democracy – Lone Umbrella

Semper Ad Meliora | Always Towards Better Things

Eight Years Later⁠—Malaysia’s Sedition Act Is Still In Place

June 21, 2020July 8, 20202 min read Yusoof Monawvil

Passed during colonial rule three years after the British re-imposition from Japan, Malaysia’s Sedition Act of 1948 still remains the law of the land despite

East Asia Hong Kong

Rights Groups Call on Beijing to Scrap Hong Kong Subversion Law

June 17, 2020June 17, 20205 min read Yusoof Monawvil

More than 80 human rights groups from around the world have called on Beijing to scrap its plan to impose draconian subversion legislation on Hong

East Asia Hong Kong

Last Year Today: A Misguided Hope?

June 16, 2020June 16, 20202 min read Yusoof Monawvil

On June 17, 2019–exactly a year ago today, Demosisto Secretary-General and student activist Joshua Wong was released from prison, having served his two month sentence

Opinion

Opinion: No, Everything’s Not On Fire

July 28, 2018June 6, 20206 min read Yusoof Monawvil

In the world of today’s 24 hour news cycle, here’s why you should be glad for tomorrow—with a more personal note.

Activists from a number of Asian countries are calling for the boycott of the film “Mulan,” released by Disney on September 4, on the grounds that production’s lead actor, Liu Yi Fei, has publicly expressed support for the police crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong.

Maximum Sentences for Bribery in Latin America

Kicking off commentary on Latin America, Lucas Tisani marks his foray into corruption in the region and the embattled system that seeks to dismantle.

“Taiwan,” “W.H.O?”

Our resident cartoonist, Iggy Kim’s latest piece on WHO Assistant-Director General Bruce Aylward pretending not to hear RTHK journalist Yvonne Tong’s question on Taiwan’s membership.

The Long Reach of Chinese Censorship

I spent the last ten years living in China’s Xinjiang province, one of the country’s so-called “autonomous regions.” In my experience, labeling these regions as such had little to do with autonomy and everything to do with the local governments being able to pull in more money from tourism. This exploitive tourism featured costumed dancers in tightly controlled environments with thematic scenery and had little to do with anything that might be culturally controversial; it was all cultural appropriation on a horrifying scale.