Author: Sacchidananda Mukherjee, NIPFP

With the passage of the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill in August 2016 and the establishment of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) council, many hoped that the design and structure of India’s GST would emerge soon. Instead, the basic structure of the GST has weakened and GST council decisions are not being disclosed in the public domain. Read more…

Author: Jeffrey Ordaniel, Pacific Forum CSIS & GRIPS

Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, many analysts have anticipated that the United States would return to a unilateralist approach to international security. Initial statements from the new administration hinted at a change in Washington’s Asia policy away from the multilateral diplomacy and engagement championed by Obama’s ‘rebalance’ to Asia. Read more…

Author: Rajni Gamage, RSIS

BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, celebrates its 20th anniversary in June 2017. It is well positioned to engage in maritime security cooperation to face the challenges of a changing strategic and economic landscape. Read more…

Author: Alexander Bukh, Victoria University of Wellington

As Russia’s foreign policy has become more assertive over the last few years, views of Russia in the West are becoming increasingly negative. But in Southeast Asia, a region whose history of relations with the USSR and Russia is fundamentally different from that of the West, perceptions of Russia today are markedly different. Read more…

Author: Donald R Rothwell, ANU

On 3 February 2017, a small ceremony was held to remember the 50th anniversary of the execution of Ronald Ryan at Pentridge jail in Melbourne, Australia. Ryan’s execution for the murder of a prison guard proved to be the tipping point for Australia. Read more…

Author: Purnendra Jain, University of Adelaide

After decades of a self-imposed ban on arms exports, the Abe government in 2014 began to allow the country’s producers to export arms and military equipment. This is a significant development, albeit part of an evolutionary and incremental process. Read more…

Author: Liam Gammon, ANU

The last time Jakartans elected a governor, they upended national politics by giving Joko Widodo (Jokowi), then an obscure regional mayor, a launching pad for his successful tilt at the presidency. The result of Wednesday’s gubernatorial election could well be as consequential. Read more…