Latest posts by Mong Palatino
Malaysian editor of banned book faces police probe for sedition
"Kean Wong’s arrest demonstrates the State’s concerted effort to suppress the public’s ability to both inform and to speak out without fear of censorship."
‘I can see the entirety of the sky now’: Australian journalist Cheng Lei is now free
"Tight hugs, teary screams, holding my kids in the spring sunshine. Trees shimmy from the breeze. I can see the entirety of the sky now! Thank you Aussies."
Despite change in government, another Thai activist is jailed for royal defamation
"Thailand appears to be on a path toward regression, undoing the progress hoped for by millions."
European Union invites Myanmar junta representatives in human rights dialogue
“We reject in the strongest possible terms any effort that may be perceived as legitimizing the junta.”
Singapore climate rally calls for inclusivity and more protection for vulnerable communities
"We believe that collective action is just as important — protests and rallies all around the world like this one have helped to push governments to enact stronger climate policies."
Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture threatens legal action against CamboJA news
"In this system, journalists are expected to conform to the contours of power rather than challenging them."
Why do ‘Bart Simpson’ and ‘Monkey D. Luffy’ have registered SIM cards in the Philippines?
"The SIM registration law cannot be “fixed” without having serious implications on our right to privacy and communication."
Malaysian government told to stop playing ‘Big Brother’ to media
"What is more worrying is the fact that much of the so-called 'offending' content is mere reports and opinion pieces deemed critical of the government."
Australian cartoonists boycott media awards over fossil fuel censorship
"It's 2023, and it's simply unconscionable that the highest awards in Australian journalism are sponsored by fossil fuels, with no specific climate reporting award."
‘Stop the dump’: Pacific communities protest Japan’s release of treated nuclear water
"If it is safe, dump it in Tokyo! If it is safe, test it in Paris! If it is safe, store it in Washington! But keep our Pacific nuclear free!"
Did the Myanmar junta build the ‘world’s biggest Buddha statue’ to whitewash its crimes?
Myanmar’s military regime unveiled a large Maravijaya Buddha statue in a massive religious ceremony, which critics describe as an attempt to distract from the junta’s brutal leadership.
‘I haven't seen a tree in three years’: An Australian journalist’s prison letter from China
"I miss the sun. In my cell, sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year. ... Most of all, I miss my children."
A new platform monitoring press freedom in Southeast Asia
Seven Southeast Asian media organizations have launched pfmsea.org, a joint platform to monitor press freedom across the region.
Myanmar junta grants partial pardon to detained leaders amid continuing crisis and resistance
"Myanmar’s problems will not be solved by reducing the prison sentences on people who should never have been sentenced in the first place."
How the onstage stunt of British band The 1975 caused more harm than good in Malaysia
Matty Healy, the vocalist of the British band, The 1975, opened their performance in Malaysia by ranting against the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws in a profanity-laden speech and kissing his bandmate onstage.
Kamnotra emerges as the latest platform in a ‘news-starved’ Cambodia
A new website was launched by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) amid the forced closure of independent media outlets and the dismantling of civic spaces in Cambodia.
Protests condemn military-appointed senators for ignoring the choice of Thai voters
Thai citizens took to the streets in protest over the last week after military-appointed senators refused to vote for Move Forward Party (MFP) candidate as the country’s next prime minister.
Where is Wanchelearm Satsakit? The search for exiled Thai activist abducted in Cambodia
Wanchalearm's case is linked to the disappearance of eight other exiled activists, three of whose dead bodies have been found.
Cambodian Prime Minister quits Facebook after Oversight Board review
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen deleted his official Facebook account after Meta's Oversight Board recommended his account be suspended for six months after he shared a video inciting violence.
A closer look into the urban resistance in Myanmar
Global Voices interviewed the Yangon Revolution Force (YRF) and the Artists Collective about the status and prospect of the urban struggle against the junta.
#StandWithBach: Support for detained environment lawyer who is on hunger strike in Vietnam
Vietnamese lawyer Dang Dinh Bach has been in detention since June 2021 and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for tax evasion after criticizing the government for its environmental policies.