Stories about Politics from April, 2021
Thailand’s draft NGO law threatens to undermine the work of civil society groups
"This could block a vast amount of activities beneficial to society, while the punishment is disproportionate."
Nepali migrant worker goes home after spending 40 years in the Indian prison system
Durga Prasad Timsina, who never faced trial for an alleged murder, has been freed on bail after a campaign started by a former cellmate.
In Latin America, mental health can only be achieved through collective memory
"Our individual and collective history is not a static point in time and space, but a dynamic process that can be redefined and interpreted in another way."
Jamaica's spate of femicides raises perennial questions about the influence of dancehall music
The uptick in female murders has the prime minister chastising the perceived influence of dancehall music, and fanning the flames of an issue on which Jamaicans remain quite divided.
Myanmar crackdown intensifies as air strikes lead to more killings and displacement
A Myanmar blogger has documented the escalation of violence in Myanmar and the continuing defiance of anti-coup protesters in the second half of March.
Hong Kong customs raids pro-democracy retail chain, sparking sympathy
About 100 custom officers stormed AbouThai’s warehouse and its 26 stores confiscating goods worth more than a million Hong Kong dollars, due to missing Chinese labels of 14 types of products.
Serbian freelancers protest new taxation law that threatens to push thousands into poverty
Told for years that their line of work was not regulated by law and had no framework for taxation, digital workers are now expected to pay hefty taxes in retrospect.
Slander campaign threatens Serbian civil society and independent media
Accusations of complicity in a coup d’état and assassination of the president, as well as death threats have been voiced against prominent civil society organizations, drawing European Parliament's condemnation.
Turkish university students ‘can't breathe’ under police brutality
Police violence used against students at Boğaziçi University since the first day reminded many of US’ George Floyd death, causing his last words, ‘I can’t breath’, to trend.
For stateless and scattered Tibetans, a new online tool helps voters make an informed choice
The reliable online platform, created by a group of Swiss Tibetans, allows candidates and voters to communicate effectively, and although it overcame some challenges, others are work in progress.
Jamaicans agonise, politicians seek solutions after another young woman is killed
News of a young woman's murder comes against the backdrop of record murder rates in Jamaica which, according to one 2020 survey, is the highest in the region.
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
‘Aurat March’ organizers face intimidation and threats of prosecution in Pakistan
The organizers of this year's Aurat March (Women's March) in Pakistan faced disinformation campaigns, threats from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and were even accused of blasphemy.
Artists ‘raise three fingers’ in support of Myanmar protesters
"When we see somebody, and we raise three fingers, we know the movement is still alive. There is still hope."
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."
Beijing has rewritten Hong Kong's electoral rules. What will change?
It's a total overhaul of Hong Kong's representative democracy.
North Macedonia forced to re-edit Eurovision music video following nationalist rage
North Macedonia's nationalists have weighed a campaign against singer Vasil Garvanliev for "spreading Bulgarian propaganda" -- as two frames in the original video showed an artwork with the colors of the Bulgarian flag.
