Stories about East Asia from February, 2011
East Timor: Recruitment of soldiers
East Timor officials claim that young people who want to join the Defense force are on the rise.
East Timor: First football training center
East Timor will inaugurate its first football training center next month, according to Tempo Semanal.
Myanmar: Prepaid phone cards now available
The Myanmar government has finally allowed the use of prepaid phone cards in the country, according to The Irrawaddy.
South Korea: Taxi Drivers Protesting Against High Gasoline Price
Twitter @ekctu posted a dramatic photo of hundreds of taxis occupying the road. The taxi drivers parked their cars on the road today in Seoul as a sign of protest against the government's decision to raise LPG gas price.
China: Ran Yunfei charged with inciting subversion
Five days after he was detained, the family of Sichuan writer, scholar and blogger Ran Yunfei was notified today that Ran has officially been charged with inciting subversion of state power. Dark f**ing days indeed. [Note: People are now saying Ran has in fact been charged with the more serious...
South Korea: Amnesty International Condemns Korean Government's Censorship.
Amnesty International has condemned the convictionof eight South Koreans who are members of the Socialist Workers League. All eight men were found guilty under the National Security Law for “propagating or instigating a rebellion against the State’. Amnesty International criticized the law has been used to justify a form of censorship.
China: The Risk of Shutting Up Sina Weibo is Zero!?
The reaction of the Chinese government towards the anonymous “Jasmine Revolution” message circulated around overseas dissident websites and Twitter has alerted investment banks’ analysts to cut the rating of Sina's stock value. Some banks apparently anticipate an increase in the risk of the Chinese government tightening regulations on social media,...
China: Chinese TV praised Gaddafi as thinker, revolutionist
KDnet's netizen have dug out the TV interview of Gaddafi broadcast on Phoenix TV on July 18, 2010 in which the TV anchor praised Gaddafi as thinker and revolutionist. The Ministry of Tofu has translated the post and netizens’ comment on the interview.
China: Hooliganism
China Hush translated a news story about China's last Hooliganism convict. The controversy is on whether the convict should continue serving his sentence for a repealed law.
China: The fable of donkey island and piggy island
Why the hardworking donkey island keeps serving the wealthy piggy island? Utopia Net has a fable [zh] telling the relation between China and the U.S.. Mary Ann O'Donnell from Shenzhen Noted retells the fable in English.
Myanmar: Barcamp Yangon 2011
More than 4,000 participants attended Barcamp Yangon 2011 in Myanmar which made it one of the biggest Barcamps in the region. The Xanga website was banned after a speaker (whose blog is hosted by Xanga) talked about web censorship in Myanmar.
Malaysia: Suicide a Rising Problem
Malaysia has recently been gripped by an alarming social issue: suicide. It is estimated that an average of 60 suicides every month are being committed in Malaysia. A young Malaysian even posted a suicide note on Facebook.
A declaration of love to the Portuguese language, in all its variations
On February 21 Global Voices in Portuguese commemorated International Mother Language Day with a tribute to the lusophony in all its linguistic and cultural diversity. Read the blogsphere's reflections on the first novel dedicated to the Portuguese language, Milagrário Pessoal - the most recent work by the Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa.
China: Playing Revolution on Twitter
Two small protests on Sunday have been declared the beginning of China's own revolution, and yes, it all started on Twitter. Many felt leading up to the protests that they would prove to be little more than performance art, but now wonder if the heavy-handed response from authorities has created something bigger.
China: Open letter from Jasmine organizers
Human Rights in China translated an open letter, first posted on Boxun's temporary website, from the organizers of the Chinese Jasmine rallies held on 20 February 2011. The letter calls for people to gather every Sunday to continue to push for political reforms in China.
China: What a Beautiful Sensitive Word
China Digital Times translated technology blogger Jason Ng's post on “What a beautiful sensitive word” describing how the security police had helped promote the Jasmine Revolution by arresting a large number of dissidents and opinion leaders over an anonymous tweet.
China: Exportation of value to Libya
Siweiluozi translated prominent blogger Yang Hengjun's tweet “celebrating” the successful exportation of political value to Libya.
Taiwan:Is Central News Agency Censoring China's Jasmine Revolution?
The National News Agency-Central News Agency of Taiwan is suspected to censor related news about China's Jasmine Revolution yesterday. Jou Ying-Cheng, blogger and former reporter of CNA, accused CNA for not syndicating the second and further interview with Tan Lan-Yin(談蘭英)’ son due to political sensitivity, and such news blocking has...
South Korea: Botched Spying Attempt Embarrasses Citizens
South Korea’s intelligence agency has made the headlines after its agents allegedly broke into an Indonesian delegation’s hotel room last week in Seoul, in an attempt to steal classified information on Indonesia’s arms trade plans. The three intruders - two men and a woman - fled after they were caught copying files onto a USB stick by a delegate.
China: The ten years of a Chinese middle class
China Hush translated a Netease feature story on the aspiration and struggle of a Chinese middle class man from 2000-2010.
China: A Chinese Perspective on the “Jasmine Revolution”
Jottings from the Granite Studio has a guest post by Yajun commenting on the so-called “Jasmine Revolution” in China.