Asia Pacific Forum

MoMA Divest Disrupts Iraq War Art Exhibit (Asia Pacific Forum: 14 Apr 2020)

At the Museum of Modern Art's PS1 Space in Queens, a group of activists from the MoMA Divest campaign staged a demonstration at a controversial exhibit featuring artists' reflections on the Iraq War, titled Theater of Operations: The Gulf Wars 1991-2011. The group delivered the demands of many artists and activists calling for divestment from morally corrupt enterprises such as private prison companies, and the defense contractor Constellis Holdings, formerly named Blackwater, which was heavi...

Confronting the Danger of Environmental Activism in the Philippines with Spirit Questing (Asia Pacific Forum: 14 Apr 2020)

At the start of the year, the Philippines faced the looming threat of a Taal volcano eruption and was the first country outside of China to experience a death as a result of the coronavirus. And when it comes to making lists, there is no shortage of mentions of the Philippines when it comes to both climate change and the dangers of being an environmental activist. The Global Climate Risk Index ranks the Philippines as the second most affected by climate-related disasters out of 181 countries ...

International Criminal Court Opens Door to Investigating US War Crimes Charges (Asia Pacific Forum: 14 Apr 2020)

As the Trump administration scrambles to broker a deal with the Taliban that will allow the US to reduce its military presence in Afghanistan, the International Criminal Court is providing victims of that war one last chance to seek justice. The ICC's Appeals Chamber reversed an earlier decision by the Court's Pre-Trial Chamber, which had blocked the ICC Prosecutor from initiating a formal investigation into human rights violations and related crimes against humanity. Because the investigati...

Listen to the Entire Show: Pandemics, Racism, War Crimes and Climate Change (Asia Pacific Forum: 14 Apr 2020)

On this episode of Asia Pacific Forum: Anti-Asian Violence and Discrimination in the Coronavirus Era, International Criminal Court Opens Door to Investigating US War Crimes Charges, MoMA Divest Disrupts Iraq War Art Exhibit, and Confronting the Danger of Environmental Activism in the Philippines with Spirit Questing. Interested in making a tax-deductible donation to APF Radio to help us defray costs of production and website hosting, donate here.

Anti-Asian Violence and Discrimination in the Coronavirus Era (Asia Pacific Forum: 14 Apr 2020)

With the establishment of the United States as the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are feeling the impact of the crisis. But many in Asian American communities are also facing hatred directed towards those perceived to be responsible because the president and other public figures have played up the fact that the virus emerged in China. We speak with Professor Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University about his work moni...

Labor and the Hong Kong Protests (Asia Pacific Forum: 22 Nov 2019)

Although labor has not been at the forefront of the current wave of protests, throughout the uprising, there have been pockets of labor unrest, including general strike last summer, and strong undercurrent of class tension threads through the mass mobilization in the streets. We speak with L.H. Au of Workercom, and Wong Yu-loy, Organising Coordinator of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions about the role that organized labor plays in Hong Kong's current political landscape. A versi...

Hong Kong's Invisible "Helpers" (Asia Pacific Forum: 22 Nov 2019)

Hong Kong's migrant domestic workers, known as "helpers" are ubiquitous,yet politically invisible. An emblem of every proper middle class home, they do the work that enables Hong Kong's neoliberal economy to flourish, but often at the cost of their personal autonomy and their basic human rights. We speak with Joanna Bowers, the creator of the documentary The Helper, which explores the experiences of Hong Kong's migrant underclass. GUESTS: Joanna Bowers, filmmaker, The Helper

Hope and Despair in Hong Kong (Asia Pacific Forum: 22 Nov 2019)

Hong Kong is now entering its sixth month of protests, chaos in the streets and vicious police crackdowns. What began as a revolt against an extradition bill that would have allowed people to be plucked from the island to face justice in the mainland's authoritarian legal system, has now become a massive and volatile social uprising. Will the movement for full universal suffrage be answered by Beijing, will the local government unravel under public pressure, and what role does Hong Kong and i...

Listen to the Whole Show (Asia Pacific Forum: 22 Nov 2019)