Hong Kong through an Artist’s Eyes: Music That Cannot Be Taken Away

Abstract*This paper was written based on an interview conducted on March 18, 2024.

Defying Giants: Hong Kong–Brewed Counter-Narratives to Stop the CCP’s Global Anti-Democracy Campaign

Abstract*This paper was written based on an interview conducted on April 10, 2024.

Measures to Tackle Delusional Political Campaigns

AbstractThe election process is crucial to democracy as it allows the people to select their representatives who will bear the duty to develop and carry out the will of the people; and thus, a political campaign comes into play. A political campaign generally reflects the intention and development plan a political party aims to pursue. It is equally (or even more) important and persuasive as the candidates themselves. Nonetheless, like everything in the world, there are two sides to a coin, in this case feasible and unfeasible (delusional) political campaigns. While feasible political campaigns allow voters to make well-informed votes for their country, unfeasible political campaigns could be considered as misinforming voters. In spite of the influence a political campaign can have over people, there is as yet no specific law that regulates campaigns directly, given the importance of freedom of speech. This paper discusses the relevant legal framework on political campaigns as well as measures to tackle delusional political campaigns, in order to empower voters and create a healthier ecosystem in a democratic society.

Hasina’s Last Stand: The Quota Movement, Student Uprising, and the Future of Bangladeshi Democracy

AbstractBangladesh has been ruled by Sheikh Hasina for 16 years, during which time the country’s democracy has been undermined by widespread vote rigging, voter intimidation, and violent suppression of the opposition. However, the tide began to turn with the student quota protests and subsequent uprising, which eventually forced Hasina from power and led to the establishment of a military caretaker government. Despite this shift, Bangladesh remains on a quest for democracy, struggling to recover from the long period of Hasina’s undemocratic rule.

Misinformation about Taiwan from Japan: Narrative Analysis and the Formation of New Narratives

AbstractHow should we deal with the growing concern over misinformation and disinformation? This paper examines this issue using misinformation about Taiwan emanating from Japan. The article “90% of Taiwan's Retired Executives Sell Information to China," published by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on February 28, 2023, not only sparked debate in Japan, but also led to the Taiwanese government directly pointing out the inaccuracy of the content. In this report, we first conduct a fact-check of this information and analyze the high probability that it is misinformation. Next, we counter the misinformation through a detailed analysis of the persona of the target of the misinformation and the narrative that the misinformation conveys. This study points out that the disinformation could trigger anti-Taiwan sentiment based on the persona of a 50-year-old married man, a company employee in a managerial position, with a household income of 8.5 million yen, and a Nikkei Shimbun reader. We will formulate counter-narratives from the perspective of the economy, in which the persona has a high interest, and will also touch on points to be considered when diffusing the information. Finally, we conclude that even newspaper articles must be careful about accuracy, pointing out the limitations of this paper.

Empowering Hong Kong: Journey of Community Building and Struggle for Freedom

Abstract*This paper was written based on an interview conducted on March 27, 2024.

Freedom for Hong Kong Begins with Ourselves

Abstract*This paper was written based on an interview conducted on March 21, 2024.

I am a Yangon Citizen Living in Tokyo: Interview with Journalist Yuki Kitazumi

Abstract*This article was written based on the interview conducted on March 11, 2024.

Testimony for Resilience: Perspectives of a Karenni Youth on Oppression, Humanitarian Aid, and Diaspora Activism

Abstract* This paper was written based on an interview conducted on March 14, 2024.

Generational Resistance for Democracy: Three Generations’ Resistance Against the Military Junta in Myanmar

Abstract*The paper was written based on an interview conducted on March 11, 2024.

Refugee protection and the role of civil society: a comparative study of Japan and South Korea

Gender-Sensitive Interpretation in Light of International Treaties for the EU Asylum Requirements Directive. [in Japanese]

ELSI discussions in building the Japanese Tort-case Dataset [in Japanese]

The Cold War in Asia After 1953

Can Military Power Maintain Peace? [in Japanese]

Sunnylands Initiative Statement in Indonesia

Political Culture, Democracy Support [in Japanese]

The German Federal Constitutional Court’s Perspective on the European Parliament and the Electoral Threshold Clause [in Japanese]

The Information War Targeted the “Divide” in Society: Election Interference by Russia, China, and Iran [in Japanese]

Division and Chaos in the United States: Exacerbated by Other Countries [in Japanese]