HKFP’s citizen platform for opinion and commentary by academics, activists and advocates, as well as the best content from our media partners.
Myanmar’s coup marks a continuing worldwide retreat from democracy
By T-Fai YeungMyanmar’s coup is part of the retreat from democracy around the world. Some commentators see the balance of power swinging against the global democratic bloc unless a way can be found to deter the armed forces from committing crimes against humanity. Did the military over-react? February 1, 2021 was when the government led…
How Beijing uses family videos to try to discredit Uyghur advocates
By Emily Upson Uyghurs are living under a reign of terror in East Turkistan (otherwise known as Xinjiang): as the government’s crackdown on them worsens, increasingly serious reports of mass detentions, forced sterilisations and systematic rape have been emerging. Those who have escaped the region believe their relatives face restrictions in communicating with them. As…
How flights carrying ‘seafood’ between China and Myanmar fuelled speculation about Beijing’s support for military coup
By Oiwan Lam The term “seafood” went viral on social media last week in connection with the Myanmar military takeover after the Chinese Embassy in Yangon denied daily flights from China were providing assistance to the coup government. Reports of cargo flights between Kunming and Yangon have raised suspicions among Myanmar pro-democracy activists that China…
Hong Kong educators should embrace the system that’s crucial for teaching Cantonese to non-Chinese
By Maggie Holmes One of the biggest challenges faced by children from non-Chinese speaking families who study in local schools is the absence of Jyutping (Cantonese romanisation) in their Chinese- language textbooks and other study materials. The government provides HK$200 million in annual funding for schools to implement the “Chinese Language Curriculum Second Language Learning…
The case of pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai shows how the security law has shaken up Hong Kong’s legal system
By Senia Ng The National Security Law is a distinctive legal regime which runs in parallel with, and if necessary over-rides, the existing legal system in Hong Kong. This was the conclusion of the Court of Final Appeal (CFA), which handed down its judgment in respect of Mr. Jimmy Lai’s case concerning bail on February…
In a year, China will host the first genocide Olympics
By Peter Irwin and Zumretay Arkin The Olympics have always been replete with firsts. The first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896; the first women competed in Paris in 1900; the first Winter Games took place in Chamonix in 1924; and the first professional athletes joined amateurs in 1984 in Los Angeles. The…
Give refugees and others a chance to speak out on a new Hong Kong law set to curtail their rights
By Virginie Goethals The Hong Kong government is trying to profoundly change the immigration law without holding a meaningful debate with all those concerned. This is particularly concerning given that the changes could have far-reaching consequences for those seeking refugee status in Hong Kong, curtailing their fundamental rights. Hong Kong, our beloved fragrant harbour, has…
China’s Xi Jinping, the headline columnist
By Elinor Zhou Seeking Truth, the Chinese Communist Party’s bi-monthly theoretical journal, rang in the New Year on January 1 with a headline piece from the most prominent political contributor possible – none other than General Secretary Xi Jinping. The article, “Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Destiny for Mankind” (共同构建人类命运共同体), was addressed to an…
How Twitter’s ‘state-affiliated’ labelling led to a drop in the impact of China’s state media
By Kevin Schoenmakers and Claire Liu Twitter users are liking and sharing fewer tweets by Chinese news outlets since the social media platform started labeling them as state-affiliated, an analysis by the China Media Project shows. Comparing tweets from a sample of 33 official Chinese accounts on Twitter for 50-day periods immediately before and after…
Muted vocals: Hong Kong musicians wary of political themes under security law
By Mandy Yim and Emilie Lui Sunny Lam has been creating music videos with political themes since 2014 — but now, he says, he will steer clear of phrases such as “Free Hong Kong, revolution now” or come up with different terminology. Lam has more than 70,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel but is fearful…
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