This week, we look at China’s relentless campaign to Sinicize Tibet; Vietnam’s crackdown on free speech and its continued defense of the use of the death penalty; the establishment of a transgender-friendly mosque in Muslim-majority Bangladesh; and the Belt and Road Initiative’s shortfall in Southeast Asia.
This week, we look at China’s relentless campaign to Sinicize Tibet; Vietnam’s crackdown on free speech and its continued defense of the use of the death penalty; the establishment of a transgender-friendly mosque in Muslim-majority Bangladesh; and the Belt and Road Initiative’s shortfall in Southeast Asia.
In this week’s edition, we look at Hong Kong’s passage of its homegrown national security law, Malaysia’s withdrawal of a controversial citizenship amendment affecting children, Afghan girls barred from secondary education for the third consecutive year, and dangerous air pollution levels in South Asia.
In this week’s edition, we look at a groundbreaking win for same-sex couples in Japan, moves to dissolve the opposition in Thailand, the looming threat of authoritarian rule in Sri Lanka and a Cambodian opposition leader’s attempts for compromise.
In this week’s edition, we look at the impact of border restrictions in North Korea, the next Indonesian president’s problems with democracy, a drastic mistrial in Pakistan, and Thailand’s unexpected defiance of the Myanmar junta.
In this week’s edition, we look at the plummeting birth rates in South Korea, Vietnam’s clampdown on workers’ rights, Nepal police’s use of force against street vendors and the pushback against China’s attempts to spread authoritarianism in the region.
In this week’s edition, we look at Chinese LGBTQ’s acts of defiance, the dangers of Malaysia’s new media ethics code, employment struggles among Muslim minorities in India, and the possible use of AI tools by hacker groups to disrupt elections in 2024.
In this week’s edition, we look at the arrest of a Tibetan monk over a photo of the Dalai Lama, Myanmar’s mandatory military service for young people, Afghanistan’s collapsing health care system, and the retraction of papers by Chinese researchers over human rights concerns.
In this week’s edition, we look at the illegal use of restraint on women inmates in Japan, Singapore's new law allowing “dangerous” offenders to be kept in prison indefinitely, violence and allegations of vote-rigging in Pakistan, and unrest among exploited North Korean workers in China.
In this week’s edition, we look at Macao’s urgent need to step up its mental health support services amid the rise in suicides, a major setback in the royal insult law reform campaign in Thailand, the public identification of alleged rights violators among civil servants in Nepal, and police abuses against Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
In this week’s edition, we look at the overturned acquittal of a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, Vietnam’s denial of its human rights abuses, Sri Lanka’s new bill regulating online speech and greater international scrutiny of China’s actions in Tibet.
In this week’s edition we look at the imprisonment of Uyghur journalists in China, the conviction of land rights activists in Cambodia, India’s continued crackdown on non-profit organizations, and an alarming number of children forced into institutionalized care in Central Asia and beyond.
In this week’s edition we look at the historic win of a pro-independence leader in Taiwan, the use of deepfake technology to bolster Indonesian politicians’ electoral campaigns, the outcome of Bhutan’s fourth-ever free elections, and the transactional diplomacy emboldening rights abuses of governments in Asia.
In this week’s edition, we look at the ramifications of the stabbing of a leading opposition leader in South Korea, another political prisoner dying under the rule of the Myanmar junta, Afghanistan’s worst crackdown on women since returning to power, and the upcoming elections in South Asia.
In this week’s edition, we look at Tibetans forced to commemorate the birth anniversary of People’s Republic of China founder Mao Zedong, Singapore’s review of a contentious HIV disclosure law, a fatal mass demonstration in Nepal, and new victims of the globally notorious Pegasus spyware.
This week, we look at Macao’s new national security laws, the continued crackdown on dissent in Thailand despite the stunning turnout of the general election in May that inspired hope for political reforms; a new initiative by the Pakistan government to crack down on human traffickers; and the European Union’s imposition of fresh sanctions on members of Myanmar’s junta, including one commander believed to be responsible for deadly airstrikes.
This week, we look at a major political crisis testing democracy in Japan; Malaysia making a stand against Israel; the breakdown of parliamentary democracy in India; and China’s familiar rebuke against an international body for condemning its actions in Tibet.
