Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
@aimenlau.bsky.social
🇭🇰🇲🇾🇨🇦 | Information Operations and Transnational Repression Research | formerly at Alliance Canada Hong Kong and Doublethink Lab | she/elle | views are my fault
Pinned
Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
@aimenlau.bsky.social
· Jan 10
Books I read in 2025
1) Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
A political satire inspired by the 2017 coup that ended Mugabe’s rule in Zimbabwe told through the perspective of animals. The use of animals as a metaphor wasn’t the most effective for me, the book was an overall fun read
1) Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
A political satire inspired by the 2017 coup that ended Mugabe’s rule in Zimbabwe told through the perspective of animals. The use of animals as a metaphor wasn’t the most effective for me, the book was an overall fun read
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
They really hate poor people all over the world, and mass surveillance keeps making it easier to punish people for daring to seek joy on their own terms.
A Chinese woman from a low-income family travelled to Hong Kong to see a concert she had saved up for, but now her family is facing the possibility of losing their government benefits.
A story of poverty, government surveillance and the age old debate of whether the poor are allowed small luxuries
A story of poverty, government surveillance and the age old debate of whether the poor are allowed small luxuries
A Chinese woman crossed the border for a concert. It could cost her family their welfare | CNN
A woman from a low-income family in China crossed over into Hong Kong to get to a concert she had spent months saving up for.
www.cnn.com
September 18, 2026 at 1:37 PM
They really hate poor people all over the world, and mass surveillance keeps making it easier to punish people for daring to seek joy on their own terms.
Speaking of fun pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology, and China
May I regretfully introduce you all to Paul Chiasson’s The Island of the Seven Cities in which Chiasson insists on the existence of a large Chinese colony prior to the European Age of Discovery in Cape Breton, Canada
May I regretfully introduce you all to Paul Chiasson’s The Island of the Seven Cities in which Chiasson insists on the existence of a large Chinese colony prior to the European Age of Discovery in Cape Breton, Canada
September 18, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Speaking of fun pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology, and China
May I regretfully introduce you all to Paul Chiasson’s The Island of the Seven Cities in which Chiasson insists on the existence of a large Chinese colony prior to the European Age of Discovery in Cape Breton, Canada
May I regretfully introduce you all to Paul Chiasson’s The Island of the Seven Cities in which Chiasson insists on the existence of a large Chinese colony prior to the European Age of Discovery in Cape Breton, Canada
A Chinese woman from a low-income family travelled to Hong Kong to see a concert she had saved up for, but now her family is facing the possibility of losing their government benefits.
A story of poverty, government surveillance and the age old debate of whether the poor are allowed small luxuries
A story of poverty, government surveillance and the age old debate of whether the poor are allowed small luxuries
A Chinese woman crossed the border for a concert. It could cost her family their welfare | CNN
A woman from a low-income family in China crossed over into Hong Kong to get to a concert she had spent months saving up for.
www.cnn.com
September 18, 2026 at 1:29 PM
A Chinese woman from a low-income family travelled to Hong Kong to see a concert she had saved up for, but now her family is facing the possibility of losing their government benefits.
A story of poverty, government surveillance and the age old debate of whether the poor are allowed small luxuries
A story of poverty, government surveillance and the age old debate of whether the poor are allowed small luxuries
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Great detailed analysis here of recently exposed digital transnational repression targeting the Tibetan diaspora, and how it both builds on growing capacity in China and feeds that capacity for other forms of surveillance, domestic and transnational
turquoiseroof.org/spyware-as-a...
turquoiseroof.org/spyware-as-a...
Spyware-as-a-Service
Spyware-as-a-Service: What the i-Soon files reveal about China’s targeting of the Tibetan diaspora
turquoiseroof.org
September 18, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Great detailed analysis here of recently exposed digital transnational repression targeting the Tibetan diaspora, and how it both builds on growing capacity in China and feeds that capacity for other forms of surveillance, domestic and transnational
turquoiseroof.org/spyware-as-a...
turquoiseroof.org/spyware-as-a...
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Out now: a new Himal Southasian investigation by Erin L Thompson (@artcrimeprof.bsky.social) on how Mary Slusser, a celebrated US scholar of Nepal's cultural heritage spent years illicitly buying sacred artefacts and smuggling them out of the country.
Read the full story: ow.ly/jWLO50ZO8Ym
Read the full story: ow.ly/jWLO50ZO8Ym
Mary Slusser’s secret loot of Nepal’s sacred art and heritage
A US scholar made her name as an expert on Nepal’s cultural heritage – while illicitly buying sacred artefacts and smuggling them out to the United States
ow.ly
September 16, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Out now: a new Himal Southasian investigation by Erin L Thompson (@artcrimeprof.bsky.social) on how Mary Slusser, a celebrated US scholar of Nepal's cultural heritage spent years illicitly buying sacred artefacts and smuggling them out of the country.
