RSIS Commentaries are published by the
School to provide timely and, where appropriate,
policy relevant background and analysis of
contemporary developments. Listed here are
the commentaries published since the recent
inauguration of the series in October 2001.
Gates’ Strategic Determinism: Will the future Mirror the Present? by Eric Sayers RSIS Commentaries No. 132 Click here to download Commentary
Obama’s Soft Power: How the World is Coping with It by Goh Nur Firdaus Firoz RSIS Commentaries No. 131 Click here to download Commentary
COP-15: A Step Forward or a Step Backward? by Lorraine Elliott RSIS Commentaries No. 130 Click here to download Commentary
ASEAN, Human Rights and the West by Hiro Katsumata RSIS Commentaries No. 129 Click here to download Commentary
Beyond the Sea: Fighting Piracy in Southeast Asia by Eric Frécon RSIS Commentaries No. 128 Click here to download Commentary
The Obama Doctrine and Southeast Asia by Alistair D. B. Cook RSIS Commentaries No. 127 Click here to download Commentary
Kosovo: The World’s Youngest State by Greg Mills RSIS Commentaries No. 126 Click here to download Commentary
Relevance of the Singapore Armed Forces: A Journey into Singaporeaness by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 125 Click here to download Commentary
Looking to the Future: Timor-Leste and Indonesia 10 years after separation by Loro Horta RSIS Commentaries No. 124 Click here to download Commentary
The pitfalls of joint warfare: Conjoined or Separated? by Bernard Loo RSIS Commentaries No. 123 Click here to download Commentary
Political Realignment in Tokyo: Impact on India-Japan Relations by Arpita Mathur RSIS Commentaries No. 122 Click here to download Commentary
South Korea: Time to Reconsider the Notion of ‘Ethnic Homogeneity’ by Jenna Park RSIS Commentaries No. 121 Click here to download Commentary
Thailand: Politics of Continuity and Change by Antonio L Rappa RSIS Commentaries No. 120 Click here to download Commentary
The Straits of Malacca and Singapore: Ensuring Safe and Efficient Shipping by Joshua Ho RSIS Commentaries No. 119 Click here to download Commentary
November
Demystifying the Shariah Debate in Southeast Asia: A case study of Aceh by Tuty Raihanah Mostarom and Andini Gelar Ardani RSIS Commentaries No. 118 Click here to download Commentary
THE US AND CHINA: DANGERS OF PREMATURE EXTRAPOLATION by Bill Durodié RSIS Commentaries No. 117 Click here to download Commentary
Almost Another 9/11: JI’s Planned Aviation Attack by John Harrison and V. Arianti RSIS Commentaries No. 116 Click here to download Commentary
Obama’s America: Why it is likely to endure in Asia by Deepak Nair RSIS Commentaries No. 115 Click here to download Commentary
Counter Ideology: Role of Media Relations by Muhammad Haniff Hassan & Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin RSIS Commentaries No. 114 Click here to download Commentary
Welcome to the Lion City, Mr. President:
Perspective of two American Students in Singapore by Eric Sayers and Clint Lorimore RSIS Commentaries No. 113 Click here to download Commentary
Submarine Accidents in Asia: Preparing for the Worst by Kelvin Wong RSIS Commentaries No. 112 Click here to download Commentary
APEC at 20: Old Promises, New Challenges by Barry Desker RSIS Commentaries No. 111 Click here to download Commentary
The Armed Forces of Southeast Asia in 2020 by Bernard F.W. Loo RSIS Commentaries No. 110 Click here to download Commentary
Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia: Timor-Leste as a Staging Point by Loro Horta RSIS Commentaries No. 109 Click here to download Commentary
Future Soldier Systems: Promise or Hubris of the Network-centric Infantryman by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 108 Click here to download Commentary
