Thomas Batchelor
@tobbinatorscw.bsky.social
Linguistics PhD, Sydney > Köln > 台北
Linguistics (Creoles, Australia, Asia-Pacific, morphosyntax, policy, endangerment), politics (Syria, Taiwan, Australia in particular ig), history and other ramblings
Anarchist at heart
@tobbinatorscw in most places
Linguistics (Creoles, Australia, Asia-Pacific, morphosyntax, policy, endangerment), politics (Syria, Taiwan, Australia in particular ig), history and other ramblings
Anarchist at heart
@tobbinatorscw in most places
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:10 AM
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
Something all those "thousands of cancelled trips" headlines should probably mention. Doesn't sound much like an enthusiastic grassroots boycott
China Asks Airlines to Extend Japan Flight Cuts Until March 2026
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
China Asks Airlines to Extend Japan Flight Cuts Until March 2026
The Chinese government has instructed the country’s airlines to reduce the number of flights to Japan through March 2026, according to people familiar with the matter, signaling Beijing is braced for ...
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Something all those "thousands of cancelled trips" headlines should probably mention. Doesn't sound much like an enthusiastic grassroots boycott
So DHL delivered my new passport to a post locker but didn't actually give me a code to access it and all their "24 hour support" channels are "unavailable"
November 25, 2025 at 4:47 AM
So DHL delivered my new passport to a post locker but didn't actually give me a code to access it and all their "24 hour support" channels are "unavailable"
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Terminating the Temporary Protected Status
designation of Burma / Myanmar is absolutely horrific.
"There have, however, been improvements in Burma’s governance and stability at the national and local level"
There fucking haven't...
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-21069.pdf
designation of Burma / Myanmar is absolutely horrific.
"There have, however, been improvements in Burma’s governance and stability at the national and local level"
There fucking haven't...
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-21069.pdf
![Billing Code: 9111-97
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[CIS No. 2839-25; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2021-0005]
RIN 1615- ZB88
Termination of the Designation of Burma (Myanmar) for Temporary Protected
Status
AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of
Homeland Security (DHS).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: Through this notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is terminating the
designation of Burma (Myanmar) for Temporary Protected Status. The designation of
Burma is set to expire on November 25, 2025. After reviewing country conditions and
consulting with appropriate U.S. Government agencies, the Secretary determined that
Burma no longer continues to meet the conditions for designation for Temporary
Protected Status. The Secretary, therefore, is terminating the Temporary Protected Status
designation of Burma as required by statute. This termination is effective [INSERT
DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL
REGISTER]. After [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION
IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER], nationals of Burma (and aliens having no nationality
who last habitually resided in Burma) who have been granted Temporary Protected Status
under Burma’s designation will no longer have Temporary Protected Status.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xmpcty4bvrwkzigiob5fafex/bafkreigmjbzhgeqqfbswhh35q2n6a3hxoofsusa3q5y2rwjjq6jiaowhp4@jpeg)
November 24, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Terminating the Temporary Protected Status
designation of Burma / Myanmar is absolutely horrific.
"There have, however, been improvements in Burma’s governance and stability at the national and local level"
There fucking haven't...
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-21069.pdf
designation of Burma / Myanmar is absolutely horrific.
"There have, however, been improvements in Burma’s governance and stability at the national and local level"
There fucking haven't...
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-21069.pdf
Hiked up to a crater lake to see some fairy shrimp that only exist in this one spot in the whole country (and only when it rains enough for the lake to exist).
Naturally, someone brought a wine glass to fill with them
Naturally, someone brought a wine glass to fill with them
November 24, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Hiked up to a crater lake to see some fairy shrimp that only exist in this one spot in the whole country (and only when it rains enough for the lake to exist).
Naturally, someone brought a wine glass to fill with them
Naturally, someone brought a wine glass to fill with them
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Three of the people from this 2018 Palestine solidarity protest in Hong Kong are now facing subversion charges; they're not in jail bc of their Palestine activism, but still highlights how Beijing has systematically destroyed HK's left hongkongfp.com/2025/11/23/n...
November 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Three of the people from this 2018 Palestine solidarity protest in Hong Kong are now facing subversion charges; they're not in jail bc of their Palestine activism, but still highlights how Beijing has systematically destroyed HK's left hongkongfp.com/2025/11/23/n...
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Labour is actively wasting our money for the sole purpose of being cruel to people who have done nothing wrong
Labour's anti-asylum policies are already fundamentally inhumane and discriminatory. Applying them retrospectively is pure cruelty though. It serves absolutely no purpose. Meanwhile it will increase the costs and bureaucracy of an already dysfunctional Home Office.
www.thetimes.com/article/6f83...
www.thetimes.com/article/6f83...
