Dataviz in Asia (Jan 24')

Asia has a long history of impactful political and protest movements, a legacy that continues to unfold today. As we navigate through 2024, the biggest election year yet with at least 64 countries set to cast their votes, this month’s Dataviz in Asia spotlights data stories that are helping us process the rapidly changing political landscape and social movements that are shaping the region.

We revisit the monumental 2019 Hong Kong protests in this old but gold piece from the South China Morning Post. These protests were a response to escalating political pressure from Beijing that was encroaching on Hong Kong’s autonomy, triggered especially by a controversial extradition bill and subsequent crackdowns on civil society. A map tracks the progression of the protests from June to September, illustrating growing protests through human chains and disruptions to the public transportation system. The piece delves into how peaceful demonstrations transformed into violent clashes, employs diagrams to show the impact of a baton on a human body, and depicts the tools used against protestors. It also uses data viz to visualise the volume of bullets and tear gas used by police.