The Capital of Xinjiang Is Now in Turkey
Ethnic cleansing of Uighurs in China has forced an exodus to Istanbul—and a desperate effort to keep their culture alive. ISTANBUL (Foreign Policy)—On a Sunday morning in April, 9-year-old Nefise Kerim dragged her older sister, Saniya, to a bookstore in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu neighborhood. The girl’s brown eyes scoured the bookshelves full of colorful tomes depicting an Arabic script. Kerim wanted to come after she had seen an announcement on Facebook that a new magazine for
Organizers say nearly 2 million marched in record Hong Kong protest
Hong Kong (dpa) - Nearly 2 million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to rally against a controversial extradition bill on Sunday, organizers said, in the largest protest since the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The figure was announced on Sunday night as thousands of people remained on the streets of Hong Kong, filling major highways and stopping traffic in the government district. Sunday's protest is even larger than a similar one held last weekend when organiz
Separation and internment: China's Xinjiang crackdown hits families
Thousands of families in China's far west and in neighbouring countries are being separated as part of Beijing's crackdown on ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. Almaty, Kazakhstan (dpa) – In the past year, Aibulan Bakhitnur has had to grow up fast. After her mother became stuck in China with her documents confiscated, as part of the government's crackdown on ethnic minorities in the western Xinjiang province, the 13-year-old has had to take on some of her duties. At th
China’s #MeToo Activists Have Transformed a Generation
A small group of feminists has shifted attitudes—and prompted harsh pushback. GUANGZHOU, China (Foreign Policy)—Sophia Huang’s fingers were racing over her two iPhones at a restaurant in downtown Guangzhou, southern China, as her food went cold. Huang had just found out that the professor Chen Xiaowu, whose sexual harassment of a student ignited China’s #MeToo movement in January 2018, had been awarded the country’s most prestigious research grant. She was furiously posting o
Student takes on police, university as China’s #MeToo movement grows
Speaking out against sexual harassment is an uphill battle for a growing number of Chinese women who decide to do so. Qingdao, China (dpa) – On the sixth day after university officials forced Renee Ren, a student, and her parents into two hotel rooms next to campus, a school administrator told them they were free to go. Ren had just one thought on her mind: suing them. Ren, 26, a master’s student at China University of Petroleum in Qingdao, has been clashing with her school a
Ending the silence: The woman trying to start China's #MeToo moment
China’s conservative culture and tight government controls over the media and civil society have so far prevented a discussion about sexual harassment from taking root. But one young journalist believes the country urgently needs to have its own #MeToo moment. Beijing (dpa) – Sophia Huang Xueqin, a 29-year-old journalist from Guangzhou, was attending a workshop in Singapore earlier this year with participants from 13 countries when she felt the need to bring up the topic of s
In China's 'rust belt' province, shaky economy disrupts lives
China's north-eastern Liaoning province was the country's only region to slump into recession last year. A new plan to save the corruption-plagued "rust belt" province is regarded by residents with a mixture of hope and scepticism.
Beijing (dpa) - Xinghai Square in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dalian used to be one of the city's great attractions.
Overlooking the sea and the striking Xinghai Bay Bridge, it was lined with seafood restaurants. A 20-metre-high column in
Why China needs to talk a lot more about gay sex and HIV
New HIV diagnoses have doubled since 2008, yet ignorance about the virus is widespread; with parents, schools and health authorities saying little, it’s left to NGOs to spread safe sex message Beijing (South China Morning Post) - Lin Hui, a student in China, thought condoms only served to prevent pregnancy. So when he had sex with another man, in high school, he didn’t think he was exposing himself to any risk. Lin, who asked that his real name not be revealed, was diagnosed
China LGBT: Convenience marriage app iHomo helps gay men wed lesbians to appease parents and employe
BEIJING (International Business Times UK) - About three years ago, Ou Xiaobai began to meet more and more gay men who were seeking girls to take home to meet their families during the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. Coming home with a girl on their arm was the only way to stop the endless questions about marriage and match-making attempts by over-zealous relatives. "Spring Festival is very important for our parents," she said. "They want you to take your girlfriend back
Roma teen bucks tradition to find out what college can offer
Of several hundred members of his family who live in Wichita, Patrick Costello is the first to pursue higher education WICHITA, Kan. (Al Jazeera America) — On a cool day last summer, Patrick Costello, the first person in his family to go to college, took his grandfather, Michael Marks, to an opening ceremony for freshmen at Wichita State University. Grandfather and grandson listened to university officials tout their latest accomplishments — an Airbus engineering center on th
