· May, 2007

Stories about East Asia from May, 2007

China: Xiamen Demonstration Against Chemical Project

  31 May 2007

Tomorrow there will be a demonstration in Xiamen against the construction of Chemical factory campus. Although the local government has already announced the deferral of the construction plan on may 30, the rally is to stop the plan all together. Details and discussions about the rally and construction plan can...

China: Lost in “preservation”

  31 May 2007

Wang Jun comments that media attention has succeed in preserving part of “old Beijing”, however, the old part might still get lost in actual preservation plan, as it allows rebuilding and radical renovation (zh).

Hong Kong: Take it to the UN!

  31 May 2007

A new blog called, take it to the UN, has been set up to file the complaint of the recent censorship cases by the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) to the Committees of Human Right Council of United Nation.

China: Pork barrel politics

  31 May 2007

Will from imagethief discusses the delicate politics in the recent rise in pork price in China, the connection between epidemic, death sentence of the former commissioner of the State Food and Drug Administration, pork reserves, etc.

China: Entropia Universe

  31 May 2007

Peijin Chen from Shanghaiist reports that Entropia. Inc will soon enter China and create a cash-based virtual world, where millions of people can work, socialize, learn and fall in love, Sweden-based Entropia Universe announced Wednesday.

Japan: “Thought Check” Screening for Citizen Judges

  30 May 2007

While news in Japan this week has been understandably fixated on the sensational suicide of Agriculture Minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu, another story revealed in a blog entry by Diet member Hosaka Nobuto slipped by with little fanfare last weekend. In the post, Hosaka outlines the latest step in moves by the government to implement a "citizen judge system" in Japan. This step, he claims, would allow the prosecution to effectively disqualify, through a "thought check" screening process, all citizens judge candidates who express doubt about the trustworthiness of police investigations.

China: Internet Bookstore

  30 May 2007

Fangjun discussed about the competition of internet bookstore business in China (zh). Joyo and dangdang were competing the status of the biggest Chinese internet bookstore in the world. Recently Dangdang issued a statement and asked joyo not to lie again.

China: The importance of media dissent to “old Beijing”

  30 May 2007

Chris O'Brien from Beijing Newspeak blogs about the importance of media dissent to the redevelopment process of “old Beijing” by comparing the news reports of Dongsi Ba Tiao and Qianmen projects: media pressure has at least secured residents a better deal in terms of compensation.

Hong Kong: Migration of Websites

  30 May 2007

Duke of Aberdeen comments on the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority's advice of the suspected “indecent” photo at inmediahk.net, and points out that one of the consequence is a migration wave of website hosting out of Hong Kong as the government is targeting on local ISP and BSP (zh).

South Korea: Gender Gap

  30 May 2007

Kotaji comments on the widening of gender gap in South Korea, there are more male than female. The writer's quick suggestions are acceptance of homosexuality, sex change, clone female.

Hong Kong: Censorship Bureaucrats

  30 May 2007

Roland Snoog has translated the article from Inmediahk.net on the author's encounter with the staff from the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) who gave an “advice” to the website to remove a nude photo. See also ESWN

Thailand: Stereotyping Foreigners

  30 May 2007

The Siam Sentinel looks at the Thai habit of stereotyping foreigners. “It's not always the case but many Thais are still going by long believed stereotypes about how the Chinese, Indians, and farang are all cheats and out to steal something from the Thai people.”

Thailand: Blocking Pro-Thaksin Sites

  30 May 2007

Thai authorities have blocked more sites that support the former prime minister Thaksin. The Bangkok Bugle says the block might have a reverse effect with Thai people trying other means to figure out what Thaksin has to say.

Japan: Miss Universe

  29 May 2007

Marie Mockett from Japundit comments on Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, who has just taken the crown of Miss Universe pagent: As long as the Japanese were sticking to their version of “kawaii,” they were never going to win a thing.

China: GFW and Google

  29 May 2007

Zola claims that once he becomes more well off and famous, he will sue GFW and Google, the former blocks his blog from local access, the latter stops his adsense account without giving him any reason (zh).

About our East Asia coverage

Oiwan Lam
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Mong Palatino
Mong Palatino is the South East Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.