Stories about East Asia from January, 2013
Thai Activist Editor Gets 11-Year Jail Term for ‘Insulting’ King
Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a veteran activist and former editor of Voice of Taksin magazine (banned in 2010), received an 11 year jail sentence from a Thai court for publishing articles deemed insulting to the monarchy of Thailand. Human rights groups condemned the 'harsh' sentence which they consider as a blow to free speech in the country
“Stop Erasing Hong Kong's History”
To prevent Hong Kong's government from destroying public records, citizens call for legislation to protect public archives and the citizens' right to access government information. As one of the supporter puts it, "a place without history is always a colony," and Hong Kong should be decolonized by efficiently documenting the city's own history.
Philippines: US Navy Ship Damages ‘Protected’ Tubbataha Reefs
Filipino netizens, environmentalists, and nationalists are angry after a United States Navy minesweeper, the USS Guardian, caused damage to the corals of the Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea. The Tubbataha Reefs was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It is a protected marine area that is off-limits to ships.
Skills of a Chinese Police Porn Examiner
Alia from China Beat puts together a picture about the work and requirement of being a police Porn examiner in China: To be a porn examiner, one has to be an “outstanding, well-behaved and highly politically-sensitive” police officer who “won’t have any problems after watching porn materials.”
Mainland China's Demand on Infant Formula Milk Becomes a Global Issue
The news about anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands as a result of the shortage of infant forumla milk is widely discussed in Hong Kong. Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese has collected the reports and the online discussion on this anti-Chinese sentiment.
Sina Picks Kai-Fu Lee as China's Most Influential Micro-blogger
The former head of Google China Kai-Fu Lee, is the most influential man in China’s micro-blogging world, according to Sina Weibo. He topped the popular micro-blogging platform's recently released list, “100 Most Influential Weibo Celebrities.” This post takes a closer look at key opinion leaders in China.
Decades-old Banned Song Inspires Many in Japan
The Annual New Year's Eve music show by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) intrigued many because of a performance by Akihiro Miwa. He sang Yoitomake no Uta (Song for the Yoitomake) which had been banned from broadcasting in Japan for decades.
China: Viral love diary of mistress ends career of a senior propaganda official
Another sex scandal exposed online by the mistress of Yi Junqing, a senior propaganda official has brought Yi down. Ministry of Tofu has the full story.
China's Resistance Art Beyond Ai Weiwei
Social resistance in the form of action art is getting popular in China. This post introduces readers to an action art group - Made-in-J Town - which staged several body performance in Shandong in 2008, the year of the Beijing Olympic and the year when dissent voices faced the harshest repression.
The Cultural Aspect of Wildlife Trade in China
Terroir from Beijing Cream criticizes professional photojournalist Patrick Brown's photographs series, Trading to Extinction for being over simplified in the explanation of wildlife trade in China as “naive” and “greed”: this is a way of life for some Chinese as well. It doesn’t mean it’s right – it just means...
Indonesia Flood: Emergency Phone Numbers in Jakarta
Enda Nasution posted a list of phone numbers of emergency flood mitigation posts throughout Jakarta in Indonesia. Jakarta was heavily flooded last week and was placed on a state of emergency. The flooding has eased already but residents are still on high alert following the reported damage in the city floodgates.
Philippines: Anti-Cybercrime Law Denounced as ‘Cyber Martial Law’
More voices in the Philippines are questioning the Cybercrime Prevention Law as the oral arguments on the petitions against the law are being heard in the Supreme Court. The law was denounced by activists as a 'Cyber Martial Law' because of provisions that would limit free speech and expression in the internet sphere
Google CEO's Trip to North Korea, From Schmidt's Daughter's Blog
Google CEO Eric Schmidt visited North Korea last month and his daughter shared in her blog what the delegation saw in the hermit kingdom. Some of highlights from the blog: [describing the nation's top internet facility] Looks great, right? All this activity, all those monitors. […] One problem: No one was actually...
South Korea's Four Rivers Project is a Train-Wreck
In South Korea, the highly controversial Four Rivers Project has finally proven to be a train-wreck. Contrary to government claims, the latest audit report finds that the project has worsened water quality and hemorrhaged an astronomical amount of taxpayer money due to defective construction.
Earthquake Debris Disposal Divides Japan
One year and ten months have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake hit. The affected areas are now making steps towards recovery thanks to the support from all over Japan and around the globe. However one remaining issue, disaster debris incineration, is dividing the country.
China: Top 10 Independent Movies of 2012
Shelly Kraicer, a China-based writer and film curator offered a list of the best Chinese independent films made in 2012. ChinaFile has more details.
Scholars Call for an End to China's One-Child Policy
China's one-child policy is unshakeable, top family planning official announced on January 14.The announcement, which dismissed speculation that the one-child policy would be scrapped, has triggered another heated debate on Chinese social media.
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