After Noordin Top: What Next for Indonesia? by V. Arianti RSIS Commentaries No. 107 Click here to download Commentary
UMNO General Assembly 2009: Najib in Charge by Raja Segaran Arumugam RSIS Commentaries No. 106 Click here to download Commentary
October
The Rush for Survival: New Catharsis in Malaysian Politics? by Yang Razali Kassim RSIS Commentaries No. 105 Click here to download Commentary
The Fatal Allure of Extremist Logic: Syaifudin Zuhri and the July 17 Suicide Bombers by Sulastri Osman RSIS Commentaries No. 104 Click here to download Commentary
Free Trade and Globalisation: Boon or Bane for the Emerging World? by Wang Di and Ron Matthews RSIS Commentaries No. 103 Click here to download Commentary
The US and Myanmar: Moving into a New Phase by Alistair D. B. Cook RSIS Commentaries No. 102 Click here to download Commentary
The Inter-National Serviceman of the SAF: Citizen Soldiers in Overseas Missions by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 101 Click here to download Commentary
Increased Risks at Sea? Global Shipping Downturn and Maritime Security by Sam Bateman RSIS Commentaries No. 100 Click here to download Commentary
Human Security: A Response to the Climate Security Debates by Lorraine Elliott RSIS Commentaries No. 99 Click here to download Commentary
Ketsana and its Aftermath: Lessons on Social Resilience by Kevin Punzalan RSIS Commentaries No. 98 Click here to download Commentary
TYPHOON KESTANA: ASIA’S KATRINA by Mely Caballero-Anthony, Irene A. Kuntjoro & Sofiah Jamil RSIS Commentaries No. 97 Click here to download Commentary
China’s 60th Anniversary: Celebrating Beijing’s Peaceful Rise by Wang Di and Ron Matthews RSIS Commentaries No. 96 Click here to download Commentary
September
Singapore’s Defence Policy: Deterrence, Diplomacy and the Soldier-Diplomat by Ho Shu Huang RSIS Commentaries No. 95 Click here to download Commentary
Australia’s Security Challenges: Lessons for Others? by Nicholas Floyd RSIS Commentaries No. 94 Click here to download Commentary
IMAGINING THE FUTURE: THE WORLD IN 2020 by Barry Desker RSIS Commentaries No. 93 Click here to download Commentary
Counter-Ideological Work: The Need for Intellectual Rigour by Mohamed Redzuan Salleh & Muhammad Haniff Hassan RSIS Commentaries No. 92 Click here to download Commentary
The US Defence Industry under Obama: Are the Good Times Over? by Richard A. Bitzinger RSIS Commentaries No. 91 Click here to download Commentary
The Dragon and the Anaconda:
China, Brazil and the power balance in the Americas by Loro Horta RSIS Commentaries No. 90 Click here to download Commentary
After 17 July: Who is Prince of Jihad? by Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin RSIS Commentaries No. 89 Click here to download Commentary
Peace Mission 2009: Securing Xinjiang and Central Asia by Nadine Godehard and Wang Pengxin RSIS Commentaries No. 88 Click here to download Commentary
The Terrible Allure of Nuclear Weapons by Bernard F.W. Loo RSIS Commentaries No. 87 Click here to download Commentary
August
Surge in the Red Tide: Rise of Maoist Militancy in India by Sujoyini Mandal, Akanksha Mehta &. Kunal Kirpalani RSIS Commentaries No. 86 Click here to download Commentary
Talibanisation of Pakistan: End of the Road? by Khuram Iqbal RSIS Commentaries No. 85 Click here to download Commentary
The South China Sea Declaration: A China Perspective by Zhai Kun and Wendy Wang RSIS Commentaries No. 84 Click here to download Commentary
Australian Home-Grown Terror by Sam Mullins and Adam Dolnik RSIS Commentaries No. 83 Click here to download Commentary
Migrant Workers and the Right to Labour by Nur Azha Putra RSIS Commentaries No. 82 Click here to download Commentary
AUSTRALIA’S FORCE 2030: PREPARING FOR THE POSSIBLITY OF WORLD WAR by Joshua Ho RSIS Commentaries No. 81 Click here to download Commentary
