The Roundtable

Responses to articles in previous editions of The Sydney Globalist.

By admin • December 19th, 2009

In his article ‘Torture Under International Law: Setting A Dangerous Precedent’, Matthew Kalyk is correct to point out that the Obama Administration ought to prosecute Bush officials – in a perfect world, that is. It would send a clear indication of America’s commitment to international humanitarian rights law. Unfortunately, however, we do not live in a world of legal perfectibility. [...]

Diana Tjoeng’s article, ‘The Khmer Rouge Tribunal: Judgment Without Justice?’, touched upon how the highly fractured nature of Cambodian society, with its disparate interests and loyalties, presents serious issues for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in garnering support and legitimacy. Unlike any other international court, the Tribunal must fulfil its role as a national and international judiciary. Compromise on procedural issues will invariably be necessary, and may come at the cost of justice. [...]

In their respective articles, Anshu De Silva Wijeyeratne, Kate Sullivan, and Elizabeth Watt address the efficacy of Asian democracies. Although cultural homogenisation has occurred across the globe, nations retain distinct cultural characteristics that will continue to form the bedrock of their particular societies. [...]

The nexus between democracy and the solution to the crisis in Myanmar is hardly as obvious as Anshu De Silva Wijeyeratne seems to suggest in the November 2008 edition of The Sydney Globalist. Indeed, in examining the crisis in terms of “ASEAN’s credibility in dealing with the challenge of democratising Myanmar”, his analysis makes two highly questionable assumptions. [...]

In ‘Antiquated Ideologies and the Next Ten Words’, Edward Cohen and David Howell provide a compelling critique of Robert Kagan’s proposal for a ‘league of democracies’. Kagan’s suggestion – that liberal democratic states should band together to contain rising autocratic regimes – is misguided. To arrange global security alliances along these lines risks igniting an ideological battle reminiscent of the Cold War. [...]

In her article ‘Recognising Kosovo’, Zilka Grogan assessed the implications of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008. Since her article went to print, the list of states that have formally recognised Kosovo has lengthened from nine to 45 [...]

Lily Morrissey’s article ‘Identity Crisis’ explains how the success of microfinance is being eroded by the ‘self-sufficiency’ versus ‘welfare’ debate of microfinance initiatives (MFIs). While this topic is interesting from a normative perspective, it ignores a much larger question: are MFIs actually successful?

In ‘The Two Faces of Migrant Labour’, Patrick Wall identifies that migrant labour programmes would be more effective if they were regulated by governmental bodies – such as immigration departments – that monitor the legal channels of migrant entry and formal work arrangements. However, effective migrant programs require more than just government oversight; recognition of the nature of labour migration and the actors involved in representing workers’ rights are essential.