101 East investigates alleged human rights violations in China’s seafood industry. Fish caught by Chinese vessels and processed in Chinese factories end up on dinner plates around the world. China’s seafood industry is the world’s biggest, accounting for a fifth of international fishing trade. But onboard China’s ships and in its processing plants, alleged human rights abuses and labour trafficking are rampant. With footage filmed over several years on the high seas and additional reporting on land, 101 East investigates the deadly secrets of China’s massive fishing fleet, and the price we pay for seafood. Published on Thursday 20 June 2024.

101 East investigates the environmental cost of illegally mining the world's oldest mountains as desperate residents in India take on powerful miners. 101 East investigates the impact of illegally mining India’s mountains as desperate residents take on powerful miners. In northern and western India lies an ancient mountain range, the Aravallis, believed to be hundreds of millions of years old. Stretching across almost 700km (435 miles), the mountains are home to rivers, a diverse range of trees and wildlife, and according to experts, they are the main barrier shielding millions of people from an expanding desert. But these mountains are disappearing, ravaged by illegal mining carried out to feed New Delhi’s construction boom, prompting warnings of a looming ecological catastrophe. 101 East travels to the northwestern state of Rajasthan to investigate the assault on the Aravalli mountains. Published on Thursday 6 June 2024.

101 East goes inside the competitive, high-stakes world of Indian chess and asks what it takes to be a champion in a nation with 100 million players. 101 East enters the high-stakes world of Indian chess and meets players reshaping the game on the global stage. India is in the middle of a chess obsession. The world’s most populous nation is emerging as a superpower in the sport that is believed to have originated there in the sixth century. With 85 grandmasters, the country is also producing some of the world’s most exciting rising stars. At the 2023 World Cup, half the quarterfinalists were Indian – and three of them were teenagers. But the pressure on the next generation of aspiring champions is intense. For many, success could lift their families out of poverty. 101 East goes inside the competitive, high-stakes world of Indian chess. Published on Thursday 13 June 2024.

101 East investigates South Korea’s school bullying crisis and meets those fighting for change. Published on Thursday 22 June 2023. South Korea is undergoing a national reckoning on school bullying. Studies show that nearly one in three students suffered bullying from peers at school. And there has been an alarming rise in suicides by school-aged children. Some of the country’s best-known celebrities were also accused of bullying when they were teenagers. The ongoing series of scandals is shedding new light on what seems to be a rampant problem in the Asian nation. 101 East investigates why bullying is surging in South Korean schools and what is being done to stop it. 101 East investigates South Korea's school bullying crisis amid a wave of suicides by young people.

101 East reports on the people and events shaping the Asia Pacific region.

In the wake of unprecedented political turbulence, what does Anwar Ibrahim’s long-awaited rise mean for Malaysians? Published on 8 Jun 2023. After decades as an opposition figure, in November 2022 Anwar Ibrahim became Malaysia’s prime minister. His appointment comes after a turbulent election, which saw an unprecedented hung parliament, large gains by a conservative Muslim party and heightened racial tensions. The election exposed Malaysia’s deepening fault lines, notably an electorate polarised between factions that support multiculturalism and religious conservatism. Anwar now faces the uphill task of delivering on long-pledged reforms, while reconciling the nation and maintaining political stability. 101 East joins Anwar Ibrahim as he navigates his first six months in power and examines the challenges that lie ahead for him and Malaysia.

101 East investigates a global network of secret Chinese ‘police outposts’ and allegations Chinese dissidents are being stalked and harassed in Europe. In Europe, a Chinese dissident fears for his safety. He says his life is being destroyed by harassment and threats he believes are linked to a network of unofficial Chinese police outposts – and he says he has evidence to prove it. A human rights group has revealed more than 100 clandestine “service stations” across the globe linked with police in China, which they say are being used to hunt down Chinese citizens living in exile. China denies the claims. 101 East investigates allegations of stalking and intimidation of Chinese dissidents and delves into the secretive world of China’s influence overseas.

