The Divide

Last week, a court in Hong Kong convicted 14 people of conspiracy to commit subversion in the largest national security case, involving 47 pro-democracy advocates who organized an unofficial primary election for legislative council seats. Hong Kong officials, including Chief Executive John Lee, welcomed the convictions, emphasizing 'the scale and the seriousness of the criminal scheme.'

In this episode, Carmen Lau, a former district councillor now living in exile, and Yaqiu Wang, Freedom House's Research Director for China, explore the scale and motivations behind the relentless efforts of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments to suppress the city’s pro-democracy movement.

On Tuesday, May 21, tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Legislature in Taipei to call for more transparency regarding controversial legislative reform bills. Inside the Legislature, lawmakers from the opposition parties Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) passed the second reading of parts of the bills with their majority votes.

In today's episode, Vincent Chao, a Taipei City Councilor and former Director of International Affairs of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), speaks on why he thinks the bills are an infringement on Taiwan's democracy and, potentially, national security. 

As death tolls rise in Gaza, student protests have swept through US campuses in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Students are urging their schools and universities to divest from weapons manufacturers and companies profiting from Israeli military actions against Palestinians.

But why do so many colleges and universities invest in companies involved in weapons manufacturing or connected to foreign states? Are these investments ethical? And what would happen to these education institutions if they divest from these entities? 

In this episode, human rights activist Kafia Ahmed and senior editor Alex Shephard from The New Republic delve into why numerous US colleges and universities hold substantial endowments in the defense industry. 

The Constitutional Court convened a debate on abolishing the death penalty on April 23. Long-term polls consistently show that approximately 80% of the Taiwanese public supports maintaining the death penalty. Against this backdrop, the question arises whether the Judiciary has the authority to override public opinion.

In this episode, we are hearing from Professor Jimmy Chia-Shin Hsu (許家馨), a constitutional law scholar invited to the Constitutional Court on April 23 to provide an expert opinion, about why he believes the bench should refrain from completely ruling out capital punishment. Meanwhile, Ms. Lin Hsin-yi (林欣怡), Executive Director of the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, argues that it is the right time for the Court to examine the constitutionality of the death penalty.

On April 23, the Constitutional Court of Taiwan convened a hearing to assess the constitutionality of the death penalty. This came after 37 individuals on death row submitted a petition, contending that capital punishment violates their constitutional right to life. In this edition of The Divide, we sit down with Lin Hsin-yi (林欣怡), the executive director of the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, who has been a staunch advocate for abolition since the early 2000s. Lin sheds light on the prevalence of wrongful convictions and underscores the pervasive biases within the judicial system that often go unnoticed.

In 2017, shocking reports emerged from East Turkistan, or Xinjiang, revealing the harrowing reality faced by thousands of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. They were forcibly detained in "re-education camps'' by Chinese authorities. There they endured unimaginable horrors such as forced disappearance, torture, and extra-judicial detention. The world grappled with the crisis while the number of victims climbed to a maximum estimate of 2 million. 

I speak with Mr. Ilshat H. Kokbore, a courageous Uyghur rights activist whose own family has fallen victim to the atrocities perpetrated by the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang. 

Join us as we delve into the heart-wrenching truths about the ongoing crisis and Mr. Kokbore's commitment to seeking justice for his people.

Join us for an insightful interview with Kunāl Majumder, the representative for India at the press freedom organization Committee to Protect Journalists; and political journalist Amrita Madhukalya, who is covering the ongoing general election in India. In this episode of the Divide, Kunal and Amrita dive deep into the issues affecting journalists covering India's ongoing elections, including press freedom hurdles, safety concerns and the polarizing landscape.

India kicks off what's essentially the world’s biggest election on April 19. It's a huge deal — possibly the most important one in decades — and it could really shape the country's future.

Almost a billion people will get to decide if they want Prime Minister Narendra Modi back for a rare third term, which would extend his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), beyond their current 10 years in power. But what's at stake, and what do we need to know about this general election?

On this week's The Divide, Iris speaks with two experts who are observing the election from their unique media perspectives: Amrita Madhukalya, a political journalist who is currently covering the ruling party BJP's election campaign; and Kunal Majumder, journalist and the India representative for the press freedom organization Committee to Protect Journalists. 

Motherhood is a complex and nuanced topic that is often discussed in a limited manner. However, for many women, it is not a simple either/or decision. In this episode, we will hear from four women who are navigating their life choices with diverse mindsets and considerations.

This week, The Divide delves into the impact of Jimmy Lai's trial on the people of Hong Kong and the broader implications of China's crackdown on democracy. We hear from former Hong Kong journalist Steve Vines, close associate Mark Simon, and former Asia coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists Steven Butler about Lai's fearless character and unwavering commitment to democracy, even at the risk of life imprisonment.