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Articles by Mary Joaquin
Why asexual representation matters
Sex Education. Courtesy of Sam Taylor From season 2 of Netflix’s Sex Education, “Sex doesn’t make us whole. And so, how could you ever be broken?” This line is perhaps the best asexuality validation yet from modern television. In the episode, drama student Florence (Mirren Mack) comes to the realization that she doesn’t view sex in the same way as her peers.
This Week Around the World
January 25 Amsterdam, Netherlands: With the government issuing a nationwide curfew to curb the spread of COVID-19, youth rioters took to the streets of the Netherlands, according to AP News. The mass unrest began as protests against the country’s strict lockdown, but a social media frenzy later led to riots, vandalism and looting. The curfew is the country’s first since it was last implemented during World War 2, according to The Guardian.
Crackdown on protesters continues in Hong Kong with mass arrests
Hong Kong police arrested more than 50 opposition lawmakers in a raid on Jan. 6, according to NPR. The move was “by far the largest such action under [the national security law],” according to AP News, and although only three remain detained, those released through bail could still be convicted. “They haven’t made any charges against us yet,” said Lam Cheuk-ting, former pro-democracy lawmaker and one of the 50 detained.
Countries around the world work to make COVID-19 vaccines available
A year into COVID-19, countries race to secure vaccines and begin inoculations to help stem the pandemic. According to NPR, a disparity exists between countries that could afford to wager on then-experimental vaccines and those that were not able to. In doing so, rich countries secured doses for even their low-risk populations, leaving poorer countries with high-risk populations still uninoculated.
Philippine government criticized following the death of political activist’s infant
Human rights groups in the Philippines rallied against government authorities over the rulings on and treatment of detained activist Reina Mae Nasino and her deceased infant, River Emmanuel Nasino. Clad in personal protective equipment and bound in handcuffs, Nasino said her goodbyes to her daughter on Oct. 16 as armed guards surrounded her.
Greece faces backlash for refugee crises
Greece came under fire for violations of asylum law as aid groups push for an investigation into the country with refugees continuing to face hardships. On Sept. 22, Oxfam International and WeMove Europe filed a legal complaint to the European Commission, asking for infringement procedures against Greece and its misconduct towards refugees.
Oil spill in Mauritius endangers marine ecosystems
Environmental concerns continue to mount after Japanese ship MV Wakashio struck a coral reef on July 25 while en route to Brazil, triggering a thousand-ton oil spill on Aug. 6. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth declared a state of environmental emergency on Aug. 7, seeking aid from the French government. The incident endangered local habitats and further threatened the tourism-dependent economy of Mauritius as the country grapples with COVID-19, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
India enforces curfew, lockdown to prevent Black Day protests in Kashmir
The Indian government imposed a curfew and lockdown in Kashmir to prevent protests on Aug. 5, the one-year anniversary of Kashmir’s loss of autonomy. The Hindu nationalist government announced a two-day curfew in the Muslim-majority state on Aug. 4–5, compounding COVID-19 regulations. Authorities lifted the curfew late on Aug. 4 for lack of major incidents, according to Reuters. “A series of inputs have been received suggesting that separatist and Pakistan-sponsored groups are planning to observe Aug.
Students arrested in Hong Kong under new security law
Under Hong Kong’s new national security law, police arrested four former members of disbanded pro-independence group Studentlocalism on July 29 for suspicion of inciting secession through social media. The arrested students, aged 16–21, included former Studentlocalism leader Tony Chung, according to the South China Morning Post. All four students were released on bail on July 31, along with a travel ban restricting them to the city for the next six months.
Freedoms under fire in the Philippines
Within a month of shutting down the country’s largest news network, Philippine legislators passed an anti-terror law that human rights groups said challenges freedom of speech. President Rodrigo Duterte signed The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 on July 3. The law went into effect on July 18. It replaced the existing Human Security Act of 2007 in an effort to “plug its loopholes” and grant police and military forces more leeway in detaining terrorism suspects, according to Al Jazeera.
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