Open research questions in Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography
102 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,901 Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The paper identifies a gap in understanding how China's selective influence in Myanmar's conflicts prioritizes border security and economic flows over national political outcomes. It also highlights the need to analyze how China operates alongside Myanmar's civil war, focusing on the borderlands' political economy. The paper argues that existing debates about China's involvement in Myanmar's conflict often default to familiar binaries, which do not accurately capture China's behavior.
Language and cultural barriers that prevent refugees from seeking and receiving adequate mental health care. Community rejection and stigma that exacerbate mental health issues. The need for a holistic approach that addresses both the emotional and spiritual needs of the individual.
A psychospiritual approach to the integration of Rohingya refugees in Aceh: overcoming stigma and building solidarity · 2024 · DOIThe lack of consideration of the religious and cultural background of the Rohingya community in providing mental health support. The need for a holistic approach that addresses both the emotional and spiritual needs of the individual. The importance of reducing stigma and promoting better integration through a psychospiritual approach.
A psychospiritual approach to the integration of Rohingya refugees in Aceh: overcoming stigma and building solidarity · 2024 · DOIBackground: Food security and access to healthcare are crucial determinants of health, but their impact on chronic disease risk among forcibly displaced populations is understudied.
Examining the Impact of Food Security and Accessibility to Healthcare Services on Chronic Disease Risk Among Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh · 2025 · DOIThe lack of a comprehensive analysis of the India-Bangladesh relationship - The need to identify areas that require careful management for stable relations
Further research is needed to continue the preservation of sacred relics. The study suggests the continued development of the Integrated Relic Custodianship Model (IRCM). The study implies the need for transparent information management and peaceful, ethically grounded relic custodianship.
The study identifies a gap in the historical record of the Buddha Tooth Relic. The study aims to mitigate 'crises of faith' arising from newly discovered evidence. The study seeks to provide a cohesive, yet previously fragmented, historical narrative.
The gap in understanding the role of institutions in determining economic outcomes in authoritarian systems. The lack of comparative analysis of authoritarian systems in Southeast Asia.
The international community's inability to respond to the crisis due to national self-interest. The need for a strategic shift away from paralyzed frameworks like SAARC. The challenge of establishing bilateral leverage between Dhaka and Naypyidaw.
The lack of effective international engagement to resolve the Rohingya crisis. The need for a strategic shift away from paralyzed frameworks like SAARC toward functional regional bodies such as BIMSTEC and ASEAN.
Future research should focus on analyzing the impact of the military governance in Myanmar on the trade relations with India. Future research should explore the potential for cooperation between India and Myanmar in regional and international organizations.
Role of Trade in Strengthening India-MyanmarRelations: A Twenty-Year Analysis (2006–2026) · 2026 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in the analysis of the trade relations between India and Myanmar. The paper highlights the need for a comprehensive study of the historical, colonial, and post-colonial relations among India and Myanmar.
Role of Trade in Strengthening India-MyanmarRelations: A Twenty-Year Analysis (2006–2026) · 2026 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in the representation of minor ethnic groups in Myanmar's politics. The paper argues that the current political framework is not effective in addressing the needs of ethnic minorities.
Interrogating Ethnic Identities and the Representation of Minor Ethnic Groups with Reference to the Nagas in Myanmar’s Politics · 2026 · DOIPrior research has treated migrant workers' identities as static. The study aims to address this gap by exploring the translocational nature of migrants' positioning.
Navigating Marginalization through Religion: Intersectionality and Shifting Positionalities Among Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thailand · 2026 · DOILegal ambiguity and policy absence, - Systematic discrimination, military violence, and restrictions on religious and political freedom, - Limited access to essential services and psychosocial support
Forced Migration and Resilience: A Study of Human Rights Challenges and Social Work Perspectives on Myanmar Refugee Camp Livelihoods in Aizawl, Mizoram, India · 2026 · DOIThe lack of a formal refugee protection framework in India leaves displaced populations to rely on ad hoc arrangements and civil society support. The absence of linking capital with state institutions continues to hinder long-term security and integration. The need for a rights-based and gender-sensitive policy response to address the challenges faced by refugees.
Forced Migration and Resilience: A Study of Human Rights Challenges and Social Work Perspectives on Myanmar Refugee Camp Livelihoods in Aizawl, Mizoram, India · 2026 · DOIThe complexities of statelessness require careful examination and analysis. The role of state-led identity categorisation and bureaucracy in the oppression of the Rohingya needs to be understood.
Citizenship and Genocide Cards: IDs, Statelessness and Rohingya Resistance in Myanmar by Natalie Brinham (Routledge 2024). 258 Pages. Price $39.99. ISBN 9781032799261 · 2026 · DOIThe paper identifies the gap in understanding the obstacles to Rohingya refugee repatriation. The situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar camps is very difficult and deteriorating.
