ABSTRACT

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.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

Framing activism and authoritarian governance in Asia

part 1|56 pages

Concepts of activism in Asia

part 2|74 pages

Spaces of activism in Asia

chapter 5|15 pages

Asserting citizenship, claiming space

Activism and repression in majoritarian India

chapter 6|14 pages

Beyond the courtroom

Lawyer activism and resistance in Hong Kong

chapter 9|13 pages

Challenging digital authoritarianism

Milk Tea Alliance and transnational solidarity

part 3|74 pages

Practices of activism in Asia

chapter 10|20 pages

A “leaderless but leader-full” movement

Social mobilisation in the 2019 Hong Kong protests

chapter 11|17 pages

Activist films

How grassroots activists shape the construction of national identity

chapter 12|16 pages

Flirting with gender purrspectives

Contemporary women's activist comics in the Philippines

chapter |6 pages

Conclusion

Reflecting on activism and authoritarian governance in Asia