[{"_1":2,"_301":-5,"_302":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_16":17,"_299":300},"root",{"_5":6,"_14":15},"fb",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12,"_13":8},"apiKey","AIzaSyAdxqOaB63feHHqSm_nZCKsSHpSAcxkct8","authDomain","thediplomat.firebaseapp.com","projectId","firebase-thediplomat","appId","ga",true,"routes/$issue",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"slug","2015-05","path","/2015-05","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-Ju5x0Rb2l1unzfKm8um","title","Vietnam: 40 Years Later","description","In this issue, we mark the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon with a close look at Vietnam today, make a pragmatic assessment of the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear program, examine the battle to save Indonesia's forests, despair at Thailand one year after the coup, and present a photo report from Nepal on its devastating earthquake. And of course, we also offer extensive reporting, analysis and commentary on events from around the region.","masthead","","number",6,"date","May 2015","month",5,"year",2015,"status","rdy","toc",[44,62,92,101,126,150,174,198,223,244,265,282],{"_24":45,"_46":47,"_26":48,"_49":50},"CVRS","priority",0,"Cover Story","pages",[51],{"_24":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":47,"_18":61,"_40":41,"_26":27},"-JzF-nGhAch1sN0kf5Cv","image","06_CVRS_1","lead","

Forty years after the war, it is the ideals of the former South Vietnam that appear ascendant.

","model","story","preview",1,"vietnam-40-years-later",{"_24":63,"_46":60,"_26":64,"_49":65},"LDS","Leads",[66,72,78,85],{"_24":67,"_53":68,"_55":69,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":47,"_18":70,"_40":41,"_26":71},"-JzF-N-jQ2DxELw3BAF-","06_LDS_1","

The only thing worse than living with a nuclear North Korea is trying to disarm it through force.

","assessing-the-north-korea-nuclear-threat","Assessing the North Korea Nuclear Threat",{"_24":73,"_53":74,"_55":75,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":60,"_18":76,"_40":41,"_26":77},"-JzF-N-nFWpyAdYjcuMw","04_SEA_4","

Despite recent signs of modest progress, the fight to save Indonesia’s natural forests is far from being won.

","saving-indonesias-forests","Saving Indonesia’s Forests",{"_24":79,"_53":80,"_55":81,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":82,"_18":83,"_40":41,"_26":84},"-JzF-N-oddJJfkis99gy","06_LDS_3","

It has been a bleak year for democracy in Thailand.

",2,"thailands-self-absorbed-dictatorship","Thailand’s Self-Absorbed Dictatorship",{"_24":86,"_53":87,"_55":88,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":89,"_18":90,"_40":41,"_26":91},"-K-b_acoD_x9cLr4ruT_","06_LDS_4","

As the death toll from the earthquake rises, survivors struggle to put their lives back together.

",3,"tragedy-in-nepal","Tragedy in Nepal",{"_24":93,"_46":82,"_26":94,"_49":95},"INT","Interview",[96],{"_24":97,"_55":98,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":47,"_18":99,"_40":41,"_26":100},"-JzF5uvAWgjj2_sWnzwR","

The emergence of civil activism in Taiwan.

","j-michael-cole","J. Michael Cole",{"_24":102,"_46":89,"_26":103,"_49":104},"CHN","China",[105,109,113,117,121],{"_24":106,"_55":107,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":108},"-JzF-N-wHM_s5RqfbE8v","

Even American critics of the rebalance strategy suggest a rebalance strategy.

","How Should the US Approach China?",{"_24":110,"_55":111,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":112},"-JzF-N0-vGdp3uIYw1Nw","

It’s time China fully embraced the beauty of “Many Chinas.”

","China, the Pluralist Nation",{"_24":114,"_55":115,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":116},"-JzF-N02LkpD2TZ99SBd","

China is achieving its foreign policy objectives without firing a shot.

","Beijing’s Fait Accompli in the South China Sea",{"_24":118,"_55":119,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":120},"-JzF-N056uAHT_7RUv38","

Chinese have mixed feelings about the possibility of a Hillary Clinton presidency.

","Behind China’s Cool Response to Hillary’s 2016 Announcement",{"_24":122,"_55":123,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":124,"_40":41,"_26":125},"-JzF-N084wz8k5g3Ygxx","

The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence offers a wealth of new information on the PLA Navy.

