Nithin Coca
@nithincoca.com
Asia-focused (🇯🇵🇲🇾🇮🇩 & Tibet) award winning global journalist covering environment, climate, Human Rights & supply chains. DM for Signal 🔑
📍Japan, sometimes California or Indonesia
Mastodon: https://social.coop/@ncoca
Contact: nithincoca.com
📍Japan, sometimes California or Indonesia
Mastodon: https://social.coop/@ncoca
Contact: nithincoca.com
Pinned
Nithin Coca
@nithincoca.com
· Nov 14
An intro post: I'm a Japan-based, Indian-American environment and human rights freelance journalist (for @vox.com @aljazeera.com @nikkei.com @mongabay.bsky.social @thenation.com and elsewhere).
Was quite active on Twitter & still active on Mastodon & looking forward to connecting with people here!
Was quite active on Twitter & still active on Mastodon & looking forward to connecting with people here!
Reposted by Nithin Coca
In a world of Eileen Gu，be Alysa Liu
在遍地谷爱凌的世界，做刘美贤
Alysa Liu's father was a Tienanmen Square protester who escaped regime after 1989. Both him and Alysa have been harassed by the CCP. Alysa has refused the blood money from the CCP. She is true champion！
在遍地谷爱凌的世界，做刘美贤
Alysa Liu's father was a Tienanmen Square protester who escaped regime after 1989. Both him and Alysa have been harassed by the CCP. Alysa has refused the blood money from the CCP. She is true champion！
February 12, 2026 at 2:41 AM
In a world of Eileen Gu，be Alysa Liu
在遍地谷爱凌的世界，做刘美贤
Alysa Liu's father was a Tienanmen Square protester who escaped regime after 1989. Both him and Alysa have been harassed by the CCP. Alysa has refused the blood money from the CCP. She is true champion！
在遍地谷爱凌的世界，做刘美贤
Alysa Liu's father was a Tienanmen Square protester who escaped regime after 1989. Both him and Alysa have been harassed by the CCP. Alysa has refused the blood money from the CCP. She is true champion！
This is a tactic long used by the CPP to silence & punish Tibetans and Uyghurs, such as when the sister @rushanabbas.bsky.social was jailed by China in 2017.
Deeply worrying that punishing family members because of their relatives actions abroad out has come to #HongKong.
Deeply worrying that punishing family members because of their relatives actions abroad out has come to #HongKong.
The conviction of Anna Kwok's father under the NSL is a new low for the Hong Kong police state.
Father of pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok first to be convicted under Hong Kong national security law
Officials arrested Kwok Yin-sang after he tried to end his daughter’s insurance policy and withdraw the funds
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:46 AM
This is a tactic long used by the CPP to silence & punish Tibetans and Uyghurs, such as when the sister @rushanabbas.bsky.social was jailed by China in 2017.
Deeply worrying that punishing family members because of their relatives actions abroad out has come to #HongKong.
Deeply worrying that punishing family members because of their relatives actions abroad out has come to #HongKong.
What's actually supporting #Palestine more - holding a sign at a rally, or actually quitting using platforms that enable their oppression, or of those who speak out?
It's not safe, in 2026, to be an activist, journalist, or, often, a minority and use big tech.
theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
It's not safe, in 2026, to be an activist, journalist, or, often, a minority and use big tech.
theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Google Fulfilled ICE Subpoena Demanding Student Journalist’s Bank and Credit Card Numbers
Amandla Thomas-Johnson didn't know how much information ICE requested in a subpoena now. Google never gave him a chance to fight it.
theintercept.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:55 AM
What's actually supporting #Palestine more - holding a sign at a rally, or actually quitting using platforms that enable their oppression, or of those who speak out?
It's not safe, in 2026, to be an activist, journalist, or, often, a minority and use big tech.
theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
It's not safe, in 2026, to be an activist, journalist, or, often, a minority and use big tech.
theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Pay attention to how many so-called #China" experts here have said nothing about Lai's unjust sentencing, or the many others in #HongKong who have been jailed.
Too many of them stay silent for a variety of reasons - visits, or partnerships, or perhaps, I wonder, funding.
Too many of them stay silent for a variety of reasons - visits, or partnerships, or perhaps, I wonder, funding.
Jimmy Lai sentenced: What happened to other HK pro-democracy protesters? https://aje.news/cvpzfj
February 11, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Reposted by Nithin Coca
The Country That Cannot Be Named.
