Latest stories
29 November 2019
Melanesian journalists decry growing threats against media freedom
"Melanesian governments cannot pay lip service to international conventions and commitments to democratic freedoms and in the same breath issue orders to clamp down on journalists' right to expression."
Chinese defector's spying allegations rock Australian politics
'What an utterly insane suggestion that Chinese Australians should “publicly show” their stance on anything related to China to prove their “loyalty”. '
28 November 2019
Croatian president criticized for saying Yugoslavia was behind the Iron Curtain (it wasn't)
While most people from countries behind the Iron Courtain couldn't travel to the West, the Croatian president went to high school in the United States in the mid-80s.
Nigeria's social media bill will obliterate online freedom of expression
The proposed social media bill will annihilate online freedom of expression, criminalize criticism of the government and legalize internet shutdowns in Nigeria.
The Gambia confronts the nightmare of witch hunts under former regime
In The Gambia, alleged witches were held for up to five days in secret locations and made to drink ‘Kubehjaro’, a hallucinogenic substance, and then forced to confess to witchcraft.
Tanzanian rapper scolded for lyrics about nation's cashew crisis
Roma Mkatoliki's hit song criticizes the government's 2018 decision to deploy the military to purchase cashew nuts from farmers in an attempt to force an increase in market price.
MP of populist right-wing political party from North Macedonia confirms existence of party’s troll army
MP Daniela Rangelova is not the first high party official to reveal details about the existence of VMRO-DPMNE's “troll army”.
Testing the limits of LGBT acceptance in Taiwan: Interview with filmmaker Ming Lang Chen
"The Teacher is about human communication, it shows a wide range of delicate emotions, I wouldn't say it is just a gay movie."
Varakashi: Zimbabwe’s online brigade targets activists and dissidents
The overarching aim of the Varakashi is to push the narrative that anyone who disagrees with the Zimbabwean government is an agent of foreign powers, and therefore unpatriotic.
‘Suspension won’t silence me’: Teen speaks out after embedding message about Xinjiang Uyghurs in TikTok makeup tutorial
Feroza Aziz used a makeup tutorial as a disguise to criticise China's treatment of Uyghurs on Tiktok.
27 November 2019
In Hong Kong, landslide victory for Pro-democracy camp in local elections means Beijing is out of touch
It is true that people want to restore order. However, they also know that the disorder is created by the government and the pro-establishment in the first place.
Activists in Angola continue to face repression for online and offline activities
Online activists in Angola risk tough reactions from authorities, particularly when their activities are connected to offline activism.
In Uzbekistan, where homosexuality is illegal, LGBTQ+ people must hide to survive
Global Voices interviewed one of the very few LGBTQ+ activists in Uzbekistan, who provide legal and psychological support to a deeply underground community.
26 November 2019
Albania hit by powerful earthquake, leaving 21 dead and hundreds injured
Global Voices spoke with Redi Muçi, an engineer who witnessed the aftermath in Durres.
An interview with ‘Siamese Intellectual’ Sulak Sivaraksa on the future of Thailand's democracy and monarchy
"The monarchy must introduce some transparency into its workings if it wants to remain. It must be open to criticism."
Will the upcoming Taiwanese presidential election bring an end to the death penalty?
Taiwan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that calls for the abolition of capital punishment, yet it has applied death penalty in 34 cases since.
Why is Central Europe leaning towards illiberal democracy? Interview with Czech author Radka Denemarková
"My biggest hope was that we would adopt the Western democratic values. Yet what we took from the West after 1989 was a model of consumerism and not a democratic...
25 November 2019
After a hot summer of protests, Germans debate their country's role in climate change
These decisions send a clear signal on where vital parts of the German government seem to be standing in the crucial battle against climate change.
Japanese arms fair generates protest, puzzlement
While arms fairs have been regularly held in Japan in the past, this is the first such event organized in collaboration between government and industry.
Who is Eva Copa, the little-known figure who helped pave the way for new Bolivian elections?
Not many know who Eva Copa is, but she is the new president of the Bolivian Senate. She has been a key figure in moving the country forward following protests.
