Asia Rising

Xi Jinping has secured a historic third term as general secretary with unmatched political authority. This has given China a new drive to retain its position as a global superpower, and a desire to restore what Xi believes is China’s natural position of leadership in the world. As China attempts to reassert itself after harsh covid-19 lock-downs, what is driving Chinese foreign policy under current President Xi. What is his vision for China in the world? And what are the implications of President Xi’s agenda for other states in the region? An event to celebrate Professor Suisheng Zhao's new book :The Dragon Roars Back - Transformational Leaders and Dynamics of Chinese Foreign Policy", published by Stanford University. Panel Professor Suisheng Zhao (Director, Center for China-US Cooperation, University of Denver) Dr Yangbin Chen (Coordinator, Chinese Studies Program, La Trobe University) Dr Dan Hu (Research Fellow, Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Melbourne) Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) Recorded on 3rd Februrary 2023.

Singapore is a small country, highly reliant on commerce and trade, and with strong ties to China. This relationship can be at odds with other practices, for example: Its small military has an active conscription system. All citizens need to serve at least two years in the military, and their training bases are in Taiwan. Guest: Associate Professor Ian Chong (Political Science, National University of Singapore) Recorded 25th November 2022.

In 2022 The Philippines elected a new president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, and with him came a pivot in international views, particularly towards China and the United States. The previous administration led by Rodrigo Duterte had embraced China and the development opportunities it had to offer, and while Marcos Jr might continue this, it might be with slightly less enthusiasm. Guest: Professor Aries Arugay (Political Science, University of the Philippines) Recorded 23rd November 2022.

When Rodrigo Duterte was elected to the office of president in 2016 one of his main election promises was to clean up the drug trade. And he was quite open about how he was going to do it. The language he used was provocative and ruthless – those involved in the drug trade would be dealt with, using as much force as necessary. For those working in the Filipino media and covering these events it can be a challenge to get accurate information – people are reluctant to talk, and the government wants to keep the full extent of the drug war away from the public. Guest: Rambo Talabong (Multimedia Journalist, The Rapper) Recorded 23rd November 2022.

As tensions in the Indo-Pacific increase and new security issues emerge, Australia, the United States, India and Japan have come together with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to support the Indo-Pacific. The event will explored the key issues and challenges of the Quad, and the role of each state in emerging security issues Indo-Pacific. This event was a part of the QUADMIN Emerging Leaders Dialogue, bringing together emerging leaders from Australia, the United States, India and Japan. QUADMIN is supported by the U.S. Embassy Canberra. Panel: Stuti Bhatnagar (Research Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University) Kate Clayton, (Research Officer La Trobe Asia) Tom Corben (Research Fellow, Foreign Policy and Defence Program, United States Studies Centre) Eleanor Shiori Hughes (Defense Analyst, The Asia Group) Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) Recorded 16 November 2022

India is a country rich in food variety and tastes, but access to food has changed, bringing options of western foods of differing nutritional value. With changes in diet comes a change to health, and wider implications on the health system of the country. Guests: Dr Sabrina Gupta (Department of public health, La Trobe University) Dr Jency Thomas (Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University) Dr Rahul Krishna Puvvada (PhD graduate, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University) Recorded 10th November 2022.

Mr John Howard, former Prime Minister of Australia (1996 - 2007) on Asia, his legacy, and Australia's place in the region. His new book, A Sense of Balance, is published by HarperCollins Australia. Recorded 19 October 2022.

The United Nations has declared 2022 the start of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, aiming to raise awareness of the ongoing global loss of Indigenous languages. Ongoing attacks on human rights defenders and restrictions on civil society are critically challenging the effectiveness of these efforts. Read Indigenous Language Rights and the Politics of Fear in Asia - Issue 7 of The La Trobe Asia Brief. Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow in Politics at La Trobe University, La Trobe Asia fellow). Recorded 29 September 2022.