In this week’s edition, we look at the ramifications of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow’s decision to escape to Canada; a Filipino advocate being feted for her lifelong work for children; a commemoration of Afghan women activists on International Human Rights Day; and a new report criticizing the failures of the global war on drugs.
In this week’s edition, we look at China’s expanding influence operations ahead of U.S. elections next year; Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s first 100 days in office; the Bangladesh National Party’s boycott of the upcoming 2024 Bangladesh parliamentary elections; and cautious optimism by Asian Indigenous and environmental groups for a newly launched loss and damage funds for climate-vulnerable nations.
This week, we look at the influx of Rohingya refugees on Aceh, Indonesia's shores; a South Korea court ruling ordering Japan to pay compensation to wartime comfort women; a Pakistani court declaring the jail trial of former Prime Minister Imran Khan illegal; and the impact of corruption on women and girls in the Asia-Pacific.
This week, we look at abusive conditions endured by Japanese women in prisons; signs of the possible downfall of the Myanmar junta; a Sri Lankan Supreme Court landmark ruling holding the Rajapaksa family responsible for the worst economic crisis that the country has faced; and a sober call to mark World Children’s Day.
This week’s edition takes a look at North Korea’s bellicose response to a South Korean court overturning a law that criminalized anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets; the degradation of Vietnam’s most recognizable heritage site; Nepal’s ban of Tiktok; and a sobering reality check for the Asia-Pacific region.
In this week's edition, we look at a renewed push from Washington to expand existing sanctions against Hong Kong officials; the poor conditions facing Afghan refugees fleeing Pakistan ahead of a Nov. 1 deportation order; Manila’s exit from China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative; and the continuing backslide of democracy worldwide for the sixth year in a row.
In this week’s edition, we look at Chinese President Xi Jinping urging women to have more babies; Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s moves to build a political dynasty; election-related violence exploding in Bangladesh; and calls to protect a mountain range that serves as the lifeline of a quarter of the world’s population.
In this edition, we look at renewed hopes for LGBTQI+ equality in Japan; a possible crime against humanity committed in Myanmar’s Kachin State; a decades-long fight for the disappeared in Sri Lanka; and renewed efforts to improve North Korea’s human rights record.
This week, we look at G7 chair Japan’s restrained response to the fresh Israeli-Palestinian conflict that broke out in Gaza last week; the removal of a national holiday that marked the Philippines’ transition to democracy; a Bangladeshi court granting bail to two of its most prominent activists; and continued resistance to China and Indonesia’s win at the U.N. Human Rights Council.
In this edition, we look at the consequences of the ongoing conflict in both Pakistan and Israel; how a Cambodian court denied three activists the chance to receive a prize for their environmental work; and how China's censors worked overtime to scrub the internet of a photograph.
This week, we look at the rise of anti-Muslim hate speech in India in the first half of the year; a “cult” in the Philippines that was revealed to have been victimizing young girls; the lifting of a ban on anti-Pyongyang propaganda for its unconstitutional restriction on free speech; and how human rights defenders across the world are facing reprisals for working with the U.N.
In this week’s edition, we look at free speech in Southeast Asia, a gender equality quota in India’s house, the lese majeste law in Thailand, and the enduring effects of the Beijing-sponsored National Security Law in Hong Kong.
In this week’s edition, we look at Taiwan’s housing crisis, the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference in Myanmar, freedom of information in Malaysia, and the questionable appointment practices of Pakistan’s caretaker government.
This week, we look at domestic worker rights in Macao, potential government complicity in Sri Lanka’s Easter bombings, ramping school surveillance in the Philippines, and China’s continued protest against the release of Fukushima wastewater.
In this week’s edition, we look at the upcoming G20 meeting, South Asia’s rapid descent into surveillance, starvation and secrecy in North Korea, and Hun Sen’s triumphant return to Facebook despite having demonstrably violated its policies.
In this edition, we will look at mounting anti-Christian violence in India and Pakistan, Hong Kong’s crackdown on artistic expression, the roster of Presidential candidates in Singapore, and the enduring problem of human trafficking in India.
In this week’s edition, we are looking at Taiwan’s weak cybersecurity, the state of disability equality in Nepal, Cambodia’s pro-business courts, and the challenges that humanitarian workers worldwide endure in the performance of their duties.
