Stories about East Asia from November, 2008
Myanmar: Social networking site
Myanmar Space is a new social networking site for Myanmar speaking people all over the world. There is a chat room, photo and video upload, forum, polls. There is also a blog section where members can post articles.
Indonesia: “Security camera” show in a hotel TV
Isman from Indonesia is shocked to discover a different kind of amenity offered by a hotel in Manado: A TV program airing a direct feed from the hotel's security camera.
Indonesia: Elections and used car markets
Youthful Insight from Indonesia compares next year's elections to used car markets: “Both of them offer nothing but high risk, low return for voters and buyers.”
Korea: An Actress, Her Good Deed, and Her Family History.
A popular young actress who is called the ‘national sister’ due to her naivete, humble attitude, and good acting, Moon Geun-young is famous for making donations to society. She usually hides her good deeds from public view. This month a welfare organization, exposed that she donated 850 million won (1...
China: Roadmap to Tibet Independence
Sun bin introduces Wang Lixiong's recent article on the Roadmap to Tibet Independence. The Chinese version is re-posted at inmediahk.net, while an ongoing English translation is here.
China: An Eviction In Futian
ESWN translated a brief post with a number of pictures from MOP on a violent eviction in Futian, Shenzhen.
Thailand: Airport chaos and travel advisory
Surawut at Thai Blogs reports on the chaos at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bangkok Pundit reports the Australian government has put out a new travel advisory.
China: Yang Jia is dead
Yang Jia (杨佳), who killed 6 police officers at Zhabei District police station in Shanghai on July 1, 2008, was executed this morning (26 of Nov, 2008). A twitter account, foreveryangjia, has been set up to express grievance towards this legendary figure. Upon receiving the news from Yang's mother about...
Japan: Employment promised and then revoked
Using the excuse of financial instability, new graduates in Japan, after being hired initially, are finding that unofficial promises of employment are then being revoked, a trend that blogger Akinori Nakamura [中村昭典] uses as a starting point for making observations on recent changes in the Japanese employment system. Nakamura-san compares...
Thailand: Rallies and Twitter updates
Thailand’s anti-government protesters have surrounded the Parliament building; they are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. Thai bloggers and Twitter users have been sending updates about the protest actions in Bangkok.
China and Japan: Paper Schools at Earthquake Zone
Ayana from Pingmag reports on a Japanese student project for building temporary school buildings out of cardboard papers at Chengdu.
China: Photos of Longnan Mass Incident
ESWN collected a series of photos showing the Longnan Mass Incident happened last week.
Philippines: Hunger and poverty
Filipino journalist Joe Torres writes about hunger and poverty in the Philippines and Asia.
Malaysia: Yoga is OK for Muslims but…
The National Fatwa Council of Malaysia has ruled that the physical aspect of yoga without the mantras and other spiritual elements is not wrong. Blogger Nuraina thinks the edict is unnecessary.
Laos: Street lighting
Samakomlao uploads an article about the street lighting project in Vientiane, Laos.
Thailand: Protesters surround Parliament building
Anti-government protesters have surrounded the Parliament building of Thailand. They are demanding the removal of the Prime Minister.
East Timor: Air quality
Reacting to a report about the worsening pollution in Asia, Dili-gence notes that air quality in Dili, East Timor is better than in the whole region.
Malaysia: The Plight of Penan
The Penan tribe, indigenous people of East Malaysia, have taken quite some press and blog space this year. Bloggers react to stories of abuses committed against the Penan Tribe.
China: Citizen reporter Zuola becomes a potential threat to state security?!
Three days ago, on Nov 20th, Zuola sent out a twitter message reporting that he could not get through the Customs from Shenzhen to Hong Kong: I can't get in Hongkong, not allow me leave from China, I don't konw why. And I call somebody for ask help. May be...
Japan: Bloggers debate prohibition of cannabis
Starting with the case of two sumo wrestlers who tested positive for marijuana at the beginning of September and continuing with the announcement last week by Waseda University that three students were arrested over suspicions of growing cannabis, scandals related to the use of cannabis have topped the headlines in the media over the last few weeks in Japan.
Japan: Falling Land Prices
The GLOCOM blog reports that land prices are falling across Japan, even in prime locations such as Otemachi and Ginza (Tokyo). The trend resembles the beginning of country's so-called “lost decade” in the early 1990s.
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.
