Stories about East Asia from July, 2012
Hong Kong: Signal Ten Typhoon
Beijing cream collects some citizen videos that show typhoon Vicente, the strongest typhoon in 13 years, passed through Hong Kong on July 24.
Japan: Debate over the Preservation of a Dead Tree
Asia Sentinel reports on a controversy in Rikuzentakata, a city in Iwate, Japan over the public spending of about USD 2 millions for preservation a dead tree and turning it into a symbol of hope.
Language War in the Hong Kong Book Fair
A Cantonese-Mandarin language war broke out in a talk given by movie director Pang Ho-cheung for the 2012 Hong Kong Book Fair. To serve the big mainland Chinese market, the organizer arranged the talk to be in Mandarin. This provoked the anger of Hongkongers given they are the majority of...
Malaysia: Selangor State Faces Water Shortage
Selangor, Malaysia's richest state, could be facing a water shortage crisis soon after its water concessionaire announced that water rationing might be necessary because of lack of clean water reserves. The state government, however, is accusing the company of using the issue to gain more profit.
Indonesia: EngageMedia's Video4Change Retreat on Video for Social Change
Indonesia was the host-country for Video4Change, a week long retreat where different organizations came together to discuss how video can be used for social change and also come up with solutions for the resource gaps.
China: Chinese Alcohol
Derek from 300 shots at Greatness explains to his readers the ingredients behind different types of Chinese Baiju (Chinese Vodka).
Venezuela, Japan: Two Japanese Performers Master the Venezuelan Harp
Among the Japanese musicians interested in traditional Venezuelan music, Yoko Yoshizawa and Mika Agematsu stand out in the interpretation of the Venezuelan harp, a key instrument in Venezuelan music from the plains.
MENA: Welcoming Ramadan
Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar has just begun. It is a time when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, try to get closer to God and celebrate their blessings. Around the world, Muslims have been trying to capture the spirit of the month with photographs, sharing them on different social media websites.
South Korea: Mega Corporation Lotte Faces Nationwide Boycott
In South Korea, over two million small business owners have called for a nationwide boycott of products made by conglomerate Lotte Group. This unprecedentedly large scale collective action has spread like wildfire via social media.
Mongolia: Documenting Wild Snow Leopard Cubs
Snow leopards are rare and very elusive. A team of scientists from the Snow Leopard Trust has been conducting a long term study on the big cats and recently shared some of their observations.
China: Ai Weiwei's Tax Evasion Case
In April last year, prominent artist Ai Weiwei was detained by the Beijing authority without giving any reason and eventually state-run media said that he was under investigation for tax evasion, bigamy and ‘spreading porn. In June 2011, Ai was asked to pay 12 million yuan ($1.85 million) in back...
Myanmar's Unique Naming System
Most Myanmar citizens do not have a family name. Ever wonder how they fill out forms which ask for both first name and last name or wonder what is the meaning of 'Daw' in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? Here's a look into Myanmar's unique naming practices.
Indonesia: “Jokowi vs Foke” in Jakarta Governor Election Run-Off
It's going to be a “Jokowi vs Foke” showdown in the Jakarta, Indonesia governor election run-off in September. Jokowi is a mayor of Solo City in Central Java while Foke is the incumbent governor of Jakarta. Netizens actively shared their views on issues that candidates must address in the campaign
Singapore: Law Society Faces Criticism From Online Community
Singapore's Law Society is in hot water on social media platforms after allegations were made that they had attempted to prevent human rights lawyer Madasamy Ravi from continuing to fight his cases in court.
Video: Internet Society Discusses International Freedom of Speech and Censorship
Will the technologies of anonymization win out over new digital monitoring tools? And will new wireless data technologies foster democracy–or lead to more effective tracking and surveillance? A panel discussion in Washington, DC on 25 June, 2012 with 6 activists from Syria, India, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Venezuela and Azerbaijan aimed to answer these questions.
Indonesia: Charismatic Entrepreneur Charmed Jakarta Voters
Residents of Jakarta, Indonesia went to the polls to elect a new governor of the country's capital. In a surprising twist, voters supported Joko Widodo, an entrepreneur and mayor of central Java city of Solo. For the first time in Jakarta elections, social networks were recognized as tools that promote voters' education and campaign awareness
China: Blogger Shorts SINA to 8% Shares Plunge With a Tweet
On July 16, famous Chinese blogger Isaac Mao wrote on Twitter that he would be shorting $SINA everyday, in reaction to SINA Weibo's (a Chinese microblogging platform) deletion of his user account. His message was delivered to investors from all around the world and next day SINA's NASDAQ listed price dropped by 8%.
China: Draft Rule to Prohibit Citizens from Monitoring Air?
A draft rule on the management of environmental monitor [zh] may result in the prohibition of citizens and NGOs from monitoring the air quality in China. Charles Zhu from Tea Leaf Nation explains the background of the rule and politics at play.
China: State-run Media's English Forum
Beijing Cream looks into the “harmonious” interaction of a newly launched English Forum under State run media, Xinhua's website.
Malaysia: ‘National Harmony Act’ Greeted with Cynicism
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced that the nation's infamous Sedition Act of 1948 is to be repealed, and replaced with the National Harmony Act. One might then expect that its demise would be met with celebration - however, there is widespread concern that the new National Harmony Act will not prove any better than its predecessor.
Vietnam: Bad Politics and the Economy
Geoffrey Cain thinks that the economic woes faced by Vietnam can be partly attributed to the “rotten politics and in-fighting within the Communist Party.” The author also looks into the dynamics of decentralization and ‘recentralization’ of state power in the country
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