101 East reveals Indonesia's ambitious plan to move a megacity, moving its capital from Jakarta and rebuilding it in a remote jungle in Borneo.

101 East investigates whether defamation laws are being used to strangle scrutiny in Thailand amid growing calls for reform. When tens of millions of baht disappeared from funds supposed to help lift Thai farmers out of poverty, Chutima Sidasathian began investigating. The acclaimed journalist and human rights defender soon uncovered a banking scandal that has devastated her local community. But a public figure implicated in the alleged fraud has filed criminal defamation complaints against her and now she’s facing up to 18 years in prison. She’s just one of tens of thousands who have been slapped with these charges in the past decade. 101 East investigates how lawsuits are allegedly being used to intimidate whistleblowers and conceal corruption in Thailand. Published on Thursday 11 April 2024.

Featuring unrivalled access, 101 East takes viewers inside the unique community of the Kung Fu Nuns of Kathmandu. On a hill overlooking Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, rows of women launch shoulder-high kicks in unison, calling out as they strike through the brisk morning air. Known as the Kung Fu Nuns, they believe martial arts are a form of meditation which prepares them for life’s challenges. Behind them lies their home, a Buddhist monastery where about 300 nuns live. They also serve their community, helping vulnerable women, visiting orphanages, picking up rubbish, repairing homes and spreading a message of environmental protection. With intimate access to their daily lives, 101 East meets the Kung Fu Nuns of Kathmandu. Published on Thursday 18 April 2024.

In a 2-part special, 101 East investigates the international demand for monkeys for medical testing, and the efforts to stop smuggling cartels. Across the world, primates are in high demand. Monkeys are used in biomedical labs to develop potentially life-saving drugs for humans. But when China banned exports of lab monkeys in 2020, a global black market emerged, with monkeys costing up to $40,000 each. In Cambodia, whistleblowers allege government involvement in the trafficking of wild monkeys. Animal rights activists are calling for an end to “inhumane” trials. Meanwhile, as some scientists work on alternatives to animal testing, others help give monkeys new lives beyond the laboratory. 101 East visits the United States, India, France and Cambodia to examine the global monkey business. Published on Thursday 14 September 2023.

From defectors to influencers, 101 East follows the North Koreans chasing fame and fortune as online celebrities in South Korea. 101 East follows the North Koreans chasing fame and fortune as internet celebrities in South Korea. Just a few years ago, they defected from North Korea. Today, they are social media influencers in the South. Harnessing the power of the internet, a young generation of North Korean defectors are finding fame in South Korea, using their platforms to shed light on the world’s most impenetrable, secretive state. They reveal unique insights into everyday life in North Korea and their dramatic stories of escape. But a sinister threat looms large over those who dare to broadcast their lives. 101 East explores how young North Koreans are creating new lives online despite their fears of abduction. Published on Thursday 15 February 2024.

101 East reveals how high in the Himalayas, India is fighting to conserve its population of one of the world's rarest creatures, the red panda. 101 East reveals how India is fighting to conserve its population of one of the world’s rarest animals. In the eastern Himalayas of India, a fight is under way to save one of the world’s rarest creatures. Red pandas are known for their bright red fur and bushy, ringed tails and for spending most of their time sleeping in the trees of the mountainous forest range. But they’re a rare sight. Vulnerable to climate change, habitat loss and poaching, their numbers have plummeted. Now, an Indian breeding and conservation programme is working hard to not only protect the species but also their habitat. 101 East reveals the battle to save India’s endangered red pandas. Published on Thursday 16 May 2024.

101 East investigates whether new reforms to Japan’s sole custody system will stop parental child abductions. For decades, Japan has granted sole child custody to one parent after divorce. Critics say this has encouraged parents to legally abduct children and cut off any contact with the other parent. Some heartbroken mothers and fathers have not seen their children for years, and children are now speaking out about the trauma they have experienced. Amid international pressure, Japan is set to reform its sole custody system. But many are resisting these changes. Published on Thursday 23 May 2024.

