Lhamo, a
Tibetan farmer in southwestern China, posted videos of herself cooking, singing
and picking herbs on social media. Her followers were watching her livestream from
her kitchen one evening when a man stormed in and she screamed. Then the screen
went dark.
Ms. Lhamo
died two weeks later. Her ex-husband is now under investigation, accused of dousing
her with gasoline and setting her on fire.
The case, one of several
involving domestic violence that have gained attention this year, reflects the
shortcomings of China’s legal system in protecting women — even when they
repeatedly seek help, as Ms. Lhamo did. Public
outrage has helped some get justice.
A new movement: One
day after Ms. Lhamo’s death, Xi Jinping, China’s top
leader, told a U.N. conference on women that the “protection of women’s rights
and interests must become a national commitment.” The Chinese internet seized
on the speech. People were calling for stronger enforcement of a domestic
violence law using the hashtag #LhamoAct. Other
hashtags such as #StopNotActing condemned the failure
of the police to prevent Ms. Lhamo’s death.
Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide in Myanmar’s recent elections, setting
up five more years in which she will share power with the military that has
ruled the country for nearly 50 years. Above, supporters celebrating in Yangon
on Nov. 9.
She remains popular at home,
yet it is hard to think of a human rights hero whose global prestige has
diminished so quickly. Our reporter looked at her shift from democracy icon to
defender of a military accused of genocide.