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| 1 |
ID:
119087
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2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
As the 2014 transition of the U.S. out of Afghanistan approaches, progress has been made in weakening the Taliban insurgency and strengthening Afghan forces' capacity. But the Taliban still remains entrenched, negotiations have not taken off, the Afghan government suffers from a profound legitimacy crisis, and Afghanistan's economic future seems fraught with instability.
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| 2 |
ID:
119085
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
PERHAPS ONLY A TRUE BELIEVER in the alleged Mayan forecast of an end of
the world on December 21 could be truly enthusiastic about the past year.
Estimated economic (gross domestic product, or GDP) growth in Asia
dropped beginning in late 2011and continuing into 2012; the World Bank's
latest estimate forecast 7.2% for developing East Asia, the lowest rate for the
region since the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis. The economies of Central
and South Asia grew even more slowly. Politically the region was on tenterhooks as con?icting territorial claims, staunchly upheld by their respective
advocates since (at least) 2009, unleashed nationalist riots and escalating
bilateral brinkmanship. Meanwhile, the region's high-tech arms race against
unnamed threats continued, headlined by China's launch of its ?rst aircraft
carrier, the Liaoning(nee´ Varyag), and by North Korea's successful launch of
a satellite into polar orbit-although the so-called weather satellite apparently
failed to function, the obvious point was not weather but to demonstrate
Pyongyang's ability to hit North America with a nuclear payload. Pakistan,
albeit deeply immersed in Afghanistan's 10-year war on terror (reportedly on
both sides), is busy constructing a full-?edged nuclear deterrent-despite
a third year of devastating ?oods.
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| 3 |
ID:
119092
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The year 2012 began well for Bangladesh. Economic performance was impressive, and there were some notable political developments, such as the starting of the War Crimes Trial. However, corruption remained a pressing issue, the rule of law and human rights in the country became increasingly tenuous, and the political environment continued to be turbulent and uncertain. Moreover, issues regarding the country's relationship with both India and the U.S. were poorly resolved.
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| 4 |
ID:
119100
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Cambodia in 2012 mourned the death of its revered former King Norodom Sihanouk. The government was criticized for land conflicts and the deterioration of political liberties. Otherwise, the country enjoyed strong economic growth and basked in the international spotlight as Association of Southeast Asian Nations chair. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party further consolidated its power, sidelining opposition parties and coopting disgruntled workers and farmers.
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| 5 |
ID:
119103
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
For China, the year 2012 was politically significant with a once-a-decade power transfer taking place. However, the year was full of political scandals and rumors. From the top elite circles to the grassroots, Chinese feel increasingly anxious and frustrated. This paper examines what has gone wrong with China's elite politics, and how Chinese social groups have responded.
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| 6 |
ID:
119090
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The year 2012 began for India with a steep decline in the economy, disarray in politics, and paralysis in policy. While there were more immediate causes for this state of affairs, each malady reflected a deeper dilemma created by widespread corruption, a weakening central state, declining discipline within the ruling coalition, a loss of economic momentum caused by an unresolved balance between equity and growth, and a failure to harness popular support for reforms. Each dilemma called for a fundamental change in the power equation between different parts of the state and between state and society.
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| 7 |
ID:
119097
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Two sides of the debate on Indonesia's future turn on the tension between sustained economic growth fueled by demand for Indonesia's natural resources and the highly skewed distribution of wealth. With the Indonesia boosters forecasting a vertiginous rise of Southeast Asia's largest economy, the naysayers point to the deadweights of corruption, lack of transparency, and poor governance. With democratic electoralism revived in a post-authoritarian setting, such issues can no longer be swept under the carpet: they are matched by a relatively open media and burgeoning civil society.
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| 8 |
ID:
119105
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article describes Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko's policy-focused struggles in an environment where voters swing, then swing away soon.
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| 9 |
ID:
119101
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The year 2012 saw rapid economic growth, resource development, and a young, dynamic population starting to change the face of Lao public life. The governing Lao People's Revolutionary Party was quick to claim across the board success. There remain, however, significant caveats: success has been moderate, and growth has come with human costs.
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| 10 |
ID:
119099
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
During 2012, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak undertook a number of political and economic reforms. At the same time, his rival, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, was found not guilty of sexual misconduct charges. However, major corruption scandals continued to break. And a large scale protest over electoral cheating turned violent. Meanwhile, the economy remained on an even keel, while the government negotiated with the U.S. over entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
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| 11 |
ID:
119094
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| Publication |
2013.
