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Aung San Suu Kyi’s new government: What to look for in Myanmar
In this Brookings blog post, I offered five “things to look for” to gauge the new government’s progress politically and economically.
Mar 30, 20165 min read


Can the NLD reform Myanmar’s economy?
For the East Asia Forum blog, I wrote that “state capacity may turn out to be the Achilles Heel of the incoming NLD government”.
Jan 25, 20163 min read


Myanmar/Burma: November 8 election analysis and near-term outlook
At Brookings, I co-moderated a panel featuring three distinguished speakers on the election: Aung Din, Rene Egreteau, and Priscilla Clapp.
Nov 25, 20151 min read


Sustainable development needs organized volunteers
For the Brookings blog, on the adoption of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, I noted the crucial role of volunteer service.
Sep 30, 20156 min read


State-owned enterprises and the future of the Myanmar economy
For the Brookings blog, I explained why state-owned enterprises were likely to remain a drag on the economy even under an NLD government.
Sep 16, 20153 min read


The struggle for democracy in Myanmar/Burma
Brookings hosted a forum to discuss a new book by Delphine Schrank: The Rebel of Rangoon. I was one of two panelists along with the author.
Jul 14, 20151 min read


Myanmar/Burma: Watch this space!
In this Brookings op-ed, I speculated on the outcome of the November 2015 election, imagining a mix of good news and bad news.
May 15, 201510 min read


State Economic Enterprise Sector in Myanmar
This working paper was produced during a month-long visiting fellowship at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore.
Jan 1, 20151 min read


What Myanmar Does Not Need
In this Brookings op-ed, on the eve of President Obama’s trip to Myanmar, I argued that the US policy should be more positive than negative.
Sep 23, 20145 min read


Indonesia: Now the Real Work Begins
In this Brookings blog post, co-authored with Joseph Chinyong Liow, we identified three policy challenges for election victor Joko Widodo.
Aug 29, 20147 min read


Security and Economic Development in the Asia-Pacific Region
This is the text of my testimony before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada’s parliament.
Apr 8, 20144 min read


Keep an eye on the people with the guns in Myanmar’s transition
In this piece for East Asia Forum, I cautioned against being too bullish about the transition to democratic rule that started in 2011.
Jan 9, 20144 min read


Keynote Address 2013 Annual Model UN Conference
Possibly the most intriguing piece I've written in the past 50 years is the text of a Keynote Address I delivered at a Model UN Conference.
Nov 14, 201310 min read


The Troubled Global Landscape: Implications for Turkey
This is the text of my address at a conference in Istanbul hosted by the Minister for EU Affairs on “Rethinking Global Challenges”.
Jun 19, 20138 min read


The Way Forward with Myanmar/Burma
In this Brookings op-ed, I criticized a Washington Post editorial advocating more sanctions on Myanmar; more engagement was a better policy.
May 24, 20133 min read


Banking Has to Become Boring Again
In this Letter to the Editor of the Financial Times, I pushed back on an op-ed critical of Europe’s new financial transaction tax.
Apr 29, 20131 min read


Are Aid Donors Repeating Mistakes in Myanmar?
In this Brookings op-ed, I noted four ways in which foreign aid could do more harm than good, and three ways to make it more effective.
Mar 16, 20133 min read


Too Much, Too Soon? The Dilemma of Foreign Aid to Myanmar/Burma
This report of a study I carried out with James W. Fox was the first assessment of foreign aid to Myanmar’s transition government.
Mar 15, 20132 min read


An Early Assessment of Foreign Aid to Myanmar
Here is the audio file and transcript of the Brookings forum where Jim Fox and I presented our “Too Much Too Soon?” study.
Mar 14, 20131 min read


Japan’s Big Chance to Contribute
In a Letter to the Editor of the Financial Times, I proposed choosing a Chinese person as the next president of the Asian Development Bank.
Mar 5, 20131 min read
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