",4,"Revelations on China’s Maritime Modernization",{"_24":127,"_46":124,"_26":128,"_49":129},"NEA","Northeast Asia",[130,134,138,142,146],{"_24":131,"_55":132,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":133},"-JzF-N0AsHKvYWpUKT7J","

Japan’s positive image in Southeast Asia puts it ahead of Pakistan, India, and China.

","Japan’s Southeast Asian Friends",{"_24":135,"_55":136,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":137},"-JzF-N0D0QDe183MBQaO","

As foreigners flock to South Korea, the definition of “Koreanness” is shifting

","South Korea’s Emerging New Social Hierarchy",{"_24":139,"_55":140,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":141},"-JzF-N0EBJWmlRSxpkRC","

The hermit kingdom’s medical professionals work in places like Cambodia and Nigeria.

","The Curious Case of North Korea’s Overseas Doctors",{"_24":143,"_55":144,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":145},"-JzF-N0GfYNvqtyM9zLD","

Washington needs to reorient how it thinks about ties between its two key allies.

","How to Fix the Japan-South Korea Relationship",{"_24":147,"_55":148,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":124,"_40":41,"_26":149},"-JzF-N0IJX_rrRobI0H8","

Two recent deportations of aid workers in North Korea feed into debates about international aid for the country.

","North Korea Clamps Down on Foreign Aid Groups",{"_24":151,"_46":37,"_26":152,"_49":153},"SOA","South Asia",[154,158,162,166,170],{"_24":155,"_55":156,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":157},"-JzF-N0M4-FalrQ4G_qv","

When he disappeared for two months, Rahul Gandhi left the Congress Party rudderless.

","The Trouble with Dynasties",{"_24":159,"_55":160,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":161},"-JzF-N0OQ6D5h0bNWZ_C","

The ouster of the former president has done little for those seeking justice for alleged abuses during Sri Lanka’s civil war.

","Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka",{"_24":163,"_55":164,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":165},"-JzF-N0PmuDWRmfuhHw4","

Narendra Modi’s time in France, Germany, and Canada showcased his shrewdness as a diplomat.

","In France, Germany, and Canada, Modi Impresses",{"_24":167,"_55":168,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":169},"-JzF-N0UXWHIKFIqrTHm","

A resolution to the insurgency remains as elusive as ever.

","Ashraf Ghani’s Taliban Predicament",{"_24":171,"_55":172,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":124,"_40":41,"_26":173},"-JzF-N0WlnVxJzt9MeQx","

Pakistan’s MQM faces an increasingly difficult set of challenges to hold onto power in the country’s biggest city.

","Is Karachi’s Biggest Party on the Ropes?",{"_24":175,"_46":33,"_26":176,"_49":177},"SEA","Southeast Asia",[178,182,186,190,194],{"_24":179,"_55":180,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":181},"-JzF-N0YL9eYvgE0FfW0","

Singapore’s newest regional forum focuses more broadly on geostrategic, politico-economic and governance issues in Asia.

","Introducing: The Singapore Forum",{"_24":183,"_55":184,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":185},"-JzF-N0_z3p3wCSIEaWy","

</p>
<p pixel=\"293 834\">A former Malaysian foreign minister proposes a fundamental shift in ASEAN policy.

","ASEAN Urged to Review Non-Interference Policy",{"_24":187,"_55":188,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":189},"-JzF-N0c0s_BGz65rXfe","

The turmoil on Myanmar’s border with China has potentially significant implications.

","Why the Fighting in Kokang Threatens Peace in Myanmar",{"_24":191,"_55":192,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":193},"-JzF-N0e2uc_-xoGI5gl","

The premier’s latest tirade is rather puzzling, and more than a little misleading.

","Cambodia’s Hun Sen Slams ASEAN-Splitting TPP",{"_24":195,"_55":196,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":124,"_40":41,"_26":197},"-JzF-N0gxd2pM_QmefR8","

Malaysia’s former prime minister is distinctly unhappy with the incumbent.

","Mahathir Versus Najib",{"_24":199,"_46":200,"_26":201,"_49":202},"CEA",7,"Central Asia",[203,207,211,215,219],{"_24":204,"_55":205,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":206},"-JzF-N0i8IGfOyCV_71F","

U.S. Central Asia policy is unoriginal and unconvincing.

","Washington’s Stale Silk Road Policy",{"_24":208,"_55":209,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":210},"-JzF-N0khe19otI3qjMq","

What led to the massacre in Uzbekistan ten years ago?

