Stories about East Asia from June, 2017
At Annual LGBT Event, Singapore Kicks Out Foreigners and Puts Up Barricade
"These new laws are actually keeping families apart: Singaporeans with non-resident spouses or relatives will not be able to attend Pink Dot together.”
China Bans ‘Soft Burial’, an Award-Winning Novel About the Deadly Consequences of Land Reform
'[...] as for the living, when they seal off their past, cut off their roots, reject their memories, either consciously or subconsciously, their lives are soft buried in time.'
Myanmar Journalists Unite Against Online Defamation Law
"Many people believe that the previous government, run by ex-generals, created such a legal mechanism to be able to sue those who stood against their administration."
Small Farmers in Madagascar Say Chinese Investors Forced Them to Sell Their Land for Dirt Cheap
"Is there anything that regular people like us can do to protect our land? We air complaints to...the media or on social media, but no one dares to stand up."
An Exiled Tycoon Rattles China's Politics With His Corruption Exposés
"Chinese people have become so numb to politics that they will just be onlookers unless their own interests are involved."
A Hashtag in Support of Victims Takes Off on Japanese Twitter After a High-Profile Journalist Is Accused of Sexual Assault
In Japan, as in other countries, many sexual assaults go unreported, but one victim has decided to go public in the hope of getting justice.
Facebook Bans Racist Word ‘Kalar’ in Myanmar, Triggers Collateral Censorship
"I made a post telling my friends [that] the word is banned. Ironically, my post was removed and I was banned from liking, posting, and sharing content for 24 hours."
The Fake News Photos Justifying the Return of Martial Law to the Philippines
Wrong photos. Wrong countries. Some officials of the Philippines defended the martial law declaration in Mindanao by posting photos of the Vietnam War, Thailand's 2014 coup, and the Honduran police.
‘Bodies Die, Countries Don't': Are You Listening? Podcast
In this episode, we take you to Venezuela, Indian-administered Kashmir, Thailand, Nigeria, and Brazil.