Letter from the Editors

Whether seeking clarity on the insurgency in Pakistan’s Balochistan, attempting to understand Taiwan’s dominant position in the semiconductor industry, or wondering why younger Uzbeks are turning away from Russian – the root of the present is always in the past. In this issue we uncover those roots, looking to history to understand the complexities of contemporary trends.

In Pakistan’s Balochistan province, a long-running insurgency has exploded into a new – and more violent – phase. Yunas Samad, an emeritus professor at the University of Bradford, outlines the history of the Baloch nationalist movement, which includes both armed separatist groups and non-violent protests – though Pakistan’s government does not recognize much of a distinction between the two. To the Baloch, their struggle is a natural result of oppression and exploitation by the federal government. Pakistan’s leaders, however, claim the movement is propped up by hostile foreign forces and thus refuse to consider a political solution. At its heart, Samad writes, “the Balochistan conflict highlights a broader democratic crisis in Pakistan, where military dominance perpetuates governance failures and stifles accountability.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has decried Taiwan’s semiconductor prowess, complaining (in his typical style) that Taiwan “stole” the industry from the United States. James Baron, a freelance journalist based in Taiwan, traces the true history of the industry – which is very different from the picture painted by Trump. In fact, Baron writes, from the beginning semiconductor production in Taiwan was “a transnational enterprise, based on a spirit of cooperation, mutual benefit, and security considerations.” U.S. tech companies and the government alike were only too happy to support Taiwan’s tech makeover, understanding what Trump does not: that the partnership is a win-win for both sides.

And finally, we turn to Uzbekistan, where Gen Z wrestles with the politics of language. Despite more than 30 years of independence following the Soviet Union’s collapse, Russian retains a prominent position in Uzbekistan. Niginakhan Saida, a Ph.D. researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (JGU), Germany, writes that there are several reasons for the persistence of the Russian language in Uzbekistan, from inertia in the country’s education curriculum to considerations of Moscow’s sentiments in the matter. But, as Saida discovers via her interviews, the younger generation is questioning the privileged place of the Russian language in public education and everyday life – not necessarily out of a desire to see Russian erased but a wish to see Uzbek elevated.

We hope you enjoy these stories and the many more in the following pages.