Adam Bemma

  • ‘Pushing boundaries’: The rise of Samizdat publishing in Vietnam

    Liberal Publishing House publishes and distributes books Vietnam’s government does not want its citizens to read. HANOI, Vietnam – Inside a cramped room in a secret – and temporary – location in northern Vietnam, a printer whirs to life, spitting out sheets of paper covered in text. Neat piles are stacked on nearby tables and…

    Adam Bemma

  • No Progress or Answers on Enforced Disappearances in Thailand

    BANGKOK, Thailand – Porlachi “Billy” Rakchongcharoen went missing in 2014. At the time, the land rights activist had been assisting Karen villagers with a lawsuit against the authorities in Phetchaburi province, 190km southwest of Bangkok, who had evicted and burnt down their homes. Five years later, his skull fragment was discovered by special investigators in a burnt…

    Adam Bemma

  • The Independent Outlets Plugging Gaps in Thai Coverage

    BANGKOK, Thailand – Thai journalists Hathairat Wist Phaholtap and Yodsapon Tai Kerdviboon sit side-by-side on a couch at the Isaan Record’s office in Khon Kaen, 456km northeast of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. The small regional news outlet—which only employs five staff members—publishes several local print stories to its website every week, but is now trying to expand…

    Adam Bemma

  • After the Easter massacre, Sri Lanka nun heals religious tension

    Sister Christine supports survivors in need and Muslims facing backlash following ISIL-claimed attack that killed 253. NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka – Katuwapitiya, a grief-stricken Sri Lankan village of 600 families, is in the coastal city of Negombo, about 30 kilometres north of Colombo. On April 21, 149 Katuwapitiya residents died inside its St Sebastian’s Church, according…

    Adam Bemma

  • Caught in Sri Lanka’s anti-Muslim backlash, evicted refugees search for safe homes

    NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka – Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka have spent the past three months searching for safety across the island nation after being swept up in an anti-Muslim backlash following the April terrorist attacks that killed more than 250 people. More than 1,000 refugees and asylum seekers were pushed from…

    Adam Bemma

  • Is Sri Lanka using the Easter attacks to limit digital freedom?

    Sri Lanka has drafted a new cybersecurity bill but experts warn country could be using political turmoil to pass laws. COLOMBO — Hours after the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, rumours started to circulate online that Colombo’s water supply was poisoned and that there was a truck full of explosives driving down the capital’s…

    Adam Bemma

  • Rohingya Refugee Voices Amplify Across Southeast Asia

    BANGKOK — The 2017 Rohingya humanitarian crisis caused by Myanmar is not only affecting Bangladesh, which has taken in 740,000 refugees, but it’s also causing strife in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Despite Myanmar’s alleged attempts at repatriation, Rohingya have stayed put in camps and cities fearing the security situation in their villages and towns of Rakhine…

    Adam Bemma

  • The Conscientious Objectors of Thailand

    BANGKOK — Every April, Thailand begins its annual draft lottery to conscript Thai males, aged 21 and above, into military service. The young men line up to draw slips of paper; a red slip means one has to serve for two years, while a black indicates an exemption. Those who proactively volunteer will be spared…

    Adam Bemma

  • Southeast Asia’s pledge to end statelessness gathers steam

    A firm promise to grant citizenship to all born in a country is crucial to halt the cycle of displacement, writes Adam Bemma BANGKOK — The Moo Paa or Wild Boars football team captured the world’s attention this time last year after they became trapped inside Tham Luang cave for 18 days. In addition to the…

    Adam Bemma

  • Life as Afghan Refugees, depicted on Malay Stage

    Popular Parastoo Theatre group gives voice to the refugee experience. BANGKOK – Live at this year’s Refugee Fest in Malaysia is Parastoo Theatre group. In the Dari language of Afghanistan, “Parastoo” means swallow bird. “They are birds who fly and never find [a] home,” said Saleh Sepas, playwright and director of Parastoo Theatre in Malaysia.…

    Adam Bemma
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