Int’l Affairs

General Ne Win, who assumed power in 1962, nationalised all businesses and Muslims were the biggest losers. He also purged the armed forces and the civil bureaucracy of Muslims. Many fled to neighbouring East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Anti-Muslim riots took place in Mandlay in 1997 and again in 2001. The current rioting in Rakhine State began …

IN the past week, Islamists have destroyed and desecrated the tombs of Muslim saints in the fabled town of Timbuktu in northern Mali, recalling the Taliban’s 2001 destruction of two giant Buddhas in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. In defiance of the West and many local Muslims, Islamists in northern Mali are prohibiting people from worshiping at tombs and erecting structures on graves. …

The claim of the democratically-elected government to ameliorate its relations with Tehran is a matter of concern for the allies of Cairo. The Asian countries have hailed the triumph of Morsi with ecstasy and at a high note. Russia, China and Iran have expressed their desire to strengthen diplomatic ties with Egypt. The situation in Pakistan was no different, but …

The Tokyo moot, which came on the heels of Istanbul and Bonn II initiatives in 2011 and extraordinary Chicago summit in 2012, was meant to determine the post-withdrawal reconstruction needs of Afghanistan, review the financial assistance requirements and make arrangements for the provision of international funding in at attempt to make the war-torn country stand on its feet.   The …

Russia and China are supportive of Assad’s regime. It can be said that they are not as intolerant against the regime as the Western powers are. The United Nations Security Council failed to support the resolution that was under chapter VII of the charter, against Syria. The resolution was tabled jointly by the United Kingdom and the United States ‘the …

Cruelty toward the Rohingyas is not new. They have faced torture, neglect and repression in the Buddhist-majority land since it achieved independence in 1948. Its constitution closes all options for Rohingyas to be citizens, on grounds that their ancestors didn’t live there when the land, once called Burma, came under British rule in the 19th century (a contention the Rohingyas …

Pakistan and China have enjoyed mutually beneficial and cordial relations since 1951 when diplomatic ties were formally established. Mainly, the pragmatic and farsighted approach of the early leadership of the two countries paid the dividends. The mature decisions that were taken such as lending recognition to China by Pakistan and amicable boundary demarcation in 1962 etc. are the convincing reasons …

The joint communique, issued at the conclusion of two-day extraordinary meeting of NATO countries held in Chicago, voiced the resolve of NATO to hand over the security responsibilities to the Afghan National Security Force and stick to 2014 deadline for a complete exit of their forces from Afghanistan. However, trainers will continue to stay back to train the Afghan forces. …

China has been Pakistan’s steadfast friend and a partner not only in its legitimate security needs and economic development but also in contributing to regional peace and stability.  Both countries have pursued their friendship with the objective of mutual benefit and never at the cost of their relations with any other country or countries. They are against hegemony or exploitation, …

The theme of Annual Conference 2012 of BFA “Asia in the Changing World: Moving toward Sound and Sustainable Development,” points toward number of challenges that Asia may face in coming years.  The East Asian miracle which has changed the perception of the World about Asia has developed interest of the policy makers, development practitioners, business leaders and academia in the …