Home / Mustika L. Hapsoro

Hi! My name is Mustika and I've worked in the media for 5 years. Everything in this portfolio was written and produced between 2016 and 2019. You can read and listen to other articles, blogs and podcasts that I have produced and written in the links below.

Vice • 29th April 2019

Nepal Wants to Rid Mt. Everest of Dead Bodies and 10,000 Kilograms of Trash

Nowhere is safe from man-made garbage. At 8,848 meters tall, Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak has become the world’s highest garbage dump.

Vice • 26th April 2019

American Man Arrested After Photos of His 8-Hectare Weed Farm in Myanmar Went Viral

On Wednesday, Myanmar police arrested an American and two Myanmar citizens after photos on Facebook tipped them off to a huge weed farm near Mandalay.

Vice • 25th April 2019

Southeast Asia Should Brace for More ‘Extreme’ Drought, Study Says

Over the past 30 years, droughts have affected over 66 million people in the Southeast Asian region and according to recent reports, it's only going to get much worse from here.

Vice • 24th April 2019

Thailand’s Plan to Boost Tourism Is to Pay People to Explore Its Hidden Gems

Forget Phuket, screw Pattaya. In a bid to lure people to travel to its lesser-known cities, the Thai government is paying people to wander within the country.

Vice • 18th April 2019

There’s a Worldwide Pork Shortage Due to Widespread Swine Fever in China

The year of the pig isn’t going well for the world's pork industry. Experts predict that China, the world's biggest pork exporter, will lose up to 200 million pigs this year from African swine fever.

Vice • 16th April 2019

Indonesians Abroad Say They’re Being Denied the Right to Vote

Large voter turnouts and disorganization left thousands of Indonesians in Sydney and Hong Kong unable to cast their vote after standing in line for hours.

Vice • 12th April 2019

South Korea Is Lifting Its 66-Year-Old Ban on Abortions

In a landmark ruling, a South Korean court has ordered lawmakers to revise the ban by the end of 2020.

Vice • 2nd April 2019

What Do You Remember from Falling in Love for the First Time?

"We broke up when she was about to graduate high school. She was going to get married to someone else."

Vice • 27th March 2019

Brunei to Make Homosexuality a Crime Punishable by Death

The law is set to take effect next week.

Vice • 19th March 2019

Everything We Know About the Toxic Chemical Spill in Malaysia So Far

Over 3,000 people have been hospitalised from exposure to hazardous fumes since early this month, and more dumping sites were discovered today.

Vice • 13th March 2019

K-Pop’s Squeaky Clean Image Tarnished by Recent Sex Scandals Involving Its Biggest Stars

The multi-billion industry has a serious problem of sexual misconduct and abuse of power.

Vice • 20th February 2019

South Korea's Taxi Drivers Keep Setting Themselves On Fire to Protest a New Ridehailing Service

There's a dark side to the on-demand industry.

Vice • 14th February 2019

If Countries Could Deal with Their Own Toxic Waste, That Would Be Great

Five years later, the Philippines is still waiting for Canada to collect the huge load of hazardous waste it dumped in Manila.

Vice • 11th January 2019

Starving No More: Censorship is Opening Up New Avenues for Illustrators to Make Money In Asia

A Sketchy solution to a continued problem.

Vice • 9th January 2019

Indonesian District Wants to Ban Parents From Giving Their Babies 'Foreign Names'

There's a lot of Emmas being born in Indonesia right now.

Vice • 20th December 2018

There's No Such Thing as New Year's Eve In This Indonesian City

The party's always canceled in Banda Aceh.