Thread by @Joshua_Luna

Many wealthy countries—particularly Western, white-dominated ones—treat Southeast Asia as their playground and dumping ground, then have the nerve to blame Southeast Asian countries for the poverty & pollution they helped create. 1/

(Please don't repost my art. RTs appreciated.)

These countries—which enrich themselves by devastating SEA through war and colonization, & by exploiting its labor & resources—have the capacity to process contaminated plastic waste, but because it's expensive, they instead export the burden to SEA, which has far less means. 2/

They're just like the begpacker, who has the capacity to fund their trip with their own money but instead chooses to leverage their white privilege & exploit the kindness of SEA locals, and ends up draining rather than boosting the economy for the sake of personal "adventure." 3/

They're just like the sweatshop-owning corporation, who has the capacity to pay a living wage and provide safe working conditions but instead chooses to exploit and abuse SEA labor because turning a profit is more important than valuing Asian lives. 4/

They're just like the sexpat, who has the capacity to pursue a romantic partner who is a peer but instead chooses to prey on desperate or even trafficked or underaged SEA victims because they expect no consequences for their depraved & violent behavior, & usually receive none. 5/

These are only recent examples of the ongoing colonization of SEA. Southeast Asians around the world have long been regulated to positions of service/servitude such as maids, nannies, & nurses. We're expected to clean up privileged people's trash because we are seen as trash. 6/

So when we talk about climate change, it’s not enough to call it a crisis—it's a climate apartheid. We’re not all suffering equally & that's by design. Southeast Asia & other countries who are majority Brown or Black are being hit first & worst thanks to white/waste supremacy. 7/

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https://twitter.com/Joshua_Luna/status/1134522555744866304

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