Stories about East Asia from April, 2015
Authorities Said a Protester Assaulted Hong Kong Police. Witness Video Showed Otherwise
The couple went out of their way to help 17-year-old Ho Pak-Hei, who was acquitted. Ordinary heroes like them are stepping up with proof that pro-democracy protesters were falsely accused.
Southeast Asian Activists Unite in ‘People’s Walk’ Ahead of Regional Leaders’ Summit
More than 1,000 activists and leaders from various civil society organizations across Southeast Asia declared their position on human rights and growing economic inequality.
Social Media Becomes a Lifeline in the Nepal Earthquake Aftermath
A spontaneous global social network is now building data collection to provide key support to people back in Nepal and are calling for action.
Mapping Cambodia's Land Concessions
Licadho, a Cambodian human rights group, has released its dataset of land concessions approved by the government in the past years. The group is now urging the government to release all records related to the land contracts it awarded to domestic and foreign companies. According to activists, many of these...
Japanese University Turns a Blind Eye to the Plight of Campus Cats
Professor Charles Januzzi has worked for nearly 25 years to care and control the population of a stray cat colony on campus, but University of Fukui now says no more.
Hong Kong Politician Wants More Headlines About Filipina Maids Seducing Their Bosses
The Philippine Consulate General responded, saying "discrimination should have no place in any society, most especially Hong Kong." Migrant domestic workers protested outside Regina Ip's office.
In Taiwan and on Facebook, the Nipple is Not Yet Free
"Before we label it as "indecent" and "obscene", a body is just a body, a part of the human self." Taiwanese women speak up for the #FreeTheNipple campaign.
Japanese Women Push Back Against Leaning In
The Japanese government wants more women in the workforce, but some women, stretched thin between childcare, running a household and caring for aging parents, feel the support system isn't there.
Kenyan Lives Matter, African Students Say at Garissa Vigil in Beijing
A group of African students in Beijing organized a vigil to honor the 147 victims of the Garissa attack. China has little tolerance for shows of public sentiment, even grief.
Singaporean Teenager Arrested for Making Videos Deemed ‘Offensive’
"Apart from the problems of using handcuffs on minors, is this really a proportional response to a YouTube video?"
Vietnamese Netizens Are Getting Bolder Online, Despite Tough Laws
"Thanks to social media it has become possible and even trendsetting to publicly question the Communist Party’s legitimacy."
In Hong Kong, a Beer With a Side Order of Learning
The event is part of a worldwide initiative called "Raising the Bar", which aims at making education a part of popular urban culture. Hong Kong is Asia's first host city.
Head to the US-Mexico Border and Find a Chinese Food Scene Like None Other
Avocado in fried rice and Mexican-style beef with asparagus are just some of the dishes you’ll find. And their backstory dates back more than 130 years.
Malaysian Cartoonist Vows to Continue Fighting Government Abuses Despite Sedition Charges
"I will not keep quiet. How can I be neutral, even my pen has a stand!"
US Ambassador Kennedy Visits Hiroshima Acknowledging Legacy of Atomic Destruction
US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy visited Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Museum and laid a wreath at the cenotaph for A-bomb victims - unprecedented for a US ambassador.
Finding Christianity in Japan, Where Believers Are a Small Minority
"The doctrine teaches me to how to live life as a human and it all sounds very decent to me. I am inclined to listen to it."
China Jails Prominent Journalist Gao Yu for Leaking ‘State Secrets’
She was sentenced to seven years in prison. Observers believe the "state secrets" refer to a Chinese Communist Party directive that lists "seven speak-nots" for university professors, including press freedom.
Japan's ‘Vagina Artist’ Denies Obscenity Charges
Japanese artist Megumi Igarashi, nicknamed "The Vagina Artist" by the Western media, says there's nothing obscene about artwork based on her genitalia.
New Internet Rules in China Target Usernames, Avatars as Subversive Tools
More than 67,000 user accounts have been deleted due to a new rule that prohibits screen names and profile pictures that threaten national security, destroy ethnic unity, or defame others.
A Filipina Woman Shares How She Ended Up on Indonesia's Death Row for Drug Trafficking
"We believe that Mary Jane was a victim of large drug syndicates who take advantage of the unawareness, vulnerability and desperation of our people."
Cartoon Mascots in China Make Social Policing Cute
The mascots model “civil” behavior” and spread new norms about acceptable public behavior, specifically targeting newly urbanized migrants learning to share urban public spaces for the first time.
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.
