Editor’s Picks: 2017 Must Reads

December 20, 2017

Season’s Greetings! On behalf of In Asia’s editorial board and bloggers, we thank you for your continued engagement and readership throughout the year. We’ll be taking a short break next week, but will return on January 3 with a special post featuring 2018 predictions from our country representatives across Asia. In the meantime, catch up below on some of our most popular blog pieces from 2017, covering the most pressing issues and events in Asia throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Alma Freeman
Editor, In Asia

• 2017 was a milestone year for Nepal: millions of Nepalis voted in provincial and federal elections and the country held its first local elections in two decades. Bishal K. Chalise and George Varughese blog on why these local elections matter more than ever, and Nandita Baruah and Jerryll Reyes look at why they were a high point for women elected leaders.
• Elections in Timor-Leste, Korea, and Mongolia also captured readers attention, with Gobie Rajalingam and Susan Marx’s piece “Timor-Leste Elections 2017: More of the Same?” one of the most-read articles for 2017.
• A special series from the “U.S.-ASEAN Conference on Legal Issues of Regional Importance” in Singapore looks at the South China Sea dispute and how it is undermining maritime security in Southeast Asia, why ASEAN needs to get regulatory, and a regional action plan on women, peace, and security in Asia.
• It turns out that congestion in airports and schools in the Philippines is not only one of the main obstacles to productivity, but also a top topic that grabbed readers interest this year. Read on.
• In a Q&A with this year’s Lotus Leadership honoree Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen, he argues that women’s voice and agency are essential for development, and that the neglect of facilities to help develop women’s capacity has been a central cause of the lack of progress in many parts of the world.
• Articles on violent extremism in Asia were also among the most read. From the Philippines, Steven Rood examines the conflict between extremists and security forces in Marawi, and Duterte’s decision to declare martial law, and Bryony Lau looks at the role development assistance can play in addressing violent extremism.
• Recently, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) delivered a grave warning: if the government does not take action, the country will run out of water by 2025. Brayshna Kundi blogs on the water scarcity crisis, and why a national water policy is needed.
• Blog contributions on efforts to combat violence against women and human trafficking landed among the most-read pieces this year. From Brazil, our experts offer four takeaways from the Global Forum on Preventing Violence Against Women, and Chen Tingting looks at findings from a groundbreaking new report on domestic violence in the workplace in China. Diya Nag writes on why reporting of cases of human trafficking in India has increased by almost 25 percent, but the conviction rate remains abysmally low, and from Mongolia, a newly amended law makes domestic violence a criminal offence, and a look at a new police database in Sri Lanka to address violence against women and children.
• Experts in Afghanistan examine findings from the new 2017 Survey of the Afghan People. Highlights include analysis on U.S. engagement and perceptions of security, what drives Afghans to migrate, and life under armed opposition groups.
• John Brandon writes a heartfelt tribute to Surin Pitsuwan: a consummate diplomat, accomplished statesman, and friend.
• And finally, the most-read of 2017: Thomas Parks’ piece on Thai rocker Toon Bodyslam’s unifying run across Thailand.

• Previous in blog« Remembering Surin Pitsuwan: Consummate Diplomat, Accomplished Statesman, and Friend

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