Read the full story: ow.ly/jWLO50ZO8Ym
Read the full story: ow.ly/jWLO50ZO8Ym
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
This is so embarrassing
September 18, 2026 at 8:24 AM
This is so embarrassing
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
🧵 Today I was charged under Singapore's Public Order Act for “taking part in a public assembly within a prohibited area”. 3 friends were also charged for the same offence.
The assembly in question? Posing for photos outside the State Courts after my friend Jolovan Wham's court mentions in Feb 2025.
The assembly in question? Posing for photos outside the State Courts after my friend Jolovan Wham's court mentions in Feb 2025.
September 17, 2026 at 10:49 AM
🧵 Today I was charged under Singapore's Public Order Act for “taking part in a public assembly within a prohibited area”. 3 friends were also charged for the same offence.
The assembly in question? Posing for photos outside the State Courts after my friend Jolovan Wham's court mentions in Feb 2025.
The assembly in question? Posing for photos outside the State Courts after my friend Jolovan Wham's court mentions in Feb 2025.
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
“Is the Qing Dynasty of China Chinese” - the longest thread in the history of Chinese forums, never shut down because the official PRC position is “yes for things we like and no for things we don’t”.
September 18, 2026 at 12:02 AM
“Is the Qing Dynasty of China Chinese” - the longest thread in the history of Chinese forums, never shut down because the official PRC position is “yes for things we like and no for things we don’t”.
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
To reiterate, "Only white people are capable of empire, slavery or atrocity" - that only white people can do the worst of sins - is itself still a form of white supremacism that imagines white people as the unique protagonists of history rather than recognizing that all people have agency.
September 18, 2026 at 2:58 AM
To reiterate, "Only white people are capable of empire, slavery or atrocity" - that only white people can do the worst of sins - is itself still a form of white supremacism that imagines white people as the unique protagonists of history rather than recognizing that all people have agency.
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Because I'm feeling punchy tonight - the primary thing that distinguishes white supremacy from other forms of xenophobia and bigotry used to justify imperial brutality is simply that it was the bigotry to hand for the most powerful countries at the moment the world happened to globalize.
September 18, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Because I'm feeling punchy tonight - the primary thing that distinguishes white supremacy from other forms of xenophobia and bigotry used to justify imperial brutality is simply that it was the bigotry to hand for the most powerful countries at the moment the world happened to globalize.
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Actually, the Hong Kong authorities have already been censoring films for years. The latest to get its attention is the 9-year-old Sundance film festival audience award winner, "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lN9...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lN9...
September 17, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Actually, the Hong Kong authorities have already been censoring films for years. The latest to get its attention is the 9-year-old Sundance film festival audience award winner, "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lN9...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lN9...
On the subject to Chinese dynasties, one of the weirder and fascinating phenomenons to recently emerge on the Chinese internet is a small, but vocal group claiming the Tang dynasty never existed
Why is one corner of China’s internet insisting a golden era never existed?
Something weird has been happening on China’s internet. One small and vocal corner has been claiming the country’s most famous historical dynasty never existed.
www.ctvnews.ca
September 18, 2026 at 3:29 AM
On the subject to Chinese dynasties, one of the weirder and fascinating phenomenons to recently emerge on the Chinese internet is a small, but vocal group claiming the Tang dynasty never existed
Well this all motivating me to brush up on my Qing Dynasty history
September 18, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Well this all motivating me to brush up on my Qing Dynasty history
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
What if you could test propaganda on thousands of synthetic Australians, Americans and others before publishing it?
Chinese state-linked researchers are trying to do something close to that.
My latest:
Chinese state-linked researchers are trying to do something close to that.
My latest:
China is building an AI system for tailoring its foreign propaganda | The Strategist
China’s propaganda is often mocked as blunt, loud and tone-deaf. But state-backed researchers are trying to make it more sophisticated. They are building AI systems that model the cultural and political values of foreign audiences, ...
www.aspistrategist.org.au
September 18, 2026 at 12:32 AM
What if you could test propaganda on thousands of synthetic Australians, Americans and others before publishing it?
Chinese state-linked researchers are trying to do something close to that.
My latest:
Chinese state-linked researchers are trying to do something close to that.
My latest:
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
I just finished Patrick Radden Keefe's excellent "The Snakehead," which details Cheng Chui Ping's (known as Sister Ping) multi-million-dollar international human smuggling enterprise.
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
September 17, 2026 at 4:09 PM
I just finished Patrick Radden Keefe's excellent "The Snakehead," which details Cheng Chui Ping's (known as Sister Ping) multi-million-dollar international human smuggling enterprise.
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Can we just ban westerners from speaking about China until they've done extensive and sufficient research on at least Two Old Dynasties AND read about the republic, civil war, PRC, and all the weird Qing bullshit? Just like. Tape ripstop fabric over mouths until they get the memo.
