Turmoil, Setbacks, and Progress

Abstract

The international stage continues to a mixture of setbacks and progress. The Middle East continues its descend into more conflict and chaos with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Territorial disputes and geopolitical tensions remain the concerns for the Asia-Pacific. Meanwhile, although it suffered devastating setback in Thailand with a second coup d'etat in the last decade, a glimmer of hope for democracy in Southeast Asia manifested in the free and fair conduct of elections in Indonesia this year.