Approximately 7,000 languages are signed or spoken in the world today, more than half of them by Indigenous people. These languages are critical to services like education and healthcare, and their neglect threatens the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people. Language is literally a matter of life and death. The United Nations has declared 2022 the start of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, highlighting the need for governments and societies to amplify the voices and knowledge of Indigenous peoples globally, and involve them directly in the process. However, in Asia’s largest and most linguistically diverse countries, human rights defenders and civil society are under attack, creating a climate of fear that poses serious challenges to successfully implementing the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. This event launched the new issue of the La Trobe Asia Brief: Indigenous Language Rights and the Politics of Fear in Asia, authored by Gerald Roche, Madoka Hammine and Tuting Hernandez. Panel: Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow, Politics, La Trobe University) Professor Jakelin Troy (Director, Indigenous Research, University of Sydney) Dr Dolly Kikon (Senior Lecturer, Development Studies, University of Melbourne) Professor James Leibold (Politics, La Trobe University) (Chair) Recorded on 4 October 2022.

With China mostly closed to international journalists accurate reporting is a challenging prospect, putting those engaged in it in danger from the Chinese government and their supporters. Guest: Vicky Xu (Journalist and Author, lead researcher of Uyghurs for Sale) Recorded 17 August 2022.

Angkor is an archaeological site in northern Cambodia, and was home to the impressive capitals of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, and an ongoing project aims to recreate it virtually. Find out more about the Virtual Angkor project. Guest: Dr Bernard Keo (Archaeology and History, La Trobe University) Recorded on 9 May, 2022.

The track record of human rights in China is of global concern, with allegations of religious and ethnic repression, lack of freedom of information and civil liberties, violations of gender rights, and detainment of those who would speak out against the Chinese Communist Party. While the Chinese government is focused on maintaining ‘social stability’, the response of states within the international community remains largely non-confrontational, despite the growing mountain of evidence of human rights violations and repressions. Some fear China is gradually altering the entire international human rights system by stealth. What is the true situation of human rights in China? What response should be expected from the global community? What role can public activism play in improving the situation for Chinese people? Panel: - Yaqiu Wang (Senior Researcher on China, Human Rights Watch) - Vicky Xu (Writer, journalist and researcher) - Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow, La Trobe Asia) - Professor James Leibold (Politics, La Trobe University) (Chair) Recorded on 17 August, 2022.

What are the broad strategic trends and security challenges affecting the Asian region, now and into the future? Guests: Dr Elizabeth Buchanan (Head of Research, Royal Australian Navy, Seapower Centre) Professor Peter Dean (Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre) Host: Assoc. Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded on 21 July, 2022.

In recent years, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has grown in economic size, military strength and international influence, it has become more active in Antarctica. This has led to worries that Beijing’s ambitions extend further than just scientific research and fishing. Concerns have been raised about the PRC wanting to exploit Antarctica’s mineral and fossil energy resources and militarise the continent. There has been speculation that the PRC is even planning to make its own territorial claims. A La Trobe Asia event in collaboration with Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) and China Matters to launch a new policy research report "China’s Antarctic ambitions - and their implications for Australia" by Yun Jiang. Panel: - Yun Jiang (AIIA China Matters Fellow) - Assoc. Professor Nengye Liu (School of Law, Singapore Management University) - Richard Maude (Senior Fellow, Asia Society Australia) - Professor Nick Bisley (Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University)(Chair) Recorded on 3 August, 2022.

There has been an escalation of tension between China, Taiwan and the United States in the wake of a visit to Taiwan by United States house speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first visit of such a rank in close to 30 years. While the visit validates Taiwan’s democratic claims, it gives China an incentive to increase hostilities and increase tension in the region. Guest: Professor Nick Bisley (Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University). Recorded on 8 August, 2022.