Now see when people talk like this I’m led to believe that their issue isn’t so much the committing of genocide (of which both Israel and China are guilty) and rather the presence of Jews. Also, a poor historical understanding of modern China.
September 18, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Can we just ban westerners from speaking about China until they've done extensive and sufficient research on at least Two Old Dynasties AND read about the republic, civil war, PRC, and all the weird Qing bullshit? Just like. Tape ripstop fabric over mouths until they get the memo.
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Israel literally uses surveillance technology in the West Bank that was originally developed by the PRC for racially profiling Uyghurs (they explicitly advertise this as a feature)
September 17, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Israel literally uses surveillance technology in the West Bank that was originally developed by the PRC for racially profiling Uyghurs (they explicitly advertise this as a feature)
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Well, a certain someone is rather consistent in their attitudes toward Taiwanese Indigenous, Palestinians, Uyghurs, and Tibetans, so we can add Rohingya to the list now
September 17, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Well, a certain someone is rather consistent in their attitudes toward Taiwanese Indigenous, Palestinians, Uyghurs, and Tibetans, so we can add Rohingya to the list now
"Recent propaganda and censorship efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have revealed an urgent desire among party leadership to blunt a spirit of defiance within Chinese society. Despite the party’s attempts to curb dissent, however, China’s citizens continue to defy authority."
The CCP is Trying—and Failing—to Extinguish Defiance among Chinese Citizens
People across China persistently express discontent through “lying flat” and public protest.
freedomhouse.org
September 17, 2026 at 10:23 PM
"Recent propaganda and censorship efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have revealed an urgent desire among party leadership to blunt a spirit of defiance within Chinese society. Despite the party’s attempts to curb dissent, however, China’s citizens continue to defy authority."
I just finished Patrick Radden Keefe's excellent "The Snakehead," which details Cheng Chui Ping's (known as Sister Ping) multi-million-dollar international human smuggling enterprise.
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
September 17, 2026 at 4:09 PM
I just finished Patrick Radden Keefe's excellent "The Snakehead," which details Cheng Chui Ping's (known as Sister Ping) multi-million-dollar international human smuggling enterprise.
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
It's also a story of the Fujianese immigrants' political art
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
At best, the Elections Alberta is an underfunded, over-employed shambles. At worst, it was responding to government pressure to ensure a desired outcome. If the latter, it’s a 5-alarm fire. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Former Elections Alberta staff raise ‘mismanagement’ concerns about 'Water Not Coal' petition verification | CBC News
Five former Elections Alberta employees are raising “mismanagement” concerns about how Corb Lund's citizen initiative petition was validated, alleging procedures changed and that there was a lack of t...
www.cbc.ca
September 17, 2026 at 2:06 PM
At best, the Elections Alberta is an underfunded, over-employed shambles. At worst, it was responding to government pressure to ensure a desired outcome. If the latter, it’s a 5-alarm fire. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
I wrote an essay on how Edmonton seems to be an exception when it comes to good housing policy.
In 2025, when housing progress stalled or reversed across Canada, Edmonton largely stayed the course.
It took time, good leadership, data and a bit of luck.
Read now 👇
2067journal.ca/the-edmonton...
In 2025, when housing progress stalled or reversed across Canada, Edmonton largely stayed the course.
It took time, good leadership, data and a bit of luck.
Read now 👇
2067journal.ca/the-edmonton...
The Edmonton Exception
I moved to Edmonton in 2023, along with 100,000 others in two years, in the middle of a housing crisis engulfing much of Canada. It was a good year to be a housing advocate. Governments at every level...
2067journal.ca
September 17, 2026 at 12:52 PM
I wrote an essay on how Edmonton seems to be an exception when it comes to good housing policy.
In 2025, when housing progress stalled or reversed across Canada, Edmonton largely stayed the course.
It took time, good leadership, data and a bit of luck.
Read now 👇
2067journal.ca/the-edmonton...
In 2025, when housing progress stalled or reversed across Canada, Edmonton largely stayed the course.
It took time, good leadership, data and a bit of luck.
Read now 👇
2067journal.ca/the-edmonton...
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Mini scoop by @asia.nikkei.com about plans for Taiwan to open a second quasi-diplomatic mission in the Philippines has gone viral!
According to three Asian and Western officials, the new mission will be set up in the southern province of Cebu.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...
According to three Asian and Western officials, the new mission will be set up in the southern province of Cebu.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...
Taiwan to open new Philippines mission in diplomatic push, sources say
Office in Cebu planned as Southeast Asia is increasingly split by China pressure
asia.nikkei.com
September 17, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Mini scoop by @asia.nikkei.com about plans for Taiwan to open a second quasi-diplomatic mission in the Philippines has gone viral!
According to three Asian and Western officials, the new mission will be set up in the southern province of Cebu.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...
According to three Asian and Western officials, the new mission will be set up in the southern province of Cebu.
asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...
Reposted by Ai-Men Lau 劉羿雯
Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible
September 17, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible