International Quarterly for Asian Studies

Thailand’s Bilateral Response to the 2021 Myanmar Military Coup: Historical Contexts and Evolving Strategies

Narayanan Ganesan — 2024-12-16

Thailand has pursued its own bilateral policy towards Myanmar, which stands in stark contrast to the Five-Point Consensus policy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The central research question of this article is: Why has Thailand articulated its own independent policy towards Myanmar and what are the motivating factors behind this policy? The methodology is based on published materials on the subject and elite interviews with Bangkok-based academics specialising in Myanmar and national security policymakers. Developments are discussed within a neoclassical realist framework that privileges a state’s internal demands, agency choices, and their interaction in turn with emerging opportunities in the external environment. The findings suggest that Thailand has resorted to bilateralism as part of a time-tested strategy that is consistent with similar previous attempts in 1975 and 1988.

Women, Social Media and Political Engagement in Japan: A Survey Study

Aki Tonami — 2024-12-16

Despite comparable levels of political participation between genders, a significant gender gap in political empowerment persists in Japan. Women demonstrate a tendency towards progressive perspectives, yet exhibit lower levels of political interest and knowledge. The advent of social media has given rise to a plethora of discourse surrounding its impact, particularly in relation to women’s political engagement. Drawing on a survey of 1,723 respondents, this study examines gendered patterns in social media use and political engagement in Japan. Findings reveal that while Japanese women are active on Instagram, they seldom engage in political activities on the platform – unlike men, who are more likely to use social media for political purposes. Nevertheless, social media discussions can occasionally shift toward political topics, potentially heightening gender consciousness among women. This unexpected form of political communication, occurring within intimate online spaces, raises questions about its potential to foster political empowerment for Japanese women in the future.

Diego Javier Luis: The First Asians in the Americas: A Transpacific History

Kaori Mizukami — 2024-12-16

Sukhadeo Thorat / S. Madheswaran / B. P. Vani: Scheduled Castes in the Indian Labour Market: Employment Discrimination and Its Impact on Poverty

Sumeet Mhaskar — 2024-12-16

Faiza Muhammad Din: Female Madrasas in Pakistan: Religious, Cultural and Pedagogical Dimensions

Abida Bano — 2024-12-16

Sylvia Mayasari-Hoffert: The Cold War and its Legacy in Indonesia: Literary Representation of the Red Scare

Grace Leksana — 2024-12-16

Vineeta Sinha: Temple Tracks. Labour, Piety, and Railway Construction in Asia

Dagmar Hellmann-Rajanayagam — 2024-12-16