Hello Globes readers,
This week, our stories spotlight heavy human rights abuses in the region, and also explore empowering solutions to environmental and social problems.
A Papuan community awaits justice for the “Bloody Paniai” massacre reportedly carried out by Indonesia security forces. The case is finally scheduled for trial in Indonesia’s human rights courts, but activists and victims’ relatives are not convinced justice will be delivered.
In another overlooked human rights issue, Globe Editor Caleb Quinley documents the precarious lives of anti-junta Myanmar activists being “hunted down” by Thai authorities in border towns. The activists face deportation, which could lead to death at the hands of the junta. Forced into hiding without opportunities to rebuild their lives, they are stuck in limbo. “They are like prisoners in their own house,” one human rights observer said.
On a more uplifting note, Cambodia has a new waste management warrior confronting the nation’s growing crisis of garbage disposal. Contributor Chea Sameang reported that local authorities struggle to handle mounting piles of trash and communities lack garbage collection and disposal sites. Yet one Cambodian man is taking matters into his own hands by building a grassroots waste management service for communities in northwest Cambodia.
This industrious spirit is alive in Cambodia’s women entrepreneurs as well. The Globe looked at the growth of women-led small and medium sized enterprises in the Kingdom led by women. However, many lack education and financial resources to expand their companies, largely due to ingrained sexist norms, analyst Heng Molika argued. She outlined how improving financial services and educational opportunities could make their small businesses grow.
That’s all for this week, we hope you enjoy the articles below.
