Southeast Asia
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Charlotte Wiedemann: "Now is the time for utopias"
The end of white dominance
In her latest book – "Der lange Abschied von der weissen Dominanz" – recently published in German, journalist Charlotte Wiedemann describes the upheaval in our changing, multi-polar world with startling clarity. By Christopher Resch
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Islamism in Southeast Asia
Islamic State's latest breeding ground
A recent knife attack on the security minister of Indonesia is a reminder of the danger of Islamist extremism in Southeast Asia. Security measures alone are not enough to combat radicalisation, say experts. By Rodion Ebbighausen
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Abusing blasphemy legislation
Indonesia's slide towards identity politics
Indonesiaʹs much vaunted Pancasila system appears to be faltering. Recent years have seen a spate of blasphemy convictions, most notably that of Ahok, ex-governor of Jakarta. Amending existing legislation is not, however, on the agenda of electioneering politicians keen to mobilise conservative Muslim voters. By Rafiqa Qurrata Aʹyun
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Drug-related crime in Indonesia
Don Widodo's tilt with windmills
Anti-narcotics laws and their enforcement tend to be tough in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, however, drug use is not in decline, despite attempts by President Widodo to crack down on durg dealers and cartels. By Edith Koesoemawiria
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Interview with Indonesian economist Iwan J. Azis
"Inequality will grow if all you do is unleash market forces"
For decades the conditions governing International Financial Institution (IFI) loans to Asian countries were often far too stringent, resulting in heightened social disparity. In interview with Hans Dembowski, Iwan J. Azis explains the risks of purely growth-oriented economies
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Bangladesh remembers the Rana Plaza disaster
Jobless and hopeless five years on
Five years after the biggest industrial disaster in Bangladeshʹs history, there appears to be no relief in sight for the thousands of survivors who are still suffering from severe physical and psychological trauma. By Arafatul Islam
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Album review: Rafiki Jazz′ ″Har Dam Sahara″
In life′s every moment
Rafiki Jazz′ latest album, ″Har Dam Sahara″, is one of those rare releases which manages to combine the music of multiple cultures to produce a sound that is both unique and harmonious. Review by Richard Marcus
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Myanmar′s persecution of the Rohingya
Existentially naked
The campaign of ethnic cleansing now being carried out against Myanmar′s Rohingya confronts the world with one of those moments that seem to arrive unannounced. Surely, by now, we should be able to recognise in such episodes the accelerating pulse of genocide? By Bernard Henri-Levy
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An Iraqi artist on Nauru
″My art is my saviour″
Currently housing 380 asylum seekers, Australia′s notorious Nauru detention facility bears witness to a brutal immigration policy. Conditions there remain the focus of international criticism. One Iraqi detainee, Abbas Al Aboudi, has turned to art in a bid to preserve his sanity. By Farid Farid
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Saudi influence in Pakistan
A perilous road
Saudi-supported ultra-conservative worldviews, abetted by successive Pakistani governments, are changing the very nature of Pakistani society. By James M. Dorsey
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The scourge of sectarianism
Obstinate mass suicide
In his essay, the well-known Jordanian journalist and literary scholar Fahkri Saleh explores the impact of the scourge – characterised by fanaticism, extremism, introversion and lethal sectarianism – that is currently sweeping the Muslim world
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