","Remembering the Days Before Andijan",{"_24":212,"_55":213,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":214},"-JzF-N0lCJsMttR19C4N","

Stability triumphs over reform, as Karimov and Nazarbayev are confirmed as the leaders of Central Asia’s most important countries.

","No Surprises in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan",{"_24":216,"_55":217,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":218},"-JzF-N0qFCAQPaYgPjtA","

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in particular are keen to see progress in the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1.

","Why Is Central Asia Excited About the Iran Deal?",{"_24":220,"_55":221,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":124,"_40":41,"_26":222},"-JzF-N0sI3_doHjn3P3T","

In a Muslim-majority country, state control of religious expression tightens.

","Tajikistan: No Hajj, No Hijab, and Shave Your Beard",{"_24":224,"_46":225,"_26":226,"_49":227},"OCE",8,"Oceania",[228,232,236,240],{"_24":229,"_55":230,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":231},"-JzF-N0tASCK4HyuNnC3","

Before his recent death, the former prime minister wanted to rethink a key plank of Australian foreign policy.

","Malcolm Fraser and the Australia-US Alliance",{"_24":233,"_55":234,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":235},"-JzF-N0wrtF1pCekaLaO","

new plan to protect the natural wonder enjoys rare bipartisan support in Australia.

","The Plan to Save the Great Barrier Reef",{"_24":237,"_55":238,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":239},"-JzF-N0zPafBd4Wij1IE","

What if Abbott is right to describe Australia’s China policy as based on “fear and greed”?

","‘Fear and Greed’: A Closer Look at Australia’s China Policy",{"_24":241,"_55":242,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":243},"-JzF-N1-RN7DVcsRwozM","

The Australian foreign minister covers a lot of ground during a brief visit to Tehran.

","Julie Bishop in Iran",{"_24":245,"_46":246,"_26":247,"_49":248},"SCR",9,"Security",[249,253,257,261],{"_24":250,"_55":251,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":252},"-JzF-N12slg_kRa57rdZ","

Wellington is making some progress on its naval forces but still lags behind its allies in capabilities.

","New Zealand’s Navy: No Bang for the Buck?",{"_24":254,"_55":255,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":256},"-JzF-N13x4eOrQiNxh4o","

After years of improving economic ties, India and South Korea are tightening their security relationship.

","India, South Korea to Boost Defense Cooperation",{"_24":258,"_55":259,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":260},"-JzF-N16Uo706qjWxlDT","

When militarism and national insecurity intersect, as they seem to be doing today in Asia, carnage often follows.

","'Arma Virumque Cano' - Parades and Militarism in Asia",{"_24":262,"_55":263,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":89,"_40":41,"_26":264},"-JzF-N17FVyrDMh8CX7A","

Despite the disappointment stemming from India’s Rafale deal, the country’s future in carrier aviation remains bright

","What Does India's Carrier Aviation Future Hold?",{"_24":266,"_46":267,"_26":268,"_49":269},"DPL",10,"Diplomacy",[270,274,278],{"_24":271,"_55":272,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":273},"-JzF-N1AzOUbwGoMF1HW","

International negotiators are close to a final deal, but the path there won’t be smooth sailing.

","The Road From Lausanne",{"_24":275,"_55":276,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":277},"-JzF-N1BCCV2-5oThrKO","

The vulnerable Asia-Pacific needs broader engagement in disaster planning

","Natural Disasters: Preparing for the Big One",{"_24":279,"_55":280,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":281},"-JzF-N1Dz-8vKwEsn1Hc","

Xi’s planned April trip to Saudi Arabia was scrapped, and even his visit to Pakistan faced complications.

","Xi Jinping Still Hasn’t Visited the Middle East",{"_24":283,"_46":284,"_26":285,"_49":286},"ASL",11,"Asia Life",[287,291,295],{"_24":288,"_55":289,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":290},"-JzF-N2vHz_i5fcwEKW-","

In Mandalay, hundreds gathered to hear talks by Burmese and international authors.

","Post-Censorship, Myanmar’s Literary World Awakens",{"_24":292,"_55":293,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":294},"-JzF-N2w05IPbq2QdzFA","

Alumni of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program are an important part of bilateral ties.

","The JET Program and the US-Japan Relationship",{"_24":296,"_55":297,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":82,"_40":41,"_26":298},"-JzF-N2xU2PU4iV-gcOp","

Hong Kong domestic workers want to junk “excessive” fees.

","Overseas Filipino Workers: Organizing for Fairer Conditions","routes/$issue.masthead",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]

Masthead