In early 2022 the NGO Civicus added India to its watch list of countries of concern. In doing so it highlighted recent protest movements, arrests of academics, journalists and activists. This discussion examines how India got to this position and the impact on people on the ground in India. Speakers: Professor Nandini Sundar (Sociology, Delhi School of Economics) Dr Ian Woolford (Hindi Studies, La Trobe University) Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow, Politics, La Trobe University) Recorded on 28th July, 2022.

The Indo-Pacific faces multiple security challenges, ranging from the risk of major war arising from territorial and maritime disputes to significant human and environmental threats to ecosystems. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, many states remain at odds over governance issues, how to confront pressing regional disputes and how to deal with countries outside the Asian region seeking to have greater influence. While the role of existing regional institutions such as ASEAN remains central to regional security and prosperity, improved regional architecture will be needed to address maritime security challenges with a clear understanding of priorities across regional states. What are the central maritime security challenges facing states in the region? How do they respond individually and collectively to these challenges? And what legal and institutional mechanisms exist to manage ongoing disputes? Launch of the ‘Enhancing Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific’ report, a collaboration between Griffith Asia Institute, Kings College London and La Trobe Asia. Speakers: Dr Huong Le Thu, Principal Fellow, Perth USAsia Centre Assistant Professor Tara Davenport, Deputy Director, Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law Abhijit Singh, Senior Fellow, New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation Professor Ian Hall, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University (Chair) Recorded on 25th July, 2022.

Indonesia has made impressive democratic gains since the fall of the authoritarian Suharto regime in 1998, and has long been praised as a ‘model Muslim democracy’. But in recent years, the quality of Indonesian democracy has noticeably declined as the country continues to struggle with challenges to its democratic institutions and values, with systemic corruption and discrimination and violence against minority groups. Guests: Dr Ken Setiawan (Lecturer in Indonesian and Asian Studies, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne) Associate Professor Dirk Tomsa (Head of Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University) Their book is Politics in Contemporary Indonesia: Institutional Change, Policy Challenges and Democratic Decline (Routledge, 2022). Recorded on 15 July, 2022.

Australia has a strong alliance with America, one that has remained unwavering through changes of leadership and turbulent international developments. While agreements such as AUKUS and the Quad have strengthened our position in the region, it has come at the cost of relations with other states and could in the future draw us into conflict. Guest: Hugh White (Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at Australian National University) Hugh's new Quarterly Essay is Sleepwalk to War: Australia’s unthinking alliance with America. Recorded on 30 June, 2022.

The idea of gender mainstreaming in foreign policy is gaining traction across the world. Several countries such as Sweden, Canada, France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Luxemburg, Libya, Chile, and most recently the Netherlands have announced Feminist Foreign Policies. Other countries such as Australia, UK, Ireland, Argentina, may not have made formal Feminist Foreign Policy announcements yet, but are working towards understanding and integrating the gender and inclusivity lens in policy action according to their specific contexts. Through this webinar, along with unpacking some of the core aspects of a Feminist Foreign Policy/gender mainstreaming in foreign policy, we seek to hear perspectives from Indo-Pacific countries, with the objective of adding more voices from the region to the growing global conversations. Panel: Dr Elise Stephenson (Research Fellow, The Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Fellow, National Security College, Australian National University) Dr Soumita Basu (Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, South Asian University) Dr Maria Tanyag (Fellow / Senior Lecturer, Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs, Australia National University) Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) Opening remarks: Hunter Marston - 9DASHLINE Priyanka Bhide - Kubernein Initiative Recorded on 13th July 2022.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Episode 6: Victim's Voices The final episode of The Catch Host: Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Guest: Dr Sallie Yea (Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow, La Trobe University) Produced by La Trobe Asia.

