Stories about Politics from July, 2022
The shards of memory and Trinidad & Tobago's attempted coup
"The clues are there; once we collectively piece them together, a story will be revealed. It won't be perfectly told [...] but we will see ourselves."
Indonesia blocks Yahoo, Paypal, and gaming websites over new licensing rules
"The obligation of registration will open the gate for the government to intervene and censor. It's not just an administrative matter."
Curbing noise pollution in Trinidad & Tobago: Whose job is it, anyway?
The Summary Offences Act “clearly states that the police have the primary jurisdiction when it comes to noise, especially from the [music] trucks."
Turkish football fans chant ‘Vladimir Putin’ during match against Kyiv
Aggravated Turkish football fans chanted "Vladimir Putin" during a match again the Ukrainian Dynamo Kyiv team, in a reference to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. International scandal followed.
Azerbaijan and EU energy deal prioritizes energy over human rights
Azerbaijan and EU sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the capital Baku outlining the plans for a strategic energy deal. Critics view the new deal with skepticism.
War in Ukraine is fundamentally changing the relationship between the internet and geopolitics
Russia's invasion of Ukraine confirmed what internet and war scholars have long predicted: the line between civil and military reality is being erased, further fracturing the world along "sovereign internets."
Sri Lanka: The evolution of the Gotagogama protest site and its periphery, in photos
Sri Lankan photographer Sandesh Bartlett captures how the peaceful occupy protest against the Rajapaksa government at Galle Face Green in the capital Colombo materialized, from March to July 2022.
Will US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visit Taiwan, despite China’s ‘forceful’ warning?
The US House and Taiwan support the visit. China threatened "forceful measures" if Pelosi proceeds and the US military said "it's not a good idea." Will Pelosi make it to Taiwan?
Georgia’s ruling party antagonizes Western officials amid EU bid
Since October 2020, Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has dragged the country into political uncertainty. The party's decision to apply for candidacy into the EU has been stalled amid international tensions.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Brazil
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Brazil is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Digital authoritarianism in Bangladesh: Weaponising a draconian law to silence dissent in the pandemic era
The COVID-19 pandemic provided the government with a pretext to censor free speech, harass critics, and effectively curb dissent – accelerating what has been an ongoing turn towards authoritarianism in Bangladesh.
Superstar wrestler jailed for murder as high crime rate alarms Mongolians
The court of the Khan-Uul district of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar sentenced the champion judoka and the former president of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee Tüvshinbayar to 16 years in jail
In a blow to regional unity, Kiribati leaves the Pacific Islands Forum
"It is meant to be a reminder to us all that our solidarity and unity as a region is dependent on how we treat each other with respect and understanding."
Will Latin America follow in the wake of Roe v. Wade?
The repeal of Roe v. Wade "is a reminder that all over the world, rights can be challenged at any time and may be at risk of being rolled back in a conservative regime."
Nigeria deteriorates into a perilously insecure nation
Armed banditry, Jihadist terrorism, kidnappings, and sports-related violence all impact the safety and livelihoods of citizens across the country.
In Azerbaijan, a war veteran's suicide sparks public outcry
By some accounts, at least 50 war veterans have attempted suicide since the 44-day war that Armenia and Azerbaijan fought in 2020.
In Georgia, leaked recordings suggest the state is surveilling newsrooms
The director of Mtavari Arkhi called on the public defender's office, non-governmental and international organizations as well as ambassadors to hold the perpetrators of surveillance on journalists to account.
A Bosnian perspective on the US fight for reproductive rights
Bosnia and Herzegovina's recent history of forced pregnancy in the context of genocidal rape has set this Balkan nation on a track to protect the right to choose one’s own reproductive destiny.
Legislator wants to rename Philippines’s busiest airport after the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
"Most airports (are) named after historical figures, heroic ones...Marcos Jr. maybe back but that doesn’t belie the fact that Marcos Sr. died a disgraced authoritarian."
Flood of false bomb threats raise security concerns in Kosovo
The wave of false bomb alerts in the Balkan region has also affected Kosovo. Threatening messages from anonymous addresses were sent to the University, schools, airport and bus stations.
What happened to Hong Kong protesters three years after the 2019 crackdowns?
More than 10,000 people had been arrested for protest-related offences and 4,010 of them were students. Three years after, 2,866 of the arrestees — 28 percent — had been prosecuted and about 79 per cent convicted.
