Featured stories about East Asia
Stories about East Asia
16 November 2018
Saudi Arabia's execution of yet another migrant worker angers Indonesians and strains an already fraught diplomatic relationship
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 103 Indonesians were handed death sentences in Saudi Arabia between 2011 and 2018.
Dissident novelist’s close call casts a shadow on Hong Kong's once-vibrant cultural scene
Since the 1950s, Hong Kong has had a proud tradition of exile literature and art. Recent events suggest they're under threat.
15 November 2018
Bangladesh's now-postponed repatriation would have turned the plight of Rohingya refugees from bad to worse
"How can repatriation still be an objective, when all the evidence shows that these cyclical influxes into Bangladesh are rooted in Myanmar's persecution and denial of citizenship to Rohingya?"
10 November 2018
Zimbabwe's black rhinos at risk as China reverses a 25-year ban on horns
Conservationists lack the financial resources required to increase security and boost capacity to monitor and track poachers in Zimbabwe's national parks. China's partial ivory-ban reversal may make matters worse.
5 November 2018
Apple censors sensitive words from device-engraving service in Hong Kong and China
Banned words include the names of current and former Chinese state leaders and the phrase "Taiwan independence".
2 November 2018
A 15-year-old rape victim is the latest collateral damage of Duterte's drug war
Netizens say Duterte’s misogyny, rape jokes, and assurances to defend police and military in the course of anti-drug & counterinsurgency operations have normalized a macho culture of sexual abuse.
1 November 2018
The Cop and the Showgirl, or how China's newest tool of repression targets the rich and powerful
The "liuzhi" detention law was introduced in May 2018. "Even the constitution now says that the liuzhi agency ranks higher than the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office."
31 October 2018
Madagascar citizens demand transparency in a fishy deal with China
The livelihoods of Madagascar’s coastal communities will be seriously threatened if they must compete with the potential catch capacity of these fishing boats.
23 October 2018
As China legalizes Xinjiang ‘re-education camps’, Weibo netizens cheer on
China has switched its public relations tactics from denying to defending the camps, and the u-turn immediately reflected back on the social media conversation.
22 October 2018
Chinese artist Badiucao sends ‘Make Wall Great Again’ hats to Google, in protest of company's return to China
“I want [Google] to know it is a mistake to collaborate with China’s censorship. It is as shameful as Trump’s wall ... an invisible wall online — the great firewall.”
21 October 2018
Digging up the lost George Lucas Japanese 1980s TV commercials
Japanese Twitter has unearthed a series of 1980s Japanese TV commercials featuring George Lucas singing the praises of consumer electronics giant Panasonic.
17 October 2018
Nationwide far-right protests in Japan met with vigorous anti-racism opposition
The main organizing force behind the racist marches is Japan First Party, a political party founded in 2016 who is the direct successor of a much older anti-Korean hate group.
Hong Kong Free Expression Week features Umbrella Movement activists and political cartoonist Badiucao
In recent years, Hong Kongers who support democratic rights and territorial independence have faced fierce repression.
11 October 2018
‘Gabbie’ chatbot helps victims of sexual harassment in the Philippines
"Gabbie provided an additional platform for victims who want to keep a level of anonymity, or when Facebook is more accessible to them compared to phone or face-to-face counseling."
10 October 2018
Japanese television program turns migrant raids and deportations into entertainment
"With no deep insights, without even a shred of critical analysis and the stupidity of superficial entertainment, [this] is the worst television program on Japanese television today."
8 October 2018
Hong Kong rejects visa of Financial Times editor who hosted pro-independence talk
"The Hong Kong authorities’ visa renewal rejection—without explanation—of a journalist who’s done nothing more than his job smacks of Beijing-style persecution of critics".
6 October 2018
Osaka cuts sister city ties with San Francisco over “comfort women” statue
The mayor of Osaka wrote a 10-page letter in English listing -- often in bolded, underlined text -- a litany of reasons for the breakup.
5 October 2018
Japan mortgages its future, choosing growth over environment
"One could speculate that the Japanese militarism of the early Showa period has simply been channeled into fanatical devotion to the principle of economic growth."
3 October 2018
This wiki is helping to keep the Balinese language alive in Indonesia
Basa Bali–which means "Balinese language" in Balinese–has an online dictionary, a library of Balinese culture, word games, translation materials and videos.
25 September 2018
A new indie film festival features the struggles and triumphs of indigenous Papua, Indonesia
The film festival "highlights the issues of the indigenous people of Papua through documentary films as well as to build public awareness of the important issues impacting them.”
About our East Asia coverage
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Nevin Thompson is the Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