Hence why #Taiwanese athletes are calling attention to the fact that Taiwan's name is conspicuously absent from the national team outfits they are forced to wear in compliance with IOC rules and pressure from China.
Hence why #Taiwanese athletes are calling attention to the fact that Taiwan's name is conspicuously absent from the national team outfits they are forced to wear in compliance with IOC rules and pressure from China.
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 PM
The Country That Cannot Be Named.
Hence why #Taiwanese athletes are calling attention to the fact that Taiwan's name is conspicuously absent from the national team outfits they are forced to wear in compliance with IOC rules and pressure from China.
Hence why #Taiwanese athletes are calling attention to the fact that Taiwan's name is conspicuously absent from the national team outfits they are forced to wear in compliance with IOC rules and pressure from China.
Reposted by Nithin Coca
China is now “bankrolling” Russia’s war in Ukraine providing “60 per cent” of the funds needed by Moscow to continue fighting.
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da5539f...
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da5539f...
China bankrolling Putin’s war to gain advantage over West, MPs told
Beijing’s huge support for Russian aggression against Ukraine part of larger threatening posture, air marshal tells Commons committee
www.telegraph.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 2:02 AM
China is now “bankrolling” Russia’s war in Ukraine providing “60 per cent” of the funds needed by Moscow to continue fighting.
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da5539f...
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da5539f...
Pretty tough morning to hear how so many amazing journalist who I respect deeply, at one of the few newsrooms with a presence in #Asia, @washingtonpost.com, are being let go.
February 5, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Pretty tough morning to hear how so many amazing journalist who I respect deeply, at one of the few newsrooms with a presence in #Asia, @washingtonpost.com, are being let go.
Another reason to not use #Google - they'll readily share your data with the government and give you minimal opportunities to respond. It's not worth it.
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
DHS Hunts Down 67-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Who Criticized Them in Email
The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known tool to go after its critics.
newrepublic.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Another reason to not use #Google - they'll readily share your data with the government and give you minimal opportunities to respond. It's not worth it.
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Japan’s first woman prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, should promote new legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2026.
www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...
www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...
Japan: New Prime Minister Should Address Rising Xenophobia
Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, should promote new legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report ...
www.hrw.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Japan’s first woman prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, should promote new legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2026.
www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...
www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...
Reposted by Nithin Coca
More than six decades after displacement, #Tibetans in exile are electing their leaders through democratic processes. These #elections exist because Tibetans inside Tibet are denied the right to meaningful political participation.
sg.news.yahoo.com/exiled-tibet... (AFP)
sg.news.yahoo.com/exiled-tibet... (AFP)
Exiled Tibetans choose leaders for lost homeland
Exiled Tibetans began a unique global election on Sunday for a government representing a homeland many have never seen, as part of a democratic exercise voters say carries great weight.Exiled voters r...
sg.news.yahoo.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:26 AM
More than six decades after displacement, #Tibetans in exile are electing their leaders through democratic processes. These #elections exist because Tibetans inside Tibet are denied the right to meaningful political participation.
sg.news.yahoo.com/exiled-tibet... (AFP)
sg.news.yahoo.com/exiled-tibet... (AFP)
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Good piece here from @yasminjullah.bsky.social in @dvbenglish.bsky.social speaking on AI, misogyny & the war on Rohingya women’s visibility
"Rohingya women are told, constantly, that we should advocate, but quietly. Lead, but from behind a curtain. Be visible, but not too much. Exist, but not fully"
"Rohingya women are told, constantly, that we should advocate, but quietly. Lead, but from behind a curtain. Be visible, but not too much. Exist, but not fully"
AI, misogyny, and the war on Rohingya women’s visibility - DVB
Guest contributor Yasmin Ullah There is a particular cruelty reserved for women who refuse to disappear. I have seen it unfold in many forms over the past five years, but today it wears a new mask, on...
english.dvb.no
January 29, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Good piece here from @yasminjullah.bsky.social in @dvbenglish.bsky.social speaking on AI, misogyny & the war on Rohingya women’s visibility
"Rohingya women are told, constantly, that we should advocate, but quietly. Lead, but from behind a curtain. Be visible, but not too much. Exist, but not fully"
"Rohingya women are told, constantly, that we should advocate, but quietly. Lead, but from behind a curtain. Be visible, but not too much. Exist, but not fully"
Reposted by Nithin Coca
imagine if all that money had gone to teachers instead
January 25, 2026 at 2:37 PM
imagine if all that money had gone to teachers instead
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Japan has delivered 3 thousand tons of domestically produced rails to Ukraine to help fix Russia-damaged transport networks,Embassy of Japan in 🇺🇦 announced
The project was implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA)with the support of the Government of Japan
Thank you,Japan!
