East-West Wire

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/18027

The East-West Wire is a news, commentary, and analysis service provided by the East-West Center in Honolulu. Any part or all of the Wire content may be used by media with attribution to the East-West Center or the person quoted.

The East-West Center ScholarSpace community contains digital versions of just some of the several thousand books, periodicals, and unpublished papers generated by the Center over the past 50 years. Find a complete list of recent East-West Center publications and learn how to obtain them at EastWestCenter.org/publications . Search for recent and older works from 1960 - present using the Center's library catalog at EastWestCenter.org/riscatalog.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 610

Thailand’s May 14 election : promise for democracy or danger of another coup?
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2023-05-12) Morrison, Charles E.; Yokying, Phanwin; East-West Center, Research Program
Quick take:
- The democratic opposition to Thailand’s current military-dominated government may have a real chance of winning the May 14 parliamentary election.
- Many fear, however, that a landslide victory by reformists could precipitate either another coup by the military similar to neighboring Myanmar, or legal maneuvers to void the election results.
Understanding the military coup in Myanmar, two years later
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2023-03-15) Thang, Lian Bawi; East-West Center
Quick Take:
- More than 3,000 protestors have been killed, 20,000 people arrested, and 55,000 houses burned in the two years since the coup.
- Amid former optimism about the prospect of ending military dominance, the ruling NLD party and many observers did not anticipate the coup until the last few months.
- The regime promised to hold "free and fair" elections in 2023, but the repeatedly delayed vote is simply a military strategy to escape the ongoing armed conflict and consolidate authority.
Tesla’s China game
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-06-02) East-West Center; Research Program
Before the recent pandemic and stock-market turmoil, Tesla made remarkable gains in China’s huge EV market. Quick take:
- After taking the US electric vehicle market by storm, Tesla set its sights on tackling the competitive Chinese EV market—the world’s largest, driven by government supports and incentives.
- As of the first four months of 2022, Tesla sold the third-most electric vehicles in China and was the only foreign company to place models on the list of the country’s top 10 EV vehicles sold.
- Regardless of the recent market and pandemic turmoil—not to mention CEO Elon Musk’s personal antics—Tesla is likely to continue expanding its reach in the Chinese EV market over the long term.
Tracking the Pacific islands diaspora
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-09-22) Pacific Islands Development Program; East-West Center
Panelists explore issues surrounding Pacific out-migration. Quick take:
- More than 2 out of 5 Marshall Islanders now live in the US
- COVID mortality among Marshallese in the US has been higher per capita than any other ethnic group
- Mobility is part of Pacific Islanders’ history, speakers said, and does offer positive opportunities along with challenges.
The World must not wash its hands of Afghanistan
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-08-26) Sohail, Mohammad Sadiq; East-West Center; Research Program
A year after the fall of Kabul and the end of the US military mission in Afghanistan, the country remains a place of misery. No foreign government has recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government, and much of the modern economy has collapsed. The new rulers have not kept earlier promises, including high-school level education for girls and amnesty for former Afghan government soldiers and civil servants.
The Taliban’s return has robbed Afghanistan’s women and girls of their future
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-08-26) Adeli, Zakia; East-West Center; Research Program
The advent of Taliban rule in Afghanistan a year ago this month, after two decades under the more liberal, internationally supported Afghan National Government, threw the Afghan populace backward through a time warp. The return to Taliban oppression has been most traumatic for women and girls, who suddenly find themselves in the equivalent of the Middle Ages again with respect to their rights and prospects.
Speaking for the trees
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-08-17) East-West Center; Research Program
Documentarians share tales of Southeast Asia’s fast-changing environment. Quick take:
- With economic development projects in Southeast Asia disproportionately impacting subsistence communities, conventional reporting has often failed to capture the individual human toll of the changes.
- Speakers at a recent East-West Center Insights webinar said artists and storytellers have a role to play in ensuring that local concerns are heard and understood.
A prime minister of consequence
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-07-15) Morrison, Charles E.; Research Program; East-West Center
Why slain former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe’s most cherished legacy may be yet to come. Quick take:
- As prime minster, Abe provided stability after frequent leadership changes
- Though only partially successful at best, ‘Abenomics’ offered hope after a ‘lost’ decade of economic despair
- While not always popular at home, Abe was deft at handling key foreign players, from China to Trump.
Pacific climate leaders caution media against ‘drowning islands’ narrative
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center , 2022-07-07) East-West Center; Seminars & Journalism
Much coverage rife with stereotypes of hopelessness and helplessness, they say. Quick take
- Activists and scientists say the media too often paints Pacific peoples as powerless climate victims
- Young leaders are now speaking out about this, and new organizations are forming to help elevate positive local voices in climate coverage.
Confronting the media’s crisis of trust
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-07-06) East-West Center; Seminars & Journalism
Media experts offer plenty of evidence but few answers for the ongoing erosion of public confidence in news. Quick take:
- Experts at the recent East-West Center International Media Conference admitted the problem now seems intractable.
- ‘Good journalism’ isn’t always enough, with some respected news sources receiving low trust scores after receiving political attacks.
