Hambantota port is situated approximately 10 nautical miles from one of the busiest shipping lanes, in southern Sri Lanka. About 200 cargo vessels use it every day and it can handle vessels up to 100, 000 DWT. The Sri Lankan government hopes to bene....
It is generally believed that India has not handled its neighbourhood well and that this failure has diminshed its capacity to play a more prominent international role. Yes, India’s soft image, its perceived internal disarray, its inability to guar....
According to some observers, “The significance of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in terms of geo-strategy only seems to be rising given the fluidity of strategic equations in South Asia”.1 The Chinese �....
In a surprising turn of events, even for many of Maldivians, Mohamad Nasheed, the first democratically-elected head of the state of Maldives, resigned on 07 February 2012 in the wake of anti-government protests and police mutiny. Although Mohamad Wah....
The civil-military relations in Bangladesh have always been unstable, in a country that has been marred by numerous military coups in the past. The Bangladeshi army has been known for factionalism and politicization of its forces. The recent revelati....
To start believing that democracy is taking root in Pakistan because the political confrontation between Prime Minister Gilani and General Kayani has not resulted in a military coup would be premature. There have been moments in Pakistan’s politica....
As is customary, official circles in India have hailed External Affairs S M Krishna's four-day visit to Sri Lanka from January 16th to 19th 2012 as 'successful.' Whether or not it was indeed 'successful' demands an examination of what transpired duri....
Is the current institutional conflict in Pakistan an indication that it is increasingly becoming a dysfunctional state, or is it a sign that the political system is now becoming more democratic? The Zardari government is at loggerheads with the judic....
The crassly cynical political developments in Pakistan, epitomized by the Memogate scandal, befit a banana republic. The Army is accusing the Head of State of acting against national security by seeking to conspire with the US to curb its power. In a....
The announcement that the Taliban will be opening an office in Qatar should be a cause for some reflection. The US and its allies are politically exhausted and economically drained by the war in Afghanistan. They no longer seek a clear victory; they ....