1st Edition
Activism and Authoritarian Governance in Asia
This interdisciplinary book offers a new analysis of the concepts, spaces, and practices of activism that emerge under diverse authoritarian modes of governance in Asia.
Demonstrating the limitations of existing conceptual approaches in accounting for activism in Asia, the book also offers new understandings of authoritarian governance practices and how these shape state-civil society relations. In conjunction with its tripartite theoretical framework, the book presents regional knowledge from an array of countries in Asia, with empirically rich contributions from both scholars and activists.
Through in-depth case studies, the book offers new scholarly insights that highlight the ways in which activism emerges and is contested across Asia. As such, it will be of interest to students and scholars of Asian politics, law, and sociology.
Introduction
Amy Barrow and Sara Fuller
Part 1: Concepts of Activism in Asia
1. Social movements amidst autocratization
Kin-long Tong and Edmund W. Cheng
2. Communication practices in Vietnamese non-government organisations as civic actions
Lien Pham
3. Shifting boundaries of development and activism? The case of Sombath Somphone
Kearrin Sims
4. Citizen science as an alternative form of environmental contention in China: The case of Zero Waste Alliance
Yanmei Lin and Natalie W.M. Wong
Part 2: Spaces of Activism in Asia
5. Asserting citizenship, claiming space: Activism and repression in majoritarian India
Surabhi Chopra
6. Beyond the courtroom: Lawyer activism and resistance in Hong Kong
Amy Barrow
7. The Constitutional Court and civic activism in polarised Thailand since 2014: Turning back time?
Rawin Leelapatana and Chompunoot Tangthavorn
8. Transnational advocacy against China’s atrocities in Xinjiang
Eva Pils
9. Challenging digital authoritarianism: Milk Tea Alliance and transnational solidarity
Roger Lee Huang and Chavalin Svetanant
Part 3: Practices of Activism in Asia
10. A "leaderless but leader-full" movement: Social mobilisation in the 2019 Hong Kong protests
Yan Ho Lai
11. Activist films: How grassroots activists shape the construction of national identity
Brenda Danker
12. Flirting with gender purrspectives: Contemporary women’s activist comics in the Philippines
Kristine Michelle L. Santos and Karl Ian Uy Cheng Chua
13. Investigating the activist potentials of "gay manga" in Japan and the Philippines
Thomas Baudinette
Conclusion: Reflecting on activism and authoritarian governance in Asia
Amy Barrow and Sara Fuller
Biography
Amy Barrow is Senior Lecturer at Macquarie Law School, member of the Centre for Agency, Values and Ethics, and co-leader of the Activism, Rights and Justice Research Stream in the Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
Sara Fuller is Associate Professor in the Discipline of Geography and Planning at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Her research explores climate change, justice, and activism in the Asia Pacific region.