Coming to the Rescue of the Oceans: The Climate Change Imperative by Sam Bateman and Mary Ann Palma RSIS Commentaries No. 80 Click here to download Commentary
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Verdict: Implications for ASEAN by Alistair D. B. Cook and Mely Caballero-Anthony RSIS Commentaries No. 79 Click here to download Commentary
Clinton’s Coup in Pyongyang: North Korean Denuclearisation Next? by Koh Swee Lean Collin RSIS Commentaries No. 78 Click here to download Commentary
THE FORGOTTEN ROLE OF GOVERNMENT by Bill Durodié RSIS Commentaries No. 77 Click here to download Commentary
July
ASEAN’S Next Challenge: PREVENTING INCIDENTS AT SEA by Kwa Chong Guan RSIS Commentaries No. 76 Click here to download Commentary
Sarkozy and the Burqa:A New Policy or Provocation? by Tuty Raihanah Mostarom and Eric Frécon RSIS Commentaries No. 75 Click here to download Commentary
Oil Pipeline from Myanmar to China: Competing Perspectives by Zha Daojiong RSIS Commentaries No. 74 Click here to download Commentary
Post-Elections Aceh: An Outlook for Peace and Security by Andini Gelar Ardani and Tuty Raihanah Mostarom RSIS Commentaries No. 73 Click here to download Commentary
Xinjiang Unrest: Catalyst for New Grand Vision for China? by Li Mingjiang RSIS Commentaries No. 72 Click here to download Commentary
Bombs After the Presidential Election: SLOWING INDONESIA’S RISE? by Yang Razali Kassi RSIS Commentaries No. 71 Click here to download Commentary
After the Presidential Election: INDONESIA RISING? by Yang Razali Kassi RSIS Commentaries No. 70 Click here to download Commentary
AFGHANISTAN: When the War is Unwinnable by Greg Mills RSIS Commentaries No. 69 Click here to download Commentary
Ethnic Violence in China:Time for a Change in Beijing’s Approach? by Rohan Gunaratna RSIS Commentaries No. 68 Click here to download Commentary
Reflections on the 40th SAF Day and Beyond by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 67 Click here to download Commentary
ANTI-PIRACY IN SOMALIA: Models for Maritime Security Institutions by Joshua Ho RSIS Commentaries No. 66 Click here to download Commentary
Outer Shelf Claims in the South China Sea:New Dimension to Old Disputes by Sam Bateman and Clive Schofield RSIS Commentaries No. 65 Click here to download Commentary
June
Pandemics and International Norms:China’s handling of the H1N1 flu by Zha Daojiong RSIS Commentaries No. 64 Click here to download Commentary
Hard Choices in Hard Times: Taiwan-Russia Defence Cooperation by Curie Maharani and Collin Koh RSIS Commentaries No. 63 Click here to download Commentary
Air-Independent Powered Submarines in the Asia-Pacific: Proliferation and Repercussions by Richard A. Bitzinger RSIS Commentaries No. 62 Click here to download Commentary
THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE (NSR): A NEW TRANSIT PASSAGE BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA? by Joshua Ho RSIS Commentaries No. 61 Click here to download Commentary
PAS Beyond the 2009 Party Elections: Islamism or Post-Islamism? by Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman RSIS Commentaries No. 60 Click here to download Commentary
Love-Hate Relationship: Australia, Timor and a Rising China by Loro Horta RSIS Commentaries No. 59 Click here to download Commentary
Responding to Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia by Mely Caballero-Anthony RSIS Commentaries No. 58 Click here to download Commentary
NATO Supply Lines in Afghanistan: The Search for Alternative Routes by Ryan Clarke and Khuram Iqbal RSIS Commentaries No. 57 Click here to download Commentary
AN ABOUT-FACE TO THE FUTURE:The SAF's New Career Schemes by Ho Shu Huang RSIS Commentaries No. 56 Click here to download Commentary
PAS AND NEW POLITICS:WHEN THE ULAMA REASSERT LEADERSHIP by Yang Razali Kassim RSIS Commentaries No. 55 Click here to download Commentary
