The European Union is, as so often, attempting a difficult balancing act, oscillating between economic interests and a value-based foreign policy. Shortly after the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) was announced to be concluded in principle, it already seems…
Category: Asia
India’s Crackdown on Freedom of Information during the Pandemic:
Since the start of the pandemic, many countries have been accused of falsifying statistics and silencing whistleblowers; however, unsurprisingly, most of those countries were already infamous for curbing free speech even before the pandemic. So, how did the pandemic worsen…
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How Liberal Governments are Failing the People of Myanmar — and What to Do about It
As you, my dear reader, probably know, a military coup took place in Myanmar in February. Although, you, just like me, might have been too focused on the latest updates following the controversies regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine to dive deep…
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A Bad Time to be a Liberal in Turkey!
The authoritarian regime of Erdogan has begun to increase its oppression of LGBTQ+ members and university students, reaching a level that carrying the LGBTQ+ flags are now deemed to be a criminal offense by law enforcement. The appointment of a…
Asia, Continent, Democracy, Europe, Interviews, Interviews with liberal and democratic youth organisations, Series, Topics
Interview with Venkatesh Geriti from Swatantrata Center in India
Find our other interviews with liberal and democratic youth organisations here. You are a Founder of Swatantrata Center, which is a policy think tank. Most of your work relates to youth politics and youth NGO work. Could you talk a…
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The Road to Beijing
The world is watching on agog as China removes Hong Kong’s special status bit by bit, quashing any dissent as it does so. China is a superpower. It is one of the world’s foremost economic and military powers. It is also an expansionist power, with its influence being felt ever more keenly the world over. But how did Hong Kong get here? Why is Beijing behaving as it is? What, if anything, can the world do to help Hong Kong? The answers to these questions lie, not in Hong Kong, but in Beijing.
The Ten Most Liberal Countries in Asia
In our previous articles, we at Libel have presented top ten lists of different regions around the world, such as Africa and Latin America. Now it’s Asia’s turn. The biggest continent by both landmass and population is home to various…
Putin: President for Life?
A controversial referendum was held in Russia from 25 June to 1 July 2020 that brings sweeping changes to the constitution, including an amendment that allows Vladimir Putin to run for two more presidential terms – which could keep him…
Democracy in Turkey – After all this time? Always…
Upon the municipal re-election of Istanbul, in which the main opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu won a landslide victory following the cancellation of the first one, following absurd allegations over the legitimacy of the first election in Istanbul by Erdogan’s Justice…
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Right Now, Hong Kongers Are Facing Tyranny
Hong Kong experienced an unforgettable year when the government and the police begun violently suppressing the Anti-Extradition Movement almost a year ago. To make matters worse, amidst the current global health crisis, the Hong Kong government took advantage of the…