2020 Special Coverage

Why are young people protesting in Thailand?

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions which prohibit mass gatherings, young Thai activists continue to organize massive protests. This marks the first time when the Thai monarchy has been talked about publicly

Belarus in turmoil

Belarus is undergoing perhaps its most serious political crisis since independence. This eastern European country of nearly 10 million has been ruled by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka since 1994. The former collective farm manager is a great survivor. For over 20 years he has outmanoeuvred political opponents, playing off Russia against…

Are reforms in Uzbekistan bringing real change to the people?

In late 2019, the magazine The Economist selected the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan as “the country of the year” for the pace of its economic reforms and political changes. There is little doubt Uzbekistan in 2020 cannot compare to what it was in 2016, when it was still under…

Moldova: Waiting for another kingmaker?

Turbulent politics is no novelty for Moldova. It is, by conventional cliche, a country trapped: sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, caught between Russia and the West, and ensnared by poverty and corruption. By the winter of 2018, the European Union (EU) had become so concerned about the rule of law…

Who is paying the cost of India’s declining democracy?

India is often called the world's largest democracy, a title it can certainly claim in terms of voters, as 900 million people are eligible to cast ballots. But a closer look at India's legal framework may cast doubts on the quality of this democracy, and whether or not the country…

Internet disruption: a growing and global phenomenon

Across the globe, the internet has penetrated everyday activities to such an extent that any disruption in access directly affects a vast array of human activities: personal communication, consumption and production of information, business and trade, rescue operations. Indeed nearly 60 percent of the planet’s population is now connected to…

Taiwan 2020 Presidential Elections

Taiwan is holding presidential elections on January 11th, 2020 to determine the course of its political and economic orientation for the next four years. Following six months of political unrest in Hong Kong that have impacted public opinion on the island, the elections come at a crucial time and reveal…

Inside Kashmir's crisis

On August 5, India's government revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution that had provided special autonomy to the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir.