Review

For Indonesia’s haunting past, Jokowi’s resolution is non-judicial
For Indonesia’s haunting past, Jokowi’s resolution is non-judicial
The civilian witness held a pressurised kerosene lamp. He stood just a step back from the edge of the mass grave, two meters deep. Thirty-one men, purported members and companions…
China’s answer to Top Gun is a flat spin
China’s answer to Top Gun is a flat spin
In the battle for cultural supremacy, the Chinese film industry has released their counterpoint to the American blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. The May 2023 release of Born to Fly,…
Low Earth orbit: The next frontier
Low Earth orbit: The next frontier
Book review: The Future of Geography by Tim Marshall (Simon & Schuster, 2023) Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever. ~ Konstantin…
India’s underperforming ties to Vietnam
India’s underperforming ties to Vietnam
Book Review: India-Vietnam Relations: Development Dynamics and Strategic Alignment, by Reena Marwah and Le Thi Hang Nga (Springer Nature, 2021) ​In Vietnamese culture dissent…
What “Utopia” got wrong about China and defence policy
What “Utopia” got wrong about China and defence policy
You’ve probably seen it on Twitter or Instagram. Maybe a friend emailed it to you, or maybe you were the sender. It gets waved around social media like a talisman that can settle…
Fiji: lessons under a dictator’s heel
Fiji: lessons under a dictator’s heel
Book review: Prisoner 302: A Fijian Prime Minister’s Story of his Life, of Military Rebellion, National Oppression and a Handful of Miracles, by Laisenia Qarase (2022) The…
Binary error: How and why governments need a cyber security rethink
Binary error: How and why governments need a cyber security rethink
Book Review: Cyber Persistence Theory: Redefining National Security in Cyberspace, by Michael P. Fischerkeller, Emily O. Goldman and Richard J. Harknett (Oxford University Press,…
How an Australian freed an unfinished nation’s history
How an Australian freed an unfinished nation’s history
Book review: Indonesia out of Exile: How Pramoedya’s Buru Quartet Killed a Dictatorship, by Max Lane (Penguin, 2023) Australia’s relationships with Indonesia are usually…
Avenging the century of humiliation, one artefact at a time
Avenging the century of humiliation, one artefact at a time
Book review: Portrait of a Thief, by Grace D. Li (Penguin Random House, 2022) In 1860, the Second Opium War culminated in British and French troops sacking the Old Summer…
Pop culture politics: How to Interpret 2022
Pop culture politics: How to Interpret 2022
Missed the headline? Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is stepping down after more than 20 years as ambassador for the UN refugee agency. It’s fine, because India’s celebrities are…