Activist and former two-term member of the Philippine House of Representatives. Blogging since 2004 at mongster's nest. Joined Global Voices in 2006.
Latest posts by Mong Palatino
Malaysian authorities confiscate PRIDE-themed Swatch watches
Malaysian officers under the Home Ministry raided 11 stores on May 13 and 14 and confiscated 160 Pride collection watches made by Swatch, a Swiss watch company.
Aboriginal Australian journalist Stan Grant steps down from post after enduring racial abuse
"I want to find a place of grace far from the stench of the media. I want to go where I am not reminded of the social media sewer."
Cambodia’s main opposition party disqualified from July election
"The Cambodian government is clearly fishing for any excuse to block opposition parties from competing."
Understanding Thailand's upcoming election through political cartoons
Global Voices features several political cartoons that depict the major issues in Thailand's ongoing election campaign.
Lao political, environmental activist survives gun attack
A activist in Laos was the victim of an attempted extrajudicial murder. As he recovers in the hospital, human rights watchdogs are calling on the government to investigate the crime.
Civil society groups share human rights agenda ahead of Thailand’s general election
"If these prosecutions are not terminated, it would be difficult to solve this deep-rooted political problem in Thailand."
Underscoring the challenges of promoting digital rights in Southeast Asia
"…information disorders have been weaponized for political gain, while oppressive governments have tried to control the internet, particularly through social media, and crackdown on dissidents using digital surveillance as tactic."
‘A great day to be a journalist in Fiji’ as Parliament repeals ‘draconian’ media law
"Some of Fiji's best journalists left the industry as a result and the media still carry the mental scars today from that very disturbing period."
Micronesia’s president accuses China of bribery and ‘political warfare’
"What else do you call it when an elected official is given an envelope filled with money after a meal at the PRC Embassy or after an inauguration?"
How Vietnam’s state trolls are undermining free speech and democracy
"We urge Meta to cross check systematically all reporting on human rights NGOs pages such as Viet Tan to avoid falling in trolls’ trap."
Malaysian police probe women’s march organizers for pro-LGBTQ+ posters
"In the last 3 years, there has been a resounding lack of movement by our government to protect and preserve the rights of women and other marginalised genders."
Filipino drivers hold jeepney strike against the government’s phaseout plan
"The fight of drivers and operators also belongs to the people. Drivers will have no jeepneys to use. Millions will have to endure the lack of access to affordable transportation.
Pacific voices call for urgent global climate action
Several initiatives highlight stories, narratives, and art performances that articulate the appeal of Pacific Island nations for a more decisive global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Papua New Guinea’s proposed policy could lead to government control of the press
"(The government) can run media organisations to bring its own message out, but it should never exert control over the entire industry."
Cambodia’s prime minister revokes license of independent news outlet Voice of Democracy
"We believe that the closure of VOD would represent a grave step backwards for both press freedoms and the rule of law in Cambodia."
Former refugee Behrouz Boochani's ‘surreal’ experience in Australia's parliament
"It was very surreal for me to be in a place that for years I criticised from the offshore prisons."
Myanmar media two years after the 2021 coup: ‘Resistance, resilience, restoration’
"The international community must renew its commitment to Myanmar and protect and defend the courageous journalists who are risking their lives to report on the regime’s ongoing human rights abuses.”
Amid fears of contamination, Japan will soon dump treated water from Fukushima Nuclear Plant into the Pacific
"(The plan) shows direct disregard for the sovereignty and self-determination of Pacific peoples and the ocean their livelihoods depend upon."
Cambodia bans music video of police attacking workers in 2014
"It is LICADHO’s belief that the music video is not incitement, and is protected speech under the Cambodian Constitution. We are saddened by this restriction on freedom of expression."
Thailand’s new ministerial decree could further suppress free speech online
The new decree is “another tool of control for the authorities to silence critical dissent, and a reflection of the digital dictatorship in Thailand.”
Filipino activists decry Facebook’s ‘automated censorship’
The removal of posts “exposes how the so-called community standards of Facebook are arbitrarily invoked to silence activists and revolutionaries.”