101 East reveals how WWII left the Solomon Islands with a deadly legacy of unexploded bombs and other ammunition left behind by US and Japanese forces.

101 East goes inside a Chinese military-style boot camp for kids. In China, thousands of parents send their kids to military-style boot camps during the summer holidays every year. Over the course of a month, children as young as six learn military discipline, undergo rigorous physical training, and are taught what it means to defend their homeland. We meet parents, their children, and the instructors charged with toughening them up across 28 days. 101 East goes inside a Chinese military-style camp for children. Published on Thursday 21 March 2024.

101 East investigates alleged human traffickers, scammers and middlemen profiting from the desperation of Chinese asylum seekers in America. Reaching the United States has long been the dream for would-be migrants travelling across Latin America. Thousands of Chinese have embarked on the dangerous route this year. But reaching their final destination is no guarantee that their troubles will be over. In Part 2 of The Route, 101 East heads to the US to explore an industry that has mushroomed around the Chinese citizens desperately seeking asylum. From alleged human traffickers, scam artists and opportunists operating in Los Angeles, to the migrants who have been tricked, cheated and exploited, this undercover investigation explores the price of pursuing the so-called American Dream. Published on Thursday 29 February 2024.

101 East investigates alleged paedophilia scandals involving high-profile Catholic priests in East Timor. The Catholic Church is central to everyday life in East Timor, where nearly 98 percent of people practise Catholicism. But there is a dark side to the church’s presence in the far east of the Indonesian archipelago – paedophilia scandals involving high-profile clergymen. American priest Richard Daschbach is in prison for his crimes but retains the support of the country’s prime minister, Xanana Gusmao. Meanwhile, Timorese Bishop Ximenes Belo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been disciplined by the Vatican following multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault of young boys. 101 East investigates East Timor’s paedophilia scandals. Published on Thursday 14 March 2024. Classification: G-CV

Chinese asylum seekers are entering the US via a dangerous route through Latin America. 101 East investigates. Traversing Latin America to the United States has become a well-worn path for those seeking new lives. But now, would-be migrants are coming from further afield – China. This year, thousands have already made the trip known as “zouxian” or “the route”. Their goal: asylum in the US. Migrants cite a host of reasons for leaving China, from economic uncertainty and Beijing’s harsh COVID-19 policies to human rights. But they can fall prey to human traffickers, corrupt officials and even drug cartels. Despite the dangers, more and more Chinese are risking it all for the American dream. 101 East investigates. Published on Thursday 22 February 2024.

A 101 East exclusive with a man convicted of Malaysia’s most controversial murder after his surprise release from 9 years detention in Australia. A 101 East world exclusive with a man convicted of Malaysia’s most shocking murder. Published on Friday 24 November 2023. In 2006, Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, was abducted, shot and blown up with military-grade explosives in Malaysia. Two policemen were convicted, but no motive was ever established. It’s long been suspected the case was linked to now-jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who denies any involvement. The junior policeman, Sirul Azhar Umar, left Malaysia in late 2014 just before he was sentenced to death for the murder. For almost a decade, he was held in detention in Australia, unable to be extradited because he faced execution. Now free, he’s speaking out for the first time in a world exclusive.

101 East investigates one of South Korea’s worst peace-time atrocities and those allegedly behind it now living in Australia. Published on Thursday 9 December 2021. It is one of the darkest chapters in South Korea’s post-war history, a site where thousands were allegedly enslaved, abused, raped and even killed. Known as Brothers Home, it was supposed to be a shelter for the homeless, but according to witnesses and evidence from the site, from 1976 to 1987 it was the scene of one of the country’s worst atrocities. More than 30 years later, survivors are still fighting for justice. 101 East investigates the crimes allegedly committed and those said to be behind them now living in Australia. Classification: G-CV

This documentary follows a group training to protect Hindu girls, a teenage Muslim boy who says he was imprisoned without trial for talking to a Hindu girl, and interfaith couples fighting just to be together.

