June 9, 2009
Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Abstract:
India's neighbourhood is in considerable turmoil at the
present moment. The instability is likely to continue for the
foreseeable future. India has sought to improve its relations
with neighbouring countries. Regional cooperation is an
important instrument of India's policy towards its
neighbours. The neighbouring countries have also derived
considerable mileage from economic cooperation with India.
This is particularly true of countries like Nepal, Bhutan and
Sri Lanka. Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and
Bangladesh have held peaceful elections in the recent past.
The upsurge of democracy in South Asia should normally
provide a sound foundation for better relationship between
India and these countries.
However, several challenges remain. There are powerful anti-
India forces in many of our neighbouring countries. Regional
cooperation, particularly in the context of SAARC, has not
made visible difference to the life of the common person in
South Asia. The democratic institutions in India's
neighbourhood are fragile. China is making inroads into
South Asia. India's borders are porous and ill-regulated.
Terrorism, human and arms trafficking, smuggling and
organized crime are rampant. Pakistan uses Nepal and
Bangladesh to launch terrorists into India. Groups like LeT
have presence in even Sri Lanka and Maldives. Maritime
security is a matter of concern for India. It is in this
background that India needs to devise its South Asia policies....
May 23, 2009
South Asia Analysis Group
Abstract:
The Election Commission of Maldives has finally announced the provisional but official list of candidates who have won the Parliamentary Elections held on 9th May 2009. The DRP combined with the PA will form a very strong opposition with just 4 seats short for a simple majority. It is expected that it will make it to a majority with some independents who had links with the party earlier.
While I had indicated in my earlier paper that is it is not a major setback to President Nasheed or his party, the very active Maldivian Press thinks that it is otherwise. The Press has not spared the President for going it alone and not with the coalition partners as in the Presidential elections, being arrogant, over confident, threatening to be ruthless etc. These barbs are unjustified.
True, if the MDP had taken along with other alliance partners as in the run off to the Presidential elections, the alliance as such would have got ten more members, thus giving the President and his allies a clear majority.
One welcome development has been the open admission of the deputy leader of the DRP, Thasmeen Ali that the election was free and fair despite some minor issues in some constituencies....
September 4, 2008
German Development Institute
Abstract:
This brief analyzes the condition of statehood in South Asia. The author argues that apart from India, political instability and violent conflicts are frequent and that achieving monopoly of power poses problems for almost every country in South Asia.
In contrast to some other regions, the long-term trend
in South Asia – comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka – since 1991 has not been towards more democracy.
The significant exception is India, where democratic
structures are holding their ground. Political instability
and violent conflicts are frequent; achieving a
complete monopoly of power poses problems for almost
every country. Democratic legitimation is demanded
by many people, but in fact democratic, religious and
ideological forms of legitimacy as well as clientelism
exist side by side. While competence for macroeconomic
regulation is growing nearly everywhere, there
are major deficiencies in the areas of security, the legal
system and social welfare in most countries. Economic
growth provides scope for policies of social adjustment
and sustainable development, but they have yet to be
adequately exploited....
August 26, 2008
Asian Development Bank Institute
Abstract:
This paper quantifies the impact of terrorism and conflicts on income per capita growth in Asia for 1970–2004. Our panel estimations show that transnational terrorist attacks had a significant growth-limiting effect. Transnational terrorism reduces growth by crowding in government expenditures. An internal conflict has the greatest growth concern, about twice that of transnational terrorism. For developing Asian countries, intrastate and interstate wars have a much greater impact than terrorism does on the crowding-in of government spending.
Policy recommendations indicate the need for rich Asian countries to assist their poorer neighbors in coping with the negative growth consequences of political violence. Failure to assist may result in region-wide repercussions. Conflict and terrorism in one country can create production bottlenecks with region-wide economic consequences. International and nongovernmental organizations as well as developed Western countries and regions could assist at-risk Asian countries with attack prevention and post-attack recovery.
This study has six purposes. First, and foremost, we present panel estimates for a sample of 42 Asian countries to quantify the impact of terrorism and conflicts on income per capita growth for 1970–2004. Panel estimation methods control for country-specific and timespecific unobserved heterogeneity. Second, we distinguish the influence of terrorism on economic growth from that of internal and external conflicts. Third, these influences are investigated for cohorts of developed and developing countries to ascertain whether development can better allow a country to absorb the impact of political violence. Fourth, econometric estimations relate violence-induced growth reductions to two pathways— reduced investment and increased government expenditures. Fifth, a host of diagnostic and sensitivity tests to support our empirical specifications. Last, we draw some policy conclusions....
December 21, 2006
Asian Human Rights Commission
Abstract:
Discontent over malfunctioning democracies and legal systems and the consequent
setbacks these shortcomings cause for human rights and the rule of law, as well as
aggressively expressed aspirations to resolve such problems, are marked features that
define the year 2006 in many Asian countries.
Maldives 