Australia has a strong alliance with America, one that has remained unwavering through changes of leadership and turbulent international developments. While agreements such as AUKUS and the Quad have strengthened our position in the region, it has come at the cost of relations with other states in the region and could in the future draw us into conflict. Where does this leave our future security and prosperity in Asia? Is there a better way to navigate the disruption caused by China’s rise? A Melbourne event to discuss Sleepwalk to War, a new Quarterly Essay by Hugh White. Panel: - Professor Hugh White (Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University) - Dr Emma Shortis (School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT) - Professor Andrew O’Neil (Acting Dean, Griffith Graduate Research School, Griffith University) - Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) (Chair) Recorded at the La Trobe University City Campus on 30th June 2022.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Episode 5: Support. Episode 6 available now on all podcast platforms. Host: Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Guest: Patricia Kailola (Human Dignity Group in Fiji) Produced by La Trobe Asia.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Episode 4: Reintegration Episode 5 available now on all podcast platforms. Host: Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Guest: Associate Professor Christina Stringer (Centre for Research on Modern Slavery, University of Auckland) Produced by La Trobe Asia.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Episode 3: Restitution Episode 4 available now on all podcast platforms. Host: Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Guest: Dr Sallie Yea (Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow, La Trobe University) Produced by La Trobe Asia.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts is in southeast Bangladesh, on the country’s border with India and Myanmar, and is home to 14 Indigenous groups. However, the state contests these people’s Indigenous status and identity. How will this impact their ability to participate in the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages, and what does it mean for the future of the languages of the Chittagong Hill Tracts? A three podcast series exploring issues of indigenous languages to mark the beginning of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 - 2032). Guest: Dr Maung Ting Nyeu (Research Scientist, New York University). Host: Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University, La Trobe Asia Fellow). Recorded on 19 March, 2022.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Episode 2: In Too Deep Episode 3 available now on all podcast platforms. Host: Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Guest: Dr Sallie Yea (Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow, La Trobe University) Produced by La Trobe Asia.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Episode 1: Recruitment Episode 2 available now on all podcast platforms. Host: Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Guest: Dr Sallie Yea (Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow, La Trobe University) Produced by La Trobe Asia.

The Catch. A podcast miniseries about modern slavery and forced labour in the offshore fishing industry in the Asia Pacific Region. Available now on all podcast platforms. Hosted by Bec Strating, produced by La Trobe Asia.

At the end of June the Philippines will welcome new leadership featuring two very familiar names. Following in his father’s footsteps is Bongbong Marcos, son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and joining him as Vice-President is Sara Duterte, daughter of the current President. While Marcos and Duterte are both the children of politicians with contentious backgrounds, they were elected with notably large majorities. How did they win, and what could their leadership mean for the Philippines? Guest: Professor Nicole Curato (Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra). Recorded on 27 May, 2022.

As Australians head to the voting booth, much of this election has focused on our regional relationships and our place in the global order. Many have labelled this a 'khaki election', with national security becoming a major election issue. The campaign so far has been dominated by regional issues, particularly the fallout of China's pact with the Solomon Islands. Whether it is the strength of our alliances with neighbours or how to deal with rising China, the next government will potentially shape Australia's place in the region for the next generation. What does the 2022 election campaign reveal about Australia’s perceptions of its security within an increasingly contested region? Is the ‘politicisation’ of national security a positive development, and to what extent does it determine how people vote? And what do the national security discussions mean for the Asian diaspora in Australia? Panel: Professor Peter Dean (Chair of Defence Studies/Director, Defence and Security Institute, UWA Defence and Security Program) Associate Professor Andrea Carson (Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University) Sarah Ison (Political reporter in The Australian's Canberra press gallery bureau) Jennifer Hsu (Research Fellow in the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program, Lowy Institute) Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) This event is a collaboration with the Defence and Security Institute at the University of Western Australia. Recorded on 17 May 2022.

While the twentieth century saw the collapse of monarchies across Europe, recent events are a reminder that hereditary monarchies still matter in Asia. In some countries like Malaysia and Bhutan the institution is thriving, but they can struggle for relevancy given the pro-democracy movement in Thailand and fast-modernising landscape of Japan. Guest: Emeritus Professor Dennis Altman (Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University), author of God Save the Queen: The Strange Persistence of Monarchies. Recorded on 15 February, 2022.