November 24, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Labour is actively wasting our money for the sole purpose of being cruel to people who have done nothing wrong
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
When I say Russia is the leading edge of fascism, I mean not only has United Russia captured the state and made it essentially one party, but that the now-fascist Russian state seeks to export its ideology globally by aligning with other reactionaries worldwide
Incredible not just that this happened, but that it’s not even a second or third tier news story, let alone something Farage will actually be held accountable for. Doesn’t make the top 15 stories on either the BBC or the Guardian! Filed under “Wales”.
November 21, 2025 at 7:36 PM
When I say Russia is the leading edge of fascism, I mean not only has United Russia captured the state and made it essentially one party, but that the now-fascist Russian state seeks to export its ideology globally by aligning with other reactionaries worldwide
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
I’ve seen this with Xinjiang. Meanwhile Xinjiang scholars have taken risks to talk about this because the Islamophobia is so potent and toxic
The people who say "why this obsession with Palestine? why don't you post about Sudan?" never post about Sudan themselves.
What they mean is "it's fine you don't care about Sudan. You should be similarly indifferent to Palestine"
(of course, many people do post about both and other crises)
What they mean is "it's fine you don't care about Sudan. You should be similarly indifferent to Palestine"
(of course, many people do post about both and other crises)
November 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I’ve seen this with Xinjiang. Meanwhile Xinjiang scholars have taken risks to talk about this because the Islamophobia is so potent and toxic
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Here's me on comments by Lin Chia-lung last week expressing support for Israel and framing Palestine as akin to an enemy state, when asked about the potential use of Taiwanese tech by the Israeli military
"Why Would Taiwan's Foreign Minister Frame Palestine as Akin To an Enemy State?" by @brianhioe.bsky.social
Why Would Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Frame Palestine as Akin To an Enemy State? | New Bloom Magazine
An on-the-record press briefing by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung last week proved a bizarre exercise in diplomatic ineptness and tacit endorsement of a genocide…
newbloommag.net
November 21, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Here's me on comments by Lin Chia-lung last week expressing support for Israel and framing Palestine as akin to an enemy state, when asked about the potential use of Taiwanese tech by the Israeli military
An overlooked part of Taiwan's colonial history is that the Latin script arrived long before any Chinese, brought by European missionaries during their brief colonial attempts, but adopted by some Indigenous languages for long after
"Taiwan is home to over 20 living languages, and many of them don’t require a single Chinese character. In fact, some of the most vibrant linguistic revival movements happening on the island right now rely largely on extended Latin alphabets," says 姜呈穎 of JustFont.
blog.justfont.com/2025/10/beyo...
blog.justfont.com/2025/10/beyo...
Beyond Mandarin: A Latin-based Solution for Taiwan’s Rich Lingusitic Landscape - justfont blog
Why supporting Taiwan's diverse languages might be easier than you think—and why it matters more than ever. With only a few Latin extensions, your font can support Formosan languages.
blog.justfont.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:33 PM
An overlooked part of Taiwan's colonial history is that the Latin script arrived long before any Chinese, brought by European missionaries during their brief colonial attempts, but adopted by some Indigenous languages for long after
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
What the actual fuck are we doing here
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:30 PM
What the actual fuck are we doing here
Instagram really likes to just rearrange its ui every second month or so for no reason whatsoever huh
November 20, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Instagram really likes to just rearrange its ui every second month or so for no reason whatsoever huh
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
The people who make Shein's clothes labor for ten to twelve hours per day (in violation of China's labor laws), some up to seven days a week, and earn as little as 15 to 30 cents per t-shirt.
![Excerpt from a BBC article: ""We usually work, 10, 11 or 12 hours a day," says a 49-year-old woman from Jiangxi unwilling to give her name. "On Sundays we work around three hours less."
She is in an alleyway, where a dozen people are huddled around a row of bulletin boards.
They are reading the job ads on the board, while examining the stitching on a pair of chinos draped over it.
This is Shein's supply chain. The factories are contracted to make clothes on order - some small, some big. If the chinos are a hit, orders will ramp up and so must production. Factories then hire temporary workers to meet the demand their permanent staff cannot fulfil.
The migrant worker from Jiangxi is looking for a short-term contract - and the chinos are an option.
"We earn so little. The cost of living is now so high," she says, adding that she hopes to make enough to send back to her two children who are living with their grandparents.
"We get paid per piece," she explains. "It depends how difficult the item is. Something simple like a t-shirt is one-two yuan [less than a dollar] per piece and I can make around a dozen in an hour.""](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ks3gpa6ftoyaq7hmf6c4qx4c/bafkreiber7g4o5pujmzmjjzsp5dkz7blfexburuwjispfpv6dki7akjb7a@jpeg)
November 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
The people who make Shein's clothes labor for ten to twelve hours per day (in violation of China's labor laws), some up to seven days a week, and earn as little as 15 to 30 cents per t-shirt.
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Israel announced that they will bomb two villages in Southern Lebanon
That’s how they do it. They tell you that they will violate the ceasefire for the thousandth time, and there will be no consequences.
That’s how they do it. They tell you that they will violate the ceasefire for the thousandth time, and there will be no consequences.