Ending the LTTE: Recipe for counter-terrorism? by Arabinda Acharya RSIS Commentaries No. 54 Click here to download Commentary
The Arrest of Mas Selamat Kastari: Why the Silence? by Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin RSIS Commentaries No. 53 Click here to download Commentary
China’s Re-emergence as an Arms Dealer by Richard A. Bitzinger RSIS Commentaries No. 52 Click here to download Commentary
Root Causes of Piracy in Somalia by Bruno Mpondo-Epo RSIS Commentaries No. 51 Click here to download Commentary
May
Military Defeat of the Tamil Tigers: From Velvet Glove to Iron Fist by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 50 Click here to download Commentary
The “Asia-Pacific Community” Idea: What Next? by Tan See Seng RSIS Commentaries No. 49 Click here to download Commentary
Recession: Impact on Security and Cohesion by Bill Durodié RSIS Commentaries No. 48 Click here to download Commentary
F-15SG: The Last Manned Fighter for the RSAF? by Bernard F.W. Loo RSIS Commentaries No. 47 Click here to download Commentary
IS MAS SELAMAT A RAMBO? by Barry Desker RSIS Commentaries No. 46 Click here to download Commentary
Australian Defence White Paper: What Price Maritime Security? by Sam Bateman RSIS Commentaries No. 45 Click here to download Commentary
Weapons acquisition in the US: Streamlining the Process by Adrian W. J. Kuah RSIS Commentaries No. 44 Click here to download Commentary
Declining support for Islamist Parties: Exploring the Indonesian ‘Paradox’ by Tuty Raihanah Mostarom and V. Arianti RSIS Commentaries No. 43 Click here to download Commentary
April
The Swine Flu Alert: Keeping Asia Safe by Mely Caballero-Anthony, Julie Balen and Belinda Chng RSIS Commentaries No. 42 Click here to download Commentary
THE MUMBAI ATTACKS Does Amir Kasab deserve a free and fair trial? by Akanksha Mehta and Arabinda Acharya RSIS Commentaries No. 41 Click here to download Commentary
The Great Australian Defence Debate: Is China a Threat? by Sam Bateman RSIS Commentaries No. 40 Click here to download Commentary
Polluting the Seas:The Risks of Human Error by Sam Bateman RSIS Commentaries No. 39 Click here to download Commentary
NUCLEAR ENERGY: Addressing the Not-in-my-Backyard Syndrome by Alvin Chew and Jor-Shan Choi RSIS Commentaries No. 38 Click here to download Commentary
EEZs: US Must Unclench its Fist First by B.A. Hamzah RSIS Commentaries No. 37 Click here to download Commentary
Post-Kyoto Protocol: Changing a Climate of Denial? by Sofiah Jamil RSIS Commentaries No. 36 Click here to download Commentary
Aircraft Carriers: China's Emerging Maritime Ambitions by Richard A. Bitzinger RSIS Commentaries No. 35 Click here to download Commentary
Avoiding Unnecessary Radicalization in Bangladesh:Learning from Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Experiences in FATA by Ryan Clarke and Clint Lorimore RSIS Commentaries No. 34 Click here to download Commentary
March
ICC’s Verdict on Darfur: Whose Responsibility? by Mely Caballero-Anthony, Belinda Chng and Roderick Chia RSIS Commentaries No. 33 Click here to download Commentary
NAJIB’S UMNO: ENTER A NEW ERA by Yang Razali Kassim RSIS Commentaries No. 32 Click here to download Commentary
In Defence of High Seas Freedoms by Patrick J. Neher, Raul A. Pedrozo & J. Ashley Roach RSIS Commentaries No. 31 Click here to download Commentary
ABDULLAH AZZAM: WOULD HE HAVE ENDORSED 9/11? by Muhammad Haniff Hassan & Mohamed Redzuan Salleh RSIS Commentaries No. 30 Click here to download Commentary
The Politics of Consumption in Thailand: Back to Basics by Antonio L Rappa RSIS Commentaries No. 29 Click here to download Commentary
ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement: Sealed or Leaking? by Chang Youngho and Collin Koh RSIS Commentaries No. 28 Click here to download Commentary