The project was implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA)with the support of the Government of Japan
Thank you,Japan!
January 24, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Japan has delivered 3 thousand tons of domestically produced rails to Ukraine to help fix Russia-damaged transport networks,Embassy of Japan in 🇺🇦 announced
The project was implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA)with the support of the Government of Japan
Thank you,Japan!
The project was implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA)with the support of the Government of Japan
Thank you,Japan!
Reposted by Nithin Coca
China has begun building the Guangdong section of the Tibet-Guangdong ultra high-voltage ‘green power’ line, moving #Tibet hydropower, solar, & wind to Guangzhou/Shenzhen.
Due 2029: 43bn kWh/yr, cutting approx 12m tonnes of coal, & feeding AI-driven demand.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
Due 2029: 43bn kWh/yr, cutting approx 12m tonnes of coal, & feeding AI-driven demand.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
China’s massive project to funnel clean energy from Tibet enters new phase
The ultra-high-voltage power lines will connect Tibet’s vast hydropower, solar and wind projects with factory hubs in southern China.
www.scmp.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:41 PM
China has begun building the Guangdong section of the Tibet-Guangdong ultra high-voltage ‘green power’ line, moving #Tibet hydropower, solar, & wind to Guangzhou/Shenzhen.
Due 2029: 43bn kWh/yr, cutting approx 12m tonnes of coal, & feeding AI-driven demand.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
Due 2029: 43bn kWh/yr, cutting approx 12m tonnes of coal, & feeding AI-driven demand.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Israel killed three Palestinian journalists in Gaza on Wednesday, including a freelance cameraman who contributed to CBS News. The network's president, Tom Cibrowski, let staff know at a meeting this morning, noting that Abdul Raouf Shaat had just been married. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
Israel kills 3 journalists in Gaza, including CBS News contributor
The journalists were killed Wednesday in a strike on their car in central Gaza. Israel’s military said it struck “several suspects” who were operating a drone.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Israel killed three Palestinian journalists in Gaza on Wednesday, including a freelance cameraman who contributed to CBS News. The network's president, Tom Cibrowski, let staff know at a meeting this morning, noting that Abdul Raouf Shaat had just been married. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
Reposted by Nithin Coca
NEW 🇮🇩 Using early-modern Javanese manuscripts, we can read new insights into the cultural significance of ancient temples in Islamic Indonesia—and go beyond colonial-era narratives of their “abandonment” and “discovery”.
Javanese candhi beyond abandonment and discovery - New Mandala
Decolonising the heritage of Indonesia
www.newmandala.org
December 9, 2025 at 4:17 AM
NEW 🇮🇩 Using early-modern Javanese manuscripts, we can read new insights into the cultural significance of ancient temples in Islamic Indonesia—and go beyond colonial-era narratives of their “abandonment” and “discovery”.
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Eight years ago today, bookseller Gui Minhai was arrested again and later sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Chinese Communist government. Since January 2018, his family has been unaware of his whereabouts and health status.
N.B. Gui is a Swedish citizen who was "disappeared" in Thailand.
N.B. Gui is a Swedish citizen who was "disappeared" in Thailand.
八年前的今天，书商 #桂民海 再次被捕，后被判刑10年；
nchrd.org/2025/10/chin...
2018年1月以来，家人一直不清楚他的下落与健康状况。
2025年1月，中国政府回复联合国关于桂民海案的询问时，仍拒绝透露他的下落与状态。除强迫失踪、任意拘押和剥夺公正审判权外，很可能在拘押中被剥夺必要医疗，这已构成酷刑。
nchrd.org/2025/10/chin...
2018年1月以来，家人一直不清楚他的下落与健康状况。
2025年1月，中国政府回复联合国关于桂民海案的询问时，仍拒绝透露他的下落与状态。除强迫失踪、任意拘押和剥夺公正审判权外，很可能在拘押中被剥夺必要医疗，这已构成酷刑。
January 20, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Eight years ago today, bookseller Gui Minhai was arrested again and later sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Chinese Communist government. Since January 2018, his family has been unaware of his whereabouts and health status.
N.B. Gui is a Swedish citizen who was "disappeared" in Thailand.
N.B. Gui is a Swedish citizen who was "disappeared" in Thailand.