Indonesia aspires to play an active and influential role in regional and global affairs, and its public expects broad influence. How can its foreign policy ideas adapt to a changing and contested region? And how can prospective partner countries such as Australia build trust and relationships? Guest: Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar (Research Professor at the Research Centre for Politics, National Research and Innovation Agency (Pusat Riset Politik BRIN); Chair, Board of Directors of The Habibie Center; former Deputy Secretary for Political Affairs to the Vice President of Indonesia). Recorded on 28 April, 2022.

Japan occupies an ambitious position in geopolitics, desiring to maintain a balance of power in the face of a rising China, and to bring about economic prosperity, peace, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Guest: Associate Professor Stephen Nagy (Department of Politics and International Studies, International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo, Japan). Recorded on 4 April, 2022.

Since 2016, an estimated one million Uyghurs and members of other Turkic Muslim minorities have disappeared into a vast network of ‘re-education camps’ in the far west region of Xinjiang, China in what some experts call a systematic, government-led program of cultural genocide. Those outside detention are subject to intensive surveillance through a network of hi-tech surveillance systems, checkpoints and interpersonal monitoring. While many countries now acknowledge these problems as a reality of President Xi Jinping's China, a more accurate understanding of how the detentions are perceived both within China and in the global community is crucial. The Melbourne book launch of The Xinjiang emergency Exploring the causes and consequences of China's mass detention of Uyghurs, edited by Michael Clarke. Panel: Dr Michael Clarke (Senior Fellow, Centre for Defence Research, Australian Defence College and Adjunct Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney) Professor James Leibold (Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University) Associate Professor Rebecca Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) Recorded on 5 April 2022.

As regional powers in the Indo-Pacific, Australia and Japan have much to gain from increased bilateral cooperation and increased interaction through ‘minilaterals’ such as the Quad. Strategic forces are pushing the states closer together, and Australia relationship with Japan has never been closer. This is demonstrated by the ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ between the states and the recent signing of an historic Reciprocal Access Agreement. How can the two countries deepen their relationship in a time of strategic contestation? How can they better use diplomatic, trade and security policy tools to deal with new challenges? And how might cultural and people-to-people links be further developed? Opening remarks by Mr Shimada Junji, Consul-General of Japan in Melbourne. Panel: Snr Associate Professor Stephen Nagy (Department of Politics and International Studies, International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo, Japan) Professor Nick Bisley (Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Professor Kaori Okano (Japanese Studies, La Trobe University) Assoc. Professor Rebecca Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) Recorded on 4 April 2022.

This launch of Issue 6 of the La Trobe Asia Brief brings together emerging leaders to discuss critical issues facing the Indo-Pacific. Written by students and young professionals from a diverse range of areas, this event will explore gender and conflict resolution in the Indo-Pacific, Australian foreign policy and South Korea’s maritime strategy. As the balance of power shifts in the Indo-Pacific, future leaders are looking at strategic challenges from a fresh perspective. To understand the future of the Indo-Pacific, it is vital we listen to future leaders. This La Trobe Asia Brief is in conjunction with the 2021 La Trobe Asia Emerging Leaders Program: Regional Perspectives on the Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Over two months 40 Emerging Leaders participated in a series of Masterclasses and academic dialogue with regional experts. This event is supported by the U.S. Embassy Canberra. Speakers: Tom Barber (Program Officer, Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D)) Isadora Vadasz (Victoria Department of Justice and Community Safety) Alexander M. Hynd (PhD Candidate and Research Associate, University of New South Wales) Chair: Kate Clayton (Research Officer, La Trobe Asia Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded on 24 March 2022.

The Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region in northern China has, in recent years, been the site of extensive protests against changes to the education system that have diminished the role of the Mongolian language. What might the UN’s Decade of Indigenous Languages mean for the region’s Mongols and their struggle to protect their language? A three podcast series exploring issues of indigenous languages to mark the beginning of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 - 2032). Guest: Gegentuul Baioud (Postdoctoral Fellow, Hugo Valentin Centre, Uppsala University). Host: Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University, La Trobe Asia Fellow) Recorded on 17 February, 2022.