CLASHES AT SEA: When Chinese vessels harass US Ships by Sam Bateman RSIS Commentaries No. 27 Click here to download Commentary
Elizabeth Wong, Karpal Singh and Hudud: Can Pakatan Survive Differences? by Goh Nur Firdaus Firoz RSIS Commentaries No. 26 Click here to download Commentary
Sri Lanka’s Civil War: End of an Era? by Nadeeka Withana RSIS Commentaries No. 25 Click here to download Commentary
Underground Nuclear Power Plant: Why not? by Alvin Chew RSIS Commentaries No. 24 Click here to download Commentary
Global Crisis and Climate Change:Will recession undermine climate change negotiations? by Barry Desker RSIS Commentaries No. 23 Click here to download Commentary
Food Terrorism: How Real? A Historical Survey since 1950 by Gregory Dalziel RSIS Commentaries No. 22 Click here to download Commentary
February
Obama’s Afghan Arm-Twisting: Weakening Karzai to give him Strength? by Clint Lorimore and Ryan Clarke RSIS Commentaries No. 21 Click here to download Commentary
SINGAPORE’S GULF ANTI-PIRACY OPERATIONS: A SHIFT IN STRATEGIC THINKING by Joshua Ho RSIS Commentaries No. 20 Click here to download Commentary
Counter-Ideology: Remaining Vigilant During Economic Slump by Muhammad Haniff Hassan & Sharifah Thuraiya S A Alhabshi RSIS Commentaries No. 19 Click here to download Commentary
Piracy in the South China Sea: Maritime Ambushes off the Mangkai Passage by Eric Frécon RSIS Commentaries No. 18 Click here to download Commentary
FACING ECONOMIC ADVERSITY: Between Tactical and Strategic Response by Ngiam Tong Dow RSIS Commentaries No. 17 Click here to download Commentary
25 Years of Total Defence in Singapore: Revisiting the Assumptions by Adrian W. J. Kuah RSIS Commentaries No. 16 Click here to download Commentary
The Gaza Crisis: Impact on Southeast Asia by Nhina Le Thi Minh Huong RSIS Commentaries No. 15 Click here to download Commentary
Al Qaeda’s Female Jihadists: The Islamist Ideological View by Tuty Raihanah Mostarom RSIS Commentaries No. 14 Click here to download Commentary
Israel's Propaganda War in Gaza: Losing the Moral High Ground by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 13 Click here to download Commentary
January
GAS FEUDS: Russia and the EU’s Energy Security by Jesmeen Khan and Chang Youngho RSIS Commentaries No. 12 Click here to download Commentary
Obama’s Challenge: Addressing Muslim Radicalization in Pakistan by Clint Lorimore RSIS Commentaries No. 11 Click here to download Commentary
PRIORITIES FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION by Barry Desker RSIS Commentaries No. 10 Click here to download Commentary
Piracy In The Gulf Of Aden: Lessons From The Malacca Strait by Joshua Ho RSIS Commentaries No. 9 Click here to download Commentary
Afghanistan:
From the Military to the Political Solution by Vinay Kumar Pathak and Syed Adnan Ali Shah RSIS Commentaries No. 8 Click here to download Commentary
Indonesia’s 2009 Legislative Election: The Emerging Danger of Charismatic Politics by Hazelia Margaretha RSIS Commentaries No. 7 Click here to download Commentary
Afghanistan: Avoiding another Iraq by Li Hongyan RSIS Commentaries No. 6 Click here to download Commentary
More than Warfighters: Role of ‘Strategic Corporals’ in the SAF by Ong Weichong RSIS Commentaries No. 5 Click here to download Commentary
China’s Gulf of Aden Expedition: Stepping Stone to East Asia? by Li Mingjiang RSIS Commentaries No. 4 Click here to download Commentary
Commodities, Africa and China by Jeffrey Herbst & Greg Mills RSIS Commentaries No. 3 Click here to download Commentary
The Other ‘Pirates’ of the Horn of Africa by Clive Schofield RSIS Commentaries No. 2 Click here to download Commentary
Singapore’s Arms sale to UK:A Defence Export Breakthrough by Ron Matthews and Curie Maharani RSIS Commentaries No. 1 Click here to download Commentary
