Letter from the Editors
2 years, 9 months ago

Letter from the Editors

The Diplomat  

Welcome to the March 2022 issue of The Diplomat Magazine. In this issue we explore the societal friction points behind political decisionmaking – and the political fractures impacting society – from Sri Lanka to Singapore to South Korea and beyond. Kim, an associate professor of Korean politics and history at Australian National University, argues that this is the most unpredictable and nastiest presidential election since South Korea democratized in 1987. As the March 9 election approached, Lee Jae-myung from the ruling Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol from the main opposition conservative People Power Party were neck-and-neck; as this issue goes to print, it’s not clear whether either is the leader South Koreans want and need. But starting in early 2021, as Senanayake and Sittampalam outline through interviews with healthcare workers and officials, Sri Lanka’s pandemic response broke down, thanks to a toxic combination of complacency, poor communication, and lack of foresight on critical questions like PCR testing systems and the vaccination drive.

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History of this topic

In Sri Lanka, no quiet after the storm
2 years, 5 months ago

In Sri Lanka, no quiet after the storm

The Hindu  

Even after the fall of his official residence and the Presidential Secretariat into the hands of protesting citizens, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tried to defy the massive public pressure on him to resign. Abolishing Sri Lanka’s much-hated executive presidential system of government through a comprehensive package of political reforms will have to be a priority in the policy agenda …

COVID: Too soon to say the worst of the pandemic is behind us
2 years, 8 months ago

COVID: Too soon to say the worst of the pandemic is behind us

The Hindu  

WITH the war in the Ukraine grabbing most of the headlines, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly ceased to be the number one news item at the global level as it had been for a lengthy period of time until recently. The World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update published on April 12 states: “uring the week of 4 through 10 …

Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Updates: Prez Appoints 3-member Fiscal Advisory Group; India Says 'We Stand Ready to Continue to Help'
2 years, 9 months ago

Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Updates: Prez Appoints 3-member Fiscal Advisory Group; India Says 'We Stand Ready to Continue to Help'

News 18  

Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Updates: As Sri Lanka facing a severe economic crisis that triggered a political upheaval, India on Thursday said it stands ready to continue assisting the island nation to recover from the difficulties in line with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. Sri Lanka witnessed massive street protests in the last few days view of the economic crisis and …

In danger zone: Sri Lanka's downward spiral into full-blown crisis
2 years, 9 months ago

In danger zone: Sri Lanka's downward spiral into full-blown crisis

The Hindu  

A sickeningly familiar story that has played out in country after ill-administered country, of government incompetence leading to citizen unrest and violence, in turn leading to more repressive measures, is now playing out in Sri Lanka. Let’s all meet up again in the replies on Namal’s next tweet.” Abhinesh, a Sri Lankan citizen, asked: “First, is there any power cut …

When Sri Lanka Lost Control of COVID
2 years, 9 months ago

When Sri Lanka Lost Control of COVID

The Diplomat  

Devana Senanayake and Janik Sittampalam “Everything changed around mid-May. Hours later, she died at home, just before the ambulance arrived.” In June 2021, Sri Lanka confirmed the first community case of the Delta variant of COVID-19. “Most countries did not get there and we did not have that initial first wave which Europe and much of the world had.” By …

The politics of Covid-19 in Southeast Asia
3 years ago

The politics of Covid-19 in Southeast Asia

Hindustan Times  

Covid-19 arrived in Southeast Asia much earlier than the rest of the world. Hence, it should be brought to focus that with the Covid-19 pandemic as the catalyst, the Southeast Asia region is undergoing major changes in its political sphere as well. The economic damage caused by the spread of Covid-19 has made people desperate in many countries, including Indonesia, …

Endless pandemic? Asia’s Omicron retreat shows COVID is political
3 years, 1 month ago

Endless pandemic? Asia’s Omicron retreat shows COVID is political

Al Jazeera  

Asia-Pacific countries’ rush to slam borders shut over the new variant raises questions about the end goal. Hwaseong, South Korea – The rush by Asia-Pacific countries to slam borders shut in response to the Omicron variant raises a sobering question: What if harsh restrictions like travel bans never truly end? Those parts of the world, especially those that have been …

Sri Lanka extends COVID-19 lockdown till September 6 as deaths rise
3 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka extends COVID-19 lockdown till September 6 as deaths rise

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka on Friday extended its nationwide lockdown till September 6, amidst a surge in the number of COVID-19 deaths and mounting pressure from medics and the Opposition to step up efforts to fight the raging third wave of coronavirus. “The current curfew will continue till 4 a.m. on Monday, September 6,” Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters. The Friday’s …

Covid-19 delta infections trigger political side effects in Asia
3 years, 4 months ago

Covid-19 delta infections trigger political side effects in Asia

Live Mint  

Public frustration at the spread of Covid-19’s Delta variant is hurting the political standing of some Asia-Pacific leaders, including those in U.S. allies Australia and Japan. In Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s approval ratings have fallen to around 30% in the wake of the Tokyo Olympics as daily infections hover around 25,000, three times the earlier peak. On Wednesday, his …

Malaysia: From COVID role model to a mini-India
3 years, 5 months ago

Malaysia: From COVID role model to a mini-India

Al Jazeera  

The horrific and heartbreaking scenes at Malaysian hospitals are akin to a disaster movie. At the end of July, Malaysia’s daily cases per million people stood at 515.9 and its daily deaths per million were at 4.95; by contrast, at its peak, India reached 283.50 cases and 3.04 deaths. The Malaysian government’s swift actions to implement a full-scale lockdown, invest …

No more coronavirus community spread in Sri Lanka: Officials
4 years, 5 months ago

No more coronavirus community spread in Sri Lanka: Officials

Deccan Chronicle  

Colombo: The Sri Lankan government's efforts have been successful in completely curbing the social spread of the coronavirus and the country has not witnessed a single community case for the last nearly three months, head of the COVID-19 task force said. Lt General Shavendra Silva, who is also the Army Commander, said that all the positive cases since April 30, …

Lanka election body ‘monitoring’ virus spike
4 years, 5 months ago

Lanka election body ‘monitoring’ virus spike

The Hindu  

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka is “closely monitoring” the situation following a recent spike in coronavirus cases, and “hopes and prays” that the general election — that was postponed earlier — could be conducted on August 5 as scheduled, its Chairman said. Postal voting for the island nation’s parliamentary election began on Monday — with some 700,000 officials eligible …

Letter From the Editors
4 years, 6 months ago

Letter From the Editors

The Diplomat  

Welcome to the June issue of The Diplomat Magazine! COVID-19 has sparked not only a global health crisis but a debt crunch in the developing world; political reshapings in Timor-Leste and Kazakhstan; and an environmental wake-up call in Pakistan. Much of the criticism has been focused on China, which often stands accused of ensnaring poorer partners in “debt traps.” But …

Like India, Sri Lanka is using coronavirus to stigmatise Muslims
4 years, 7 months ago

Like India, Sri Lanka is using coronavirus to stigmatise Muslims

Al Jazeera  

The world is going through a period of unprecedented instability, distress and uncertainty. In late March, after a Muslim religious gathering in New Delhi allegedly led to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, a politician from the BJP dubbed the gathering “corona terrorism“, and called for Muslims who attend mosques amid the pandemic to be …

Pandemics without borders, South Asia’s evolution
4 years, 8 months ago

Pandemics without borders, South Asia’s evolution

The Hindu  

Even if the COVID-19 pandemic spares South Asia the worst impact it has reserved thus far for the northern latitudes, it is certain that this region of nearly a fourth of the global population will be wounded gravely — economically, and as the process unfolds, socio-politically. Coronavirus | South Asia needs a humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Ranil Wickremesinghe …

A task for South Asia
4 years, 8 months ago

A task for South Asia

The Hindu  

South Asia, one of the world’s most populous regions, is also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is interesting that Britain, which formulated our health policies before independence, went on to form one of the world’s strongest public health systems, the National Health Service, whereas its South Asian colonies chose to stray from that path. Coronavirus | SAARC countries unite …

Pandemics historically linked with violence; India has contained it so far but lack of faith in State, migrant hardships can be tipping point
4 years, 9 months ago

Pandemics historically linked with violence; India has contained it so far but lack of faith in State, migrant hardships can be tipping point

Firstpost  

The high-handedness of officials and negligence of authorities is often the tipping point of protests and unrest in challenging times such as these. A crisis situation brings with it crimes like stockpiling of essential goods, corruption and non-adherence to mandatory public orders like curfew restriction, self-declaration of symptoms and travel history and staying under quarantine. According to the article, lockdowns …

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