Stories about East Asia from December, 2019
All I want for Christmas is a free Hong Kong: How activists used festive cards to get the word out
People volunteered to translate holiday greetings into different languages and write letter templates for people of different backgrounds.
Who has ruined Christmas peace and joy in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong’s Christmas was neither peaceful nor joyful as riot police charged major shopping districts with anti-riot weapons to disperse flash mob protests.
Longest internet disruption in Myanmar’s Rakhine state sets dangerous precedent
"There has been no evidence that the disproportionate decision has had any positive effect on reducing the conflict, which remains pervasive."
Conference in Thailand debates state of human rights in the northeast provinces
"We need to shame the government for using violence and intimidation against villagers who are just trying to preserve their livelihoods."
A look at the 2020 Taiwan presidential election through an online poster design challenge
As the election nears, netizens are election posters through the hashtag #GraphicDesignForDemocracy.
How China's Belt and Road Initiative is affecting Shan communities in north Myanmar
"The majority of the people are worried about losing their homes, farmlands and water resources. Some people voiced concerns about losing natural resources and heritage places."
In Hong Kong, local entrepreneurs champion the pro-democracy cause
Many believe that citizens' economic power is a potent weapon to bring about meaningful political change to the city.
Masterminds behind Ampatuan massacre convicted but campaign against impunity continues in the Philippines
"The past ten years have galvanized us, fortified our ranks. After the massacre, killings of journalists continued. Fifteen of our colleagues have been gunned down under this administration."
New network of journalists vows to promote press freedom and independent media in Cambodia
"Our free press is insufficiently protected and is under constant threat."
The intertwined origins of ‘kawaii’ and Japanese queer culture
"A major part of Rune's work that's rarely discussed is the work he did for the magazine Barazoku [...],the first mass-market magazine that catered to same-sex attracted men in Japan.
Gambian minister brought Myanmar to The Hague ‘in the name of humanity’
"...No one put pressure on President Jammeh to stop his atrocities. ... We don't want others to feel our pain or our fate," said The Gambia's Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou.
Battle-scarred: The lasting impact of the PolyU campus siege on Hong Kong’s protesters
"As the siege dragged on, reports emerged of the deteriorating mental conditions of the PolyU holdouts – which included erratic behaviour, paranoia, and even self-harm."
‘Burning books and burying scholars': Book burning causes uproar on Chinese social media
"How come young people just talked about the environmental impact of burning books? Are they not aware of the historical symbolism of “book burning and scholar burying”?"
Popular ‘Nausicaä’ animated movie from Japan performed as kabuki play
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, one of Japan's most popular animated films, will be performed as a kabuki play in December, 2019 in Tokyo.
11 birthdays in a prison: Interview with the daughter of Vietnamese dissident Tran Huynh Duy Thuc
"Whether by appeal for cassation review or by a resubmission request, we will fight until his release, to ensure that human rights are honored in Vietnam."
#StandWithYuli: Solidarity for deported Indonesian domestic worker Yuli Riswati who covered Hong Kong protests
"We condemn this action which may be intended to intimidate non-permanent residents and deter them from involvement in or documenting and commenting on political events in Hong Kong."
Chinese netizens slam Huawei’s legal bullying of former employee with a series of codes
Li Hongyuan, a former Huawei employee, was arrested by the Shenzhen police after Huawei accused him of extortion. He was detained for 251 days.
Hong Kong protest artwork: Yellow Objects
"The exhibition 'Yellow Objects' is a mockery of the brutal and ruthless authority that refers to human being as objects, and a reminder to defend and uphold human dignity."
After struggling for 20 years, a Mon-language newspaper in Myanmar is fighting to survive
The Guiding Star newspaper, an important news source for ethnic Mon, is struggling to keep its doors open as news goes digital and as its audience of Mon-language speakers declines.
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