Drew Ambrose travels across the UK to find out why Britain’s curry houses are in trouble.

101 East investigates the new wave of child trafficking in India and the efforts to safeguard vulnerable children.

101 East investigates Indonesia’s live wildlife markets and the pet cafes of Tokyo to expose the dark otter trade.

101 East investigates the supreme leader’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, who some say could be North Korea’s next ruler. Published on Thursday 23 March 2023. Could North Korea’s next ruler be a woman? North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, has an increasingly prominent role in the communist regime and some observers believe she is his natural successor. The Kim family has transformed the so-called Hermit Kingdom into a dynasty that operates like a royal family. Kim Yo-jung has a tight bond with her brother and has been entrusted with important diplomatic missions. As a nuclear state technically still at war with neighbouring South Korea, North Korea is a crucial player in Asian geopolitics. 101 East investigates North Korea’s most powerful woman.

In a 2-part special report, 101 East investigates the growing influence of Chinese investors in Afghanistan, in the wake of the Taliban takeover. When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, most foreigners and multinational companies had already packed up and left Afghanistan. Going against the stream of foreigners fleeing the country was a group looking for “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities: Chinese entrepreneurs. Despite the ongoing unrest, an economic crisis and United Nations’ concerns over human rights, more Chinese citizens are joining the country’s “gold rush”. Once a small minority, Chinese nationals now make up Afghanistan’s biggest group of expatriates. With exclusive access to leading Chinese investors, 101 East investigates their growing influence across Afghanistan’s business and media sectors.

Five years after a genocidal crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim people, 101 East reveals exclusive secret footage from inside an apartheid state. Published on Thursday 6 April 2023. The plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority has faded from the media spotlight. But some journalists are bravely filming in secret inside what they call an apartheid state and sharing hundreds of hours of exclusive footage with 101 East. The videos tell a grim story. Although the atrocities that triggered a mass exodus in 2017 have subsided, the Rohingya continue to face state-sanctioned discrimination, exploitation and physical abuse. They cannot travel freely, have limited access to education and healthcare, and are victims of corrupt local officials. And a raging civil war has left them caught between deadly rival factions. On 101 East, Myanmar’s Rohingya VJs. Classification: G-CV

101 East investigates the battle to reign in Australia's addiction to poker machines. Australians are the world’s biggest gamblers, losing $25bn a year. And poker machines are their preferred choice of poison. Despite its relatively small population, the country is home to 20 percent of the world’s “pokies”, as the machines are known locally, with most found in community pubs and clubs. Gambling causes widespread social destruction, but taking on the vested interests behind an industry that generates billions in profits and taxes has proved extremely difficult. Now, after decades of failure, state governments are fighting back. 101 East investigates Australia’s battle against gambling addiction.

101 East investigates the battle to control the world's silicon chip industry. Published on 24 August 2023. From computers to toasters, smartphones to refrigerators, semiconductors are essential in our daily lives. Advanced chips power military hardware, artificial intelligence and supercomputers. But a persistent shortage is reshaping geopolitical relations, fuelling inflation and increasing tensions between the United States and China. While demand for cutting-edge chips grows, only a few countries have the specialised knowledge and ability to produce them. Taiwan produces 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips, making its stability critical to global economic and geopolitical security. 101 East investigates the battle to control the world’s semiconductor industry.

