Women’s rights activist seeks ‘civil supremacy’ in Pakistan
A Pakistani human rights activist who spoke out against the army has fled the country after months in hiding. Gulalai Ismail (above, far right) is now in the US, having eluded… Read more »
Category: Asia
‘Hong Kong’s Fight For the Rule of Law’: Holding the line against totalitarian advance
With Hong Kong’s society increasingly polarized by the ongoing unrest, external actors, including the U.S. Congress, the administration, and the legal and NGO community, can take steps to advance human… Read more »
Mao’s long shadow clouds China’s sharp power
In recent years, China has spent a small fortune trying to influence the world through “soft power” — relying on language, cuisine and culture, rather than the conventional hard tools of aircraft… Read more »
‘Harder edge’ to China’s sharp power threatens democracies
China is pushing to build up cultural “soft power” to complement the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $60 billion infrastructure program it has launched as part of the Asian… Read more »
China ‘in danger of losing its grip’ over Tibet and Xinjiang
China is in danger of losing its grip over Tibet and Xinjiang and needs a radical reset of its ethnic policies, experts suggest. In September last year, Shohret Hoshur, a… Read more »
Hong Kong’s ‘last-straw movement’ vs. dystopian China Dream
Hong Kong’s leader must “serve two masters,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam told a group of businesspeople in the city, according to a transcript is taken from an audio recording of… Read more »
China Model promotes ‘authoritarian modernism’ in East Asia?
Over the past decade, democracy has regressed in much of Asia, though there are notable exceptions including Malaysia and Taiwan. Southeast Asia has witnessed a reversal in Thailand, weakening institutions… Read more »
Hong Kong: China’s accusations of foreign influence echo authoritarian playbook
China has a long history of blaming “foreign forces” for challenges it has faced internally, including the Tiananmen Square protests 30 years ago. But the depth and ferocity of China’s… Read more »
Labor movement ‘winning the war of ideas’ for democracy?
Organized labor came out in solidarity with Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners this week, as the International Trade Union Confederation called on the European Union to lead the way in ensuring… Read more »
Hong Kong’s ‘Water Revolution’ spiraling out of control?
Hong Kong activists urged Taiwan on Tuesday to help promote democracy in the Chinese-ruled city amid its worst political crisis in decades and called for a mass rally before the… Read more »