COMMENTARIES
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India's China Policy: Should it be ‘Effective’ or ‘Assertive’?
Bhartendu Kumar Singh · 23 Dec, 2011 · #3532 · Commentary
Recently, the opposition members in the Parliament accused the government of going soft on a hitherto ‘assertive’ China and apprehended a looming attack in the near future. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s refutations notwithsta...
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Talks with the Kachin and Mon Rebels in Myanmar: Strategy, Motives and Hurdles
Bibhu Prasad Routray · 23 Dec, 2011 · #3531 · Commentary
Myanmar’s recent policy to politically reform itself might have excited many analysts outside the country, but its objective of achieving peace with the ethnic rebels is progressing slower than expected. Suspicion regarding the government&...
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Vietnam and the South China Sea: Hypothetical Scenarios
Amruta Karambelkar · 22 Dec, 2011 · #3530 · Commentary
ONGC Videsh limited (OVL) India in October this year entered a three-year agreement with PetroVietnam to carry new investments and strengthen energy exploration. This area falls within the Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in the South Chi...
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China’s New Rural Poverty Line: An Insight
Teshu Singh · 22 Dec, 2011 · #3529 · Commentary
Recently, China has revised its rural poverty line from 1,196 RMB to 2300 RMB (6.3 RMB per day). Consequently, it has brought three times more rural poor people under the poverty line. What has influenced China to revise its threshold limit? Wha...
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Bonn II: From Transition to Transformation in Afghanistan
Mariam Safi · 22 Dec, 2011 · #3528 · Commentary
The International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn held on 5 December 2011 marked ten years of state-building and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Ten years ago, on the very same day, the UN held the first Bonn Conference where the internati...
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Talking to Tehrik-i-Taliban: Failures and Lessons
Aryaman Bhatnagar · 21 Dec, 2011 · #3526 · Commentary
Claims and reports have surfaced regarding
renewed peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Tehrik-i-Talliban
(TTP). This begs the question how did past peace agreements fare out? And what lessons
can be learnt from their fa...
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North Korea: What Next?
Vyjayanti Raghavan · 21 Dec, 2011 · #3525 · Commentary
Kim Jong-il died, unfortunately, just a few months before the centenary celebrations of his father, the late ‘Supreme Leader’ and ‘Founder Father’ Kim Il-Sung, were to take place. The whole nation was gearing up to making...
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Inside North Korea: Kim Jong-un and Succession
Ruhee Neog · 20 Dec, 2011 · #3524 · Commentary
‘Dear Leader’ passed away on 17 December this year, making much space for speculations on the business of succession in a nuclear North Korea. In this difficult time of transition, the most important job for the new leader would be t...
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Ghulam Nabi Fai and the ISI
Radha Vinod Raju · 18 Dec, 2011 · #3523 · Commentary
No one in India was surprised when Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai was arrested by US authorities in July this year on the grounds of colluding with the ISI to influence American opinion on the Kashmir issue. In fact, according to informed views in India, ...
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Papua: The Tensions Within
Tri Susdinarjanti · 15 Dec, 2011 · #3522 · Commentary
For the last 6 months, concern over security has been rising in Papua – eastern part of Indonesia due to several accidents in the area. Instances of shootings and violence have occurred in Abepura, Jayapura, in Mulia District, Puncak Jaya,...