Author : East Asia Forum

In early May this year, North Korea hosted its seventh Workers’ Party Congress, the first such meeting in 36 years. The nation’s capital was decked in colourful decoration and...

In economic terms, the federal system was created with the intention of maximising economies of scale, while still providing public services to cater to people’s divergent preferences. However, there...

Religious identity and gender relations are integral to women’s experiences of citizenship in Indonesia. While around 88 percent of Indonesia’s population is Muslim, it is emphatically not an Islamic...

To the Philippines’ president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, the world is black and white, with hardly any shades of grey in between. His view informs his policy approach. His law and...

Despite historical misadventures with socialism and recent positive experiences with liberalisation, India continues to regularly fight the market. The most recent example is the Delhi government’s move to ban...

On 10 July, Japan will hold its upper house elections with half of its seats to be contested. This will be the first time that 18 and 19 year-old...

This is supposed to be the Asian century, with East Asian countries leading the way. The world admires many East Asian countries for their miraculous economic growth, democracy-building and...

In May 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck Nepal. Thousands were killed and injured, and close to a million people were rendered homeless. A year on from the...

The export-oriented unit (EOU) scheme was launched in India in 1980 to boost exports and increase production. Under the scheme, Indian companies that produce goods solely for export can...

As 2015 ended, members of ASEAN announced the realisation of the ASEAN Community, although it shall remain a ‘work in progress’. The ASEAN Community idea sets a roadmap for...