Stories about English from August, 2019
Pakistan's government suspends relations with India in show of solidarity with Kashmiris
After Narendra Modi's government in India scrapped Article 370, many Pakistanis asked the ruling party to take action.
Mainland Chinese netizens face ‘pink terror’ of patriotic trolls amid Hong Kong protests
Those who do not toe the official party line are identified and subjected to doxxing.
China inspects Hongkongers’ mobile phones for protest photos and chats at border checkpoints
In the face of border searches, Hong Kong protesters are picking up new technology tactics to mitigate their risk.
Cinema and new laws bring greater acceptance and visibility for Vietnamese transgenders
LGBTQ+ identities are gaining legal and social recognition in Vietnam, as a documentary illustrates.
In Pakistan, it's an uphill battle for women who report sexual harassment
In the past few years, Pakistan saw an increasing number of harassing women on the street by means of indecent exposure or exhibition. Police already arrested three men.
Indian government asks Twitter to remove accounts ‘spreading rumours’ about Kashmir
With the communication blackout inside Kashmir, netizens elsewhere resorted to Twitter to speak out against India's revocation of the region's autonomous status.
Apprehension rises over the abduction of a Nigerian government critic
Dadiyata, a fierce critic of Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje, was abducted on August 1 and nothing has been heard of him since.
How Hungary-funded news sites helped a false story travel all the way from Slovenia through Greece to North Macedonia
Fact-checkers in North Macedonia have traced the original source of the bribe article and uncovered a complex trail of disinformation spanning at least four countries.
Indian-administered Kashmir is like an ‘open prison’, says observers
"What is happening in Kashmir is 'normal' in the sense that state-backed violence, deceit and lies, gag on civilian voices, and govt propaganda have always been a 'normal' in Kashmir."
Refugees in West Java, Indonesia have no access to education so they established their own school
Refugees can spend many years in Indonesia without possibility of permanent settlement.
On activism and the self
"Behind the instagrammable image of the fierce-looking individual with a clenched fist is a person who is constantly rationalizing and reaffirming their fidelity to radical politics."
Nepal’s only folk musical instrument museum is struggling to save rare instruments
Nepal's only museum on musical instruments is facing eviction amidst lack of support from researchers and general visitors. Global Voices talks to Ram Prasad Kadel, the founder, and curator.
Beijing says Hong Kong anti-extradition protests show signs of ‘terrorism’
"The bloody crackdown is extending and you cannot see the border or a definitive sign in Hong Kong’s version of June 4..."
Cambodia reduces number of public holidays to attract jobs, but activists are concerned it could undermine democracy
"Omitting the Paris Peace Agreement and Human Rights days from the public-holiday list reflects that the government is unwilling to promote democracy any longer."
How the frontline anti-extradition protesters’ toolkit has evolved over Hong Kong’s long summer
Hong Kong pro-establishment politicians believe that the anti-extradition protests is under foreign influence as protesters hit the streets in “full gear,” donning black clothes, goggles, gas masks, helmets, and etc.
Nigerian activist arrested for calling for a nationwide #RevolutionNow protest movement
Omoyele Sowore was detained and charged under Nigeria's 2011 counter-terrorism law. He could face life imprisonment.
Indian activists oppose oil refinery project citing environmental concerns, as protests flare up
"Polluting industries will pollute wherever they go and cause environmental loss as well."
Beijing’s loyalists from Fujian province vow to beat up anti-extradition protesters in Hong Kong
Both local media outlets and police authorities have been notified of the Fujianese plan to pick fights with protesters. But only Beijing can stop such violence.
Four possible explanations for Turkmenistan's presidential hide-and-seek
Turkmenistan's publicity-loving president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has been unusually scarce lately, prompting rumours of political upheaval in the Central Asian republic.
UAE frees activist Osama al-Najjar after 5 years in detention
Despite serving his three-year sentence in March 2017, al-Najjar remained in arbitrary detention.
#MeToo catches on in Pakistan's entertainment industry
Amidst the #MeToo movement, Pakistani showbiz has been caught up in a hurl with accusations of sexual misconduct, domestic violence and much more.
