Newsletter
Floods in South Asia Massive floods have displaced upwards of 400,000 people in Bangladesh, and thousands more in neighboring countries. This should be a huge story, but besides this Reuters piece, it’s gotten little coverage. This, sadly, is not new. Natural disasters in Asia merit little attention in
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Big news – Asia Undercovered hit 500 subscribers last week! I hope it is just the start. My goal when starting this newsletter was to challenge the English language media’s failure to cover or promote stories about Asia. With US elections “approaching” (it’s actually still a year and a
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When Xinjiang – and China – Changed July 5th, 2009. For Uyghurs, a day that will live on for eternity. That was when riots broke out in Urumqi, leading to a clampdown that, today, has turned into cultural genocide and massive concentration camps. Not coincidentally, it happened a little over a year
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This week: Xinjiang, WeChat, the caste system in India, Facebook propaganda in Taiwan, and Japan’s disappearing heritage farmhouses. Vice did an entire episode on Xinjiang However there was criticism that the piece could have done a better job protecting sources. I agree, but I also think that, for journalists
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This week: stories on how China’s rulers maintain control, why Malaysian politics is getting dirty again, and Afghanistan’s surprising sports revival. China’s resilient dictatorship Despite predictions that the internet, economic growth, or increased exposure to the outside world would force China to democratize, the country remains not
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While historic protests in Hong Kong have captivated the world, several other pressing stories from Asia are not getting enough attention, including the expansion of anti-Muslim repression in China, a potentially historic court case in Vietnam, and Thailand ongoing farce democracy. Undercovered this Week Genocide update: Uyghur culture is being
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The results in India’s historic elections were announced in late May, showing Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party winning an even larger vote than five years ago. The elections as a whole got very little attention in the US media, and the results too were mostly just cited in
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It was a historic moment. 30 years ago, for several months, protesters gathered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, and other cities to call for political reforms and democracy. The world watched eagerly, waiting to see if China would see change as had taken place in Eastern Europe and nearby Asian
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The immensity of climate change threats are becoming more apparent every day. It’s why groups like Extinction Rebellion are taking a stand with more and more people around the world to fight climate change. But there’s a problem – these movements are Europe and US focused, and have little
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This week: A South Korean anniversary, Indonesia’s official results, and big news for human rights in Taiwan. New to Asia Undercovered? Subscribe here. A forgotten anniversary The 30th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre is approaching (keep an eye out for a special issue then!). Meanwhile, Korea just had
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This week: Jakarta’s (not really) being moved, Thailand election results, and more worrying news from Xinjiang. New to Asia Undercovered? Subscribe here. A mini-rant on Jakarta being “moved” Sometimes, a story from Asia gets international attention. Unfortunately, it is often for the wrong reasons. Last week, it was news
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A short issue this week due to travels. Will be back to regular posting next week! Undercovered This Week It’s coronation week in Asia. First Japan crowned a new emperor. Now, it’s Thailand’s turn, officially crowning King Vajiralongkorn more than two years after the death of his