Democracy Digest
Democracy Digest
A bite-sized weekly wrap-up of developments
across the region through a human rights and democratic lens
Democracy Digest

August 28, 2023

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.

Read below for more.

Hong Kong
Much (state) ado about artistic freedom
Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt does not know if he will stay a free man should he visit Hong Kong.

Despite Galschiøt’s letter earlier this month clarifying his status with the Hong Kong government, the Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung last week refused to confirm whether or not the sculptor was on the wanted list. Instead, Tang chose to highlight the national security risks that artistic freedom could bring forth.

“It is a common modus operandi of those seeking to endanger national security to engage in such acts and activities under the pretexts of ‘peaceful advocacy,’ ‘artistic creations’, and so forth,” he warned.

At the center of this controversy is Galschiøt’s sculpture called Pillar of Shame, which shows a mass of deformed bodies forming a tall column. Meant to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the sculpture was seized by Hong Kong authorities in May.

In his written reply to Galschiøt, Tang brandished the National Security Law, outlining its provisions and warning that the city “will not hesitate” to go after violators. The sculptor has since asked help from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify his status in Hong Kong.

Beijing hoisted the National Security Law on Hong Kong in June 2020, amid the worst throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. With its vague provisions and steep punishments, the Law forbids any act deemed threats to national security – an overly broad and sweeping charge – which is punishable with life imprisonment.

The law has been used to silence critics and intimidate journalists, lawyers, and scholars. Hong Kong has even wielded the law to go after overseas activists, reaching well beyond its territory and jurisdiction. Just a few months ago, in July, the City arrest warrants were issued against eight activists abroad on charges of urging foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong officials.
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India
Trafficked and abused
Human trafficking continues to be a pressing problem for India, especially among its  tribal women and girls.

Food insecurity, poor housing stability, and lack of legal protection and knowledge have made this sector particularly vulnerable to this scourge, reports VOA News, citing interviews with  victims, government officials, and non-profits.

Victims – mostly young women and girls – are often sent to the cities to work as household help but are often treated as slaves, are overworked, and deprived of dignified quarters and basic necessities.

According to Outlook magazine, 90 percent of girls who are victims of human trafficking come from tribal villages like Jharkhand in eastern India, where close to half (42.2 percent) of the population struggle with poverty.

India has legal safeguards in place to protect minors from trafficking, which, according to VOA News, goes alongside sexual exploitation before the victims are forced into domestic slavery. One of these measures is the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012, which  carries steep penalties for violators, including life imprisonment and death penalty.

The Ministry of External Affairs enumerates a raft of protective measures on its website, including a constitutional provision prohibiting trafficking in persons.

Still, more work needs to be done to provide broader protections against human trafficking in general as trafficking rates remain high. Between 2020 and 2021, for example, human trafficking cases registered in the country rose 27.7 percent, that is from 1,714 to 2,189  between 2020 and 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
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Singapore
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Sexism at the polls
Singapore will hold its presidential elections in the coming days. Last week, the final roster of candidates was announced.

Out of six applicants, the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) picked out just three career politicians to battle it out for the country’s executive head. According to Channel News Asia, Singapore’s Election Department chose these candidates as they were men of “integrity, good character and reputation,” and that they had the key competencies and experience required to effectively carry out the duties of the post.

Singapore’s constitution outlines steep criteria and strict expectations of presidential aspirants. For instance, candidates must demonstrably have the skills needed to head the country, either through years of public service or a track record of leadership in the private sector. A candidate must also be “a person of integrity, good character and reputation.”

One hopeful, however, seems to have fallen short of this bar – despite making the PEC’s final cut. Soon after the final list of candidates was released, a TikTok video went viral, unearthing posts from Tan Kin Lian between 2020 and 2022 where he mentioned his encounters with “pretty girls” while out in public. When asked by Channel News Asia, Tan dismissed these, saying that only a few people found them offensive while most Singaporeans considered his posts to be “quite fun.”

Eventually, as the criticism and clamor grew, Tan started lashing back, accusing political opponents of mounting a smear campaign against him.

That Tan was shortlisted despite these posts not only raises questions about the PEC’s criteria, but also about the underlying values that constitute a candidate’s “integrity, good character and reputation.”

Unfortunately, this type of lack of respect for women runs rampant in Singapore, where conservative and borderline abusive beliefs continue to be pervasive, especially among men. Feminist group AWARE called Tan’s remarks “an act of objectifying women, reducing them solely to their appearances for their personal entertainment.”