For all states across the Asia-Pacific women's representation in all sectors remains dismally low. The COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it have disproportionately affected women and girls across the Asia-Pacific, from alarming increases in domestic violence during extended lockdowns to the growing gender gap in employment opportunities. Addressing these challenges requires policy-makers to implement gender-sensitive reforms, taking the voice and visibility of women and girls seriously in decision-making processes across both private and public sector spheres. As we manage the difficult task of recovery and the ongoing long term impacts of COVID-19 there has never been a better time to lift ambition on women's representation and participation in leadership roles. But how do we make this ambition a reality? This event is presented by La Trobe Asia and the Griffith Asia Institute. Introduction provided by Professor Caitlin Byrne, Director - Griffith Asia Institute Panel: - Professor Vivian Lin, Executive Associate Dean, Professor of Practice (Public Health), LKS Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University and Adjunct Professor, La Trobe Asia - Dr Dhara Shah, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director Engagement in the Department of Business Strategy and Innovation, Griffith Business School - Ryce Chanchai, ASEAN Governance, Peace and Security Lead, UN Women Indonesia - Associate Professor Bec Strating, Director - La Trobe Asia (Chair) Recorded on 15 March 2022.

The Lepcha community is indigenous to the Himalayan mountains, and can be found across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. There's estimated to be less than 70,000 speakers of the Lepcha language, and while it is an official language of Sikkim retention is a challenge. A three podcast series exploring issues of indigenous languages to mark the beginning of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 - 2032). Guest: Dr Charisma Lepcha (Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Sikkim University and Visiting Scholar, Harvard Yenching Institute). Host: Dr Gerald Roche (Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University, La Trobe Asia Fellow) Recorded on 16 February, 2022.

Asia is a linguistically diverse region, but this diversity is currently under threat. After centuries of colonisation and decades of rapid development, communities throughout Asia are facing distinct and urgent challenges to defend their rights to language in the face of discrimination, exclusion, and violence. How are Indigenous people and languages across Asia responding to this situation? Who decides which languages deserve attention and resources? How can awareness of Indigenous languages be raised and new political agendas promoted? As the world enters what UNESCO has declared as the Decade of Indigenous Languages we will explore these issues with several researchers from Asia - people who speak, advocate for, or research some of the region’s many Indigenous languages. Speakers: Assistant Professor Prem Phyak, Applied Linguistics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Associate Professor Madoka Hammine, International Studies, Meio University Associate Professor Tuting Hernandez, Linguistics, University of Philippines Senior Research Fellow Gerald Roche, Politics, Media & Philosophy, La Trobe University Chair: Associate Professor Bec Strating, Director, La Trobe Asia Recorded on 22 February 2022.

The Biden administration has released a new Indo-Pacific strategy, and much is at stake, with the acknowledgement that competition from China and climate change are of great concern to the United States and its allies. Guest: Assoc Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University) Recorded on 15 February, 2022.

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, and with the collision of sports, politics and covid this is proving to be an olympiad to remember. Guest: Assoc Professor Geoff Dickson (Director of the Centre for Sport and Social Impact, La Trobe University) Recorded on 1 February, 2022.

As we enter year three of the covid-19 and settle into our schedule of working from home, home-schooling and hopefully not catching a deadly plague, how are health systems in Asia coping and adapting with the pandemic? Guest: Professor Vivian Lin (Executive Associate Dean of LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and Adjunct Professor of La Trobe Asia). Recorded on 16 January, 2022.

The Himalaya and the adjacent Tibetan plateau house the globe's third biggest ice packed are the source of most of Asia's major rivers. Over the past century of the people of these mountains have had to endure colonisation unstable geopolitics, and now a climate changing at twice the global average. Despite this they have survived and in some cases thrived, coming up with innovative ways to approach these changes. Guest: Tsechu Dolma (Co-founder and Director, Mountain Resiliency Project) Host: Dr Ruth Gamble (DECRA Fellow, History, La Trobe University) Recorded on 8 December, 2021.

