E-books

Eyes on China: A Cartoonist’s Take on Hong Kong, the Uyghurs, and More

By Rebel Pepper/RFA

A River In Peril

By RFA

The Mekong has long been a river of empires, with distant rulers imposing their visions on local peoples whose fate is inextricably linked to its flow. The river is the lifeblood of more than 60 million people who depend on it for food, transportation and commerce. An RFA cameraman travels more than 2,700 miles down the Mekong, and records his interactions with the people whose lives depend on this mighty river.

China’s Workers Wronged

By RFA

“China’s Workers Wronged,” highlights the struggles and challenges faced by China’s workers during the country’s dramatic economic rise. The book is based on 88 interviews with Chinese workers conducted in recent years by China Labor Bulletin Executive Director Han Dongfang for RFA.

Ancient Heritage of Täklimakan: Uyghur Urbiculture

By Dr. Dolkun Kamberi

In Ancient Heritage of Täklimakan and Uyghur Urbiculture, Dr. Dolkun Kamberi helps readers understand the Taklimakan was the main region through which the ancient Silk-Road had to pass. Discoveries many ancient heritages, cities sites, richness, and diversity of Uyghur literature provide a great deal of information regarding the early Uyghur civilization. The increasing role archaeology has played in aiding experts in constructing a chronology of Uyghur urbiculture using unearthed Uyghur manuscripts, medieval travelers’ accounts, and historical heritage of well-developed Uyghur literature.

Beware of Traffickers

By RFA

Beware of Traffickers is a graphic novel that follows two young women on their search for freedom. From abusive households, to lack of economic opportunity, Beware of Traffickers gives the reader a visual understanding of the plight of the victims. The drawings are the work of Burmese illustrator Ye Manh (a pseudonym,) also publisher of his own monthly comics dedicated to educating children in Buddhist values.

North Korean Prison Camps

By Jin Seo Lee

North Korean prison camps incarcerate up to three generations of families of people who are accused of opposing the government. The inmates are completely cut off from North Korean society, which in turn knows little about the camps.

Uyghurs and Uyghur Identity

By Dolkun Kamberi

In Uyghurs and Uyghur Identity, Dr. Dolkun Kamberi helps readers understand Uyghur culture, language, literature, history, art, and religious identity, and shows that the Uyghurs have been an important part of Central Asia since ancient times despite present-day Chinese claims to the ownership of their land. Here, the author presents his views from several perspectives drawn from personal study, research, analysis, and the translation of medieval Uyghur manuscripts.

The Umbrella Revolution

This e-book commemorates the one-year anniversary of the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, which took place over 79 days in late 2014. The student-led pro-democracy demonstration gained its name from the umbrellas used by protestors to shield themselves from tear gas fired at them by police. RFA’s reporting has been able to circumvent censored news coverage inside and out of China.

A Reply to China’s White Paper on Tibet

By Warren Smith

In October 2013, China published its eighth White Paper on Tibet. Here, RFA analyst Warren Smith weighs China’s claims of progress in Tibet against the truth of Tibetans’ lives under Beijing’s rule.

'It's not OK', The illustrated stories of women caught in the struggle for human rights in China, North Korea, and Southeast Asia

'It's not OK' is a collection of portraits of Asian women caught in the struggle for human rights in their communities, some willingly, others forced by circumstances. Each is a testimony to the courage and determination of these women. The title, 'It's not OK,' comes from the public cry by one of them, in court, as she heard that her husband's sentence had been extended by eight years.

Caged, The Illustrated Writings of Nurmuhemmet Yasin

Nurmuhemmet Yasin was a popular author of short stories, essays and poetry when he was arrested in Kashgar in 2004. He had just published Wild Pigeon, a Uyghur tale of longing for lost freedom. This e-book features the now banned tale and an essay about love. Yasin was due to be released in November 2014, but RFA is unable to confirm whether he is free or even alive.

Remembering Tiananmen

Through pictures and video, we explore the evolution of a pro-democracy movement that began peacefully but ended in tragedy on the night of June 3-4, 1989. This book marks the 24th anniversary of the Chinese army crackdown on student demonstrators and the citizens who supported them.

Mekong Diaries: Vietnam

RFA's camera team follows the Mekong through Vietnam to its end in the South China Sea.
Day 60 – Entering Vietnam
Today we catch a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, where we arrange for the next stage of our journey downstream to Vietnam by boat. A ferry service runs twice each way every day, carrying tourists through a stretch of river with an amazing history.

Mekong Diaries: Cambodia

Our team goes into Cambodia to visit villages wrecked by floods and see the famous and endangered Mekong dolphins.
Days 51-52 – Entering Cambodia
For U.S. $5 a head we leave Don Sadam Island and the Four Thousand Islands behind, traveling first by boat, then by minibus on a bad road, and finally in a big bus on a sealed road, to make the three-hour trip to Stung Treng in northern Cambodia.

Mekong Diaries: Laos

RFA's cameraman and his crew enter Laos and visit villages along the river to assess the impact of dams and relocation schemes.
Day 43 – Entering Laos
Today we fly to Vientiane and find it a quaint and quiet little town next to the Mekong. Along the river in the center of town, earthworks and machinery are transforming the shoreline.

Mekong Diaries: Golden Triangle

The team hops on the bus to cross Laos and reach a spot on the river where a Burmese ethnic minority, the Lahu, took refuge from the Burmese army.
Day 27 – Leaving China
Carrying all of our footage, we leave Jinghong and head towards our first attempted Chinese border crossing.
The bus trip is a typically dyslexic affair, beginning with a short jaunt about 30 km out of town where the bus driver abruptly directs us to all disembark, followed by a two-hour wait during which we wonder if we will ever see our luggage again, brief happiness when the bus returns, and then a drive of a few hours to a very shiny and new Chinese border post.

Mekong Diaries: China

Our cameraman and his crew get tips on how to get "off the beaten tracks" and come close to the great glaciers melting into the Mekong.
Day 12 – Maduo to Deqin
It’s 9:20 a.m. and we are on a minibus about to leave for Deqin. We have been in a car for most of the last eight days, contending with the scale of China. The last 24 hours have been especially messed up.
Now we have a six-hour, 180-kilometer crawl around sheer mountain roads to get to Deqin. Tomorrow we sleep in!

Mekong Diaries: Tibet

At the start of a journey down the Mekong River, Radio Free Asia's cameraman discovers Tibet, its ancient traditions and its stunning sites.
Day 1 – On our Way
We land in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, and go to our hotel, which is flanked and fronted by karaoke bars. We have dinner in a Muslim café. Some of our fellow diners are pale-skinned Han people. Others are sunburnt dark brown with distinct red patches on each cheek and wear gangster hats and cheap sports jackets. They’re cowboys—the real thing.

Slavery at Sea

Drawings by Prum Vannak - Vannak is a Cambodian survivor of human trafficking. His story is one of extreme poverty and what people do to take care of their families. Most of them don't live to tell us their stories. Vannak is part of a lucky few.