South Asia
The UN Internal Review Panel Report and Sri Lanka’s Urgent Need for Accountability
With the release of the United Nations Internal Review Panel Report in November 2012, the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka has once again captured the attention of the world.
Mahinda Rajapaksa's India Policy: Engage and Countervail
Mahinda Rajapaksa has emerged as perhaps the only Sri Lankan leader who has managed to secure some strategic autonomy in conducting his country's foreign policy vis-à-vis India.
The ‘Ethnic Question’ in India–Sri Lanka Relations in the Post-LTTE Phase
The ‘ethnic question’ in Sri Lanka, even after the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), evokes a sense of suspense, uncertainty and even a possible conflict of interest in the otherw
Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir—A Buffer State in the Making?
One cannot deny the inexorable advantage that geography has given Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Peace and Stability in Afghanistan: The Role of Neighbours
The security deficit can be filled to a large extent by Afghanistan’s neighbours if they can be persuaded to accept the responsibility, including by contributing troops to a UN-mandated peacekeeping force.
Expansion of the Karakoram Corridor: Implications and Prospects
The Paper examines Chinese transport projects in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in general and Gilgit-Baltistan in particular and their impact on local and regional economy and security. China and Pakistan are in the process of expanding the Karakoram Corridor in Gilgit-Baltistan which primarily serves the political and strategic interests of both countries with negligible benefits to the local people.
Sectarian Violence in Karachi: Is Pakistan Closer to the Precipice?
Unity of purpose and synergy between state institutions required to deal with sectarian violence is largely missing and, as a result, the Pakistani state is responding to the growing Taliban threat in Karachi in a knee-jerk manner.
Renewed American Engagement with Nepal’s Maoists
America’s removal of Nepal’s ruling Maoist party from the list of global terrorist groups not only recognises the party’s transformation from a “violent” political outfit to a political party committed to democratic norms, but also signals renewed US interest in Nepal.
Political Stalemate and Transitional Justice in Post-conflict Nepal
Failure to provide justice will significantly undermine the capacity of the state to uphold the rule of law and undermine the foundations of the new institutions that are being instituted.