Since the mass internment of Uyghurs and other indigenous groups in China was first reported in 2017, there is now a rich body of literature documenting recent human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. However, there is little knowledge of the actual perpetrators inside China’s vast and opaque party-state system. A report published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) maps and analyses the governance mechanisms employed by the Chinese party-state in Xinjiang. While the international debate continues as to whether the recent events in Xinjiang constitute genocide, this report gathers the relevant evidence before it could be covered up, and makes it publicly available. Guests: Professor James Leibold (Head of the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University) Daria Impiombato (Researcher at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre) Recorded on 24 November, 2021.

After a period of turmoil, Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has a tenuous hold on leadership. A politician of the UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) coalition, his party returns to power a few short years after their first ever electoral defeat when former Prime Minister Najib Razak was tied to the 1MDB scandal involving RM 2.67 billion (close to $900m AUD) in missing funds. Ismail now holds a slim majority in parliament and is seen by many as a compromise leader for parties and factions desperate to hold off high profile opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. While Malaysia faces recovery from a devastating pandemic and the economic fallout from a lengthy lockdown, even more challenges come from within - managing a tenuous coalition whose support is crucial to government stability. What are these political developments likely to mean for Malaysia’s long term democratic prospects? Panel: Dr Amrita Malhi (Visiting Fellow, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National University) Professor James Chin (Asian Studies, University of Tasmania) Associate Professor Kerstin Steiner (Director of Research, La Trobe Law School, La Trobe University) Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia)(Chair) Recorded on 18 November 2021.

After a quiet start to his presidency, United States President Joe Biden has made some recent decisive steps in engaging with Asia by selling nuclear submarines to Australia and establishing the AUKUS pact, outlining an approach to trade with China, and hosting a Quad summit at the White House, gathering with key U.S. partners in Asia. A major part of this strategy is building up alliances to offer both the region and world at large to drive ‘responsible competition’ with China. With the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan signals a step away from the wars of the past two decades, Biden now has an opportunity to focus the US on the region it is says is its highest priority, Asia. Guest: Professor Nick Bisley (Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Recorded on 9 November, 2021.

Australia, the UK and the US have announced a historic security agreement, dubbed ‘AUKUS’, in response to regional security concerns about China’s rising power and influence in the Indo-Pacific. Under the deal, Australia will build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time, using technology provided by the United States. It also signals to a greater presence of the three powers in the region with a focus on military and technological capabilities, including in long-range weapons, cyber and undersea technologies. How do the three states see AUKUS as contributing to regional security? How have regional states responded to this agreement? And what are the broader implications of Australia’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines? Panel: Dr Anna Powles (Senior Lecturer in Security Studies at Massey University, New Zealand) Associate Professor Maria Rost Rublee (Politics and International Relations, Monash University) Professor Peter Dean (Director, Defence and Security Institute, University of Western Australia) Natalie Sambhi (Executive Director, Verve Research) Dr Rebecca Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)(Chair) Recorded on 27 October, 2021.

The Islamic fundamentalist group the Taliban have returned to power in Afghanistan twenty years after being ousted by the United States, sparking concern for a harsh rule imposed on Afghans, a neglect of human rights and the beginning of a humanitarian crisis for the region. For neighbouring countries the initial shock of transition is being met with pragmatism of coping with the aftermath. The Taliban has sought to boost diplomacy with neighbouring countries such as China, Pakistan and Russia, and many are looking to make the most of the power vacuum left by U.S. forces. For other regional countries the Taliban’s return to power represents a security risk, and the proliferation of violent extremism could pose a threat to security in the region. Guest: Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi, Lecturer in International Relations, La Trobe University) Recorded on 21 October, 2021.