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Jessie Lau

Jessie Lau

Jessie Lau is a journalist, researcher and artist covering global identity, human rights, and politics.

Jessie Lau is a journalist, researcher, and artist covering global identity, human rights and politics — with a focus on China and other parts of Asia. Her work has been published by The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and The Economist, among others. She serves as Board Member and Online Editor-in-Chief at NüVoices, and was formerly a staff reporter with the South China Morning Post. Based in London and Hong Kong, she holds a MSc in international history from the London School of Economics, an LLM in international studies from Peking University, and a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley. Website: www.laujessie.com. Twitter: @_laujessie

Posts by Jessie Lau
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March 18, 2021

National Security Law Casts a Shadow Over Hong Kong’s Art Scene

By Jessie Lau
From museum exhibits to film screenings, the art scene is increasingly feeling the impact of the law.
March 15, 2021

Meet the Hong Kong Sign Language Interpretation Group Translating Politics and Human Rights 

By Jessie Lau
A grassroots organization is working to boost the deaf community’s ability to take part in Hong Kong’s most important political debates.

March 01, 2021

Hong Kong’s Crackdown Moves With Dizzying Speed

By Jessie Lau
The events of the last week spell the end of any formal political opposition in Hong Kong.

February 22, 2021

A Trust Deficit Is Hindering Hong Kong’s COVID-19 Response

By Jessie Lau
In the wake of the national security law, public trust in the government has reached new lows. That is inevitably impacting Hong Kong's pandemic response.

February 13, 2021

Myanmar’s Protest Movement Finds Friends in the Milk Tea Alliance

By Jessie Lau
Transnational solidarity – including shared protest tactics and strategies – between Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan now stretches to include Myanmar’s anti-coup movement.
February 04, 2021

As British Migration Scheme Opens, More Hong Kongers Opt for Life in Exile

By Jessie Lau
The BNO scheme, which took effect this week, is attracting Hong Kongers who no longer feel safe in their home city.

January 22, 2021

In Hong Kong, COVID-19 and Racism Make an Ugly Mix

By Jessie Lau
In Hong Kong, the pandemic has fanned the flames of a more silent epidemic: systematic racism. 
January 15, 2021

Hong Kong Begins Internet Restrictions on National Security Grounds

By Jessie Lau
The first blocking of a website has raised concerns that the Great Firewall might be coming to Hong Kong.

January 06, 2021

Hong Kong Police Arrest 53 Pro-Democrats on Subversion Charges

By Jessie Lau
The charges stem from a plan to win a majority in Hong Kong's legislature and use that power to veto the government's budget.

January 04, 2021

Sentences for ‘Hong Kong 12’ Spark Outrage From Pro-Democrats

By Jessie Lau
The case served as a flashpoint for Hong Kong's beleaguered pro-democracy movement.

December 19, 2020

What Apple Daily Means for Hong Kong

By Jessie Lau
The crackdown on Apple Daily and Jimmy Lai is the culmination of a decades-long saga that encapsulates the broader struggle for press freedom in Hong Kong.
December 12, 2020

#MeToo Reckoning Continues in China and Hong Kong

By Jessie Lau
As China held a hearing on a #MeToo icon’s case, Hong Kong was grappling with its biggest sexual harassment scandal yet.

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