A Crisis in Deadlock: Analysing Possible Obstacles toward Rohingya Refugee Repatriation · 2026 · DOIFuture research could examine the implications of the principle of non-interference for regional security and human rights. Further studies could analyze the responses of other international organizations to similar crises.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of how the principle of non-interference affects international relations. The gap is in the analysis of how this principle leads to the recognition of non-democratically elected regimes.
The negotiation of Vinaya authority when monasteries become political actors - The functioning of monastic discipline under conditions of nationalist capture
The lack of operational direction for the pre-landing phase is a significant challenge. The absence of standard protocols for verifying foreigners entering through illegal channels is another challenge.
Procedural Gaps in Indonesia’s Immigration Policy: An Analysis of the Arrival of Rohingya Refugees in Aceh, 2023–2024 · 2026 · DOIThe gap in Indonesia's immigration policy is the lack of operational direction for the pre-landing phase. The policy provides minimal direction for dealing with refugee arrivals through illegal channels.
Procedural Gaps in Indonesia’s Immigration Policy: An Analysis of the Arrival of Rohingya Refugees in Aceh, 2023–2024 · 2026 · DOIThe veto power of the UNSC's permanent members. The lack of accountability for international crimes. The dependence of international courts' decisions on states' political will.
KOLEKTİF GÜVENLİK SİSTEMİ’NİN ETKİSİZLİĞİ IŞIĞINDA ULUSLARARASI MAHKEMELERİN POTANSİYEL ROLÜ: MYANMAR ÖRNEĞİ · 2026 · DOIThe ineffectiveness of the collective security system led by the UNSC. The lack of accountability for international crimes.
KOLEKTİF GÜVENLİK SİSTEMİ’NİN ETKİSİZLİĞİ IŞIĞINDA ULUSLARARASI MAHKEMELERİN POTANSİYEL ROLÜ: MYANMAR ÖRNEĞİ · 2026 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography
- Ceasefire capitalism: military–private partnerships, resource concessions and military–state building in the Burma–China borderlands · The Journal of Peasant Studies · 2011 · 290 citations
- Swidden Change in Southeast Asia: Understanding Causes and Consequences · Human Ecology · 2009 · 273 citations
- How in Myanmar “National Races” Came to Surpass Citizenship and Exclude Rohingya · Journal of Contemporary Asia · 2017 · 224 citations
- Unsettling Experiences: Internal Resettlement and International Aid Agencies in Laos · Development and Change · 2007 · 160 citations
- “Indigenous Peoples” in International Law: A Constructivist Approach to the Asian Controversy · American Journal of International Law · 1998 · 159 citations
- Rohingya Refugees to Bangladesh: Historical Exclusions and Contemporary Marginalization · Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies · 2011 · 158 citations
- Does Lootable Wealth Breed Disorder? · Comparative Political Studies · 2006 · 156 citations
- Planned Resettlement, Unexpected Migrations and Cultural Trauma in Laos · Development and Change · 2004 · 150 citations
- Ethnonationalist networks and transnational opportunities: the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora · Review of International Studies · 2004 · 148 citations
- The Political Economy of Myanmar’s Transition · Journal of Contemporary Asia · 2013 · 145 citations
Most recent work
- Beyond Myanmar’s borders: the use of transnational repression and creation of new state spaces within ASEAN · Ethnic and Racial Studies · 2026
- Beyond the Rebel ‘Territorial Trap’: Governing Armed Sovereign Formations in Eastern Myanmar · Development and Change · 2026
- Teaching without a system: resilience and engagement in Myanmar’s non-state schools · Frontiers in Education · 2026
- Roadblocks, Relationality and Resilient Resistance in Post‐coup Myanmar · Development and Change · 2026
- Opium Pathways: Mountains, Mules and Resource Extraction in Shan State, Myanmar · Development and Change · 2026
- “The first person to reach you becomes dearest to you”: Mapping health information diffusion in Myanmar's polycrisis through digital strategies, networked pathways, and innovative solutions · Social Science & Medicine · 2026
- English teaching online, in politically difficult circumstances · ELT Journal · 2026
- Innovating Armed Group Financing and Governance: How Myanmar’s NUG United Digital Technologies and Traditional Practices · Civil Wars · 2026
- Considering Intermediaries as Relational Localizers: A Case Study of Localization in the Thai–Southeast Myanmar Border Humanitarian Response · Public Administration and Development · 2026
- Foreign Aid, Civil Society and Post‐colonial Statebuilding in the Thai‒Myanmar Borderworld · Development and Change · 2026
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