
Its focus on job creation, which has been among the top concerns of respondents in a recent survey, has rattled the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/congress-partys-election-manifesto-creates-a-buzz/
They signal tensions between hardliners and moderates who want to scrap harsher policies to win outside support.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/afghanistans-taliban-leaders-issue-different-messages-for-eid/
The leadup to the election saw President Yoon Suk-yeol embroiled in a series of damaging incidents. His party paid the price.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/south-koreas-legislative-election-what-went-wrong-for-the-ppp/
“If anyone has any issues with us, we are open to resolving them, but we will never compromise on our principles or Islam,” Akhundzada said.
The opposition Democratic Party of Korea won a landslide victory in the 22nd general elections, largely due to Yoon's unpopularity.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/in-south-korea-president-yoons-lame-duck-era-officially-begins/
The fall of Myawaddy, a major hub of overland trade between Myanmar and Thailand, could have significant ramifications for the course of the country's conflict.
Unofficial exit polls suggest the Democratic Party could expand its majority, which would leave conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol a lame duck for his remaining three years in office.
Current industrial and policy evolutions in Japan are at a crucial but wavering intersection for Tokyo’s role as a guarantor of stability in the region at large.
With right-wing rhetoric proliferating online, the Anwar government has been forced to walk a fine line between free speech and censorship.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/malaysia-orders-meta-tiktok-to-formulate-plan-for-harmful-content/
Despite growing evidence that Cambodia has become a source of industrial-scale cyber-scams, the authorities continue to downplay the extent of the problem.
Delimitation of electoral constituencies is expected to benefit the BJP in Assam.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/bjp-led-alliance-likely-to-sweep-elections-in-indias-northeast/
“Like many populists, Modi is a chameleon -- this is his brand. Everyone can find in him what he or she is looking for.”
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/christophe-jaffrelot-on-what-makes-brand-modi-successful/
After coming to office with a pledge to focus on the economy, Anwar has been dogged by Malay-Muslim culture war controversies.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/malaysias-anwar-ibrahim-faces-the-demons-he-helped-unleash/
If confirmed, the surrender of the military garrison in Myawaddy on the Thai border would mark another serious defeat for the junta.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/myanmar-rebels-on-verge-of-seizing-key-border-town-report-claims/
While the ban seems inevitable amid deepening distrust, removal of TikTok from the U.S. market will not solve the disinformation problem.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/tiktok-in-the-age-of-decoupling/
Should the ruling BJP return to power with a massive number of seats, it is expected to change the Indian Constitution.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/this-general-election-could-bring-changes-like-no-other-in-india/
Najib Razak claims that the authorities have concealed the existence of a royal order permitting him to serve his remaining sentence at home.
Did the former president broker an informal deal with the Chinese government over the South China Sea?
Deputy Police Chief Surachate Hakparn has been accused of money laundering in connection with an illegal online gambling operation.
The opposition Move Forward Party seems almost certain to meet the same fate as its predecessor, Future Forward.
The country has long been governed by a galaxy of interconnected political clans.
The April 10 election will have far-reaching implications for the nation's domestic and foreign policy moving forward.
Let's explore India's opposition coalition, its struggles and prospects, with guests Snigdhendu Bhattacharya and Gilles Verniers.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/the-india-alliance-how-indias-opposition-plans-to-take-down-the-bjp/
Fake News Cleaner has hosted more than 500 events in six years, connecting with college students, elementary-school children, and the seniors that, some say, are the most vulnerable to disinforma...
A former business partner of the home minister is wanted for embezzlement of funds of cooperatives.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/how-will-nepals-government-respond-to-victims-of-loan-sharks/
Any pan-India challenge to the BJP’s political hegemony in national elections cannot be envisioned without the Congress. And thus, the party's revival is critical.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/04/how-to-rejuvenate-the-indian-national-congress/
Republicans have exhibited cohesion in their bid to ban TikTok, underscoring their resolve. Democratic legislators seem to display more doubts.
Batbold Sukhbaatar has been accused of corruption before, featuring in the Panama Paper and Pandora Papers, but has never been convicted.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/ex-mongolian-pm-accused-of-corruption-by-us-justice-department/
Over the last five years, Kyrgyz authorities have repeatedly had their hands on notoriously corrupt former official Raimbek Matraimov and each time let him go. Will this time be different?
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/in-kyrgyzstan-pendulum-swings-hard-against-matraimov-with-arrest/
The Yoon administration is losing more hearts and minds ahead of the general elections.
Possibly for the first time in a decade, Modi's government finds its image dented by revelations of corruption.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/why-is-narendra-modi-nervous-ahead-of-indias-general-elections/
Ex-Transport Minister S. Iswaran has been charged with obtaining $14,000 in kickbacks, including golf clubs and expensive whisky.
Insights from Bridget Welsh.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/prabowos-presidency-and-indonesias-future/
The absence of the Third Plenum is consequential and dangerous for China; it both reflects a notable divide within the CCP and causes greater political instability.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/chinas-third-plenum-is-long-overdue-thats-a-red-flag/
Locals demand protection of fragile ecology, land autonomy, and statehood for the union territory.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/protests-in-indias-ladakh-enter-3rd-week/
The CAA 2019 extends the deadline for determining citizenship that was agreed upon under the Assam Accord, and could pave the way for a fresh influx of Bangladeshi non-Muslims.
The conscription drive has prompted the assassination and resignation of junta administrators, and the flight of thousands of prospective draftees.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/myanmar-junta-begins-summoning-civilians-for-military-service/
The revelations about the scheme are striking, but corruption alone has rarely brought down governments in India.