In a 2-part special, 101 East investigates the international demand for monkeys for medical testing, and the efforts to stop smuggling cartels. Across the world, primates are in high demand. Monkeys are used in biomedical labs to develop potentially life-saving drugs for humans. But when China banned exports of lab monkeys in 2020, a global black market emerged, with monkeys costing up to $40,000 each. In Cambodia, whistleblowers allege government involvement in the trafficking of wild monkeys. Animal rights activists are calling for an end to “inhumane” trials. Meanwhile, as some scientists work on alternatives to animal testing, others help give monkeys new lives beyond the laboratory. 101 East visits the United States, India, France and Cambodia to examine the global monkey business. Published on Thursday 14 September 2023.

101 East investigates the forgotten victims of France's nuclear tests in French Polynesia. For 30 years, France undertook nuclear testing in its Pacific territory, French Polynesia. In recent years, investigations have revealed the effects of the tests were far greater than France has officially acknowledged. A total of 193 nuclear tests were undertaken, including 41 atmospheric tests that exposed the local population and site workers to high levels of radiation. Today, children across the Pacific islands are still dealing with the nuclear fallout. Cancer and other developmental diseases plague new generations born after the last test in 1996. 101 East investigates the costs of France’s nuclear tests in French Polynesia. Published on Thursday 10 August 2023.

101 East investigates Thailand’s sex tourism trade and how vulnerable children are exploited. Published on 17 August 2023. Thailand’s multibillion-dollar sex tourism trade is thriving again after its shutdown during the COVID-19 lockdowns. With the country’s borders open again, tourists are flocking from around the world. Despite prostitution being illegal, bar girls in the coastal city of Pattaya can earn triple the average wage, drawing workers from the country’s poor rural provinces. But police say children are increasingly targeted in the city’s red-light district. 101 East investigates Thailand’s sex tourism trade and how it exploits vulnerable children. Classification: G-CV

101 East meets the women wrestlers and boxers battling for their rights in and out of the sporting arena in India. Published on Thursday 27 July 2023. In India, wrestling is generally a man’s world. The practice dates back more than 1,000 years but, traditionally, girls were not allowed to even step onto a wrestling mat. Girls have also been unwelcome in another combat sport – boxing. Yet a few women have bravely defied convention and risen to the top of their sport, inspiring a new generation of girls. And they are also taking the fight to the streets, sparking the country’s first MeToo movement in Indian sport. 101 East meets India’s women wrestlers and boxers who are battling for their rights in and out of the sporting arena.

101 East investigates Southeast Asia’s booming vape industry and its cost to health. Published on 13 July 2023. Across Southeast Asia, vaping is skyrocketing, heralded as a way for smokers to quit cigarettes. But public health experts say e-cigarettes and vapes contain highly addictive nicotine and a cocktail of toxic chemicals with long-term health risks. And it is not just smokers taking up the habit. With thousands of available flavours like bubble gum, candy and lemon sorbet, a growing number of young people in Asia are getting hooked. 101 East investigates the booming vape industry across Southeast Asia.

101 East investigates the rise of India’s alleged kingpin of red sandalwood smuggling and the fight to capture him. India’s red sandalwood is one of the most expensive timbers in the world. It is also an endangered species. An international black-market trade in it has decimated valuable forests, with armies of smugglers terrorising local law enforcement. One man stands accused of being at the top of the trade – Sahul Hameed. Hameed is wanted by Indian authorities and Interpol for trafficking the prized wood. But he remains at large. 101 East investigates Hameed’s alleged links to organised crime and the global efforts to bring him to justice. Published on Thursday 20 July 2023.

As India becomes the world's most populous country, 101 East investigates controversial family planning measures designed to curb population growth. Published on 29 Jun 2023. India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous country. Driven by states like Bihar, the country’s population is forecast to continue growing. With Bihar’s fertility rate much higher than the national average, authorities are using a raft of family planning measures, including incentives for sterilisations, which critics say places the burden unfairly on women. Home to more than 120 million people, competition for jobs is tougher than ever as the state struggles to curb its high unemployment rate. 101 East investigates attempts to control India’s population growth and the challenges of finding work in the world’s most populous country.

