Featured stories from April 2022
Stories from April, 2022
Regional social media users cringe after the British Virgin Islands’ premier is arrested on drug charges
'Why has there been no statement from the ruling party regarding the removal or suspension of Andrew Fahie's title of premier?'
Japan officially rebukes Ukraine for comparing wartime emperor with Hitler, Mussolini
"You can love Japan, and be proud to be Japanese, without defending this history of fascism."
Twitter and Facebook won't counter disinformation in the upcoming Kenyan elections
Regardless of the rapid growth of social media users in Kenya, Facebook and Twitter continue to provide ineffective measures and invest less in combating election-related disinformation.
How Myanmar's military supporters are using Facebook to justify violence
Mainstream media outside Myanmar have failed to report on pro-Junta narratives.
What does Jamaican politician Kamina Johnson Smith's bid for Commonwealth secretary-general say about Caribbean political solidarity?
The post of Commonwealth secretary-general is currently held by Patricia Scotland, who is Dominican by birth, and whose re-election the Caribbean community publicly supported ... until Jamaica announced its own candidate.
‘Defending life:’ Indigenous way of life imperative to solving climate crisis
“Defending life means protecting the living conditions of biodiversity in order to continue to exist," Nahuatl journalist Miryam Vargas says.
Shagz Chronicles: The Kenyan podcast that wants you to fall in love with the Kikuyu language and culture
Translation of the Kikuyu language continues to be a major challenge. Shagz Chronicles wants to normalize both the oral and written Kikuyu in everyday life, both online and off.
Weaponising the law: Zimbabwe’s new frontier in digital rights repression
2022 will provide ample opportunity to monitor the government response to electoral challenges, and whether includes the use of internet shutdowns and laws to clampdown on activists, opposition leaders and independent media.
Inflation, youth, and protests in Mongolia
In a movement soon known as the "Do Your Job!" protests, youth urged the government to do their job, as they protested against corruption, injustice, debt burden and inflation.
Decoding the role of mainstream and social media in the recent anti-Muslim violence in India
“Hindus are under threat,” “Muslims should be treated as second class citizens,” and “Secularism marginalizes India's Hindus” were the top narrative frames present in media items in the CMO research.
The life sentence handed to Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala is a dark day for the civil society in Turkey
Turkey's renowned philanthropist Osman Kavala was sentenced to life in prison after having spent four and a half years behind bars for baseless crimes.
Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club cancels Human Rights Awards for fear of legal risks
Launched in 1995, the Awards is one of the most important platforms to celebrate and honour human rights journalism from around Asia.
The censorship of Shanghai citizens in lockdown sparks an uproar on Chinese social media
A six-minute video on the lockdown in Shanghai had gone viral and sparked large-scale online protests after the Chinese censor handed down a comprehensive content removal order on April 22, 2022.
On Timor-Leste's 20th independence anniversary, former president Ramos-Horta makes a comeback
Ramos-Horta, a leader in the independence process, received 62 percent of the votes, securing a victory over current president Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, who received 38 percent in the second round of elections on April 19.
Myanmar activists launch ‘Blue Shirt’ campaign to show solidarity with political prisoners
"These activists bravely stood up against the military coup, but the world seems to have forgotten about them."
Rising anti-Muslim sentiment across India instigated by ultra-right Hindu groups
Communal clashes between right-wing Hindu supremacist groups and the minority Muslim community have been reported across India on two recent Hindu festivals within a span of a week.
Domestic nationalists and meddling from neighbors keep undermining Bosnian statehood
The international community is willing to give Croatian and Serbian nationalist strongmen in Bosnia everything they ask for in order to keep the situation from “escalating.”
Digitizing a language with two scripts: Satdeep Gill on growing Punjabi online
Satdeep Gill is a free knowledge enthusiast based out of Patiala, Punjab in India. Rising Voices interviewed Gill to learn about his contribution to advancing the Punjabi language online.
Nepal’s journey to electric public transport
The three buses out of a fleet of 40 battery-powered buses imported by the Sajha Yatayat cooperative public transport service from China have arrived in Nepal and will start operation.
Abuse, arrests, and harassment: How environmental activists fare in Vietnam
"Harassment, intimidation, and imprisonment are just some of the tactics Vietnam uses to silence environmental activists."
Japanese fast food exec fired after talk of “hooking young women on meth”
The former Yoshinoya executive's remarks are just one example of the deeper problem of misogyny that plagues Japanese society.