Will Kim Jong Un’s successor be his 9-year-old daughter? Kim Ju-ae has become a prominent figure at some of North Korea’s biggest moments, unlike her siblings that we know very little about. Does this point to her legitimacy as the future leader of North Korea or is it a PR stunt by the regime? Kim Ju-ae made her first appearance at a missile launch in 2022, and last week she was at the 75th anniversary celebration of the North Korean army. Already getting comfortable in the limelight and opting in for intimate moments shared with her father, Kim Ju-ae has experts wondering. Is there a possibility that a woman can ever become the face of this country?

In Hong Kong, trans people no longer have to show proof of surgery to change gender on their ID. The law that required full sex reassignment surgery has been ruled by Hong Kong's top court as unconstitutional and an infringement on trans people’s rights to bodily integrity. Until now, the law required trans people to remove their uterus and reconstruct male genitalia to change their gender on identification cards. Half of trans Hong Kongers say they face discrimination in daily life, impacting their mental health severely. This government recognition is a great step in helping trans people have access to banks, gyms, toilets–but it’s only a first step. There’s much more to be done–including acknowledging non-binary genders. Will other countries follow suit?

Perbedaan etnis di Malaysia bukan hanya persoalan nilai di masyarakat, namun tertuang juga dalam hukum yang berlaku. Hal ini membuat banyak orang-orang minoritas mengalami ketimpangan dalam berbagai bidang, mulai dari ketersediaan pendidikan yang terbatas, akses ke penunjang kesehatan yang sulit, dan tingkat kesejahteraan yang berada di bawah rata-rata. Ketimpangan ini juga berujung pada hal-hal lain yang juga membahayakan seperti diskriminasi dan kekejaman oleh aparat pemerintahan. Produk hukum ini salah satunya adalah New Economic Policy, sebuah kebijakan yang dilahirkan pada tahun 1970-an dan terus meminggirkan kebutuhan dan kesejahteraan masyarakat minoritas di Malaysia. Apa cerita di balik kebijakan ini, dan apa yang bisa dilakukan dalam menghadapinya?

A genocide in Afghanistan is being neglected. For over 130 years, Hazara communities have been massacred in killings, by famine, starvation, and state-sanctioned enslavement. Today, the Taliban has pushed Hazara people out of government, displaced them, and redistributed their land to their supporters. What can we do? Humanitarians have advised the UN Genocide Investigation team to get on the ground and start collecting details to even prove the existence of a genocide. The hashtag #StopHazaraGenocide has gone viral, with over ten million mentions on Twitter - and this number is only growing. Here’s how you can support Hazara people.

For Lunar New Year, we take a look back at the past year. From the Olympics to the Oscars, Asians prevailed across the world. We also experienced government neglect, regressions in policy, and violent protests. From Iran to Taiwan, we witnessed disasters and grief, but also saw resistance, inspiration, and coming together. This past year was polarizing. While Anna May Wong became the first Asian American face featured on the US quarter, South Korea elected a president whose campaign was rooted in anti-feminism. We stepped forward, we stepped backwards. Villages were wiped out, stampedes killed thousands. We experienced solidarity, we felt angry, and we demanded accountability. We learned how the COVID lockdown affected Shanghai and why the Sri Lankan president ran away. We learned a lot about what’s happening in Asia, in the diaspora, and most importantly – to Asians across the world. Here’s a recap of the year’s most notable stories.

Sindh, Pakistan held their first trans pride march, Sindh Moorat March. It was iconic, inclusive, and led by a young, trans, Shia progressive leadership. What can this mean for a country that saw more trans lives killed than any other in Asia last year? There are thousands of registered cases of violence towards trans lives in Pakistan, including at least 91 killings since 2015. In 2018, a landmark trans rights bill was passed that meant people could choose their own identity, and many more safeguards in employment, health, education, and access to public spaces. The unprecedented bill hasn’t been fulfilled by the government though and transphobic speech is on the rise in Pakistan. What is also true is that Gen-z are celebrating trans lives in a revolutionizing movement that integrates tradition and culture. Trans people are indigenous to the subcontinent with a history that traces back 4,000 years. Today, they’re not only reclaiming their pride–rooted further than colonialism, they’re also fighting for income redistribution, land reforms, justice, dignity, reparations, and climate justice.