In a 2-part special report, 101 East joins the hunt for thousands of artefacts stolen from across Asia and follows those trying to return them home. 101 East joins the hunt to bring back Asia’s looted artefacts from museums and private collections across Europe, the US and Australia. Since the 19th century, thousands of ancient artefacts have been looted from Asian countries, ending up in Western museums and private collections. Now archaeologists, activists, internet sleuths and lawyers are joining forces to hunt down the priceless stolen artefacts and have them returned home. Investigators from Cambodia and Thailand to the United Kingdom and the United States are searching for evidence to reclaim pieces stolen by one of the world’s most notorious art thieves. They are gathering firsthand testimonies from looters, and using photographic and forensic evidence. In this special report, 101 East follows the hunt for Asia’s stolen artefacts.

Deep sea mining could help fight climate change, but how would it affect the world's biggest ocean? In a 2 part special, 101 East investigates. Minerals deep below the surface could help fight climate change, but how would deep sea mining affect the world's biggest ocean? 101 East investigates how the Pacific Ocean could be the first frontier of deep-sea mining. Published on 20 April 2023. Resource companies and island nations are scouring the Pacific Ocean for vast untapped minerals. Trillions of rocks found on the seabed contain metals that could power electric cars and green energy. The Cook Islands government believes deep-sea mining could contribute to the fight against climate change and end the country’s economic dependence on tourism. But environmentalists say extracting minerals from 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) beneath the ocean’s surface could be catastrophic for fragile marine ecosystems the scientific world knows little about. With deep-sea mining likely to start in 2024, 101 East investigates how it could affect the world’s largest ocean. This documentary was produced in collaboration with SBS Australia and supported by the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism through the Walkley Public Fund.

Deep-sea mining could help fight climate change, but how would it affect the world's biggest ocean? In a 2-part special, 101 East investigates. 101 East investigates how the Pacific Ocean could be the first frontier of deep-sea mining. Published on 20 April 2023. Resource companies and island nations are scouring the Pacific Ocean for vast untapped minerals. Trillions of rocks found on the seabed contain metals that could power electric cars and green energy. The Cook Islands government believes deep-sea mining could contribute to the fight against climate change and end the country’s economic dependence on tourism. But environmentalists say extracting minerals from 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) beneath the ocean’s surface could be catastrophic for fragile marine ecosystems the scientific world knows little about. With deep-sea mining likely to start in 2024, 101 East investigates how it could affect the world’s largest ocean. This documentary was produced in collaboration with SBS Australia and supported by the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism through the Walkley Public Fund.

In a 2-part special report, 101 East joins the hunt for thousands of artefacts stolen from across Asia and follows those trying to return them home. 101 East joins the hunt to bring back Asia’s looted artefacts from museums and private collections across Europe, the US and Australia. Since the 19th century, thousands of ancient artefacts have been looted from Asian countries, ending up in Western museums and private collections. Now archaeologists, activists, internet sleuths and lawyers are joining forces to hunt down the priceless stolen artefacts and have them returned home. Investigators from Cambodia and Thailand to the United Kingdom and the United States are searching for evidence to reclaim pieces stolen by one of the world’s most notorious art thieves. They are gathering firsthand testimonies from looters, and using photographic and forensic evidence. In this special report, 101 East follows the hunt for Asia’s stolen artefacts.

101 East travels to Kazakhstan, where Russians opposed to the war in Ukraine are starting new lives. Published on Thursday 13 April 2023. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled their homeland since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Afraid they could be sent to fight, some left by car, bicycle, even by foot, crossing into neighbouring Kazakhstan just hours after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military mobilisation. Others decided to flee due to fear they could be punished for speaking out against the war. Kazakhstan has largely welcomed the sudden influx, but for many new arrivals, the future is uncertain. 101 East meets young Russians opposed to the war in Ukraine who are starting new lives in Kazakhstan.