The posts are unbefitting of a President, who should embody the values and morals that the country should hold most dear, AWARE added.
Global/Regional
Religious extremism shows no sign of abating
Earlier this month, after rumors leaked that a Christian man had desecrated the Quran, a Muslim mob stormed Pakistan’s northern Punjab province, attacking churches and homes belonging to the minority Christian group that lived in the area.

The mob burned down at least one church and left four others damaged. More than 20 houses were torched or destroyed.

Government leaders and political parties denounced the attacks, followed by a strong condemnation by a Catholic bishops’ body, which called on the U.N. to step in and prevent future attacks against Christians in Pakistan, as well as in the neighboring superpower India.

In May, a mob similarly swept through India’s northeastern Manipur state, assaulting Christians and destroying their houses and places of worship. The incident left around 60 dead – most of whom were Christian, and levelled around 50 churches. The violence also overflowed from Manipur and triggered similar attacks in other states.

For both South Asian countries, however, these most recent instances of violence against religious minorities such as Christians are but part of a long, enduring pattern that of late has become even worse. The governments of India and Pakistan have also long let these attacks slide, refusing to hold responsible parties accountable and to establish lasting solutions.

In India, for example, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party  have instituted nationalist and discriminatory policies that promote the vilification of religious minorities – including Christians and Muslims – in turn encouraging hate crimes against these groups. Despite holding India’s seat of power and widespread perceptions of stoking divisive politics and rhetoric, Modi’s BJP has consistently shirked blame and accountability for religiously motivated violence.

In Pakistan, meanwhile, law enforcement remains incompetent and often remiss in its duty to protect minorities from persecution. In the case of Punjab, for example, police informed locals that the mob was coming, but that they were also powerless to stop it. According to Human Rights Watch Asia director Patricia Gossman, the Punjab incident is proof of the police’s failure to protect religious minority groups despite being adequately warned.
August 28, 2023
August 28, 2023

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.

August 21, 2023
August 21, 2023

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.

August 14, 2023
August 14, 2023

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.

August 7, 2023
August 7, 2023

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.

July 31, 2023
July 31, 2023

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.

July 24, 2023
July 24, 2023

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.

July 17, 2023
July 17, 2023

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.

July 10, 2023
July 10, 2023

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.

July 3, 2023
July 3, 2023

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.

June 26, 2023
June 26, 2023

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.

June 19, 2023
June 19, 2023

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.

June 12, 2023
June 12, 2023

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.

June 5, 2023
June 5, 2023

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.

May 29, 2023
May 29, 2023

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.

May 22, 2023
May 22, 2023

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.

May 15, 2023
May 15, 2023

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.

May 8, 2023
May 8, 2023

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.

May 1, 2023
May 1, 2023

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.

April 24, 2023
April 24, 2023

In this edition, we will look at the Philippines’ education crisis, Pakistan’s political turmoil, the United Nations’ impending withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the continued and fraught push for marriage equality in Japan.

April 17, 2023
April 17, 2023

In this edition, we look at the environmental crises sweeping through Southeast Asia, another Covid-19 outbreak threatening South Asia, a bird flu death in China, and the bloody consequences of an apathetic international community, alongside powerful benefactors, abetting amid the unyielding violence and tyranny of Myanmar’s junta.

March 20, 2023
March 20, 2023

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the sad truth about health staffing shortages; the impossible choice faced by the Rohingya in Bangladesh; Vietnam’s repressive Article 331; and the challenges of exposing Uyghur forced labor in supply chains.

March 13, 2023
March 13, 2023

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the few bright spots for democracy in Asia; the Northeast Asian country where feminism is a dirty word; the country known as the internet shutdown capital of the world; and a symbolic victory for World War II sex slaves in the Philippines.

February 27, 2023
February 27, 2023

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: Asia’s deadliest place for a woman to be a mother; Japan’s antiquated age of consent law; a hidden danger in Northeast Asia; and a sweet victory for people-oriented mobility in the Philippines.

February 20, 2023
February 20, 2023

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: an uphill battle against a stigmatizing disease in Bangladesh; the threat multiplier of rising sea levels; a heavy-handed attempt to silence an independent media outlet in Cambodia; and a landmark victory for trans men in Hong Kong.

February 13, 2023
February 13, 2023

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: forced assimilation in the guise of education in Tibet; the women-only buses in Karachi, Pakistan; the need to make the internet safer for children; and the Malaysian manufacturers reaping the rewards of responsible business.

