Notices by Nithin Coca నితిన్ (ncoca@social.coop)

Is it #Indian culture to tell someone "ping me on #Whatsapp" and when you respond "I don't use Whatsapp, can we use X, X, or X" to just stop responding and ghost you?

Looking for a #journalist who is in, or has covered, #environmental issues in #India-administrated #Kashmir for a potential cross-border collaborative investigation.

So far, it's been very challenging, so please share widely, or send suggestions to me.

The fact that the deaths of six tourists (all westerners) in #SoutheastAsia (#Laos) is a far bigger story than the 174 #Rohingya who died when their boat sank last week says a lot about how the world values some lives over others.

Both were, technically, groups of travelers. One made up of privileged members, with western passports, whose deaths will likely results in extensive investigation.

The others, nameless, unwanted stateless #refugees left to fend for themselves.

If this was 174 white people, Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Koreans, etc, it would be a major global story for weeks.

But since it's 174 #Rohingya, it barely merits a peep.

#Myanmar #Genocide #Burma

https://www.brouk.org.uk/174-rohingya-drown-at-sea-fleeing-escalating-genocide-and-violence-in-burma/

A good friend of mine is helping organize this #strike of #gigworkers in #India. Really amazing campaign and work - and hopefully, a better future for some these exploited and vulnerable workers, through labor power.

https://khabarlahariya.org/women-gig-workers-call-for-digital-strike-across-india-on-deepavali-demanding-their-rights/

I told a (western) energy expert here that there are way more environmental NGOs and activists in #Indonesia than #Japan and he was shocked.

Trying to reach a journalist in #India and...he doesn't use #signal doesn't really use #email, nor does he seem to check #LinkedIn.

It's a common problem, and these are issues I don't have reaching journalists anywhere else in Asia, including #Bangladesh, #Nepal, or #Pakistan.

India is definitely a standout in its singular dependence on a single, foreign-owned, insecure & dangerous app #Whatsapp

While calls are growing for #Japan to prioritize #renewables, #China’s dominance of key components – such as #lithium, cobalt #solar & nickel – is linked by forced labor of #Uyghurs in the #Xinjiang region and other #humanrights concerns in places like #Indonesia and the #DRC.

For my story for @thejapantimes I explore how Tokyo is balancing with the social cost and geopolitical risks as it, cautiously, moves forward on its #cleanenergy transition

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2024/09/16/energy/china-supply-chain-energy-transition/

Got invited to attend a #climate #energy media tour in #HongKong.

Had to tell them that I am very unlikely to be allowed entry into HK due to my coverage of #humanrights in #Tibet #Taiwan #EastTurkestan, and gently called them out on holding an event in a place that's become so anti-press.

@nntokyo @auspicacious Took nearly a year, but the presentation of an idea, that I gave last October is finally a published cover story for The Wire China.

https://www.thewirechina.com/remember-tibet-surveillance-china-censorship

Met a #French-African journalist who was visiting Japan, and she was surprised that I knew where her home country in #Africa was, because, in Asia and Europe, most don't.

She shared a fascinating anecdote about how the #Dutch dumped #Indonesia #Batik on West Africa during the colonial era, severely harming indigenous textiles and weaving, the impacts of which are still felt today.

One Japanese #NGO has, with no warning and no inkling of a reason, just stopped responding to me and removed me from their press lists.

The strange thing is that I know people at their other regional offices, and international HQ, in fact, quite well, as we worked together in my pre-journalism days. Interviewed one of them last week for a non-Japan story! I asked them, and higher-ups there, to follow-up and they also never got a response. Really strange.

Just found out they put out a press release a few days, about a Japanese investment into an Indonesia company linked to deforestation. The company happens to be one which I've investigated numerous times.

It's an angle that is 100% up my alley, and, I imagine, not many others in Japan.

Not sending it to me...It's like they don't want to get any media coverage.

@NeonPurpleStar No, it was not - I've, long ago, blocked Yogthos after he'd responded to one of my posts with a whole bunch of disinformation.

Saw a tankie account, in between anti-Ukraine, pro-China BS, claim that what happened in #Bangladesh was a #CIA instigated coup. Just...mind-boggling.

It's never ceases to amaze me how they tankies are unable to imagine anyone in the world has agency besides the #US.

To their credit, #Japanese TV refers to the #Taiwan Olympic team as Taiwan (Kanji #注音), and repeatedly say they're Taiwan, never #ChineseTaipei.

There are probably at least 50 journalists - nearly all journalists of color working in the global south - that I would rank as more deserving of being freed than #Assange.

For example,

- Huang Xueqin, a #Chinese feminist who covered #MeToo

- #Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj

- #Vietnamese pro-democracy reporter Pham Doan Trang

- Saudi journalist Nazeer Al-Majed.

Why don't their cases get as much attention?

#China #India #SaudiArabia #Vietnam #PressFreedom #Journalism

Is there any way to turn off the annoying AI summaries suddenly showing up on my #LinkedIn feed?

Every time I check the #India #election results, the #NDA seat projection keeps dropping. Now 286. Is it possible they don't get a majority?

Of all the elections this year, #India was not one I expected to be a sign of hope for #democracy.

#LokSabhaElections