November 19, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Israel announced that they will bomb two villages in Southern Lebanon
That’s how they do it. They tell you that they will violate the ceasefire for the thousandth time, and there will be no consequences.
That’s how they do it. They tell you that they will violate the ceasefire for the thousandth time, and there will be no consequences.
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Hey hey hey, SH has a call for Indigenous submissions.
And I would like to read more Southeast Asian Indigenous writers!
If you are Dayak, Iban, Murut, Orang Asli - please submit!
Also I would like to see more Asian Indigenous:
Taiwanese aborigines.
Ainu.
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...
And I would like to read more Southeast Asian Indigenous writers!
If you are Dayak, Iban, Murut, Orang Asli - please submit!
Also I would like to see more Asian Indigenous:
Taiwanese aborigines.
Ainu.
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...
Indigenous Author Submissions
On November 3rd, we will be opening for speculative fiction stories written by Indigenous authors. We will be capping submissions at 500.
strangehorizons.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Hey hey hey, SH has a call for Indigenous submissions.
And I would like to read more Southeast Asian Indigenous writers!
If you are Dayak, Iban, Murut, Orang Asli - please submit!
Also I would like to see more Asian Indigenous:
Taiwanese aborigines.
Ainu.
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...
And I would like to read more Southeast Asian Indigenous writers!
If you are Dayak, Iban, Murut, Orang Asli - please submit!
Also I would like to see more Asian Indigenous:
Taiwanese aborigines.
Ainu.
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...
(Forced) assimilation still won't save minoritised peoples from racism
www.economist.com/china/2025/1...
www.economist.com/china/2025/1...
The way Uyghurs speak Mandarin is now a joke
For many it’s not funny, given the political heat around language choices
www.economist.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:13 PM
(Forced) assimilation still won't save minoritised peoples from racism
www.economist.com/china/2025/1...
www.economist.com/china/2025/1...
i buy one old camera and now i'm lowkey tempted to buy an ancient soviet-made camera off facebook marketplace (for pretty cheap ngl)
November 17, 2025 at 6:02 PM
i buy one old camera and now i'm lowkey tempted to buy an ancient soviet-made camera off facebook marketplace (for pretty cheap ngl)
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
Somebody is briefing the Times that the Home Secretary finds inspiration in Kristi Noem's leading the Trump mass deportation effort - which has gone much too far for Americans
What a kamikaze piece of political madness that is on the eve of their asylum package
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
What a kamikaze piece of political madness that is on the eve of their asylum package
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Shabana Mahmood threatens Trump-style visa ban on three countries
Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo will face Trump-style sanctions if they do not start taking back more illegal migrants and criminals
www.thetimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Somebody is briefing the Times that the Home Secretary finds inspiration in Kristi Noem's leading the Trump mass deportation effort - which has gone much too far for Americans
What a kamikaze piece of political madness that is on the eve of their asylum package
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
What a kamikaze piece of political madness that is on the eve of their asylum package
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
For Shabana Mahmood to attack some of the most cruelly treated people in the world as having won a "golden ticket" because they manage to get to and claim asylum in Britain is unforgiveable.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
November 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
For Shabana Mahmood to attack some of the most cruelly treated people in the world as having won a "golden ticket" because they manage to get to and claim asylum in Britain is unforgiveable.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
This is as bad as anything proposed by Reform.
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 6:43 AM
This is as bad as anything proposed by Reform.
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
This is a good article about data sovereignty, AI grift, the marginalization of Indigenous languages, and how these and many other things converge to wreak superfluous harm on Indigenous communities.
November 15, 2025 at 3:25 AM
This is a good article about data sovereignty, AI grift, the marginalization of Indigenous languages, and how these and many other things converge to wreak superfluous harm on Indigenous communities.
Got an insider opportunity and thinking about pitching a feature on a hopeful starting a campaign to challenge the KMT in one of Taiwan's hyper local lizhang 里長 elections next year, would that interest anyone?
November 14, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Got an insider opportunity and thinking about pitching a feature on a hopeful starting a campaign to challenge the KMT in one of Taiwan's hyper local lizhang 里長 elections next year, would that interest anyone?
Reposted by Thomas Batchelor
“Now that the dictator is gone, the people of Tadamon are breaking their silence. As they have begun to share their stories, it is becoming clear that the atrocities in the neighbourhood were far worse than initially reported…”
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
‘We were forced to burn bodies’: will survivors of the Tadamon massacres see justice?
The long read: During the conflict, the Damascus suburb became a killing field. But some of Assad’s henchmen are still around – and even working with the new government
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:17 AM
“Now that the dictator is gone, the people of Tadamon are breaking their silence. As they have begun to share their stories, it is becoming clear that the atrocities in the neighbourhood were far worse than initially reported…”
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
what if just every cabinet position had to be separately directly elected, it'd be chaos but a fun experiment
November 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM
what if just every cabinet position had to be separately directly elected, it'd be chaos but a fun experiment