InAsia - The Asia Foundation

Managing Change in Myanmar: Policymaking after Dictatorship

by Matthew Arnold | May 23, 2018

As Myanmar’s fitful democratic transition moves forward, many observers are torn between early, high hopes for the end of military rule and a growing pessimism about wider democratic, economic, and social reforms. In the international community, much of this pessimism...

National Elections and Community Policing in Timor-Leste

by Robin Perry | May 23, 2018

This month, just a year short of its 20th anniversary, Timor-Leste held its fifth round of national elections—its second in less than a year—and despite some isolated incidents of violence in the hotly contested campaign, the country can be proud of a vote that was...

Televised Debates: Another Democratic Step

by Carmeneza dos Santos Monteiro | May 23, 2018

Southeast Asia’s newest country and youngest democracy, Timor-Leste, has once again conducted a successful national election. On Saturday, May 12, the Timorese people went to the ballot box to decide which among four political parties and four party coalitions should...

Building an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem for Women in Mongolia

by Amarzaya Naran and Soomin Jun | May 23, 2018

For many Mongolians, the booming capital, Ulaanbaatar, is synonymous with economic opportunity and a new life. Half the population now lives in the capital, most of them in the so-called ger areas, unplanned districts often lacking essential infrastructure like water...

10 Years after Wenchuan Earthquake, A Silver Lining in Disaster Management

by Huang Zhen | May 9, 2018

On May 12, China will mark the 10th anniversary of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake that struck Sichuan province, leaving more than 69,000 people dead and over 40 million affected. While the impact of the earthquake lasts today, the one silver lining is that the...

Why ASEAN Needs to Invest More in Cybersecurity

by John J. Brandon | May 9, 2018

Last month, heads of state gathered in Singapore for the 32nd annual ASEAN Summit to discuss a wide variety of issues—from the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, to advancing regional economic integration and...

Finding the Hidden Potential Within Bangladesh’s Garment Factories

by Mowmita Basak | May 9, 2018

I first met Afroza Khatun in my cramped, makeshift interview room after her 10-hour shift at a garment factory outside of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, had ended and she was nervously preparing to take a university entrance exam. Like all the women I met at the...

How Mobile Tech is Making Migration More Secure and Less Costly

by Benjamin Lokshin | May 9, 2018

For millions of Nepali workers who have gone overseas for work in recent years, smartphones have become a crucial tool for navigating the highly complex and risky process of international migration. Yet despite this widespread smartphone usage, there remain serious...

Is Peace with the Taliban Possible?

by Mohammad Shoaib Haidary | Apr 25, 2018

From March 25-27, delegations from across the region and around the world gathered in Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent, in an effort to broker peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. While there have been dozens of similar attempts in the past, these...