“I'm a human first and a journalist second”: An interview with Tim Mak, reporter in Ukraine

Plus, a forum for South Asian and Southeast Asian NGOs and a magical kite festival

Hello dear readers!

We’ve been deeply disturbed by this Thursday’s news confirming that the acclaimed Uyghur intellectual and professor Rahile Dawut, an expert on Uyghur folklore and tradition, is serving a life sentence for endangering state security. In an appeal to the Chinese government, her daughter said, “I worry about my mother every single day. The thought of my innocent mother having to spend her life in prison brings unbearable pain." We hope to write more in the future about Uyghur life and the conditions threatening it. 

This week, we bring you an interview with Tim Mak, who arrived in Ukraine on February 23, 2022, to report for NPR on the rising tensions with Russia. That night, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Tim quickly emerged as one of the most intrepid and vital voices on the war for the American press. His daily reports early on were crucial to understanding the rapidly unfolding situation. Since then, we’ve followed his reporting, which is truly multi-dimensional: he has…