Category: APSec2016
Ending Hatred and the Start of Healing: President Elpidio Quirino’s Pardoning of Japanese War Criminals in the Philippines and its Aftermath
On July 22, 1953 President Elpidio Quirino issued a proclamation granting executive clemency to 105 Japanese war criminals and allowed them to return to Japan. The proclamation came barely a decade after the end of World War II during which thousands of Filipinos lost their lives as victims of Japanese atrocities. Quirino himself lost his …
International Law & Sovereignty: A Divisive Concord of Paradigms in the South China Sea
The contemporary system of interdependent states, driven by the continuous demands of globalization has led to the ever-increasing relevance of international law in governing over the comity of nations. The adherence to international law was understood as the basis for peaceful coexistence and the viable recourse for dispute settlement among sovereign states in the international …
Sarkans Junijs’ – Military Relationship Between Japan and the Baltic States in the 1930s
In terms of the pre-war relationship between the Baltic states and Japan, Japanese historians tend to emphasize Chiune Sugihara’s contribution to the saving of Jewish refugees in 1940. However, apart from that, not many facts are yet known among either Japanese or the Baltic academia. Thus, in this article, I attempted to unveil the ‘reality’ of …
The Analysis of China’s Soft Power in Africa (1978-2015)
The main purpose of this paper is to examine China’s soft power in Africa (1978-2015). Coincided with seizing power by Chinese reformist elites headed by Deng Xiaoping in 1978, China prioritized economic development as its main goal. This trend has been continuing till now and by gaining stunning achievements, has turned China into the second …
Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Asymmetrical Partnership with China and Japan, 2003-2015
Brazil is among the 7th largest economies in the world and Asia has always been a priority in the foreign policy agenda of Brazil in the 21st century. Therefore, Japan as the third largest economy and China as the second largest economy in the world, has reinforced Brazilian interest in strengthening further diplomatic ties with …
The Geopolitics of Dam Construction and Operation Along the Mekong River: Implications for Food Security in the Region
Rivers cater to the needs of the people, especially in terms of food, agriculture and energy. Rivers are important to human survival because they can provide food, irrigation, and energy source. However, these benefits to humans are threatened by dam constructions and operations along the rivers. While recognizing the importance of hydropower technology as an …
Victory in Cyberspace: Issues, Means, and Geography
A review of state-initiated and state-sponsored incidents in cyberspace in the past decade reveals that over two thirds of these involved actors within the Asia Pacific; often times occurring in the context of politico-economic disputes. These activities range from attempts at espionage to that of coercion; in all appearance confirming the domain’s increasing strategic value. …
Ontological Security and the Limits of Realism and Neo-Realism
Ontological Security as an International Relations theory is not yet able to carry the same weight within the discipline as established theories, such as realism and neo-realism. This is due to the limited number of papers written which apply ontological security in comparison to mainstream theories. However, the theory is relevant in contemporary international relations …
Reconciliation: The Conditions of Possibility that Enable Practices in the Anlong Veng Community, Cambodia
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the conditions of possibility that enable practices of reconciliation in the Anlong Veng community, Cambodia. A qualitative method including secondary data analysis as well as field research interviews is being employed. The practices – i.e. negotiation – have been taken into consideration the discourse of power relations …
A Twenty-Point Recipe of Peace – The National Action Plan for Pakistan: Context, Analysis and Evaluation of Successes and Pitfalls
A twenty-point recipe of the National Action Plan (NAP) has become a core strategy to counter terrorism in Pakistan after the devastated terrorist attack on Peshawar Army Public School on December 16, 2014. Since the NAP establishment, counter-terrorism efforts have had highs and lows and diverse consequences. This paper attempts to critically scrutinize its achievements …
Stateless Persons and Climate Refugees in Asia
UNHCR has indicated that 65.3 million individuals were forcibly displaced in 2015: 40.8 million people around the world were displaced within their own countries. These figures, however, did not include stateless persons, those who may not belong to any state. In fact, Asia has the largest number of stateless persons. Moreover, Asia comprises about one-third …