Stories about Politics from October, 2008
Burmese Americans and US elections
Writers Myat Soe and May Ng discuss the views of Burmese Americans about the U.S. elections
Japan: Arrested in Shibuya just for walking?
id:inumash comments on news [ja] that three people heading a demo in Shibuya (Tokyo) on Oct. 26th with the intention of going to “see the home of PM Taro Aso” were arrested for not having notified police beforehand [ja]. The blogger points to an article by Amamiya Karin [雨宮処凛] [ja]...
Taiwan: Huge crowd at 1025 protest
Several media outlets reported that 600,000 people attended the 1025 Safeguard Taiwan protest on Saturday in Taipei. A-gu live blogged on the protest tracking the news reports of several TV channels. Travels around Taiwan had a post featuring photos of some of the signs at the protest. Memories of Past...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Differences
Voting on Amendment 8 gets Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp thinking about “the difference between American and Jamaican politics.”
Barbados, U.S.A.: Behind Barack
Barbados Underground says that most Caribbean people support Barack Obama for U.S. President.
Guyana, Suriname: River Dispute
Living Guyana blogs about an escalating diplomatic dispute between Guyana and Suriname over access to the Corentyne River, while Guyana 360 suggests that a boat accident along the river in question comes at a curious time.
Armenia: Madrid Principles
Unzipped posts details of the “Madrid Principles,” a proposed framework for future resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The post also compares the principles with that believed to have been agreed in the late 1990s.
Taiwan: Protest to defend Sovereignty
Claudia Jean blogs photos of the weekend protest organized by Democratic Progressive Party against the president Ma Ying-jeou concerning his policy towards China.
China: Rumors and Authorities
ESWN translated an article from Southern Metropolis Daily on the relation between the spreading of rumors and the lack of trust on the authorities.
Chile: The 1985 Meeting Between McCain and Pinochet
In 1985, a U.S. Congressman named John McCain traveled to Chile and met with dictator Augusto Pinochet. The previously unreported meeting was revealed by journalist John Dinges, who published the findings in two blogs, and which were especially timely because of the current Republican nominee “who has harshly criticized the idea of sitting down with dictators without pre-conditions, appears to have done just that.”
Southeast Asia: Impact of Financial Crisis
What are the views of several Southeast Asian bloggers about the global financial crisis? First, an authoritative voice: Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. He points out the double standard of the US government in solving economic problems: “We cannot forget how, in 1997-98, American hedge funds destroyed the economies...
Malaysian Media Council: Double handcuffs or media freedom?
Amidst a number of recent journalistic blunders, Malaysia’s Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, announced that the government has full intention of establishing a national media policy, together with a regulatory body over Malaysian media. Syed Hamid said that that a policy is currently being drafted and also that the foundations...
Korea: US$100bn Package for Stabilizing the Market
South Korea's government has agreed to guarantee foreign-currency borrowing by the country's banks to help stabilize financial markets. The announcement doesn’t bring positive views from netizens. The netizens also have different interpretations. 불과 금요일까지만 해도 정부의 은행지급보증은 일말의 가능성에 불과했다. 유럽에서 너도 나도 지급보증 들어가서 지급보증이 멍멍이 짖는 소리처럼 들리는...
Bali bombers to be executed next month
Three Indonesian men will be executed next month over the 2002 Bali bombings. Early this month, a cleric accused the CIA of being behind the bombings.
Ukraine: Politics Versus the Economy
Ukraine's tumultuous internal politics has long stood in the way of the country's economic development - and even now, at the time of an economic crisis, there seems to be no sign of respite. Below is what some English-language bloggers have to say about the current situation.
Jamaica: Inaccurate Ranking?
My View of JamDown from Up So writes an open letter to Reporters Without Borders, saying he was “disturbed at the high (press freedom) rank of Jamaica in comparison what most people here acknowledge to be reality.”
Cuba: Categorizing
Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez refuses to be labeled.
Cuba: Ties That Bind?
Steven's Cuba Blog and Havana Times report on the formal resumption of ties between the European Union and Cuba, while Child of the Revolution adds: “the Cubans say they are happy to restart an open and constructive dialogue with the EU – on the Cubans’ terms, of course, which essentially...
Bermuda: Speech, Boy!
The Premier of Bermuda makes a speech that leaves Vexed Bermoothes and Catch a fire feeling a bit disconcerted.
Azerbaijan: Life as an OSCE Election Observer
The Continuing Adventures of Super Steve details life as an election observer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during the recent presidential election in Azerbaijan. The blog also questions whether an election boycotted by the main opposition parties can be considered democratic regardless of whether polling...
Ghana: Supporters of Two Main Parties Clash
Ghana Elections blog reports election-related violence in Ghana: “The violence in the run-up to December 7 is unabated as supporters of the two main parties have yet again clashed in the Volta Regional capital Ho.”