Stories about Weblog from May, 2023
‘Support does not necessarily mean understanding': Interview with founder of Taiwan-based ‘Ukrainian Voices’ Oleksandr Shyn
As Taiwan and Ukraine face threats — and Kyiv a real invasion — from their large and immediate neighbours — China and Russia — is the popular comparison between Taiwan and Ukraine valid?
A silent march in Uruguay keeps asking: ‘Where are our disappeared loved ones from the dictatorship?’
In May 20, 1976, while dictatorships were ruling countries in South America, four Uruguayans were found dead in Argentina. The date was picked by families of those still disappeared to march on every year demanding answers and justice.
Poet Galal El Beheiry’s poetic protest and the perils of expression in Egypt
Imprisoned Egyptian poet Galal El Beheiry, detained since March 2018 for a poem, smuggles a letter from prison, vowing to escalate his 81-day hunger strike with a water strike starting June 1.
Taiwan and Central Europe are increasingly aligned politically and economically: Interview with Polish analyst Marcin Jerzewski
Taiwan and Central Europe did not prioritize mutual relations until the COVID-19 pandemic during which they developed intensive ties that have evolved today to a much more robust relationship.
Russia may ban transgender transitioning
Over the past year, the situation for the transgender community in Russia has significantly deteriorated. in May 2023 the Ministry of Justice actively discussed either making more difficult or completely banning transgender transition.
‘Almost all famous artists have left or will leave [Russia], and those who remain will be blacklisted and banned’
For Russian rock, the “golden era” was the years of the underground, the end of the 70s and the first half of the 80s. The question is, will this “new underground” emerge?
#FramedinBelarus: An art group makes embroidery depicting the stories of political prisoners
The project aims to create portraits of each illegally convicted citizen in Belarus (political prisoners) using the traditional Belarusian embroidery technique of red thread on a white background
The future of the Thai music industry after COVID-19
Thai musicians and those working in the music industry are still suffering economic and professional consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic and are largely left without any state or institutional support.
Mongolia embroiled in a major corruption scandal over the allocation of educational loans
The main finding of the two-month long investigation is that 90 percent of the loans were issued to high level officials, their children, and those who had access to closed information.
Aboriginal Australian journalist Stan Grant steps down from post after enduring racial abuse
"I want to find a place of grace far from the stench of the media. I want to go where I am not reminded of the social media sewer."
Persecuted Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light minority denied asylum in Europe amidst escalating violence
Since its inception in 1999, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light minority has been subjected to systematic oppression based on a belief that they are heretics.
Interview with the author of “The Fugitive of Gezi Park”
Ten years ago, a group of environmentalists gathered at Istanbul's Gezi Park resisting the demolition of one of the remaining green spaces in the heart of this cosmopolitan city.
In Azerbaijan, violence against LGBTQ+ people continues unabated
According to ILGA Europe, an international non-governmental organization advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms, Azerbaijan occupies the last place among 49 countries on the organization's Rainbow Index consecutively for three years in a row.
‘Telman was here': the story of an Azerbaijani man searching for a better life
At 50, Telman spends his days walking the streets of Baku going through every trash box he finds, collecting recyclable items, food, and dreaming of a better life.
Pakistan invokes draconian Army Act to put protestors on trial
The political situation in Pakistan is escalating after the National Security Council decided to invoke the Army Act and Official Secrets Act to try civilian protestors.
The Caribbean mourns resilient rock and roll legend Tina Turner
Her decision to go public about her abuse made Turner even more relatable. This was especially true in the Caribbean, which struggles with high rates of domestic violence and femicide.
How the school massacre in Serbia played out on TikTok
Comments demanding the release of the detained teenager who committed the school shooting in Belgrade were common on TikTok videos, expressing “love” for him as a “hero” and a “legend”.
Investigators in Guyana allege that tragic dorm fire was set by disgruntled student over a confiscated phone
The blaze began in the bathrooms, where the teenager was thought to have sprayed insecticide on a curtain, then lit a match. The fire quickly spread through the building.
Kenya and the fallacy of trading individual privacy for national security
When the right to privacy is fractured on a national scale by actions such as surveillance, a myriad of other human rights suffer in a sort of domino effect.
Mongolian film ‘If Only I Could Hibernate’ reaches historic milestone at the Cannes Film Festival
The film’s success is poised to kickstart a new era in Mongolia's filmmaking industry. And the government is ready to contribute.
Protests break out in Georgia as Russia flight routes resume
Flights between Georgia and Russia have been banned since 2019, on President Putin's orders, following Russian lawmaker Sergey Gavrilov's visit to the country in June 2019. They just reopened to much controversy.