Tigers and rhinos were almost poached to extinction in Nepal – now their numbers are on the rise. We ask how they did it and at what cost. In the 1960s, Nepal’s one-horned rhino population had plummeted to less than 100, with poachers threatening it with extinction. Yet Nepal’s latest rhino census reveals something remarkable – the number of rhinos has grown to 752. The rise is attributed to one of the world’s toughest anti-poaching approaches, mixed with innovative community-based conservation efforts. And this success is not limited to the rhino – with the Himalayan nation close to tripling its tiger population in 2022. 101 East investigates one of the greatest conservation success stories in Asia and asks if it is sustainable. Published on Thursday 9 March 2023.

In a 2-part special series, 101 East follows a female school principal and a student who have fled Taliban rule in Afghanistan to start new lives in Canada. Published on Thursday 09 February 2023. After the Afghan capital, Kabul, fell to the Taliban in August 2021, there was a mass exodus as civilians fled their homeland. They are now scattered around the world, from New Zealand to North America. But what are their new lives like in countries and cultures far from home? Filmed over four years, this special 101 East report follows a female school principal and a student on their challenging journey to new lives in Canada.

In a 2-part special series, 101 East follows a female school principal and student who have fled Taliban rule in Afghanistan to start new lives in Canada. Published on Thursday 09 February 2023. After the Afghan capital, Kabul, fell to the Taliban in August 2021, there was a mass exodus as civilians fled their homeland. They are now scattered around the world, from New Zealand to North America. But what are their new lives like in countries and cultures far from home? Filmed over four years, this special 101 East report follows a female school principal and a student on their challenging journey to new lives in Canada.

101 East meets the female stunt riders defying gravity and tradition in Indonesia. Published on 23 February 2023. Across Indonesia, death-defying motorbike riders are the star attraction at fun fairs known as “pasar malams”. The performers propel their bikes up the near-vertical walls of the so-called “Devil’s Barrel”, a two-storey high wooden structure. Stunt riding is a male-dominated world in the conservative Muslim-majority country, but now a group of young women are blazing their own trail. 101 East meets the female stunt performers defying tradition – and gravity – in Indonesia.

101 East investigates the rise of female fighters in armed groups across Southeast Asia. Across Southeast Asia, a growing number of women are being recruited by armed groups like ISIL (ISIS). Female fighters were involved in eight of the 11 suicide attacks carried out between May 2018 and May 2021. Helping to recruit and finance fighting cells, women are increasingly at the centre of violent attacks. Counterterrorism experts say it is important to understand how these women come to join violent groups and that women should be involved in the de-radicalisation process.

In a 2-part special report, 101 East investigates the growing influence of Chinese investors in Afghanistan, in the wake of the Taliban takeover. When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, most foreigners and multinational companies had already packed up and left Afghanistan. Going against the stream of foreigners fleeing the country was a group looking for “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities: Chinese entrepreneurs. Despite the ongoing unrest, an economic crisis and United Nations’ concerns over human rights, more Chinese citizens are joining the country’s “gold rush”. Once a small minority, Chinese nationals now make up Afghanistan’s biggest group of expatriates. With exclusive access to leading Chinese investors, 101 East investigates their growing influence across Afghanistan’s business and media sectors.

101 East reports on the people and events shaping the Asia Pacific region.

101 East investigates one of South Korea’s worst peace-time atrocities and those allegedly behind it now living in Australia. Published on Thursday 9 December 2021. It is one of the darkest chapters in South Korea’s post-war history, a site where thousands were allegedly enslaved, abused, raped and even killed. Known as Brothers Home, it was supposed to be a shelter for the homeless, but according to witnesses and evidence from the site, from 1976 to 1987 it was the scene of one of the country’s worst atrocities. More than 30 years later, survivors are still fighting for justice. 101 East investigates the crimes allegedly committed and those said to be behind them now living in Australia.