February 6, 2023
February 6, 2023

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: Hong Kong’s long-simmering housing crisis; corruption’s vicious cycle; the ban barring Afghanistan women from giving lifesaving support to people in dire need of aid; and a tiny Indonesian island’s battle against a huge carbon-emitting cement maker.

December 12, 2022
December 12, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: a railway that has brought few benefits to poor Laotians; why Pakistan’s coal mines are some of the most dangerous in the world; Hong Kong’s refugees in limbo; and the forced labor that taints the global auto supply chain.

December 5, 2022
December 5, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the persons with disabilities worldwide who are being left behind; the disinformation hampering polio vaccination in Indonesia and Pakistan; an opportunity for Sri Lanka’s women caught in twin crises; and the torture being inflicted on transgenders in Singapore and Japan.

November 28, 2022
November 28, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: Apple’s albatross; an unfolding catastrophe for Afghan children; the new UN treaty to end the age of pernicious plastics; and the good news for Singapore’s gig workers.

November 21, 2022
November 21, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the youth from the Global South who made the most of their seat at the table at COP27; the Thai police who show zero tolerance for peaceful protests; the attacks on press freedom in South Korea; and the too-few Nepali women in the political arena.

November 14, 2022
November 14, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the Philippines’ human rights in the spotlight; the modern slaves behind football’s biggest party; the harmful practice endured by women and girls in Asia; and the new mandatory disclosures that can close the gender pay gap in Japan.

November 7, 2022
November 7, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the shocking impunity of murderers of media workers; Pyongyang’s record-breaking missile barrage; a call to starve Myanmar’s military junta of fuel for its deadly air attacks; and the landmark ruling that banned a traumatic test in India.

October 31, 2022
October 31, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the return of a global killer; the appalling forced deportations in Malaysia and Thailand; China’s worldwide network of illegal police stations; and the future of farming in Bangladesh.

October 17, 2022
October 17, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: a baby step forward for LGBTQ rights in Japan; a neglected epidemic in Cambodia; the countries in Asia that cling to the death penalty; and hope for mental health sufferers in India.

October 10, 2022
October 10, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the false narrative that endangers transgenders in Pakistan; why Indonesia is one of the most dangerous countries in which to attend a football game; education under attack in Asia; and the foiled debate on China’s widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

October 3, 2022
October 3, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the construction workers in Hong Kong who are dying on the job; the South Asian country where many ferry passengers risk drowning and death; the human rights defenders who risk reprisals; and a sweet victory for an under-supported changemaker in the Philippines.

September 26, 2022
September 26, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: sobering statistics about women’s lives on the brink; the country where women are stalked and killed; a blocked citizenship law in Nepal; and the faint silver lining in Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis.

September 19, 2022
September 19, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the global rise in forced marriages; the risks brought about by digital identity systems such as India’s Aadhar; the Southeast Asian country that doesn’t deserve a seat in the UN Human Rights Council; and a ray of hope for foreigners detained in Japan’s immigration centers.

September 12, 2022
September 12, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the alarming spike in house arrests under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rule; the community at risk of genocide in Afghanistan; the millions deprived of the right to read; and Cambodia’s learning gardens.

September 5, 2022
September 5, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: how extreme heat has led to occupational safety lapses worldwide; how North Korea used the coronavirus to increasingly repress the rights of its people; the weaponization of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act against peaceful protesters; and Thailand’s innovative approach to curb teenage pregnancy.

August 29, 2022
August 29, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: the real roadblocks to fair COVID-19 vaccine distribution; the first step to ending torture in Pakistan; a bittersweet victory for Singapore’s LGBT activists; and the campaign to combat China’s disinformation in Taiwan.

August 22, 2022
August 22, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: China’s chilling psywar tactic; the lowest-paid workers in Bangladesh; Cambodia’s ground zero for human trafficking; and why FIFA and Qatar owe abused migrant workers US$440 million in reparations.

August 15, 2022
August 15, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: Indonesia’s repressive hijab rules; the plight of Seoul’s basement dwellers; the Afghan evacuees trapped by red tape; and the crucial role of Indigenous women as keepers of knowledge.

August 8, 2022
August 8, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: a setback in Malaysian mothers’ campaign against an unequal citizenship law; Japan’s flawed program that has become a breeding ground for abuse; the heavy toll of water scarcity in Bangladesh; and the women who eat last and least.

August 1, 2022
August 1, 2022

In this edition, we highlight news about the following: a discriminatory lockdown in Taiwan; the endless wait for justice for victims of wartime atrocities in Nepal; a new law that is a betrayal of public health in the Philippines; and alarming news about the other deadly virus.

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