Stories about Politics from May, 2023
Jamaica ‘celebrates’ the 75th anniversary of Windrush, but should it?
"My mother and father-in-law, with great expectations, went to an inhospitable UK to help fill its need for cheap labour to rebuild the country after the war ... it's personal."
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Philippines
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in the Philippines is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Cambodia’s main opposition party disqualified from July election
"The Cambodian government is clearly fishing for any excuse to block opposition parties from competing."
Importing illiberal practices: The Kyrgyz state’s attack on media, journalists and bloggers
The Kyrgyz government is importing illiberal practices from Russia, and these changes have impacted public lives and affected the activity of media, journalists and bloggers.
Turkey heads to election run-off on May 28
These elections also showed how the main opposition coalition underestimated the societal split and the priorities that mattered — nationalism, big infrastructure projects, identity, and security to name a few
Unfreedom Monitor Report: El Salvador
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in El Salvador is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Progress at last? Armenia and Azerbaijan give peace another chance
The leaders of both countries agreed to resume bilateral meetings, and address questions of border delimitation, reopening transport and economic links, and the release of detainees.
The Arab League dealt a painful blow to human rights by normalizing relations with the Assad regime
Diplomatic normalizing with the Assad regime sends a chilling message to tyrants worldwide, allowing human rights violations to go unpunished, particularly amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war on the global stage.
Whether the rape threat issued at a political meeting was directed at a journalist or not, ‘it’s time to address’ deep-seated issues in Jamaica
The incident has left many Jamaicans concerned that the island's “rape culture” is not being properly addressed.
In the Philippines, cyber censorship is a new form of authoritarianism
Qurium’s investigation revealed that the cyber attacks were coming from the Philippine military, using the government infrastructure of the Department of Science and Technology.
Getting the Balkans wrong: The foreign coverage crisis
"Covering the Western Balkans requires more preparation than other parts of Europe. It’s not enough to know local politics. You need to appreciate the culture and society."
The Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica beach cleanup points to the need for greater public education
In the Caribbean, though beach clean-ups and plastic collections help to reduce the amount of plastic and raise the level of environmental consciousness, they never seem to be enough.
Thailand swings toward democracy after landslide election victory
In Thailand's general election, the former opposition parties defeated the military-backed parties that have ruled the country since the 2014 coup and demonstrated their readiness to form a new government.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Ecuador
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Ecuador is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Controversies erupt in India over the film ‘The Kerala Story’
Directed by Sudipto Sen, the Bollywood movie "The Kerala Stories" explores the controversial notion of “love jihad” — a conspiracy theory that Muslim men convert Hindu women to Islam via romantic relationships.
For Moldovan singer, Eurovision results are a bit of a ‘déjà vu’
Both the winner, Swedish singer Loreen, and Moldova's Pasha Parfeni participated in Eurovision 2012. In 2012, Loreen won the contest, too.
The Supreme Court orders the government to legalise same-sex marriage in Nepal
On May 2, 2023, same-sex marriage was finally legalised by Nepali by order of the Supreme court in Nepal after several years of legal disputes.
Understanding Thailand's upcoming election through political cartoons
Global Voices features several political cartoons that depict the major issues in Thailand's ongoing election campaign.
Is Telegram profiting from Myanmar's nightmare?
There are problematic channels growing around the Myanmar Telegram market but the company ignores the issues.
‘You gave me wings': Moldovan Eurovision finalist thanks his fans
Along with the Moldovan singer, musicians from nine other countries qualified from the fist semi-final for the Grand Final: Croatia, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia and Norway.
Armenia and Azerbaijan take one step forward, three steps back in mending relations
Since active fighting ceased between Armenia and Azerbaijan in November 2020, following the 44-day war, there have been numerous attempts to normalize ties and relations between the two neighbors.