If you watched Kingdom of Heaven (2005). you might be familiar with the story of King Baldwin IV - King of Jerusalem - who were affected by leprosy and was reigned under heavy political pressure by politicians in his court. King Baldwin was not a weak King, anyway; he was decisive and wises. But his physical condition means that he can't get to ... Read this >>
Profile: Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar - Doctoral Student, Political Sciences and International Studies
Ahmad Rizky M. Umar is a PhD student at the School of Political Sciences and International Studies, University of Queensland, but now stranded in Canberra due to disrupted visit at ANU Coral Bell School. I am researching the Idea of 'Asia' in World Politics for my PhD, but occassionally writing about ASEAN, Indonesia's Foreign Policy, and Postcolonial International Theory.
I used to work as a researcher and executive secretary of ASEAN Studies Center, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, between 2014-2017. I am a Banjarese from South Kalimantan, Indonesia
Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar's COVID-19 Diary
17 Aug 2020 : "Pandemic-Mongering": On Disinformation, Fear, and Discrimination
Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar, Doctoral Student, Political Sciences and International Studies
23 May 2020 : Normalizing Deaths?
More and more people died of coronavirus or other diseases nowadays. In Indonesia, Brazil, United States, around the world. Our relatives, friends, someone who are connected to us. This is just something that, lately these days, happens everyday and considered as "normal". A couple of days ago, I did usual phone call with my family in Banjarmasin, ... Read this >>
Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar, Doctoral Student, Political Sciences and International Studies
01 May 2020 : Strong State, Weak State, Incompetent State
We are usually told that state power lies in its capacity to provide security. The more capability a state have to secure the state interest, a more powerful they are. The debate is of course more complex than that. There are complex theorising as to what constitute state power, how the states are categorised into a particular hierarchy (i.e. Great, Major... Read this >>
Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar, Doctoral Student, Political Sciences and International Studies
23 Apr 2020 : The Cost of Over-Securitizing COVID-19
Of all IR theories that sought to explain COVID-19, perhaps "securitization" is the most popular one. Yes, as the virus "escalates", many countries use tight measures to get the virus spread under control. Lockdown, self-quarantine, physical distancing, contact-tracing, massive testing and many other measures are undertaken. Citizens are requested to sta... Read this >>
Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar, Doctoral Student, Political Sciences and International Studies
16 Apr 2020 : No, "Asian Values" couldn't help us getting rid of COVID-19
We are often told that "Asian Values" have helped to contain (or at least slow down) the spread of Coronavirus. Some people argue that the success of Japan, South Korea, China, and countries with strong "Asian Values" have been credited to the way the state and community handled the virus through cultural perception. Some see it in Chinese socialism with... Read this >>
Ahmad Rizky Mardhatillah Umar, Doctoral Student, Political Sciences and International Studies
13 Apr 2020 : Pandemics and Politics: A View from Below
At the moment I am supposed to be writing my Thesis as if everything is normal. I do write, of course, but obviously we couldn't ignore the global COVID-19 politics, which affects every inches of our academic life. Well, let me begin with the message: COVID-19 shows that global inequality is real. Yesterday, I was talking (by phone) with my ... Read this >>