· August, 2009

Stories about East Asia from August, 2009

East Timor: Tour de Timor

Tour de Timor has 300 registered competitors, 50 International volunteers and thousands of Timorese volunteers. The race was organized to promote peace.

31 August 2009

Japan: Voting for Change

Diary of A Singaporean Mind comments on the Japanese election result that ended the LDP 54 years of continuous rule. The blogger pointed out that Japanese people had voted for...

31 August 2009

Bangladesh: Justice Denied

The Online Citizen, a citizen media outlet of Singapore reports on a Bangladeshi labor, who was physically abused repeatedly by his Singaporean employer and denied 5 months salary. He held...

31 August 2009

Myanmar: Tension in the Sino-Burmese border

ESWN collects news reports on the military conflict between the Burmese government and the Kokang Ceasefire Group near the Sino-Burmese border. The situation has been getting worse in the past...

31 August 2009

Vietnam: Blogger fired by newspaper

Blogger Huy Duc, who writes under the pen name “Osin,” was fired from his job in a Saigon newspaper after Communist authorities in Vietnam complained about his writings

31 August 2009

Myanmar: Cooking oil ban removed

According to The Irrawaddy News, seven brands of cooking oil that had been banned for health reasons in Myanmar are now on sale again in Yangon after government authorities recommended...

31 August 2009

Malaysia: Muslims can’t watch “immoral” concerts

The political party which banned the concerts of Beyonce, Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani in Malaysia is now proposing to ban the "sinful" Michael Learns to Rock concert. Malaysian Muslims can't also watch a Black Eyed Peas concert because the show is sponsored by an alcohol company.

31 August 2009

East Timor: “Happy Day” of freedom vote

Timorese bloggers have celebrated the 10th anniversary of the popular referendum which led to the territory's formal independence. One commemorates the "happy day", another recalls his determination to drive out the Indonesian military occupiers, and yet another uses the day to question the current moment in Timor.

30 August 2009

Japan: Marines and Okinawa

Peter Ennis at NBR Forum explains [en] the “role” of the U.S. Marines in Okinawa. “The US Marines are so heavily based on Okinawa for one reason:Budget. Japan picks up...

28 August 2009

Japan: Robot nurse bear

Pink Tentacle featured a new machine – robot nurse bear which is designed to assist nurses by lifting patients in and out of their beds and wheelchairs.

28 August 2009

Japan: Falling Asleep on Trains

A Tsukuba Express train driver fell asleep at the wheel and was reported by a customer who used his cell phone to film the driver's slumber. While many bloggers expressed...

27 August 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.