Author: Alyssa Pong

Anti-Government Protesters In Malaysia Face Sedition Laws

Amid a worsening health crisis, burgeoning food inequality, and an uncertain political situation, an estimated 1,000 Malaysians took to the streets in an anti-government rally on Saturday, 31 July. Themed “Keluar dan #Lawan,” (‘Get Out and Protest’), the protest was organized by Sekretariat Solidarity Rakyat (SSR), a coalition of youth and

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Ceasefire Called In Tigray: Is This An End?

After an eight-month conflict killing thousands, displacing two million, and pushing roughly 350,000 people toward famine, Ethiopia’s government has declared a ceasefire in its northern Tigray region. On Monday 28 June, residents in Tigray’s capital Mekelle sighted the region’s former governing party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), returning to

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Does EU Sanctions On Iran Reveal Double Standards On Human Rights?

On Saturday, 24 April 2021, Iran published a formal letter protesting against the European Union’s (EU) sanctions and blacklisting of eight Iranian military commanders and security officials, over their roles in the deadly crackdown on protests in 2019. Significantly, this is the first time the EU has imposed sanctions on

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What do the Anti-Modi Protests Reveal about Bangladesh-India Relations?

On March 26th, hundreds of people gathered outside Dhaka’s main mosque, Baitul Mokarram, in protest of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in Bangladesh’s capital amidst celebrations of the country’s 50th anniversary since its independence. Al Jazeera reported that violence broke out after a group of protestors – aligned with

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A Step Forward For LGBTQ+ Rights In Malaysia

Trigger warning: This article mentions the persecution of LGBTQ+ people(s), violence, and conversion therapy. — In a historic moment on 25 February, Malaysia’s Federal Court ruled a state law, which allows punishment for “unnatural sex” (including consensual same-sex conduct), as unconstitutional. Though Section 377 of the Penal Code – a

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Protests At India’s Historic Red Fort Prompts Response From Modi

A tractor parade that went awry on 26 January – India’s Republic Day, marking the 72nd-anniversary of the country adopting its constitution – has prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first public comments on the long-standing protests led by farmers. Over 100,000 farmers across 20 states and 10,000 tractors had reportedly

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Protests Erupt In India Upon Death Of 19-Year-Old Rape Victim

On Tuesday, September 29th, a Dalit woman passed away at a Delhi hospital from serious injuries sustained after she was brutally attacked and gang-raped by four upper-caste men in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. The attack occurred two weeks prior. The woman was allegedly pulled into a field where the men

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Afghan Women To Face Taliban In Talks: What Does This Mean For Peace?

Upon this past week’s release of all remaining Taliban prisoners, it was announced that five Afghan women are preparing to face the hardline group in upcoming September peace talks. Among these women stand high-profile women’s rights campaigner Fawzia Koofi, expert in Islamic law Fatima Gailani, lawyer Shahla Fareed, local politician

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Israel’s Move Towards A Unity Government

On Friday, 27 March 2020, Blue and White leader and recently elected Speaker of the Knesset (parliament), Benny Gantz, appeared to enter unity talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes after Gantz was appointed by President Reuven Rivlin as leader of the next government to be established amidst the

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Is The Coronavirus A Pandemic?

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that countries should be “in a phase of preparedness,” highlighting that it was still too early to call the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Head of WHO’s health emergencies programme, Mike Ryan, added that now is the time to “do everything you

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The Impact Of India’s Citizenship Amendment Act On Bangladeshis In India

The passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019 by the Indian parliament has resulted in an influx of people-smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border. The CAA grants Indian citizenship to minorities from three neighbouring Muslim-majority countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. As a result of the Act, 1.9 million

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