Commentary / World Nov 5, 2019
Democracy is on the march worldwide, not in retreat
by Pankaj Mishra
Mass protests in country after country show how powerful the demand for social equality remains
Commentary / Japan Oct 28, 2019
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Democracy in the spotlight
by John Lee
Democracies must accept they are in a contest of political ideas, especially in Asia.
Books / Reviews | RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN Oct 6, 2019
'The Democracy of Suffering': Wit, erudition and philosophical change
by Barnaby Ralph
Todd Dufresne's "The Democracy of Suffering" argues that, if we are to understand the Anthropocene, then philosophy itself needs a radical overhaul.
Asia Pacific Aug 18, 2019
Tens of thousands of protesters flood Hong Kong streets in 'peaceful' march
A sea of democracy activists flooded the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday in a defiant show to the city's leaders that their movement still pulls wide public support, despite mounting violence and increasingly stark warnings from Beijing. Tens of thousands of protesters carrying umbrellas ...
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Aug 3, 2019
Low voter turnout in Upper House election may reflect an indifference to democracy
by Michael Hoffman
In May 1993, general elections were held in Cambodia. Voter turnout was 89.56 percent. People who don't have democracy want it — very badly. Traumatized by 30 years of war, genocide, dictatorship, hunger — just about every evil into which a state can sink — ...
Asia Pacific / Politics Aug 2, 2019
by Felix Tam and Greg Torode
Thousands of Hong Kong civil servants rallied on Friday night to support protesters and urge authorities to rebuild confidence in the government as escalating protests rock the Asian financial hub. The rally is the first time government employees have promoted a demonstration in Hong Kong. ...
World / Politics Jul 12, 2019
Blasting Trump as affront, candidate Joe Biden pledges global summit on democracy
Denouncing President Donald Trump as an affront to American values, Democratic candidate Joe Biden vowed Thursday that if elected he would hold a summit aimed at halting a backslide in global democracy. The former vice president, who leads early polls for the Democratic nomination to ...
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Jul 2, 2019
Hong Kong on Tuesday began picking up after historic protests left the legislature ransacked, the streets littered with spent tear gas canisters and the city's Beijing-backed leader promising to push back against further unrest. Chief Executive Carrie Lam used a dramatic 4 a.m. news conference ...
Asia Pacific / Politics Jun 18, 2019
Hong Kongers fearful of China's grasp look longingly toward 'democratic beacon' Taiwan
For Hong Kong resident Yung Xiu Kwan, 67, a proposed extradition law that would allow people in the former British colony to be sent to mainland China for trial was the final straw. Yung is packing her bags and leaving the China-ruled city to set ...
Asia Pacific Jun 4, 2019
Hong Kong, fearful for its own future, remembers Tiananmen crackdown
Large crowds turned out for a mass candlelight vigil in Hong Kong on Tuesday evening marking 30 years since China's bloody Tiananmen crackdown, a gathering tinged with symbolism as the city struggles to preserve its own cherished freedoms. The eye-catching spectacle — in which thousands ...
World / Politics Apr 15, 2019
Sudan's military rulers faced heavy pressure from protesters and Western governments to hand power to a new civilian government Monday as a mass protest outside army headquarters entered its 10th day. Thousands remained camped outside the complex in Khartoum overnight after protest leaders issued demands ...
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Mar 23, 2019
Are democratic principles at risk of being undermined?
by Michael Hoffman
Is democracy dying? Certainly authoritarianism is rising. A generation ago, it was the opposite — authoritarianism seemed moribund, democracy on the cusp of new life. Sekai magazine (April) sums up the gloomier mood now gaining ground. "We cannot," it says, "take democracy for granted." This ...