Stories about East Asia from January, 2012
China: A review of the new high-speed rail between Shenzhen and Guangzhou
Cam from Nanfang writes a review on the newly built high-speed rail service between Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The two train stations locate at the out skirt of the cities but the train ride takesless than 35 minutes.
China: The legacy of Wukan
David Bandurski from China Media Project blogs about the discussion among Chinese public intellectuals on the political implications of Wukan struggle against land acquisition in Guangdong.
Philippines: Protest Against Removal of Trees by Shopping Mall
The plan of SM City Baguio shopping mall in north Philippines to remove more than 100 trees to make way for a new parking lot and entertainment site has been greeted by massive protests from concerned citizens and various cause-oriented groups.
Malaysia: Temiar Blockade and Indigenous Rights
Eight indigenous peoples were arrested in Malaysia for attempting to set up a blockade and prevent loggers from entering their village. The villagers are against the agricultural project of the government which would require the cutting down of forest trees in their ancestral land. Human rights lawyers, activists and netizens react .
Indonesia: Promoting E-Commerce Among Small Businesses
Google partners with Indonesian private and government sectors to bring 100,000 Indonesian small and medium businesses online by the end of 2012. The initiative is called Bisnis Lokal Go Online
Singapore: Greening Initiative
Singapore Sojourn mentions the programs of the government and initiatives from the private sector to make Singapore a greener city.
China: US60,000 Per Month Postpartum Recovery Service
Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu translated a local report and netizen reactions on Shanghai's postpartum recovery service which costs around US60,000 per month.
China: Girl and Boyfriend Rental for Chinese Lunar New Year
Jacky Huang from ChinaHush introduces a shopping item, girl/boyfriend rental for Chinese New Year, in Taobao, a most popular online shopping website in China.
China: Redpad for Government Official Only
China Bubble Watch blogs about the introduction of Red-pad, an electronic device similar to i-pad but sold at a price (RMB9,999) twice as high as an Apple i-pad exclusively to Chinese government officials.
Singapore: Corruption Scandal in Least Corrupt Nation
The heads of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Central Narcotics Bureau are being investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau sparking plenty of conversation about corruption in a country that has been consistently ranked as one of the least corrupt in the world.
China: Not Worried About Twitter's Decision to Self-Censor
Twitter announced this week that, with an eye on global profits, it has decided to begin censoring content prohibited in the various markets in which the company has users. Although Twitter remains blocked in China, the site's Chinese-language users have responded to the news.
Myanmar (Burma): Betwixt and Between
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Burmese Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi this week addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging further support from the international community in Myanmar. Such engagement will be particularly important for refugees and internally displaced people.
Taiwan: 2012 Election Sets Example for Mainland Chinese Democratization
On January 14, Taiwan held its presidential and legislative election. In the wake of the polls, netizens wonder if Taiwan can set an example for the future democratization in mainland China. I-fan Lin reports.
Singapore: ‘Ineffective’ Government Online Search
Otterman Speaks criticizes the “ineffective search tool” embedded on Singapore's government webpages
Cambodia: Photos of Urban Poor Village Demolition
Faine Opines uploads photos of the forced eviction of residents and the demolition of their homes in Borei Keila in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Philippines: Blogger House Project
Baratillo Pamphlet writes about the Bloggers for Habitat YouthBuild Philippines project which aims to gather 2,000 youth that will help rebuild the lives of families whose homes were totally damaged by a typhoon.
Video Highlights: Music, Indigenous Initiatives, Indignation and Wonder
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Latin America, East Asia, Middle East and North Africa and Eastern and Central Europe, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
China: Kashgar’s City
Josh from Xinjiang far west China blogs about the future transformation of Kashgar city in Xinjiang. The old city's traditional mud home would be turned into modern buildings according to plan. The blogger asked: will you be still interested to visit Kashgar after the rebuilt?
Questions for China’s democracy opponents
David Bandurski from China Media Project introduced a discussion among mainland Chinese public opinion leaders on the Taiwan presidential election and translated a Weibo post which raised a series of questions for China's democracy opponents.
China: ‘Anti-American Warrior’ Gets Head Stuck in DC Airport Escalator
One of China's fiercest critics of liberal values hasn't had much to say after he injured his head on an escalator in Washington, DC, on a trip to the US he apparently did not want his followers to know about. John Kennedy reports.
North Korean Defectors and Their Shattered American Dream
Marmot's Hole blog wrote regarding a news report on the hardships North Korean defectors face in the United States. As of 2011, more than 400 North Korean defectors were living in the United States and there was a surge of defectors after 2004 when US passed the North Korean Human Rights...
About our East Asia coverage
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Nevin Thompson is the Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
