Stories about East Asia from April, 2021
Tweeting to remember: Twitter account commemorates Japan's 1945 Battle of Okinawa
"On This Date During the Battle of Okinawa, 76 Years Ago" shares daily links to blog posts that describe the battle, typically from the point of view of citizens of Okinawa.
Organiser of Hong Kong’s mass pro-democracy demonstrations faces police probe
Many see the police's allegations as a sign of a further crackdown on civic groups.
Merkel, Macron or Biden? No, Latin America is relying on China for vaccines
"Only China helped Latin America and the countries in the region all began dancing to China's tune, not due to shared ideologies but due to the desire to resolve an unprecedented problem."
Singapore bloggers crowdfund defamation damages due to PM Lee Hsien Loong
"The contribution to the crowdfunding movement is an example of targeted resistance against the government's financially based persecution method against individuals."
Chinese state media instrumental in smear campaign against wife of former US diplomat, research firm DoubleThink Lab says
According to the Taiwanese firm's research report, Chinese media amplified the mass trolling targetting popular food blogger Chuang Tzu-i amid a diplomatic row with the US.
Journalist becomes first person convicted over 2019 mob attack that injured dozens of Hongkongers
Bao Choy was found guilty of violating the city's Road and Traffic Ordinance by "making false statements" while searching public records of license plates as she investigated the mob attack.
WATCH/LISTEN: Myanmar: Coup & civil disobedience
Missed the live stream of the April 22 Global Voices Insights webinar on Myanmar? Here's a replay.
Hong Kong's pro-Beijing camp wants to ‘get rid of’ pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily
The call for a purge of Hong Kong's critical press comes as Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison.
Inspiring new generations of Balinese language speakers through superheroes and wikis
"Unequal access to digitalization is our biggest problem. Internet users continue to grow, but in reality not all areas in Bali have adequate internet access."
Japan announces timeline to dilute, dump radioactive water from Fukushima plant
The decision to release the wastewater poses seriously implications for fishing communities along the Fukushima coastline.
LIVE on April 22—Myanmar: Coup & civil disobedience
The session will be live-streamed on Facebook Live, YouTube, and Twitch.
How resisting the security law clampdown brought out Hongkongers’ creativity
Hong Kong Free Press takes a look at how Hongkongers are continuing to make their voices heard.
Thailand’s draft NGO law threatens to undermine the work of civil society groups
"This could block a vast amount of activities beneficial to society, while the punishment is disproportionate."
Digital discourse: How going online is keeping Kadazan and other indigenous languages alive in Borneo
"The indigenous languages don’t have to stay in dusty cabinets. We can use technology to have our languages and cultures available online."
Myanmar crackdown intensifies as air strikes lead to more killings and displacement
A Myanmar blogger has documented the escalation of violence in Myanmar and the continuing defiance of anti-coup protesters in the second half of March.
Hong Kong customs raids pro-democracy retail chain, sparking sympathy
About 100 custom officers stormed AbouThai’s warehouse and its 26 stores confiscating goods worth more than a million Hong Kong dollars, due to missing Chinese labels of 14 types of products.
‘Our homeland is where the money is': pragmatic citizenship in Tajikistan
Every year, thousands of Central Asian citizens try to overcome the restrictions attached to the citizenship they acquired at birth and apply for a Russian passport.
WATCH/LISTEN: Breaking the taboo on abortion
Missed the live stream of the April 7 Global Voices Insights webinar on abortion rights in five countries? Here's a replay.
For stateless and scattered Tibetans, a new online tool helps voters make an informed choice
The reliable online platform, created by a group of Swiss Tibetans, allows candidates and voters to communicate effectively, and although it overcame some challenges, others are work in progress.
China’s Xinjiang-cotton debacle unleashed fierce patriotism and ethnic policy support
China has mobilized online patriots to support the use of Xinjiang cotto, arguing that allegations of forced labour along with other human rights violations are false information
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
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