Asia-Pacific

Photo: Collage of the pictures of the writer (left) with British Prime Minister David Cameron (centre) and Indian PM Narendra Modi (right) and the UN flag (right). Credit: TwoTone

The Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi for Britain and the World

Viewpoint by Lord Rami Ranger

The writer, Lord Rami Ranger, CBE of Mayfair is a Member of the British House of Lords.

LONDON (IDN) – There is a mischievous campaign against the statues of Mahatma Gandhi in the UK and other countries including the US launched by misguided and ill-informed few.

These statues were erected by a great public demand to recognise the immense contribution of Gandhi Ji to the free world. As a result, this protest is unwarranted, uncalled for, unnecessary and above all, counterproductive. [Ji is a gender-neutral honorific used as a suffix in many languages of the Indian subcontinent]

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 29 June 2020

Photo: Governor Tamaki (right) with U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa (2019). Public domain | Source: Wikimedia Commons

Okinawa Governor Refuses to Host Prohibited U.S. Nuclear Missiles

By Jaya Ramachandran

GENEVA (IDN) – Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa district has rejected the U.S. plans to base on the island missiles capable of threatening China – apparently as part of President Donald Trump's move to challenge Beijing and upgrade the importance of Taiwan, 500 kilometres away from the island. If a plan for Okinawa to host such missiles were to develop, Tamaki said: "I can easily imagine fierce opposition from Okinawa residents."

: Jaya Ramachandran; ARMAMENTS; Nuclear Weapons; 27 June 2020

Photo: Portraits of Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping in a shop in China. Public Domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons

China's Disappointing Ways: From Mao to Present

Viewpoint by L. S. Herdenia

This article is the 11th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate.

NEW DELHI (IDN) – During the Chinese revolution, progressive forces of the world lent every possible support to it. At that time, it was widely believed that most of the Chinese people consumed opium and were always in a stupor. Additionally, the country’s economy lay totally shattered. It was said that the people in China went to the market with a bag full of currency note and returned with a pocketful of goods. It was the Communist party and its dynamic leader Mao Zedong who were trying to give a new life to the Chinese people.

: Suresh Jaura; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 25 June 2020

Photo: The evening flag lowering ceremony at the India-Pakistan International Border near Wagah. (August 2007) Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

Tensions Dominate India's Ties with Pakistan, Nepal & Sri Lanka

News briefs compiled by Suresh Jaura*

TORONTO | NEW DELHI (IDN) – Environmental degradation and climate change, US report on religious freedom, sex scandal, Covid-19, and cyber harassment in Pakistan are some issues the Indian news media has been highlighting in the first two weeks of June. These and many more are linked to India. The subcontinent's ties with Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka also draw the focus.

: Suresh Jaura; THE WORLD; South Asia; 24 June 2020

McDonald's and the Ongoing Indo-Chinese Conflict

Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn *

NEW DELHI (IDN) – Thomas Friedman first put forward the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention in 1996 which claimed that no two countries that both had McDonald's had fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald's.

However, life has its own logic and cannot be interpreted in binaries. The Western logic is rooted in the Greek traditions and is binary, whereas the logic in the Eastern traditions can be multi-dimensional such as the four valued Chatushkoti logic of the Vedas or Buddhism used by scholars like Patanjali and Panini, or seven valued Saptabhangi of the Jainas. It helps one get a bigger, better and richer picture of life.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 19 June 2020

Photo: Rose David of Wusi Village in West Coast Santo, Vanuatu stands next to her home that was destroyed by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold in April 2020. Credit: UN Women/Betty Zinner-Toa.

Women in The Pacific Confront the Dual Impact of a Pandemic and A Tropical Cyclone

By UN Women

NEW YORK (IDN) – Although the Pacific has largely been spared by the spread of the disease relative to other regions around the world – with Fiji hardest hit of the six countries the UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls programme works in, at 18 confirmed cases – all of which have since been cleared, and several countries without a recorded a case so far – the economic and social consequences have been deep.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Health & Well Being; 12 June 2020

Photo: Deserted Sea Dance Resort, Samui, May 2020,

The Thai Tourist Industry Wrecked, Despite Success in Controlling COVID-19

By Pattama Vilailert *

BANGKOK (IDN) – On New Year's Eve of 2020 when the Chinese authorities alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) of strange pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Thailand's tourism industry, the country's primary gross domestic product (GDP) driver, was facing an unprecedented boom. But, six months later, the industry is on its knees with knowledgeable sources predicting a lengthy recovery period.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 06 June 2020

Photo: Collage of images of Australian PM Morrison (left), US State Secretary Pompeo (centre) and Premier Andrews of Victoria (right) from Wikimedia Commons.

Australian Prime Minister and State Premier Battle Over Joining China's BRI

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SYDNEY (IDN) – A battle is brewing up between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian State Premier Daniel Andrews over an agreement the latter has signed with China to link his state with the joint infrastructure development to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added fuel to the conflict on May 24 in an interview with Rupert Murdoch owned Sky News when he said if Victoria joined the BRI, the US could "simply disconnect" from Australia.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 02 June 2020

Did Japan Beat COVID-19 with a Decentralized Response?

A Grassroots Movement of Local Actions Has Been Credited for Success.

Viewpoint by Dan Sanchez

The writer is the Director of Content at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and the editor of FEE.org. The article was originally published on FEE.org. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ATLANTA, GA | U.S. (IDN) – Japan's nationwide state of emergency was officially lifted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 25, who declared COVID-19 to be under control in the country. In his announcement of the move, Abe said, "Recently, new infection cases have fallen below 50 for the entire nation, and what was once nearly 10,000 hospitalized cases — that has now fallen below 2,000."

: Opinion Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 31 May 2020

Tackling the COVID-19 Crisis the Wrong Swedish and Effective Indian Way

Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn *

NEW DELHI (IDN) – Since time immemorial, humanity has confronted natural disasters and pandemics continually, and yet survived. But COVID-19 is unique in the sense that it has shaken and stirred both the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the world to the core. With over 5.9 million COVID-19 cases and over 362,000 deaths globally, the very experience is the most overwhelming in our living memory.