Stories about East Asia from December, 2011
China: Rich Chinese Couple Uses 2 Surrogate Mothers To Have 8 Babies
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a local news story and netizens’ comment about a rich Chinese couple in Guangdong using 2 surrogate mothers to have 8 babies.
Singapore: MP Apologizes Over ‘Racist’ Remark
Singapore MP Seng Han Thong issued a statement of apology after it was reported that he cited the poor English proficiency of Indian and Malay staffs for the unpreparedness of the Singapore's Mass Rapid Transport during emergency situations. Many people criticized the comment for its racist undertone.
Singapore: Train Disruptions Spark Debate
Train disruptions marred the operations of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transport this month which inconvenienced thousands of passengers and generated a heated discussion about the quality and efficiency of the country’s transportation system.
Singapore Memory Project
irememberSG is part of the Singapore Memory Project, a national initiative to “collect, preserve and provide access to the memories” of a nation which rose to become one of the most prosperous cities in the world.
Singapore: Person of the Year
Alvinology lists 12 individuals as possible choices for Singapore's person of the year.
Indonesia: Solidarity March for Aceh Punks
EngageMedia uploads a video of the solidarity march which was organized to support 64 musicians who were detained in Aceh, Indonesia for being “punks” and “disturbing the peace.”
Singapore's Transport Problems
Molly Meek writes about the frustration of many Singaporeans with the country's inefficient transportation system
Japan: Archiving Online Videos of Quake and Tsunami
More than 9 months have passed since the earthquake and tsunami which devastated many areas of Japan on March 11th. Rick Martin has been mapping and tagging videos taken during both events and during the aftermath.
Video Highlights: Protests, Elections, Culture and GV
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Middle East and North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa, Eastern and Central Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
Philippines: State of National Calamity After Tropical Storm Sendong
A state of national calamity was declared by the Philippine president after tropical storm Sendong devastated many parts of north Mindanao Island. More than 1,000 people have already died in the flash floods and 1,000 are still missing. Here are some citizen media photos and reports of the flood impact.
Japan: New Video Footage of Tsunami Tidal Surge
Devastating tsunami tidal surges are quiet and quick, as a recently uploaded video shows. The video was recorded from inside a truck which got stuck in the rising waters more than 1 mile from the coast 1 hour after the March 11 earthquake. The driver was able to swim to...
Japan: Life Decisions in the Face of Radiation Fear
The decision to move away differs from the more reactive evacuations that occurred this spring after the initial nuclear disasters. A blogger who decided to stay calls for a more logical understanding of the nuanced undercurrents of our emotional struggles.
South Korean President's Vocal Critic Sentenced to Jail Term
Jeong Bong-ju, a vocal critic of the President and a show host of the nation's most popular satirical podcast, Naggomsu, was sentenced a jail term for raising allegations of BBK stock price manipulation against the current President. Some citizens have posted this poster on a subway to show signs of support for Jeong.
China: Censorship and Kim Jong-il's death
Southeast conversation looks into the discussion about the death of Kim Jong-il and makes some observation on how portal websites censor the news and netizens’ comments.
China: Qingdao's Real Estate Bubble
Steven Dickinson argues that China's real estate market has bursted by sharing his observations in Qingdao, where new residential real estate projects in have fallen an average of 30% within 6 months.
Global Voices: Donate Today
2011 has been an extraordinary year for online content. Global Voices has been there as revolutions happened, dictatorships fell, and network effects rippled through the cities and neighborhoods of our contributors reporting from around the world.
China: Guangdong Uprising, Now in Haimen
Since the village of Wukan in Guangdong province was placed under siege after kicking out party and government officials, at least two nearby towns have launched actions of their own. The most recent, which broke out today, has reportedly seen 30,000 people blocking a busy freeway.
China: Abandoned Wonderland
Sven Holler from Ministry of Tofu posts pictures of an abandoned amusement park, Wonderland, at the outskirts of Beijing city .
China, North Korea: Kim Jong-il Dead, Chinese Netizen Reactions
Fauna has translated Chinese netizens’ reactions over the news of Kim Jong-il's sudden death.
Street Vendor Life in China
Tricia Wang shares her research field note about the everyday life of street vendors in China.
Responses to the Death of North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong-il
Since North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il's death on December 17 from a heart attack, the South Korean Twittersphere has lit up with numerous responses to the news. Lee Yoo Eun reports.
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