Stories about Politics from June, 2019
Bhutan takes first steps toward decriminalizing homosexuality
The bill will be discussed in the National Council, the upper house of the parliament, during the upcoming winter session starting in November. Bhutanese activists eagerly await the results.
In Hong Kong, authorities arrest the administrator of a Telegram protest group—and force him to hand over a list of its members
A list of members of the group-- which numbers between 20,000 and 30,000 people--, as well as all the messages exchanged in the secure chat, have been exposed to the police.
Why are Hong Kong authorities labelling the anti-extradition demonstrations as “riots”?
As the majority of protesters were peaceful and had not engaged with violent acts, a large number of civic groups slammed the “riot” label as ludicrous.
Paraguay's road to democracy is slowed down by its political ghosts
"Although Paraguay transitioned to a democracy in the years after the dictatorship ended, subsequent elections saw circles close to Stroessner stay in power"
The Ivan Golunov phenomenon: a brief moment of solidarity and euphoria in Putin’s Russia
Many are calling for more action to punish law enforcement forces that fabricated the case.
Sudan’s democratic spring is turning into a long and ugly summer
"The worse outcome is the prospect of systemic military violence like Darfur, without intervention by the international community. The same folks are in charge, and we are already looking away."
Thousands of anti-extradition protesters block roads surrounding Hong Kong government headquarters
On the morning of June 12, protesters were able to postpone debate on the controversial extradition bill by the Legislative Council.
In Tanzania, advocates pressure police to investigate ‘teleza’ rapes and robberies
Women in Kigoma, Tanzania, say armed men have terrorized their communities for years, but little has been done to investigate, arrest or prosecute — until now.
A decree by President Bolsonaro could threaten civil society group investigating deaths under Brazil’s military dictatorship
An order ending Brazil's civil society committees has raised alarms in the Perus Working Group, which investigates human remains found at a 1970s cemetery in the suburbs of São Paulo.
Beyond Beijing: What China's 1989 Democracy Movement was like in Changsha
Interview with Andréa Worden about the events in Chinese city of Changsha during the spring of 1989 that she experienced first hand.
In Nigeria, tensions rise in Kano Kingdom as king faces finance corruption charges
King Sanusi II and all other suspects may be suspended, pending further investigation into financial fraud and misuse investigated by the anti-corruption commission.
Could the PetroCaribe scandal be the end of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse?
The corruption scandal surrounding PetroCaribe, a regional energy programme that supplied petroleum products to Haiti at preferential rates, was at the heart of the violent protests earlier this year.
Hundreds of thousands protest in Hong Kong against the extradition bill
Protesters said the proposed amendments would make it easier for mainland China to cause the arrest of critics, dissidents, and even journalists in Hong Kong.
‘Everything is destroyed': Inside the ruins of Marawi City in the Philippines
"Despite the scale of the destruction, almost no clearing has been done yet. Bombed homes and establishments, plazas, churches, and mosques — everything is destroyed."
Reactions to the presidential pardon of Sri Lankan rightwing religious leader
"Given Gnanasara’s past record of hateful speech, the Presidential pardon amounted to disrespect to all those who had suffered religious freedom violations in Sri Lanka."
Publisher of Macedonian edition of Hitler's ‘Mein Kampf’ releases book by former PM Nikola Gruevski
Gruveski led North Macedonia's right-wing government from 2006 to 2017, a period of sharp democratic decline.
Record crowd commemorates Tiananmen Massacre at Hong Kong candlelight vigil
"Even though it is a crime to remember / The truth will find its courage to be told /The history that has happened will be revealed..."
Tiananmen commemorations: an inconvenient truth for Beijing, a dire warning for Hong Kong and Taiwan
As many witnesses and activists asked: when will Beijing finally acknowledge historical facts? When will it apologize to the families of the victims?
How Beijing uses intimidation to censor the Tiananmen Massacre outside of China
"Beijing's intimidation does have an impact on shaping the stories [journalists] tell and the ways that they tell it.”
Czechs demand new justice minister's resignation in nationwide challenge to PM Andrej Babiš
Protesters say the PM is seeking to interfere with his prosecution and demand measures to protect the judiciary's independence.
As Afghanistan's war rolls on, its mental health toll grows greater
“The doctors wanted to discharge me. I begged them to keep me in longer.”