Stories about Politics from June, 2021
How will Armenians with COVID-19 vote on election day?
On March 18, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he had come to an agreement with the parliamentary opposition parties to hold an early election on June 20.
Green playlist: Asian short films on protecting the environment
These films feature the struggles of various communities across the Asia-Pacific region as they defend their lands, environment and cultural heritage.
New report details gross violations of humanitarian law in Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
A new report details extensive violations by Armenian and Azerbaijani forces of international humanitarian law during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, including unlawful bombing, extrajudicial killings, and torture.
How Sinophobia is instrumentalized in Kazakhstan as a form of oppositional politics
In Kazakhstan, Sinophobia is often a tool instrumentalized by protest organizers to mobilize people as a form of criticism of governmental policies
Final verdict against war criminal Ratko Mladić brings relief, denialism, but not closure
Serbian tabloids rushed to denounce the decision as evidence of anti-Serb bias and hailed Mladic as a hero.
Organiser of online map protest in Russia fined for crowdsourced obscenities
Unlike street protests, which require prior authorisation from local authorities, online rallies aren't technically subject to the same restrictions.
China's wandering elephant herd show. Not as ‘lovable’ as it looks.
"Finally an expert has provided an explanation about the herd’s northbound journey. Local officials avoided addressing the truth."
‘Lying down flat’ as passive resistance in China
"You can’t stand up. But you don’t want to kneel down. Then you can only lie down flat."
Remembering Asia’s first Pride march in Manila
Two organizers of the historic 1994 Manila Pride shared their reflections about the legacy of the protest and the continuing struggle to fight for LGBT+ rights
Pro-Beijing lawmakers in Hong Kong slam Gay Games as ‘disgraceful’
"It's civil society’s business if they want to do it, but it’s wrong [for government] to throw money at this."
Laos social media task force: Will it target ‘fake news’ or censor online criticism?
"The reinforcement of social media platforms’ registration and severe control of online information are another reflection of the digital dictatorship in Laos."
Tokyo Olympics: A symbol of the divide in Japanese society
Using Twitter's public API, Global Voices analyzed more than 2.5 million Japanese-language tweets to gauge public sentiment around the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Mexican registry for cell phone users sparks privacy concerns
"The creation of a similar registry was attempted in 2009, but the database ended up being leaked and for sale."
Belarus bans foreign travel for citizens, EU closes airspace to Belarusian flights
Most Belarusians, including many foreign residency permit holders, have been temporarily banned from going abroad, while new EU air space restrictions further narrow travel options to and from Belarus.
Late-night raid at Turkey's Boğaziçi University as students continue resisting interference in campus affairs
Six months later, university students, alumni, and faculty members are still agitating against the government-appointed rector Melih Bulu and his policies, which they claim are eroding the campus' democratic culture.
Barbados’ prime minister chastises musicians for violent lyrics; artists defend freedom of expression
Prime Minister Mia Mottley dismissed the “artistic license” defence by noting that some people in Barbadian society lack the maturity required to not interpret the musical message literally.
Myanmar’s long history of revolutionary poets
In Myanmar's history, poets have shown solidarity with the ordinary people and have been at the frontline in every revolution.
Pop-rock music and changing attitudes to the personality cult of Josip Broz Tito
" ... the generations of children born in Yugoslavia in the 1970s reacted to the break-up of the value system that put Tito on a pedestal with a growing dose of cynicism."
Daraa protests burst the Syrian regime's bubble of election day
'Al-Assad voted in Douma, a prominent opposition stronghold, to send a message that the war ended and that he's the victor. But Daraa's protests thwarted the play he tried to pass'
Nigerian government suspends Twitter after controversy over president's deleted tweet threatening violence
Nigeria twitter users from different ethnic groups adopted Igbo names while trending the #IamIgboToo hashtag to express their solidarity with the Igbo people, targets of President Buhari’s offensive tweet.
Myanmar navy deserters speak out against military regime
"The soldiers we saw when we were young were loved by the people. But what they are doing now is just opposite of what I believe and ... want to be."