Stories about Human Rights from August, 2020
How a bad translation of ‘Black Lives Matter’ ended up enabling racist narratives on Chinese social media
A popular Chinese translation of the anti-racism protest slogan is paradoxically being used to spread racist discourse.
Abused and infected with COVID-19, Nigerian domestic workers are stranded in Beirut
African governments must press on their Lebanese counterpart to grant amnesty to all migrant domestic workers to be repatriated to their home countries and abolish the slave-like Kafala labour laws.
Building safer online spaces in Myanmar
“Facebook was, and continues to be, the favored tool for disseminating hate speech and misinformation against the Rohingya people, Muslims in general, and other marginalized communities.”
Meet the artist embroidering Belarus’ protests
From faraway Prague, the Belarusian artist Rufina Bazlova is paying homage to the protests in her homeland by depicting them in traditional Belarusian embroidery.
Belarus shuts down internet as thousands protest election results
As Alexander Lukashenka won a sixth consecutive term as president on August 10, Belarusians across the country faced difficulties getting online. Digital rights activists blame the authorities; the authorities blame foreigners.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law
Upon his arrest, Hong Kong police raided the office building of his news outlets.
In Pakistan, a man accused of blasphemy was shot dead in a courtroom. His killer was hailed as a hero.
Extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy aren't uncommon in Pakistan.
How the murder of musician Hachalu Hundessa incited violence in Ethiopia: Part I
In the wake of musician Hachalu Hundessa's murder, Ethiopia has struggled to come to terms with the violence and turmoil that erupted along ethnic and religious faultlines.
What will a US ban on WeChat mean for Chinese netizens?
While many in the West have criticized Trump's ban, some overseas Chinese dissents see the decision with positive eyes.
Another Australian university criticized for censoring voices supporting Hong Kong's human rights
An Australian university was criticized for deleting an article published on its website that urges the international community to put pressure on China for infringements on human rights in Hong Kong.
Minister accused of rape gets appointed. What does this say about France?
The appointment to the ministry of the interior of a man under investigation for rape and sexual harassment raises questions on normalization of sexist remarks and actions in France.
The chilling tale of mass surveillance and spying in Rwanda
Rwanda justifies its tight control over media freedom, suppression of dissent, and hostility toward opposition as matters of national unity and security.
Can Sudan's new government solve the annual mass flooding crisis?
No government in Sudan's history has been able to solve the humanitarian disasters brought on by annual flooding, which inevitably leads to chronic destruction and loss of life.
Moderate globally, impact locally: A series on content moderation in the Global South
''Even as the platforms have grown and spread around the world, the center of gravity of these debates continues to revolve around D.C. and San Francisco.''
In Trinidad & Tobago, the use of Black iconography in Emancipation Day ads backfires
"This ad brings to light greater issues of the way Africans are represented in media and how careless and flippant many media programmers are with African icons, legacy, and symbols."
Digital rights remain under threat in Malawi despite historic win for democracy
Will the change in the country's leadership bring about meaningful changes to ensure that Malawians enjoy human rights in the digital space?
Who are the 6 Hong Kong activists wanted by the police under Beijing's national security law?
All of the wanted activists live overseas. One of them, Samuel Chu, has been a citizen of the United States since 1995.
Melbourne academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert remains a ‘political hostage’ inside Iran’s Qarchak prison
"Whatever the governments of #Australia and the #UK are doing to free their citizen, Kylie Moore-Gilbert from prison in #Iran, it’s failing miserably. This innocent woman should be free."
Amid threats of mass arrest, Filipino protesters rally during Duterte’s State of the Nation Address
Defying threats of arrests, thousands protested President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address to condemn the slow, incompetent and militarist government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A city shackled: How Beijing’s security law transformed Hong Kong in one short month
In just one month, Hong Kong sees the criminalization of speech, political purges of dissidents, the suspension of upcoming elections and vanishing press freedoms.
New Facebook Oversight Board must remove content of notorious Sudan militia
“Despite the harrowing violations, the RSF maintains a presence on social media, most notably Facebook, which has been the main platform for this militia to spread its messages …”