Tomorrow Matters: March 2021

March 3, 2021

Tomorrow Matters

Tomorrow Matters: March 2021

Posted Mar 3, 2021

The military takeover of the Myanmar government continues to be Asia's biggest news story, with implications for regional geopolitics, the strength of ASEAN, democratisation, and inter-ethnic relations. The crisis stems from decades of political, economic, and post-colonial history.

Many likely have questions about what is happening in Myanmar. Even after the country's opening in 2012, few know much about what it's like.

"This month, we wanted to share several local and regional insights about Myanmar, so readers can understand the interests of those involved and perspectives around the issue. "

From there, we move to two stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic: the debate over vaccines (perhaps today's most desired commodity) and the epidemic of loneliness sparked by social distancing. Finally, we end by revisiting the long history of the Philippines' largest and most important city, Manila.

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MYANMAR

In The Financial Times, Thant Myint-U — one of the country's most celebrated authors and a go-to commentator on what happens there — writes that “what’s hobbled Myanmar politics all these years has been gerontocracy and a narrow focus on elections and constitutions… to succeed, [the protests] will need to craft a progressive agenda across ethnic lines, centred on inequality and development as well as peace and justice. They will need to reshape society as well as restructure the state.”

Two articles in Frontier Myanmar note some of the perspectives of people on the ground. Su Min Naing — a pseudonym for an activist in the country — argues that the Myanmarese army has made a political error in pursuing the takeover and tries to give a political argument for them to return to the negotiating table. Kyaw Hsan Hlaing, a journalist from Rakhine State, notes that the crisis is an opportunity to re-examine Myanmar politics, which even during its democratisation saw tensions between the majority and various ethnic minority groups.

Read More (Frontier Myanmar)

The military takeover in Myanmar has international implications: for China, for ASEAN, and for countries further afield.

In The South China Morning Post, Kishore Mahbubani — formerly Singapore’s Ambassador to the United Nations and dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy — presents a framework for how Myanmar may be an opportunity for both China and the United States to cooperate and start to repair the damage from the Trump Administration.

China will be an important part of any diplomatic solution. For Foreign Policy, Brian Y.S. Wong argues that Beijing had built good relations with the National League for Democracy and is likely unnerved by the potential instability of a coup. Beijing will, and should, be deeply involved in any international effort — if Beijing is willing to step up, and if others are willing to accept it has a role to play.

Read More (Foreign Policy)

CHINA

The COVID-19 vaccine is perhaps the world’s hottest commodity, but there is clearly not enough supply to meet the demand. Poorer countries may not receive doses for years as Western countries hoard vaccines. Russian, Chinese, and Indian vaccines could fill the gap, but have been hit by (Western) media concerns about transparency, safety, and efficacy.

Jacob Mardell from the Mercator Institute noted in The South China Morning Post that “… the picture that emerges is one of adequate solutions meeting extreme demand. China, and now Russia, are winning purchase agreements simply by being able to deliver.”

And in The New York Times, Achal Prabhala and Chee Yoke Ling examine the data around the various non-Western vaccines and argue that they are satisfactory and reliable options for any vaccination programme. The world needs global vaccination if it is to move past the pandemic, and these non-Western vaccines must be taken seriously as part of this global effort.

Read More (The New York Times)

JAPAN

Japan is known for its tough working culture and strict organisational hierarchy. This has led to high levels of social isolation, especially among middle-aged men, who find it difficult to expand their networks beyond their workplace. COVID-19 and remote work has worsened the situation: according to Tomohiro Osaki in The Japan Times, Japan saw the first year-on-year increase in reported suicides in over a decade during 2020.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga recently appointed a “Minister of Loneliness” to tackle the issue, following a similar decision made in the United Kingdom. Japan is not alone in confronting issues of social isolation: remote work, longer hours, and more atomised communities have led to more isolated people in advanced and emerging economies alike.

Read More (The Japan Times)

THE PHILIPPINES

Manila is one of Asia’s most important metropolitan regions, as the capital of the Philippines and home to 12.8 million Filipinos. Manila has been consistently inhabited since 3000 BC, with successive governments by the Tondo, the Majapahit, the Rajahnate of Maynilà, the Spanish Empire, the American Territory of the Philippines, and finally the independent Republic of the Philippines building and growing the city.

Yet much of the historical city was destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945. As Robert Farley notes in The Diplomat, the decision to storm Manila, and whether the destruction was warranted, remains controversial.

In The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Ambeth R. Ocampo examines why many Filipinos talk about the city “in the past tense”. He revisits the work of the 19th century Filipino painter Jose Honorato Lozano, whose work captures the atmosphere of old Manila, lost after the Second World War.

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