Publications
Two Years after the Coup: What is Myanmar’s Future? Pointing a Gun on its People, Democratization is Moving Further Away: “Turning the Attention toward the Increasing Number of Refugees” [In Japanese]
AbstractProfessor Maiko Ichihara of Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University, appeared on an article published by Chunichi Simbun on January 30, 2023. Two years after the coup in Myanmar, the conflict between the military and the people still continues. Professor Ichihara addresses this problem and discusses how Japan’s stance towards ASEAN has influenced the situation in Myanmar. She argues that with the ASEAN presidency changing this year, Japan must work together with the ASEAN countries to ensure a more effective approach towards the Myanmar military. In the end, the professor points out that while the Kishida administration has been proactive in accepting refugees from Ukraine, they have not done the same for Myanmar refugees. She stresses that Japan should take action in establishing a more efficient system of accepting refugees from Myanmar in order to maintain consistency in the messages it sends to the international community.
How to Tackle Disinformation in Japan: Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War
AbstractIn December 2022, the "Impact of Disinformation on Democracy in Asia" report was published on Brookings, featuring an article by Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law. First, the professor indicates how extensive Russian disinformation and propaganda about the Russia-Ukraine war have been disrupting the discourse space in Japan. She states that the impact of this disinformation is unprecedented in Japan, making this a useful case study for analyzing the challenges of disinformation and possible appropriate countermeasures. In this context, the paper discusses Japan’s disinformation situation in relation to the Russia-Ukraine war, current countermeasures against disinformation, and recommended policies to overcome the challenges.
Humanitarian Assistance under Crisis in Myanmar
AbstractThis paper analyzes how ASEAN member countries and stakeholders have tried to raise funding for humanitarian assistance in Myanmar in response to the blocking of such aid by Myanmar’s military junta since February 2021. Japan’s foreign policy portrays the ethical dilemma of whether to work with the military junta, and numerous Myanmar citizens in Japan as well as Japanese people have criticized Japan’s official development assistance. In this paper, the role of international humanitarian organizations is emphasized as they are taking the role of important stakeholder, providing financial support to local organizations in order to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need. The paper concludes with policy recommendations, such as the use of pro-democratic channels for delivering humanitarian aid to ASEAN and international organizations.
Now Trending: Technocracy Will Generation X’s preference for technocratic governance create an opening for future authoritarianism?
AbstractOn December 2, 2022, GGR Assistant Sascha Hannig Nuñez’s article was published in American Purpose, a magazine aimed at promoting and defending liberal democracy. In this article, Ms. Hannig Nuñez identifies a trend among younger generations for preferring technocracy over elected politicians and warns that such phenomenon could justify illiberal or authoritarian governments and undermine the importance of elected officials. She indicates how fake news and disinformation contribute to this rejection of politicians in a democracy and how the recent pandemic has propelled this trend even further. In order to prevent the erosion of democracy, Ms. Hannig Nuñez argues that support for technocrats should be acknowledged and channeled within democracies instead of being perceived as a potential threat and completely dismissed.
Attention-Gaining Fact Checking and Its Potential in the Era of “Information Warfare”
AbstractFact-checking is being conducted around the world to counter the spread of false and suspect information on the Internet and social networking services. In Japan, the spread of false information and disinformation due to the Corona pandemic has put the competence of fact-checking to the test. In Korea, fact-checking sections have been set up in online news sites that are viewed by many users, including the so-called “legacy media,” to verify various claims in free speech spaces since the 2010s. In this age of “information warfare” threats, Japanese media, also, should positively consider introducing comprehensive fact-checking into their reporting.
What is the Myanmar Military’s Intention in Releasing Prisoners: The Stance Required of ASEAN Countries [in Japanese]
AbstractOn November 24, 2022, Asahi Shimbun published an article by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher and member of the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law. On November 17, Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota, who had been detained by the Myanmar military for a long time, was released as one of the 5,800 people eligible to receive a "pardon." Professor Ichihara pointed out that behind this "pardon" release was the intention of the Myanmar junta to have ASEAN recognize its leaders as the "head of the Myanmar government" and invite them to ASEAN conferences. Furthermore, the professor also emphasized the need for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to work together in encircling the Myanmar military regime in order to develop Asia’s foreign affairs with ASEAN at the center as well as to draw attention to Myanmar's problems, which are increasingly falling out of the media's focus. Finally, she argued that ASEAN could assert its centrality by working with private actors to accelerate the acceptance of Myanmar refugees.
The Division over Liberalism and the Role of Japan [in Japanese]
AbstractThe December issue of Iwanami Shoten’s magazine “SEKAI”, published on November 8, 2022, featured an article by Professor Maiko Ichihara at the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law. Using examples from Myanmar and Afghanistan, the professor first pointed out that there is an increasing trend of suppression of human rights around the world. One of the factors behind this is the use of social networking services (SNS), which she argued has increased the division and conflict among people. While there are concerns about this growing division in Japan as well, she explained that the Chinese government's war on speech has propelled this division, and warned that democracy is being endangered by the Chinese government and other authoritarian states in the modern era. The professor also discussed the need for public-private cooperations, such as the Sunnylands Initiative, to counter the erosion of democracy and liberalism, and to combat the suppression of speech in the Asian region.
Are Disengaged Centennials Endangering Democracy?
AbstractCurrent world affairs such as the invasion of Ukraine, the spread of Covid-19, violation of human rights, disinformation, and the increasing distrust of people towards democracy raise uncertainty around the future of liberal societies, but research on younger age groups’ reactions to these trends, which will determine the course of societies in the future, is still limited. This article reviews databases to compare young people’s attitudes towards democracy in free countries and finds worrisome signals among centennials aged 18–28 in terms of political apathy, antisocial behavior, or even support for authoritarianism. One interesting result is the deep differences that this age group manifests when it comes to technocracy. This is something that can be pushed to boost institutions and confidence in democracy, but leaving it unchecked can also foster support for authoritarian approaches.
Asia Needs to Go for “Anti-Oppression” through Public-Private Cooperation [in Japanese]
AbstractAn article by GGR Researcher, Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law, appeared in the October 30, 2022 issue of the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun’s “Tashi-saisai” column. Professor Ichihara explained that governments need to promote anti-oppression efforts by cooperating with the private sector in response to the growing trend of suppression of speech in Asia. After the World War II, Asian governments had maintained relations with other countries based on the principle of non-interventionism, whereas today there are many civilian leaders who proactively oppose authoritarian governments. Taking the Sunnylands Initiative, which was held in Japan this year, as an example, Professor Ichihara pointed out that such public-private cooperations are essential in supporting those who are subjected to suppression of speech.
Chile después de Xi (Chile after Xi) [In Spanish]
AbstractOn November 8, 2022, GGR Assistant Sascha Hannig Nuñez’s article was published in Diario Financiero, a Chilean newspaper partnered with the Financial Times. In this article, Ms. Hannig Nuñez highlights the issues related to the recent re-election of Xi Jinping, China’s leader, and warns of the consequences that the Chilean economy could experience. The former, as its allied country, China, becomes more authoritarian and unpredictable. Since Chile is economically dependent on China in terms of trade and financing, she argues that there is a need for the Chilean government to keep close tabs on China’s operations under the premise that what happens in Beijing could have profound repercussions in Chile.