Stories about East Asia from February, 2012
Southeast Asia’s Three-Wheeled Vehicles
Tuktuk, Beca, Kuliglig, Trishaw, Pedicab, Becak, Tricycle. These are the famous three-wheeled vehicles in the Southeast Asian region. They can be seen in the streets of urban centers but governments are trying to ban these ubiquitous pedicabs and motorized rickshaws in major throughfares.
Malaysia: Petition Against Sarawak Dams
An online petition urges the Malaysian government to review its plan to build twelve “highly destructive” hydroelectric dams in Sarawak that will displace tens of thousands of people and flood large tracts of tropical rainforest.
Cambodia: Information About Land Evictions
Stories Without Borders provides links to pertinent news articles, videos, and other documents about the land evictions in Cambodia. Over 250,000 Cambodians have been displaced by illegal land evictions in both urban and rural areas.
Vietnam: Land Rights Violations
Adam Bray writes about the struggle of Vietnamese villagers for their land rights. He accuses the government of secretly demolishing homes and forcibly evicting religious and ethnic minorities in the rural provinces of Quang Ngai, Kon Tum, and Quang Nam.
Singapore Budget 2012
Leong Sze Hian analyzes the Singapore budget presentation for the year 2012. He concludes: “Need to cut rhetoric, and do something, anything, if the government wants to regain some credibility.”
Hong Kong: Videos Against Homophobic Bullying in Schools
A LGBT group in Hong Kong has released a series of advocacy videos against homophobic bullying in schools. Oiwan Lam reports.
South Korea: Judge Who Lampooned President on Social Media Resigns
In South Korea, a judge who posted an insulting message ridiculing the President on his Facebook wall has resigned amid controversy. Although it seems the resignation is due to his poor evaluation result, his fellow judges and activist groups said that the Justice's decision was to gain the favor of President by punishing the judge who made headlines for lampooning him.
China: New Monetization Model for Sina Weibo
Jin Ge from China Bubble Watch introduces a new monetization model for Sina Weibo.
China: Wukan Elections Continue and Inspire
Wukan has moved quickly along its path toward clean and fair village elections, inspiring villagers in other parts of the country and winning support from microbloggers all the way up to university halls. However, at least one central government official has blamed the democratic advancements on psychological disorders.
Cambodia: Support Network for Young Entrepreneurs
A group of young business minded Cambodians have set up the SmallWorld website which serves as an education, networking, and small business resource and support center for students and budding entrepreneurs.
Reports on North Korea Cell Phone Ban is Incorrect
A Cario-based telecommunication company and the majority owner of North Korea’s cellular network., Orascom corrected recent media reports which claimed that North Koreans have been banned from using mobile phone during a mourning period for North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il. North Korea Tech has more details.
Japan: Netizens Cast Doubt on Anti-Nuclear Power Poster
On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake in the history struck Japan, and the resulting tsunami irreversibly damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. An anti-nuclear power poster has triggered arguments on the multifaceted impact of visual art.
Video Highlights: Video Advocacy and Recent Events
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories on video advocacy including indigenous rights and recent news from Latin America, East Asia and Sub Saharan Africa selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
China: A Portrayal of Portrayals of Cultural And Ethnic Stereotypes
One Chinese vlogger has gone viral with his impersonation of the accents of a few Asian neighbors and other cultures from around the globe. How much do these differ from similar crude stereotypes you've seen elsewhere?
China: iPads Now Officially Banned
IPads continue to disappear from store shelves in China as Apple remains embroiled in a dispute over the rights to the "IPAD" trademark, registered by a Shenzhen-based company a decade ago.
Singapore: Politician's Expulsion Triggers By-Election
A by-election has been triggered in Singapore's Hougang Single Member Constituency after the Worker's Party expelled Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong amidst allegations of extramarital affairs. Netizens used the #hougangbyelection hashtag to express their comments about the issue
South Korea: Online Petition Requestiong Presidential Pardon to His Vocal Critic
South Korean net users have created an online petition [ko] requesting the Korean President to grant a presidential pardon to his vocal critic, Chung Bong-ju, who was jailed for raising stock price manipulation allegations against the president. Within less than a day, this petition has already gathered more than 8...
China: Bum Rushing The Bus
Some buses in Beijing are so swamped with throngs of people that some have begun climbing over one another just to get a seat or a place to stand.
China: Cosplay Star Loses Battle With Cancer
A popular figure in China's cosplay scene has passed away after an 18-month-long fight against cancer.
West Papua: A Different Side of the Independence Struggle through Video
A documentary video letter from a woman in West Papua to an Indonesian soldier echoes the stories of many other women in the area. In this case, she asks the soldier, who was once based in her village, to please write and return to meet his daughter.
China: Online Protest Against the Bear Bile Business
Since early 2011, Gui Zhentang, China's largest bear bile medicine producer, has been trying to apply for stock market launch on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Last year, the application was turned down as a result of netizens' protests. Oiwan Lam updates the issue.
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.
