Our Picks From Around Asia: Duterte's Online Army, The Passing of a Bollywood Great, and U.S.-China History

The Indian actor Om Puri died in Mumbai of a heart attack at age 66. (Wikimedia Commons)

Each week, we ask members of the Asia Society family to submit their favorite pieces of Asia-related content from around the web. Today, we look at the history of U.S.-China relations, Rodrigo Duterte's online army, and the life of a Bollywood great.

China, the U.S., and the Lessons of History

PRI

The excellent Mary Kay Magistad, a former China correspondent and host of the podcast "Whose Century Is It?", talks to John Pomfret, author of a recent book on U.S.-China relations, about the two countries, their history, and their future. If the one-hour long episode isn't enough for you, Pomfret also discussed his book at Asia Society on November 30. Go »

— Nico Luchsinger, Head of Strategy and Programming, Asia Society Switzerland 

Asia’s Biggest Issues in 2017: Experts Weigh In

The Asia Foundation

Most roundups of the key events facing Asia in the coming year tends to focus on hot-button issues in the region’s major countries. In this post, the Asia Foundation highlights lesser-known but important issues facing every country in the region, from Afghanistan to Vietnam. Go »

— Natharoun Ngo, Head of Programmes, UNDP and Asia 21 Young Leader 

Rodrigo Duterte's Army of Online Trolls

The New Republic

The Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's brutal crackdown on drug dealers and addicts has drawn a lot of criticism from international NGOs and the media. But Duterte has digital allies in a "keyboard army" — some paid, some not — whose members defend the president's policies on social media. Go »

— Nico Luchsinger, Head of Strategy and Programming, Asia Society Switzerland

Sixty Traditional Folk Events Halted in Rural Japan Due to Depopulation, Aging

The Japan Times

Aging and declining populations are usually discussed in regard to economics or health issues. But what about culture? If the Western classical music world worries about “graying audiences,” what about when your arthritic knees won’t carry you around the village square? This Japan Times article describes how many local folk festivals, designated as intangible cultural assets, are literally dying out in the country, and explores ways that they can be kept alive. Go »

— Anne Kirkup, Administrative Manager, Asia Society Cultural Programs

Om Puri, Bollywood Star, Dies in Mumbai

Al-Jazeera

Om Puri, the great Bollywood actor who died Friday in Mumbai, may not have been a household name in the United States, but the wizened actor nonetheless was a magnetic presence in films both in India and abroad. Puri’s most memorable role, at least to me, was the uncompromising Pakistani patriarch presiding over an unruly family in 1970s London in East is East, Damien O’Donnell’s wonderful 2000 film. Rest in peace. Go »

— Matt Schiavenza, Senior Content Manager, Asia Society