Hello! This is Dunia, an independent investigative journalism network connecting Asia. In this edition of the Dunia Letter, we trace a series of journeys — from the overseas political involvement of a religious organization, to the ways Asian women’s stories are told and recorded, and to the long diplomatic path
![[Beyond DUNIA] Review of Chen Sihong’s Ghost Town: Who Gets to Tell the Stories of Asian Women](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/dc/62dc96dc-dc55-4ca2-b75d-c7a4ffda823a/content/images/2026/01/20-9.png)
This essay reviews Chen Sihong’s Ghost Town to examine who tells the stories of Asian women. Through a gay younger brother’s perspective, it reveals how patriarchy and homophobia shape women’s lives, and suggests that their histories can be written through solidarity with other marginalized voices.
![[Beyond DUNIA] Is the Queer Movement Really a Western Invention?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/dc/62dc96dc-dc55-4ca2-b75d-c7a4ffda823a/content/images/2026/01/20-2.png)
This article challenges the idea that the queer movement originated in the West. Through the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women and the case of Indonesia, it shows how queer movements in Asia emerged from local gender systems and political repression, forming distinct histories of resistance.
![[Beyond DUNIA] Are There Indian Feminists Working in India, Not the United States?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/dc/62dc96dc-dc55-4ca2-b75d-c7a4ffda823a/content/images/2026/01/20-1.png)
This article explores Indian feminism beyond gender equality, highlighting how women resist exploitation by capital, the state, and development-driven environmental destruction. From the Chipko Movement to Dalit agro-feminism, it shows feminism as a struggle for sustainability and social justice.
![[Beyond DUNIA] Do Women’s Movements Exist in Southeast Asia?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/dc/62dc96dc-dc55-4ca2-b75d-c7a4ffda823a/content/images/2026/01/20.png)
The idea that Asian women are merely passive victims is rooted in Orientalism and misogyny. This essay highlights women-led movements like Indonesia’s Suara Ibu Peduli, revealing how Asian women have long resisted exploitation—and why reclaiming erased feminist histories matters.
Yeaser, a Rohingya student, studies chemistry on YouTube because his camp lacks even basic lab tools. He dreams of becoming a doctor in Cox’s Bazar, where medical care disappears at night. From the UN’s “Ground Zero,” Dunia presents an op-ed by his teacher, Niyamot Ullah.
Cyclone Ditwa hit Sri Lanka in late 2025, killing 600+ and displacing 1.5 million. As India and Pakistan cooperated on relief, mass blood donations, community kitchens, and volunteer rescues revealed strong public solidarity.
Severe flooding in Perlis has exposed cracks in Malaysia’s climate defenses despite major mitigation spending. With economic losses rising, displaced families surviving in makeshift shelters underscore the widening gap between policy and lived reality.
The deadly 2025 Sumatra floods, which killed 914 people, were not just due to heavy rain but driven by deforestation and palm oil expansion. Despite government denial, affected areas remain cut off with little access to aid.
Hat Yai’s flood became a man-made disaster as ignored drainage warnings, weak leadership, and false “safety” alerts deepened the damage and broke public trust. Slow relief and the PM’s late admission underscore the need for urgent reform of Thailand’s disaster governance.