· March, 2009

Stories about East Asia from March, 2009

Cambodia: Evidence at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Former Khmer Rouge rebels doubt there will be sufficient evidence to convict the five leaders waiting to stand trial at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Because the events occurred 30 years ago, evidence and witnesses could be hard to come by.

31 March 2009

Taiwan: Buddhist master creates controversy

Buddhist Master Hsing Yun created controversy at an international Buddhist conference when he claimed, “There are no Taiwanese in Taiwan and Taiwanese are all Chinese.” Taiwan blogs The View from...

31 March 2009

Cambodia: Trial begins for Khmer Rouge leader

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia began the first public hearing of Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch. During the Khmer Rouge regime, Duch headed the infamous Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh where thousands died.

31 March 2009

Water: One Take International Video Contest

“Is access to clean, safe water for drinking a basic human right? Why? or Why not?”. That is the question One Take is asking for you to answer in your own language, recording it on a video no more than 2 minutes long, uploading it on their site and on DotSub and having it subtitled in at least 1 other language. Just this month, world leaders met in Istambul, Turkey at the World Water Forum to have this discussion, and although they aren't sure what the result will be, it is our chance to show what we believe about this issue, and make our voices heard.

30 March 2009

Indonesia: “Mini-Tsunami” hits village as dam collapses

Last Friday the Situ Gintung dike collapsed in Indonesia which killed almost a hundred people and injured 190 others. At least 300 houses were destroyed and 1,600 residents were displaced. The extent of the tragedy reminded many Indonesians about the deadly tsunami which hit the region five years ago.

30 March 2009

Japan: Tourism videos

Edo from Pink Tentacle introduces a series of official tourism videos produced by the city of Hakodate. The videos are about aliens invasion of the city.

30 March 2009

Taiwan: Our land and the Statute of Rural Renewal

The scenery of Taiwan's countryside as simple and stunningly beautiful as depicted by the above popular lullaby will soon be vanished. Small rivers will be replaced by sewage pipes, hills will be flattened, and there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of factories and sumptuous villas rise in the middle of farmland. Of course, there will be potted plant inside the walls of these villas, but there won't be egrets or even sparrows anymore.

29 March 2009

Indonesia: Sharia Finance

As the financial system crumbles in the developed world, some analysts in Indonesia are proposing to replace it with the Sharia Finance system.

28 March 2009

Malaysia: Dress worth $30 million

Despite the economic crisis, a designer in Malaysia has created a dress adorned with 751 diamonds. The price tag: US$30 million. The dress is called the “Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur”

28 March 2009

Global Recession Survey: Survival Tips and Business Opportunities

Everybody is trying hard to cope with the global economic crisis. Bloggers are offering survival tips to their readers. Businesses around the world are adjusting. Some are even profiting from the crisis. In this post, I will feature individuals and companies exerting their very best to overcome the recession.

27 March 2009

Korea: Blog, Bloggers, and Etiquette.

While bloggers seem to be equally distant from each other, they are in fact not. They have their favorite blogs and bloggers, and they link their blogs to each other....

27 March 2009

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.