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| 1 |
ID:
164942
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| 2 |
ID:
164952
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| Summary/Abstract |
Sheikh Hasina stole victory in the December 2018 election by hobbling the opposition, stifling criticism, stacking the courts and election commission with her lackeys, using a “war on drugs” to target rivals, and co-opting Islamists. Meanwhile, a million immiserated Rohingyas, who fled Myanmar after a brutal crackdown, still languish in desolate camps.
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| 3 |
ID:
164958
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In 2018, ever-incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen scored a landslide victory in the Cambodian general elections. Three factors in particular explain this outcome. First, the elimination of the main opposition party, whose strategy of a peaceful election boycott failed. Second, favorable economic conditions and government handouts of spoils to constituencies that traditionally supported the opposition. Third, the weak leverage of the United States and the EU, and the Hun Sen regime’s strong links with China.
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| 4 |
ID:
164944
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President Xi Jinping dominated the Chinese stage during 2018, continuing to consolidate his power as the CCP sought to reassert its primacy. China flexed its muscles as a great power in a pitch for global leadership. Xi pushed constantly to portray China as the promoter of an open global economy, even as his own continued to slow incrementally amid the widening trade war with the US.
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| 5 |
ID:
164950
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| Summary/Abstract |
Like the previous year, 2018 was marked by a series of vigilante attacks and gruesome acts of violence against women. The Supreme Court passed important gender-related progressive judgements, yet the institution and other public bodies witnessed unprecedented infighting, scandal, and politicization. The Indian economy showed increased growth. The year witnessed the first major electoral setback since 2014 for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, and foreshadowed what will likely be a hotly contested general election in 2019.
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| 6 |
ID:
164956
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In 2018 Indonesia looked ahead to legislative and presidential elections, and heads of major parties, including the incumbent president, lined up allies. As host of the 18th Asian Games, the nation celebrated in style. But with economic growth flatlining and natural disasters taking their toll, it was also a year of introspection.
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| 7 |
ID:
164948
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| Summary/Abstract |
New and old domestic issues challenged the Abe government, while “Trump shocks” rattled Japan’s foreign relations. Domestically, Abenomics produced mixed results, the depopulation bomb continued ticking, and Abe’s reelection presaged a possible attempt at constitutional amendment.
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| 8 |
ID:
164961
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| Summary/Abstract |
As usual, there is mostly continuity in Laos: solid economic growth, a strong ruling communist party, increasing dependence on China, growing inequality, and tight control of civil society. A new trend, apart from the return of a socialist rhetoric, is an official appraisal of self-sufficiency and anti-globalization.
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| 9 |
ID:
164955
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| Summary/Abstract |
After decades of rule by the Barisan Nasional, spearheaded by the United Malays National Organisation, 2018 witnessed a change in government when the Pakatan Harapan opposition secured a stunning victory in the general election. The incumbent prime minister, Najib Razak, was defeated by his political nemesis, Mahathir Mohamad. Malaysia’s economy was stable but sluggish, growing slower than expected in 2018.
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| 10 |
ID:
164959
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| Summary/Abstract |
The Rohingya crisis cast a long shadow over Myanmar in 2018, and prospects for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh were bleak. The peace process with ethnic armed organizations remained stalled. Myanmar signed major investment agreements with China that could have a dramatic effect on the economy.
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| 11 |
ID:
164963
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After four years of economic gloom, the Bruneian economy began showing signs of recovery, mainly thanks to improved global oil prices and the fruits of government policies introduced three years ago. In the meantime, the sultan’s seriousness in combating corruption has taken center stage, with young new faces introduced in the recent cabinet reshuffle. Implementation of sharia law remains slow. On the international front, Brunei appears to be moving closer to China, which is emerging as the country’s largest foreign investor.
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| 12 |
ID:
164953
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| Summary/Abstract |
The Communist Party of Nepal raised hope for stability and rapid development after winning a comfortable majority in local, provincial, and federal elections, but power concentration, partisanship, and factionalism prevented it from delivering, while intolerance toward dissidents, illiberal actions, and mono-ethnic policies generated criticism and reduced its popularity within a year.
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| 13 |
ID:
164945
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Kim Jong-un showcased a series of summit meetings throughout 2018, including the first-ever meeting of a North Korean leader with a sitting US president. North Korea improved its strained relations with China and South Korea. The country’s denuclearization has yet to be seen, but these events sparked considerable debate about the future.
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| 14 |
ID:
164962
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Papua New Guinea experienced another challenging year, with a major earthquake impacting oil and gas projects, rioting and inter-clan fighting in the highlands, and economic decline, but Prime Minister O’Neill survived, and the country raised its international profile with the hosting of the 2018 APEC summit meeting. Closer ties between Papua New Guinea and China raised some concerns in Australia, which moved to strengthen its presence in Papua New Guinea and the region.
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| 15 |
ID:
164960
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Two and a half years into the Duterte administration, the country is facing high inflation rates, weak political institutions, and political uncertainty. While there are efforts toward political reform as well as peaceful settlement of conflicts, the country remains divided, with no clear strategy for reforms or nation-building being offered.
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| 16 |
ID:
164946
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Russia’s “Asian pivot” remains focused on China, despite energetic Russian diplomacy in 2018 vis-à-vis Japan and India. The benefits of the enlargement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to include Pakistan and India remained unclear, and the overlapping memberships of regional organizations highlighted the challenges for security and economic cooperation in Central Asia.
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| 17 |
ID:
164964
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| Summary/Abstract |
In June, Singapore captured the global spotlight when it hosted the summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The regional political environment prompted anxiety, given the leadership transition in Malaysia. Domestically, political leadership transition and the opposition Workers’ Party’s lawsuit over allegations of mismanagement of town council funds were major issues.
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| 18 |
ID:
164947
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| Summary/Abstract |
The biggest story of 2018 was a series of summit meetings between US President Donald Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the denuclearization of North Korea. The income-led growth policies of the Moon Jae-in administration have not stimulated the economy.
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| 19 |
ID:
164951
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| Summary/Abstract |
The highlight of Maithripala Sirisena’s presidency came in its very beginning when he ended a decade of autocracy by restoring democracy. And when rivalry with his own prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, devolved into a constitutional crisis, Sirisena was forced to abide by the democratic norms he had restored.
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| 20 |
ID:
164949
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| Summary/Abstract |
President Tsai Ing-wen and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party suffered a crushing defeat in local elections in late November. While economic growth remains robust, with GDP per capita rising, the challenge for Tsai is to adjust policy lines and earn support for the coming presidential election.
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