Four years after the Philippine government signed a peace accord with an Islamic militant group establishing an autonomous region in the country’s southern province, a tense encounter between the group and government forces has highlighted the fragility of the peace process leading up to the region’s first elections in 2025.
Though Singapore’s political environment is considered only “partly free,” the long-dominant ruling People’s Action Party has also enjoyed genuine popular legitimacy. Now, though, a series of corruption scandals have shattered the party’s reputation for unbending integrity, even as the PAP faces credible challengers at the ballot box.
When Myanmar’s ruling military announced last week that it was issuing a partial pardon for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, it seemed a sign that the regime might be preparing to loosen its grip and perhaps even compromise with the opposition. That optimistic interpretation, however, is being rejected by many Myanmar observers.