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In 2012, Myanmar experienced another tumultuous year of reform. Executive, legislative, and civic institutions advanced, but public administration and the judiciary remained largely unchanged. While some ethnic relations improved, others descended into bitter conflict. Economic and social development was patchy. Links with the U.S. and its allies strengthened considerably.
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| 12 |
ID:
119093
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Nepal's political transition switched into crisis mode as the Constituent Assembly (CA) dissolved on May 27 without delivering a constitution. While new elections for the CA appeared most likely, people's confidence in the ability of ever-feuding politicians to lead the troubled nation plunged to a new low. Anticipations grew in Bhutan over parliamentary elections in 2013. Bhutan's decision to establish diplomatic relations with China was a historic milestone.
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| 13 |
ID:
119104
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| Publication |
2013.
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Thus far, North Korea appears to have made a successful transition of power to the third generation of Kims, installing the 28-year-old Kim Jong Un as the country's supreme leader. However, due to the diminishing legitimacy of multiple generations of inherited leadership, Kim Jong Un must deliver what North Korea needs most, namely, economic development. Kim has promised to give it priority, but structural (political, economic, and social) constraints do not allow him much room to maneuver.
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| 14 |
ID:
119089
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In the lead up to Pakistan's national elections scheduled for 2013, the judiciary and the legislature have clashed over the reopening of corruption cases against President Zardari. Prime Minister Gilani was forced from office, and the crisis abated due to his successor's actions. The Supreme Court ruled that military intelligence illegally interfered with an earlier election. Fiscal crises, sectarian violence, insurgency, and slow economic growth continue to pose serious challenges. U.S. aid was resumed after NATO supply lines were re-opened, but tensions remain over U.S. drone strikes. The Pakistani rupee sank to a record low. The country's democratic transition is still young, and consolidation may promote solvency and improve governance.
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| 15 |
ID:
119096
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Two years into his presidency, Benigno Simeon Aquino III has been described as an absentee, do-nothing president by his detractors. A review of the key economic and political developments in 2012, however, reveals that his administration has chalked up a list of accomplishments. Thus, despite his easygoing and laid-back leadership style, the president has shown he can deliver.
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| 16 |
ID:
119109
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Russian history is replete with zig-zags between reform and reaction, ottepel' (thaw) and moroz (freezing), turns to and from the East and West. The year 2012 marked another zig-zag as Putin returned to the presidency, replacing Medvedev. Medvedev's presidency saw a "thaw" in Russian politics and improved relations with the West. Putin's return has largely frozen the thaw and stalled the reset; he has refocused Russian foreign policy to the Asia-Pacific.
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| 17 |
ID:
119106
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
An election year in South Korea witnessed a rise in deep discontent and distrust with the current political system that failed to address a growing demand for rebalancing in both domestic and foreign policies. Conservative successes led by Park Geun-hye in two elections demonstrate that South Korean voters do not support the opposition's promise for radical reform. But the most significant message of the 2012 elections was that existing party politics could not be sustained without some fundamental political reforms, expressed by the "Ahn syndrome" yearning for new politics.
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| 18 |
ID:
119091
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Since the end of the civil war in May 2009, Sri Lanka's government has continued to consolidate the unitary state and centralize power by combining political reform, patronage, and economic development. However, two forces countering such unity and centralization became evident during the course of the year. First, tensions and contradictions associated with the simultaneous pursuit of political centralization alongside rapid economic development and liberalization. Second, there has been an intensification of external pressures to bring about a political settlement with the Tamils and to address government accountability, including its alleged involvement in war crimes.
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| 19 |
ID:
119107
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Beginning with an election triumph for incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou, 2012 proved a difficult year for both Taiwan and Ma; his second term got off to a dismal start. The island's economy experienced stagflation, while a series of controversies created a governance crisis during which the president's approval rating hit historic lows.
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| 20 |
ID:
119098
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In 2012, Thailand continued to take steps toward the creation of a new normal. That new normal encompassed, not always successfully, reconciliations between Red and Yellow adherents, the government and the military, the government and the courts, factions in the Pheu Thai Party, and between the government and Southern insurgents. By year's end, some normalcy had been achieved, although the future of Thaksin, reconciliation between the colors, and the violence in the South remained unresolved.
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