Ruth Pollard’s View to 2022: Populists, Protests and Democracy
Asian democracies will be forced to forge new partnerships in 2022 as U.S.-China tensions simmer, writes Ruth Pollard.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- What to Expect in 2022:
Democratic rights in Asia have been under threat this past year, as leaders from India to Myanmar and Indonesia cracked down on protests, jailed activists and journalists, and took advantage of pandemic restrictions to stifle dissent. This backsliding on human rights is a key metric of the rising tide of populism that will hang heavily over the region in 2022. So will tensions between the U.S. and China, which will force governments to forge new partnerships to work with and around them. The Quad grouping of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia should continue to develop as an important strategic body behind shared anxiety over Beijing’s increasingly assertive behavior. However, Washington has lost respect over its hasty exit from Afghanistan, which now confronts an economic and humanitarian crisis. Whether the U.S. can marshal its allies and the international bodies it influences — including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund — to prevent the nation from slipping into starvation will test its ability to rebuild trust in a region already losing faith in America’s ambitions in Asia.
From the Year Behind Us:
What a Bollywood Megastar Means for Women in India: Tens of millions of women have disappeared from the workforce in India over the last decade. That was before Covid-19 worsened female employment prospects by displacing another 6.7 million from their jobs. Until the pandemic hit, India was one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies but failed to increase women’s participation in line with that expansion. Where does Bollywood leading-man Shah Rukh Khan fit in?
Out of Texas, a Cowboy Solution to an Afghan Crisis: The idea began with urgent phone calls between United Nations agencies and an anonymous business executive in Texas. It’s resulted in a steady stream of much-needed currency into Afghanistan. But this stopgap measure is a drop in the ocean of need — as much as 97% of the population may sink below the poverty line by the middle of next year without an urgent response.
New Culture Wars Worsen Political Slide in Indonesia: Culture wars are heating up in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, home to more than 270 million people. Rising religious intolerance and criminal complaints against activists who challenge politicians are increasingly common in a country where the government is now openly jailing critics.
China and India Relations Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Sink Any Lower: Facing tension along its borders with both China and Pakistan is an uncomfortable place for India, coming out of a punishing second Covid-19 wave and accompanying economic slowdown. Despite a couple of high-profile summits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping have failed to find common ground.
Empty Mantras Won’t Protect Myanmar’s People: How can the world help civilians and protesters facing down Myanmar’s brutal military regime after February’s coup? Human rights experts say both the U.N. and member states should sanction the vast network of military-owned conglomerates and their subsidiaries involved in industries from construction and pharmaceuticals to manufacturing, insurance, tourism and banking. So far, they’ve taken minimal action.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Ruth Pollard is a columnist and editor with Bloomberg Opinion. Previously she was South and Southeast Asia Government team leader at Bloomberg News. She has reported from India and across the Middle East and focuses on foreign policy, defense and security.
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