COMMENT | Almost everyone reading this has roots in at least one of the three most populous nations in Asia. China, India and Indonesia are massive, diverse countries with many languages and religions and impressive cultural, historical and intellectual histories.

What they can also be, however, is bullies. In fact, the attempt to impose centralised power on various regions is coming to the fore these days.

I always get outraged when I read about Indonesia’s conduct in its provinces of Papua and West Papua. On Monday morning, Papuan protesters set fire to a local parliament building and blocked streets in the provincial capital of Manokwari by burning tyres and tree branches...