Youth Movements

‘I Think We Can Learn a Lot From Black Thinkers’: An Interview With Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal

Eraldo Souza dos Santos
In 2017, the student press founded by Thai student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal published เวลาอยู่ข้างเรา: หนังสือวันเกิดโจชัว หว่อง (Time is on our side: A book for Joshua Wong’s 21st birthday), which included translations of Liu Xiaobo’s ‘The June second hunger strike declaration’ and Martin Luther King, Jr’s ‘Letter from Birmingham city jail.’ I talked with Netiwit at the beginning of July about his translation of King’s ‘Letter,’ the influence of Black political thought on his activism, and the politics of civil disobedience in Thailand...
EnglishInterviewsJuly 2021Social MovementsYouth Movements16 min read

Cutting the Flowers: Youth Activism in Myanmar

Alec Stimac
Imagine sitting at the front line of an anti-coup protest, facing riot police with nothing but the clothes on your back and the words that you shout. Imagine not knowing whether your state was heading into civil war or massacre. For a decade you thought democratic reform was the answer to your country’s flawed political system but now realize that insurrections and coups have easily dismantled and impoverished your home and its values. You are fighting for something that is hard to believe yet still hold onto hope and each other. It takes courage in the face of terror and fear...
EnglishJuly 2021Social MovementsYouth Movements9 min read

Controversy Over Accommodations for Taiwan’s Olympic Athletes Reflects Culture of Abuse, Authoritarian Legacy

Brian Hioe
Controversy has broken out regarding the Tokyo Olympics, primarily revolving around the accommodations for Taiwan’s athletes competing in the Olympics. Indeed, much of the controversy hinges around matters of national pride about athletes who represent Taiwan on the international stage. At the same time, the deeper roots of the controversy are rooted in the legacy of authoritarianism in Taiwan, particularly regarding kickbacks for government officials with ties to the KMT party-state and a deeply-rooted culture of abuse in Taiwanese sports...
EnglishFeaturedJuly 2021Social MovementsYouth Movements7 min read

Political Disqualifications in Macau Draw From the Template of Hong Kong

Brian Hioe
21 pro-democracy legislative candidates in Macau were disqualified from running for office earlier this week. This took place on the basis of new requirements stipulating that electoral candidates must pledge allegiance to Macau and the Macau Basic Law, as well as uphold the Chinese constitution and decisions made by China’s National People’s Congress...
EnglishJuly 2021Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements6 min read

Further Jail Sentences Handed Down to Pro-Democracy Politicians in Hong Kong

Brian Hioe
Ten pro-democracy activists were sentenced to jail earlier this week in Hong Kong in the latest action by China as part of a months-long political crackdown. The sentencing takes place on the basis of participating in unauthorized assemblies on August 18th and August 31st in 2018, with the possibility of further charges down the line...
April 2021EnglishSelf-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements6 min read