All Asia Pacific
Focus‘He has not bowed’: Jimmy Lai and Hong Kong’s futureJimmy Lai, founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily paper, is one of the highest-profile figures arrested under the new national security law.
As Myanmar protests continue, a glimmer of greater unityMyanmar’s crackdown after the Feb. 1. military coup has laid bare military violence for the majority – violence long understood by ethnic minorities.
First LookNorth Korea to skip Tokyo Olympics because of COVID-19North Korea said it will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics to protect its athletes from the coronavirus. But the Games have also been a conduit for politics, and the North’s decision is seen as a diplomatic setback.
First LookChina continues Hong Kong clampdown as activists are convictedSome of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy advocates have been found guilty of unauthorized assembly, on charges stemming from anti-government protests in 2019. It is the latest blow to Hong Kong civil liberties.
First LookIn Myanmar, opposition leaders seek alliance with armed groupsAn underground government of civilians challenging Myanmar’s ruling military junta have crafted a new constitution, and is seeking an alliance with armed ethnic minority groups in the countryside who have long sought more autonomy.
First LookHow Beijing is tightening its grip on Hong Kong’s legislatureBeijing has reduced the amount of directly elected seats in Hong Kong’s legislature, likely increasing the mainland government’s grip on the island’s politics. “The election system is completely dismantled,” said one former lawmaker.
Myanmar protesters bridge religious divides to counter military coupMyanmar’s protesters are uniting across long-standing religious divides to oppose the military coup, activists say.
First LookMyanmar junta frees over 600 protestors as silence strike beginsHundreds of imprisoned protestors in Myanmar have been released in the first apparent gesture by the military to try to placate the protest movement. Meanwhile, protestors began a ‘silence strike’ on Wednesday.
First LookMyanmar junta justifies crackdown, accuses Suu Kyi of graftMyanmar’s military junta accused ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption in an effort to discredit her. The military also said they are justified in their crackdown because demonstrators were violent.
First LookIn Myanmar, garment unions hope to disrupt economy under juntaShould multinational firms stop doing business in Myanmar? Some Burmese union leaders are urging major international brands like H&M and L.L. Bean with factories in Myanmar to denounce the takeover, even if that means the loss of jobs.
First LookTokyo Olympics: Another sexist scandal, another resignationTokyo Olympics creative director Hiroshi Sasaki has resigned after making demeaning comments about Naomi Watanabe, a well-known celebrity in Japan, just four months before the Olympics is scheduled to open.
First LookJapanese court rules in favor of same-sex marriageThough the ruling has no immediate legal effect, lawyers and their supporters said it was “a big first step toward equality.” Japan is the only country G7 country where same-sex marriages are not legal.
Electoral reform: In changing Hong Kong, who counts as a ‘patriot’?China’s legislature approved sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system last week, with officials calling for “patriots” to run the territory.
First LookWomen in Myanmar hang sarongs in streets to defy coupAs protestors continue to resist the military coup in Myanmar, some women have taken to hanging feminine clothing as a way to deter superstitious policemen and soldiers. Women have long played a role in Myanmar’s fight for democracy, activists say.
Are Myanmar's generals open to persuasion? Depends who’s persuading.Diplomatic efforts to end a crisis in Myanmar show how a decade of opening created some limited pressure points on its military rulers.
First LookMyanmar police intensify violence against anti-coup protestsA U.N. official said it had “credible information” that 18 people were killed. The Feb. 1 coup reversed slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar after five decades of military rule.
First LookIn single swoop, dozens of Hong Kong activists charged with subversionThe crackdown comes as Chinese officials prepare to unveil electoral reforms that will likely further diminish the influence of opposition forces.
As Beijing’s power grows, can it shift meaning of ‘human rights’?Debates over whether to boycott Beijing’s 2022 Olympics highlight a deeper trend: China’s growing leverage in reshaping the human rights agenda.
First LookWith Hollywood dark, Chinese filmmakers get the spotlightUnlike many parts of the world, COVID-19 is more or less under control in China. And now Chinese box office sales are surpassing sales in the United States as theater audiences grow.
Why Japan still plugs into nuclearTen years after the Fukushima disaster, the country needs the energy source to bridge to a greener future.