In this week’s edition, we look at China’s belligerence in the South China Sea, South Korea’s growing mental health problem, the Myanmar junta’s crimes against humanity, and the imminent implementation of Sharia law in Afghanistan.
In this week’s edition, we look at China’s newest round of internet restrictions, Pakistan kowtowing to the IMF’s demands, the Sedition Act in Malaysia, and the climate injustice drowning large swathes of Asia.
In this week’s edition, we look at youth extremism in Singapore, child sexual exploitation in Taiwan, Sri Lanka’s 40th year commemorations for Black July, and North Korea’s first foreign guest since the pandemic.
This week, we are looking at Cambodia’s sham elections, growing anti-trans hate in Japan, the royalist barrier stemming Thailand’s progressive wave, and Bangladesh’s worsening economic crisis.
In this week’s edition, we look at the precarious situation in Myanmar, India’s achievements against poverty, Hong Kong’s ongoing crackdown on dissent, and the state of population control across Asia.
In this edition, we look at domestic violence in South Korea, the deteriorating peace situation in Sri Lanka, Cambodia’s vindictive ban on Meta’s Oversight Board members, and Japan’s plan to dump treated radioactive water from the Fukushima incident into the Pacific Ocean.
In this week’s edition, we look at Laos’s environmental laws, the Philippines’ online casino-related human trafficking problem, Nepal’s recent ruling on same-sex marriage, and China’s new “education initiative” to sway public opinion toward reunification.
In this edition, we look at the ongoing U.N. Human Rights Council’s regular session, jail overcrowding in the Philippines, the formidable force of conservativism in Hong Kong, and online child sexual abuse in India.
In this edition, we look at Sri Lanka’s tightening grip on the media, Thailand’s growing tension with the throne, the dire state of migrant workers in Southeast Asia, and Japan’s dark history of eugenics.
In this week’s edition, we look at North Korea’s spiking suicide rate, Russia-China military drills, Afghanistan’s enduring and ironic dependence on international aid, and Vietnam’s energy crisis.
In this edition, we look at Pakistan’s tense negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, Indonesia’s crackdown on online speech, and China’s youth unemployment problem and unwillingness to engage in level-headed discussions over security matters in the region.
In this edition, we look at a contentious land use bill in the Philippines, a new mobile device management policy in Nepal, the growing support for gender equality in Taiwan, and what Thailand’s new progressive government might mean for Myanmar.
In this week’s edition, we look at the human rights agenda at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, the commemoration of the Gwangju uprising’s 43rd anniversary, skyrocketing drug prices in South Asia, and the sex abuse case that shook Singapore to its core.
In this edition, we look at two oppressive detention policies in Northeast Asia: China’s unyielding arrest of foreign journalists and Japan’s harsh policies for immigrants. We also look at Thailand’s lese-majeste law in the context of its elections and Pakistan’s widespread internet shutdown.
In this edition, we look at the dire state of press freedom in Southeast Asia, a bubbling conflict between healthcare workers in South Korea, the dengue problem swarming South Asia, and Indonesia’s measures against the impending COVID-19 surge.
In this edition, we look at Singapore’s overly harsh approach to cannabis as the death penalty for drug-related offenses remains firmly in place, the political convenience of gender equality in India, the continued shrinking of civic space in Hong Kong, and the U.S.’s increased military presence in Asia, keeping tight tabs on its authoritarian adversary.
Asia Democracy Chronicles (ADC), an online publication of the Asia Democracy Network, seeks to shine a spotlight on important but still untold stories from the ground tackling the state of human rights and democracy on the world’s largest, most diverse, and most populous continent.
ADC publishes narrative articles, op-eds, analytical pieces, essays, and other similarly oriented types of content on relevant themes to keep readers abreast of critical issues and challenges unfolding in the region. This, while seeking to inspire and support efforts from all across the region and the rest of the world toward a truly free and democratic Asia.
Have a story to tell, nuanced insights, or expert analysis to share with a regional (i.e. Asia), even global, audience? Want to weigh in on specific issues, including those disproportionately affecting specific segments of society, which run the gamut from poverty and inequality to human rights violations? We’d love to hear from you.
We run features, op-eds, analyses, among others, that probe issues around fundamental rights and civil liberties, and illuminate the challenges of governance in Asia.
