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Thailand’s parliament meets, but military retains upper-hand
Elections took place on March 24 under a complicated new system that empowered small parties – and the military. Bangkok, Thailand – Thailand’s newly-elected parliament sits for the first time on Friday, as pro-military and pro-democracy parties manoeuvre for power two months after controversial elections that ensured the armed forces the upper hand in the…
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Thailand: The Uphill Battle to Repeal NCPO Decrees
Stepping off the elevator and into the famed penthouse at downtown Bangkok’s Maneeya Center, Chonthicha Jangrew takes a seat close to the bar. The chairs and tables at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand begin to fill up around her with foreign embassy staff, humanitarians and journalists. They’ve all gathered 10 days ahead of the…
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Thailand’s Urban Refugees, Migrant Workers and Stateless People
BANGKOK – The stench inside Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre is indescribable. The guards give detainees bright orange t-shirts – with a phone number printed on the front – to wear when they enter the IDC reception area. About a dozen visitors line up on the opposite side of a fence separating them from the…
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Political drama in Thailand as long-delayed election nears
Constitutional Court to meet next week as Thai Raksa Chart faces ban over Princess Ubolratana nomination. Bangkok, Thailand – With Thailand’s long-delayed elections just over a month away, a court ruling is expected to deal a major blow to parties loyal to ousted ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and tip the scales in favour of the…
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Threats and abuse: Critics fear effect of new Thai cyber law
Despite revisions, critics fear legislation will be used to stifle debate ahead of elections scheduled for March. Bangkok, Thailand – Thailand is expected to soon pass a new cybersecurity law which will create a government agency with sweeping powers of search and seizure, triggering concerns for freedom of expression and data security among civil society…
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Vietnam’s Mother Mushroom: ‘If I don’t speak about the future, who will?’
HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) – Vietnam’s most famous dissident blogger – Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known by her pen name Mother Mushroom, spent her first new year in exile barred from ever returning to her home in Nha Trang. Vietnamese authorities released her from prison last October, after serving two years of a 10-year…
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The singer raising her voice against Vietnam’s new cyber law
Do Nguyen Mai Khoi is among activists opposing a controversial law the government says will protect against cyber threats. Hanoi, Vietnam – Dressed in the traditional Vietnamese long gown known as “ao dai”, dissident artist Do Nguyen Mai Khoi holds up a banner in a silent protest amidst the roar of traffic in the capital’s…
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Putting the ‘I’ in LGBTIQ: Taiwan’s Intersex Awareness Advocate
TAIPEI – Hiker Chiu receives a message on Facebook. It’s a desperate plea from a mother in Hong Kong. The mother found Chiu through the OII-Chinese Facebook page – the sole Chinese language group-of-one representing Organization Intersex International. Chiu messaged back and forth with the mother until s/he found out the child was born with…
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Taiwan’s ‘Formosa Incident’ and International Human Rights Day
TAIPEI – December 10th is celebrated as International Human Rights Day. But in Taiwan the event takes on a more somber tone as the day to commemorate the 1979 Formosa, or Kaohsiung Incident. This was a defining moment in Taiwan’s history – then under Chinese Nationalist (KMT) rule and its “White Terror” martial law from…
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Taiwan activists: Marriage-equality movement setback not the end
Despite ballot-box failure, proponents say it’s only a matter of time before same-sex marriage is written into law. Taipei, Taiwan – “Every defeat is a deeper blow. But we’ll keep on fighting until we are free,” sings American singer-songwriter – and Taiwan transplant – Ellery Prescott in his song Keep on Fighting. He dedicates it…
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Adam Bemma 