- Many people feel the news is not made for them, according to studies. This including those who mistrust the media as a part of their political identity and connect with others who feel the same way.
- Exposing misinformation is one part of the battle, panelists said, but journalists also need to understand why people consume it.
Jakarta flooding prompts plan to relocate Indonesia’s capital
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-05-19) East-West Center; Research Program
But will the risky move really bring improvement? Quick take:
- Jakarta’s frequent flooding and other environmental issues have prompted Indonesian leaders to plan a move to build a new capital amid the jungle of Borneo.
- Officials have high economic hopes, but realities such as water issues and weak sanitation infrastructure make such goals challenging.
- Neighborhood relocation measures to cope with Jakarta’s flooding have uprooted smaller communities within the megacity and added to growing socioeconomic inequality.
- Community activism born of such inequity has become an increasingly important part of the story.
Expert : Ukraine war not detracting from enhanced US engagement in Indo-Pacific
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-05-05) East-West Center
In some ways, the crisis in Europe has strengthened US relationships in Asia and the Pacific, says East-West Center VP Satu Limaye. Quick take:
- Key regional meetings and initiatives continue with Asia and the Pacific.
- The Ukraine invasion has heightened regional concerns about China’s aggressive behavior and its deepening relationship with Russia.
- The biggest gap in US policy in the region is a comprehensive economic initiative.
Risking everything to report on Myanmar’s military repression
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-04-21) East-West Center
Determined journalists draw comparisons with Ukraine. Quick take:
- Reporters and resistance groups in Myanmar say their struggle for democracy deserves the world’s attention just as Ukraine’s does, while they watch and learn from Ukraine’s strong resistance to the Russian invasion.
- More than a hundred journalists have been detained in Myanmar, and several have been killed, according to one editor.
- Despite the dangers, citizen journalists are helping to gather information on the ground.
US-China relations : is there a way out of the abyss?
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-04-07) East-West Center
Panelists debate approaches to reducing tensions between Washington and Beijing. Quick take:
- It appears there is little room for common ground as the US and China remain stalemated on many issues.
- To address this, the US is working on building “guardrails” to avoid conflict in competitive areas, a senior American diplomat said.
- Meanwhile, China is grappling with what it views as inconsistent US policies, according to a Stimson Center analyst.
Women in sports : leveling the playing field
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-03-24) East-West Center
Athletes discuss the gender imbalance in sports and how to make a difference. From pay and sponsorship deals to media coverage and leadership opportunities, gender inequities continue to afflict the sports industry, according to athletes who spoke at a recent East-West Center #galswithLEI Global webinar on “Leveling the Playing Field: Women in Sports.” The six panelists discussed the ongoing parity hurdles in sports as well as strides they have personally made in addressing the problem.
Yoon’s presidential victory in South Korea may also be a win for Washington
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-03-14) Roy, Denny; East-West Center
Quick take:
- President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will likely seek to bring South Korea’s foreign policy into closer alignment with US preferences in such areas as relations with China and Japan, as well as North Korean denuclearization.
- However, with the narrowest presidential win in the country’s history, the political newcomer faces major hurdles in implementing his agenda.
Guam governor urges women to lead for change
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-03-31) East-West Center
Quick take:
- As the US territory’s first female governor, ‘Lou’ Leon Guerrero says she was strongly influenced by her upbringing in the matrilineal Chamoru culture.
- While critics decried her imposition of strict COVID restrictions on the island, she said her experience as a nurse guided her decisions.
- She urged women to “be a warrior” in moving into leadership roles.
A year later, struggle for democracy continues in Myanmar amid deepening violence and humanitarian crisis
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-03-17) Byrd, Miemie Winn; Knudsen, Karen; Morrison, Charles E.; East-West Center
Quick take:
- While international attention is focused on Ukraine, another struggle against totalitarianism continues in Myanmar.
- The military junta’s response to popular resistance has been to double-down on suppression.
- Poverty has greatly worsened along with the violence, with the country losing an estimated 1.6 million jobs and 20 percent of its GNP last year.
The price of paramount power
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-02-10) Hornik, Richard; East-West Center
As he consolidates absolute control, China’s Xi Jinping will also have to answer for a host of crises. Quick take:
- Xi Jinping seems set to become China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, but the complex challenges he faces appear intractable—and the downside to supreme authority is total responsibility.
- While Xi inherited many of these problems, such as an aging population, wealth inequality, and stagnating productivity, he and his advisors have created two of the most immediate ones: the repercussions of Xi’s Zero COVID policy and China’s deepening real estate crisis.
Battling the ‘Devil’s Megaphone’
(Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, 2022-06-29) East-West Center
Facing a shutdown of her online news outlet, Nobel laureate Maria Ressa calls for journalists to band together to fight an online information ecosystem ‘built on lies laced with hate.’ Quick take:
- Speaking at the East-West Center’s 2022 International Media Conference, Ressa vowed to resist a new government order to shut down her news site Rappler.
- Social media platforms’ business models “reward anger and hate,” she said, leading to a frightening global rise in authoritarianism.
- The only way for independent journalists to counter this, according to Ressa, is to work together on fighting malicious falsehoods.

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