Stories about Weblog from May, 2020
Labour, migrant rights under spotlight as Thailand wrestles with COVID-19 impact
Fearing instability, the Thai government is failing to protect the labor rights of both Thai nationals and migrant workers.
In Tunisia, women stand on the frontlines of targeted hate speech online
In Tunisia, an uprising toppled leadership and lead to revolution in 2011. Since then, digital space has witnessed heated debates about politics and society — including attacks against women activists and journalists.
Following COVID-19 closure, Ghibli Museum posts mini-tours online
One of Japan's most beloved tourist attractions is offering short virtual tours on YouTube.
Breaking the cycle of domestic violence made more difficult during Ecuador's quarantine
"I’ve tried to leave my partner a few times, but he became the centre of my universe. That’s why, despite everything, I stay with him".
Addressing ‘gaps in history’ through bush tea: A conversation with Barbadian visual artist Annalee Davis
"Returning to the land today can feed us, contributing to food sovereignty and the wellness sector by expanding our knowledge and use of wild botanicals and their healing properties..."
Stranded Nepali migrant workers protest to return home, Nepali government drags its feet
Nepal's government tries to stall repatriating migrant workers stranded abroad.
In Algeria, online repression targets Amazigh protesters active in Hirak movement
In Algeria, the Amazigh people are often associated with France, Algeria's former colonial power. Racial slurs online accuse this group of being separatists who threaten "national unity."
Women in Nigeria face a caustic landmine of political advocacy online
“I’ve grown a really thick skin,” said Fakhriyyah Hashim, co-founder of the #ArewaMeToo movement in northern Nigeria.
The healing effects of bush tea: A conversation with Barbadian visual artist Annalee Davis
"I have been concerned with how shared historical suffering reveals itself communally and how individuals and nations manage trauma and the desire for self-fulfilment in small places like Barbados..."
How a football team from Cameroon’s conflict-stricken regions defied all odds to win a maiden national trophy
PWD Bamenda football team in Cameroon has been crowned champions in a season disrupted by the coronavirus and an ongoing separatist conflict.
A glimpse at Thailand's digital ID through the biometric profiling of Malay Muslims
"The discriminatory nature of these measures could amount to racial profiling, which subjects Malay Muslims to disproportionate and unnecessary surveillance based on ethnic prejudice rather than objective signs of suspicion."
Nepali Muslims eye India's growing Islamophobia with fear
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the status of already vulnerable minority Muslims in Nepal.
Hong Kong reveals the city's agenda to construct an Orwellian ‘truth’
The release of a report on the police's use of force in protests seems to be "part of a wider set of coordinated announcements designed to deliver the new ‘truth’".
Photo contest asks Rohingya community to document their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic
A photography competition for Rohingya people is being held from April 23 – August 23, 2020, featuring two broad categories – “Rohingya life” and “Response to Coronavirus” and entries can be submitted online.
Women journalists in Uganda carry ‘double burden’ with online attacks and harassment
Women journalists in Uganda carry the double burden of gender-based abuse online and potential threats related to political reporting. These threats have led women journalists to withdraw from public discourse.
Cameroon’s 3-year separatist crisis: Online threats, attacks on identity and freedom of expression
Journalists in Cameroon have to be very careful about reporting on atrocities related to the separatist conflict. Appearing to side with separatists or the government can lead to online attacks.
Truck drivers blamed for spread of COVID-19 in East Africa
Truck drivers in East Africa face an onslaught of new COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in borders towns — causing confusion, fear, endless traffic queues, protests and disrupted trade.
In Burundi, four journalists jailed for months await appeal
The four jailed journalists with Iwacu were accused of threatening state security on the basis of a WhatsApp message sent as a dry joke while reporting on a rebel attack.
Banned for 30 years, Singapore’s only martial arts film is now on YouTube
"It's almost as if the film is a time capsule into Singapore’s past."
Mali holds elections despite COVID-19 pandemic and terrorist threats
Mali's elections were held under unique circumstances: the ongoing threat of Islamist terrorism and governmental restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 in the Caribbean: ‘Looking out, not going out’
Though regional citizens are still laying low as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have been recording their thoughts in various ways, while in relative isolation.