Beyond Borders | - UNHCR On Myanmar Refugees, Our long COVID, 'Missing' Women Photojournalists
In the nearly four months after the Myanmar coup in February, more people have been fleeing the country, or having to think of this option.
In early May, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released an update on the crisis: At least 10,000 people have fled across either Myanmar's border to the west, to India, or to the south-east, across to Thailand since the Feb 1 coup. UNHCR has prepared relief items for more than 16,000 refugees, assuming it gets access to the refugees, especially at the border with Thailand. We talk to UNHCR's Catherine Stubberfield about the situation, including the fact that Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Our infographic gives an update on the arrests of journalists in Myanmar, which have now reached 83. Of these, 47 are still in detention, and the first conviction of a journalist. Still on Myanmar, Venezuela's TeleSUR TV station called us up to discuss the situation there a few days ago.
Also in our news menu is a look at the race (and stumbles) toward more, and faster, vaccination in Southeast Asia. It's lockdown season again: even Laos, spared the worst in 2020, is now in lockdown and has reported its first two deaths. Thailand has seen a record number of new daily cases, exceeding 9,600 on 17 May. It's also shopping for just about all vaccine brands, aims to start mass vaccination in less than two weeks and – to vaccinate 70% of Bangkok residents in two months.
A Filipino student's personal account below reminds us of the continued human toll of COVID-19, amid its massive resurgence across the world. The infodemic continues, but there are some creative efforts at addressing this, such as an online game-cum- lesson from Malaysia we report about.
To wrap up our story mix, we delve into the lack of women photojournalists in Southeast Asia's newsrooms ("Can women do video?"), and an offbeat visual story on a team of Lao photographers' discoveries in the remote villages of their country.
-Johanna Son, Editor/founder, Reporting ASEAN
1 Myanmar On Our Minds
UNHCR: ’No One Chooses To Be A Refugee’ — www.reportingasean.net
More people are being displaced by conflict and insecurity in Myanmar after the February coup, having to cross the border to Thailand or India, or waiting for the chance to do so. But Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. What does this mean for those whose life and safety are under threat?
Update on the media crackdown
2 Our 'Long COVID'
('Long COVID' is the term used to refer to lingering symptoms for weeks, months after recovering from COVID-19)
Vaccination in Southeast Asia: It’s Complicated — www.reportingasean.net
BY JOHANNA SON with SAO PHAL NISEIY in Cambodia, KANIS DURSIN in Indonesia, MARIEJO RAMOS in the Philippines, and UYEN DIEP in Vietnam
Resignation, frustration mix as Southeast Asians find that their countries are back in lockdowns. But vaccination is underway, covering larger proportions of people in Singapore and Indonesia, than in the Philippines and Thailand.
I am among the one million Filipinos who had COVID-19. My Papa was one of the 17,800 people who died from it. — www.reportingasean.net
BY JOMEL PAGUDIAN
A 21-year-old university student shares his story of trauma, loss, anger and frustration, from experiencing what it means to have a health system that is flailing amid COVID-19.
3 #mediaonmedia
Her Lens: Where are Southeast Asia's Photojournalists? — www.reportingasean.net
A REPORTING ASEAN team feature written by JOHANNA SON with reporting from SAO PHAL NISEIY, KANIS DURSIN , MARIEJO RAMOS, VANNAPHONE SITTHIRATH, AND UYEN DIEP
Women are much less visible in photo and visual journalism and related work in Southeast Asia. Though things have been changing, the issue touches on perceptions of women and men's roles, default newsroom habits and the female gaze.
The Name of the (Misinformation) Game? Our Choices — www.reportingasean.net
A fun way of getting a serious message across is what the online game 'ChoicesIMake', developed by a Malaysian group working on news and information literacy skills. Ready?
PLUS: Our survey report 'News Habits and COVID-19: A Southeast Asian Lens' is now in our e-Library!
News Habits And Covid 19: A Southeast Asian Lens — en.calameo.com
Highlights of the findings from our survey across the region.
4 On Laos
Laos: To See And Be Seen — www.reportingasean.net
For the third year, a group of Lao photographers travelled to remote rural villages in the northern part of the country as part of a photo trip-cum-workshop. They did not, however, just take photos of the residents, but gave something back by teaching them how to shoot pictures - and treating them to films (including Charlie Chaplin ones).
5 Clickworthy
The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill — www.wired.com All pandemic long, scientists brawled over how the virus spreads. Droplets! No, aerosols! At the heart of the fight was a teensy error with huge consequences.
The Coup in Myanmar/Burma: Collective Trauma and Resilience — teacircleoxford.com
Lili Kyawt (pseudonym) reflects on experiences of trauma shared by different generations. I wrote the following piece after 3 March 2021, on which 38 people died from the crackdown.
Why nothing is going to change at Singapore Press Holdings — splicemedia.com Without editorial independence and trust, we’re just flushing taxpayer dollars down this hole.