Featured stories about East Asia
Stories about East Asia
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.”
22 September 2018
Beijing authorities slam Swedish police for humiliating Chinese tourists, but there's another side to the story
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to make use of the incident to stir patriotic sentiment to exercise pressure on Swedish government. But netizens know ... what’s right and wrong."
20 September 2018
Uighurs in the laogai: how China's persecution of a minority turned my fiction into fact
"In 2017, 21% of all arrests made in China took place in Xinjiang Province, a region where only 1.5% of the Chinese population lives."
13 September 2018
Japan’s vending machines strike again—this time with pizza and crepes
There is one vending machine for every 23 people in Japan and they still never fail to surprise.
As online spaces for sexual harassment proliferate, Hong Kong authorities struggle to keep up
"There is currently no law specifically to tackle upskirting, and from what we read from media reports about the crime, the punishment tends to be light"
7 September 2018
As China faces record-breaking flood levels, authorities arrest two women for spreading ‘rumors’ of health risks
"If they could react to the floods as effectively [as they do to the 'rumors'], that would be great."
Students illustrate injustice and human rights abuses in the Philippines through the arts
"The youth are aware of what's happening in society. On the images you can see extrajudicial killings, charter change, war, and the gap between the poor and rich in society."
After Facebook ban, Myanmar military accounts are moving to Russian social media site VKontakte
"...they are now spreading their hate freely on the site without any moderation."
3 September 2018
Myanmar sentences Reuters journalists to 7 years in prison
The case has attracted outrage both internationally and inside Myanmar, with local activists and civil society organizations bravely speaking out against their arrest.
31 August 2018
‘Fake news’ is in the eye of the beholder: China is centralizing efforts to stop online ‘rumors’
In July 2018, Chinese state internet regulators received 6.7 million reports of illegal and false information.
Netizen Report: It’s not just Myanmar — ethnic hate speech runs rampant on social media in Cameroon, India
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
28 August 2018
Remembering Kofi Annan's forgotten efforts in Timor-Leste
"Dozens of Timorese conducted a candle-light vigil in remembrance of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his contribution to the Independence process of East Timor."
23 August 2018
Blooms of fire: How Japan celebrates summer with ‘hanabi’
The summer months of July and August in Japan are famed for their fireworks, known as 'hanabi' (花火) in Japanese. Here are some photos.
The artist ‘Headache Stencil’ uses graffiti to criticize military rule in Thailand
"If people see my work and start noticing that things aren’t fair, I’ve achieved my aim."
21 August 2018
Facebook admits it has been slow in addressing hate speech in Myanmar
"The ethnic violence in Myanmar is horrific and we have been too slow to prevent misinformation and hate on Facebook."
19 August 2018
Fans around the world celebrate as Akira turns 30
On July 16, 2018 netizens around the world marked the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Akira, a groundbreaking film that revolutionized animated movies forever.
11 August 2018
Condemnation of independence activist draws a red line for Hong Kong's press freedom
The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club is under fire for organizing a talk by independence activist Andy Chan.
8 August 2018
What happens when women report sexual assault in Japan?
"If this happens again I will feel more powerless knowing there's probably nothing I can do, and nothing the police will do."
7 August 2018
As Malaysia's new government marks 100 days in office, is free speech still under threat?
"We hope to see a genuine departure from the old oppression, and a transition into a Malaysia where all ideas can be discussed peacefully and our constitutional rights exercised maturely."
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.
