Factum Perspectives – Page 12

Factum Perspective: China upping people-to-people diplomacy in Sri Lanka

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific PolicyAugust 1, 2021836Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Omar Rajarathnam China is a rising public diplomacy power. With infinite money to project its image, it deploys West-based social media platforms to amplify people-to-people ties in democracies world over including Sri Lanka. Reciprocity is a key aspect of diplomacy, but not in this case because in China access to social media platforms hailing…

Factum Perspective: New Afghanistan: Democracy, not Empire is the answer

Regional GeopoliticsJuly 25, 2021722Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Adnan Rehmat from Islamabad and Omar Rajarathnam from Colombo Not all military interventions in modern times have happy endings, but the climax currently playing out in Afghanistan has an unprecedented twist. The country is at imminent risk of undoing its state-building gains of the last twenty years as a representative polity aligned with the…

Factum Perspective: Khashoggi Killing – when economic diplomacy gave accountability a pass

Regional GeopoliticsJuly 18, 2021577Views 0Likes 0Comments

By M.S.M.Ayub In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who penned columns critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the world-renowned Washington Post was killed and dismembered by operatives loyal to the prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. The democratic power centres were backward in holding the prince accountable. In February…

Factum Perspective: Myanmar – Asia’s Syria in the Making?

Peace and ConflictJuly 10, 20211KViews 1Like 0Comments

By Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya Credit - Than Lwin Khat Passing out ceremony of a newly trained platoon of Peoples Defence Force in Myanmar Jungles on 25 June 2021. The training provided by ethnic armed organizations Myanmar is sitting on a time bomb. A rapidly changing political fabric following the 1 February 2021 military takeover which most…