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Great reminder that much of the far-left’s presence within the pro-Palestinian movement has been driven less by concern for Palestinian lives and more by an ideological obsession with opposing the West at all costs, even when it means legitimizing mass-murdering regimes, from Assad’s Syria to Iran.
January 16, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Great reminder that much of the far-left’s presence within the pro-Palestinian movement has been driven less by concern for Palestinian lives and more by an ideological obsession with opposing the West at all costs, even when it means legitimizing mass-murdering regimes, from Assad’s Syria to Iran.
Reposted by Nithin Coca
New report from @csis.org : govts urgently need to reexamine their policy frameworks on #Tibet, preparing for the geopolitical, economic, environmental + humanitarian challenges a future Dalai Lama succession will spark www.csis.org/analysis/whe... 1/3
When Faith and Geopolitics Collide
The Dalai Lama is widely revered as an advocate for human rights and nonviolence, but Beijing considers him an existential threat. When the 90-year-old monk passes, a succession crisis will ignite geo...
www.csis.org
January 12, 2026 at 10:48 AM
New report from @csis.org : govts urgently need to reexamine their policy frameworks on #Tibet, preparing for the geopolitical, economic, environmental + humanitarian challenges a future Dalai Lama succession will spark www.csis.org/analysis/whe... 1/3
Reposted by Nithin Coca
The Weight of Words
For HKers, language is our identity. We speak Cantonese. We write in traditional Chinese. And during the pro-democracy protests when it seemed like no one would hear us, we just made up some new words that speak our truth.
Source: Telegram/ Ah-To (Dec 2019)
For HKers, language is our identity. We speak Cantonese. We write in traditional Chinese. And during the pro-democracy protests when it seemed like no one would hear us, we just made up some new words that speak our truth.
Source: Telegram/ Ah-To (Dec 2019)
January 10, 2026 at 3:15 AM
The Weight of Words
For HKers, language is our identity. We speak Cantonese. We write in traditional Chinese. And during the pro-democracy protests when it seemed like no one would hear us, we just made up some new words that speak our truth.
Source: Telegram/ Ah-To (Dec 2019)
For HKers, language is our identity. We speak Cantonese. We write in traditional Chinese. And during the pro-democracy protests when it seemed like no one would hear us, we just made up some new words that speak our truth.
Source: Telegram/ Ah-To (Dec 2019)
I've always felt this was, at least, partly true. Can be extrapolated to also be a reason why #China dominated cleantech too - something that most #climate & #environment groups don't want to acknowledge.
thediplomat.com/2026/01/why-...
thediplomat.com/2026/01/why-...
Why China’s Exploitative Labor System Gives It a Strategic Edge
China’s decisive source of global competitive advantage lies in its weak labor protections. And it’s driving a race to the bottom for labor rights.
thediplomat.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:53 PM
I've always felt this was, at least, partly true. Can be extrapolated to also be a reason why #China dominated cleantech too - something that most #climate & #environment groups don't want to acknowledge.
thediplomat.com/2026/01/why-...
thediplomat.com/2026/01/why-...
Reposted by Nithin Coca
Taiwan’s legislature passes delivery worker law setting pay and platform rules – Focus Taiwan: ‘Taiwan Delivery Industry Union Alliance spokesperson Su Po-hao (蘇柏豪) said the passage of the law marks “a hard-won and important milestone.”’
Taiwan passes delivery worker law setting pay and platform rules - Focus Taiwan
The Legislative Yuan passed a new law Tuesday that will for the first time in Taiwan set minimum pay standards and rules governing food delivery platforms focused on protecting the rights of food deli...
focustaiwan.tw
January 6, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Taiwan’s legislature passes delivery worker law setting pay and platform rules – Focus Taiwan: ‘Taiwan Delivery Industry Union Alliance spokesperson Su Po-hao (蘇柏豪) said the passage of the law marks “a hard-won and important milestone.”’
Wonder why this #Indonesia #fire, which I only just read about, didn't get nearly as much attention as the one that happened in #Switzerland a week later.
en.antaranews.com/news/397993/...
en.antaranews.com/news/397993/...
Manado retirement home fire kills 16, victims' identification ongoing
A fire at a retirement home in Manado City, North Sulawesi, on Sunday (December 28) killed 16 occupants, and local police said the identification process was ...
en.antaranews.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Wonder why this #Indonesia #fire, which I only just read about, didn't get nearly as much attention as the one that happened in #Switzerland a week later.
en.antaranews.com/news/397993/...
en.antaranews.com/news/397993/...