What does Mauritius’ acquisition of the Chagos Islands mean for the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees?
The Chagos Islands have recently been handed over to the Mauritian government by the UK’s new Labour government. Yet, on these very islands, specifically Diego Garcia - a US-UK military base, around 60 Tamil refugees, including 16 children, are trapped in limbo after claiming asylum in what was, and still is, the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2021. The group are alleged to have faced rats in their camp and multiple reports of sexual harassment and abuse along with several self-harm attempts (the latter of which led to 8 being treated in Rwanda), even resulting in the United Nations declaring that Diego Garcia is an unsuitable location for these migrants.
Struggle and Madness—A conflict between teachers and parents in the mainland of China
Recently, an incident in China has attracted widespread attention. On October 14, 2024, Miss Xu, a high school teacher at Southwest University Affiliated Middle School, posted a series of irrational and impolite messages in a parent-teacher chat group. Some of her messages included statements like, “Everyone stay away from me,” “If I were dead, you’d have to bow to my body,” and “Get out of my sight.”
An insider-outsider to my own country: a reflection on the 22-day uprising of Bangladeshi Students.
In July 2024, Bangladesh faced political upheaval following the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of a controversial job quota system. This meant that a significant portion of government jobs would be reserved for the descendants of the veterans who fought for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. This triggered nationwide protests, led by students demanding a more just and merit-based system. The unrest escalated with the government's violent crackdowns, resulting in widespread chaos, mass arrests, and over 700 deaths, garnering international attention. The protests ended in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years.