Stories about East Asia from June, 2010
Thailand: First country to block 100,000 websites
Twitter user leosia congratulates Thailand for being the first country in history to block more than 100,000 websites.
Japan and the World Cup: Silencing the critics
Ranked near the bottom of the 32 teams on the field in South Africa, facing odds estimated at 400-to-1 and four straight pre-tournament losses to boot, Japan was not even expected to win a game in this year's World Cup. But with their convincing 3-1 win over Denmark, perceptions have completely changed, propelling coach Takashi Okada from the butt of all jokes to a national hero.
China and Korea: National sentiment controlled by rumors
Key from China Hush blogs about the anti-Korean sentiment in China which has been fanned by a number of rumors.
China: Debate over RMB evaluation
One week before the G20 summit, the Chinese central bank announced the increase of flexibility of RMB exchange rate. The People's Bank of China asserted that the exchange rate regime reform could help China, but not everyone is convinced in online forums.
Malaysia: Historic jail demolished
Despite the protest of concerned citizens, artists, and historians, the Malaysian government has decided to demolish the 115 year old Pudu Jail, a historical landmark in Kuala Lumpur. Bloggers react
Philippines: Cebu Blog Camp
Tonyo Cruz uploads his lecture on citizen journalism during the 2010 Cebu Blog Camp. Cebu is a major province in the central part of the Philippines.
Myanmar: Decrease in opium production
Words of Life quotes from a report that opium production in the Shan State of Myanmar went down this year because of the El Nino phenomenon
Myanmar: Food ration cutback in refugee center
The Democratic Voice of Burma reported that food ration for refugees in the Thailand-Myanmar will be reduced because of budget shortfall. There are more than 140,000 refugees in the border.
Myanmar: Singapore to Yangon flight
Htoo Tay Zar uploads a video of his flight from Singapore to Yangon in Myanmar. The video provides brief snapshots of rural Myanmar and the Yangon airport
Myanmar: Soldiers steal buffaloes for TV
The Shan Herald reported that Myanmar soldiers near the Thailand-Myanmar border stole buffaloes in order to acquire a TV and satellite broadcast of the World Cup games.
Myanmar: Sports magazines enjoying higher sales
The Irrawaddy reports that sports magazines are enjoying higher sales in Myanmar because of the World Cup 2010
Worldwide: The oil spills that don't make the news
The tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has the world's attention on the devastation that badly managed oil extraction can bring. However, in some places around the world, people live with toxic spills such as these and through videos people try to bring the world's attention to their plight.
East Timor: “Blogs Factory” Announces Production Cuts
Fábrica dos Blogs [Blogs Factory, pt], a collective that feeds blog Timor Lorosae Nação (one of the most active sources of information and places for discussion about that country, in Portuguese), announced today that, after almost four years online, it will cut its publishing frequency from daily to weekly, due...
East Timor military record of Indonesian President
Timor Archives summarizes the study made by an Australian researcher about the military stint of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in East Timor. Indonesia occupied East Timor from 1975 to 1999.
Guide to Vietnamese Restaurant Menu
Viet World Kitchen provides a useful guide to understand Vietnamese restaurant menus
Illegal bird trades in Indonesia and the Philippines
EngageMedia uploads an investigative video report on the illegal bird trades in Indonesia and the Philippines
Indonesia: Video on protest against mangrove forest conversion
EngageMedia uploads a video of a protest action demanding the Aceh Governor in Indonesia to stop the conversion of mangrove forest to palm oil plantation.
Japan: Most popular company for job seekers
Akky Akimoto from Asiajin quotes a research that shows Google being the most popular company for Japanese job seekers between age 25 to 34.
South Korea: Worries Over Apocalypse Health Care Reform May Bring
As South Korean government moves a step closer to execute a health care reform, bloggers have erupted online, strongly criticizing the idea of reform as neither effective nor egalitarian.
Japan: A Hayao Miyazaki Profile
Trevor Hogg at Flickeringmyth [en] dedicates a series of five posts [en] to the master of Japanese animation Hayao Miyazaki [en]. In the first post, the blogger describes the beginning of the career of the Oscar winner filmaker.
China: A new search engine
Kaipan from china/divide introduces a beta search engine, Goso.cn, in China.
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