Democracy

Before COVID-19, seafarers were sought out by family, friends and community members, bearing presents and money, when they came home. But amid the pandemic, returnees have become suspect to their own communities, who see them as outsiders who potentially bear an unseen, dangerous pathogen.

Now that Malaysia has moved from MCO to a ‘conditional MCO’ to a ‘recovery MCO’, life is getting back to some kind of normal. But as Dr Jemilah warned, society must understand we can never return to the "old normal". "That innocent and simple pre-COVID-19 world is in the past," she said. We can't think of "after the pandemic" as it is here to stay. We have to think about how to live with COVID-19.

From all indications, Vietnam has succeeded in managing the pandemic, an achievement that has drawn a lot of news coverage, some envy by countries in Asia and beyond, and praise from international organizations. But while there has been much analysis from outside about Vietnam’s response to the pandemic, what do Vietnamese themselves think?

Across the banks of the Mekong River, by the sprawling grounds by the majestic Royal Palace, Cambodians are sitting on the grass or strolling about, sipping coffee outside the cafes that line the riverfront, as motorcycles and ‘tuktuk’ zip by. Traffic on Phnom Penh’s roads is returning to pre-COVID-19 levels of congestion. Many are heading to coastal provinces to reconnect with friends and family.

The recent shutdown of broadcast giant ABS-CBN is but one of the pieces of mounting evidence—arguably the most damning—of how fragile the state of media freedom in the Philippines has become under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Two months ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic with 4,801,202 cases and more than 318,935 deaths as a result of the coronavirus as of current writing. The last few months have been daunting with COVID-19 almost paralyzed the entire world with various countries putting different areas under their jurisdiction in lockdowns.

Bangladesh is one of the World’s most densely populated countries with a total population of around 170 million. Bangladesh had its first case of COVID-19 reported on 7 March 2020. The spread of infections saw a steep rise in April. As of May 1, there are a total of 8238 confirmed cases, and 170 deaths in the country (IEDCR). Experts have warned that the number of test conducted is largely insufficient, which may lead to a humanitarian crisis in terms of public health.

The crisis associated with the Covid19 pandemic has a gender, and clearly shows social inequalities of all kinds. It particularly affects women, as well as disadvantaged and variously marginalised groups. There are also attempts to exploit the pandemic for short-term political goals directly targeting women's rights.

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economy are dramatic. The virus is shaking all major economies simultaneously. At the same time,  the crisis is acting as an accelerator for the developing countries that were already highly in debt. An interview with Barbara Unmüßig, President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, on the latest developments.

Where the Philippines sits on the gender equality and LGBT rights spectrum can be very confusing for many who are not familiar with the country’s culture. It can feel like being in a time machine that takes you from the 18th century to the 21st in a matter of hours. Sports like volleyball are an equalizing factor, serving as a safe space for the LGBT community.