Stories about Asia
3 July 2020
Justice, inclusion and an economy for all: Australian activists mobilise at Virtual Progress 2020
“No matter what ways they break you, you still have to be able to form a fist”
2 July 2020
Made in China: The draconian details of Hong Kong's national security law
Beijing's National Security Office "can do anything, wave an ID at local law enforcement, and walk away. Potential for abuse is infinite."
30 June 2020
Short film demonstrates what it can be like to be black in Japan
A boy must endure and somehow learn, own his own, how to deal with the racist taunts of his new classmates.
Beijing's national security law to enter force in Hong Kong
July 1 is a day of destiny for a city that China is determined to bring under its full control.
Has COVID-19 provoked a crisis of faith in Georgia's Orthodox church?
As the Georgian Orthodox Church continued to hold prayers during lockdown, its critics hint at a new crisis of faith in church-state relations.
Rift over Solomon Islands’ new ‘One China’ policy makes chaos of COVID-19 response
"I call on the government to stop dancing to Beijing’s tune and prioritise our people’s health and safety."
29 June 2020
What is it like to be a mainland Chinese living in Hong Kong and supporting the protests?
Pro-protest mainlanders get doxxed by hostile internet users at home and sometimes face discrimination in their adopted city.
India's digital ID system deepens exclusion of vulnerable communities amid pandemic
The use of Aadhaar-based authentication makes exclusions more likely.
Students arrested for demanding internet facilities in Balochistan
A number of students were manhandled, baton-charged and arrested in Quetta, Balochistan, for protesting against non-availability of internet after their classes shifted online due to COVID-19 restrictions.
27 June 2020
June 2020, a month of #BLM in Japan
Black Lives Matter rallies and marches were held in cities across Japan throughout June, part of a global display of solidarity with demonstrators in the United States and other countries.
26 June 2020
Kyrgyzstan's journalists fear yet another hurdle to freedom of speech
Kyrgyzstan's parliament has passed a law against "manipulating information." Given their recent experiences, it's no surprise that the country's journalists worry what it might mean for freedom of speech.
Activists demand end to year-long internet disruption in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin States
In the middle of a global pandemic, access to information is even more critical than usual.
From prison to exile: An interview with Vietnamese activist Tran Thi Nga
A former prisoner of conscience talks about her experience after she was arrested and the impact her incarceration had on her family.
25 June 2020
Thailand's ‘youthquake': Activism in the time of COVID-19
Pro-democracy flash mob protests rocked Thailand in January and February. COVID-19 has shifted acts of resistance to cyberspace.
WHO urges Pakistan to reimpose lockdown after surge in cases
Pakistan has implemented new lockdown restrictions after a letter from the WHO urged the country to improve testing and control outbreak numbers.
22 June 2020
Wikipedia project boosts Taiwan's hundreds-strong Sakizaya-speaking community
Along with six other indigenous languages in Taiwan, Sakizaya is classified as “critically endangered” by UNESCO.
21 June 2020
Sri Lanka prepares for twice-delayed poll amid militarized COVID-19 response
"The government will not hesitate to arrest opposition activists and voters for violating this or that anti-virus rule while giving a free pass to its own supporters."
20 June 2020
Timor-Leste plans to restore criminal defamation law amid concerns about its free speech impact
"This draft law threatens everyone, particularly vulnerable people without political connections or financial resources. "
Viktor Tsoi: The undying icon of Soviet dissident rock
Fans of Soviet rock star Viktor Tsoi mark his birthday, June 21, remembering his freedom-loving songs that still resonate three decades after his death in 1990.
Who are the ‘rioters’ facing jail time after the anti-China extradition protests in Hong Kong?
Around a third of the 612 rioters currently awaiting trial are younger than 20, while at least 14 are under 16-years-old.
