The military coup in Myanmar on February 1st signifies a reversal of liberalization that had slowly been developing in the country since the end of the military dictatorship in 2010. However, the coup …
Myanmar: The Coup That Was Meant to Be
The Myanmar military took power quietly overnight; yet this coup did not surprise many people. Myanmar has struggled with democracy for many decades under both military and civilian rule. In fact, …
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Future of the Republic of China
The sign slogan reads "Three Principles of the People Will Unite China" and is located on Dadan Island, facing towards Mainland China. On the 10th of October, 2020, the Republic of China, commonly …
How Populist Tactics Solidify the Legitimacy of North Korea’s Supreme Leader
The core of populism is in creating an image of the people and representing them to justify political power. [1] It is based on a myth as “the people” as a singular entity does not exist. A populist …
North Korea as a Populist Regime
The political structure of a country is often presented on a spectrum; it is the degree of democracy or autocracy rather than a dichotomous classification. [1] For sure, many scholars have argued for …
Coronavirus’ Chinese Paradox: Crushing or Renewing Hopes for Democratization?
In the past twenty years, the world has been asking itself “will China democratize”? However, the Chinese Communist Party under President Xi has been doing so well that the debate had died down… until …
A Two Headed Lion: COVID-19 in Singapore
The coronavirus outbreak raises some interesting questions for the social scientists and the general public. Most importantly, why are some countries more successful than the …
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Activism is Under Attack in the Philippines
Activists in the Philippines are under siege. The country is now the most dangerous place for environmental activists, with 30 killed in 2018 – more than anywhere else in the world. And environmental …
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