The Myanmar junta's conscription drive has backfired, bolstering the rebels' ranks.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/myanmar-and-the-voices-of-a-revolution/
As mid-term elections approach, the rift between the Duterte and Marcos clans continues to widen.
From the economy to diplomacy and internal politics, Xi appears to have simply kicked policy problems down the road.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/xi-jinpings-balancing-acts-short-term-gain-long-term-pain/
CCP concepts and terminology are taking center stage in the city’s lawmaking.
Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party is popular in the Indian capital and with its ally, the Congress party, was expected to dent the ruling BJP’s performance.
His silence over the Awami League’s authoritarian rule together with the declining influence of his allies in the West in Bangladesh has weakened his position.
Despite the presence of the “omnipotent” NSL, China felt the need to embed another layer of control in the territory.
Asking the question isn’t a sign of betrayal. It's indicative of an emotionally mature country that thinks seriously about its strategic circumstances.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/a-serious-question-can-australia-trust-the-united-states/
However, there is another emerging divide in India — that between the western and eastern halves of the country.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/there-is-no-north-south-divide-in-india/
Two of the commissioners in the three-member body that will conduct elections have recently been appointed by the ruling party.
Vo Van Thuong resignation comes barely a year after his appointment to the largely ceremonial post.
According to the official results released yesterday, the former general won around 58 percent of the vote on February 14.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/indonesian-election-commission-affirms-prabowos-landslide-victory/
The extension of Muratbai’s detention follows a pattern in which Kazakh authorities detain Karakalpak activists pending extradition requests from Uzbekistan for the maximum time allowed by law.
Vo Van Thuong is the second Vietnamese president to resign in two years.
Truong My Lan, the head of a Ho Chi Minh City-based real estate group, has been accused of the biggest fraud in the country’s history
Could aging societies lead to more political polarization and upheaval?
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/what-southeast-asias-aging-populations-could-mean-politically/
Unlike like most past defense chiefs, Sutin Klungsang is a civilian politician with virtually no experience in security matters.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/how-thailands-one-of-a-kind-defense-minister-will-be-remembered/
The Safeguarding National Security Bill gives the government even more power to curb dissent, expanding on a previous law imposed by Beijing in 2020.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/hong-kong-lawmakers-unanimously-approve-new-national-security-law/
From talk of revising the CSSTA to the KMT's return to leadership of the legislature, the Sunflower Movement is echoing in Taiwan's politics today.
From the EU delegation and the U.N. resident coordinator to an array of domestic NGOs, calls for Japarov to veto the bill have sounded loud and clear.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/calls-for-kyrgyz-president-to-veto-foreign-representatives-bill/
India’s 28 states and eight federal territories will vote at different times, with the first phase held on April 19 and the last on June 1.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/indias-election-will-stretch-over-44-days-why-does-it-take-so-long/
The news has added fuel to rumors about the resignation of President Vo Van Thuong, following the cancellation of a visit by the Dutch royal family.
The 25-year jail term came just days after the Election Commission ordered the disbanding of a major opposition party for advocating the reform of the lese-majeste law.
Thaksin Shinawatra's quasi-official reception will do little to damp down rumors that he remains the real power behind the Pheu Thai-led government.
Activists have called for a boycott of Indian products in protest against India’s support of the Awami League’s manipulation of elections in Bangladesh.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/an-india-out-campaign-gathers-pace-in-bangladeshi-social-media/
In less than a month, two prominent Group 24 activists have disappeared in Turkey, raising concerns that they have been or will be sent back to Tajikistan.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/2-tajik-opposition-activists-go-missing-in-turkey/
South Korea is on the brink of one of its most critical elections, amid an intensifying assault on press freedom.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/south-koreas-press-freedom-under-fire/
India has kept a close watch on China’s activities and responded strongly where its security was directly affected.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/china-and-indias-intense-contest-for-influence/
How did Kyrgyzstan become a standard-bearer in adopting Kremlin-inspired tactics – like the just-passed “foreign representatives” bill – to suppress civil society?
It is aimed at the communal polarization of India to solidify Hindu votes, and deflect attention away from disclosures of the government’s controversial party funding scheme.
Both losing campaigns are now pursuing a range of complaints against the conduct of the February 14 poll.
While it has foreign policy overtones, PM Dahal's embrace of Hindu diplomacy is more motivated by domestic politics.
After meeting with media representatives, Japarov requested the controversial bill be withdrawn and “finalized” – ostensibly to be re-worked and re-considered at a later time
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/kyrgyz-mass-media-law-withdrawn-by-presidential-request/
Key ministries have been assigned to those the establishment deems reliable.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/pakistans-new-cabinet-indicates-militarys-influence/
This is the second time that he has joined hands with CPN-UML chief Oli since becoming prime minister in December 2022.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/nepals-prime-minister-dahal-changes-partners-mid-stream/
If the MFP is disbanded, the party's political energy is almost certain to re-emerge in an alternate, and likely more radical, form.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/thai-election-commission-requests-dissolution-of-move-forward-party/
"Come back king, save the country. Long live our beloved king. We want a monarchy," the crowd chanted at a rally last month in Kathmandu.
Rhetorically, the two presidential candidates hit many of the same notes. But in practice they have approached competition with China very differently.
While the Kachin Independence Army's goal is unclear, a major offensive could have significant impact on the trajectory of the country's conflict.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/kachin-armed-resistance-group-claims-gains-in-northern-offensive/
Muslims fear that the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens will be used to marginalize them.