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 Yeung Myanmar’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…
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…