Stories about East Asia from February, 2013
Taiwan Politician Tries, Quits Sina Weibo
Frank Hsieh, former presidential nominee of Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), opened an account on Sina Weibo on February 19, 2013. However, the account was deleted less than 24 hours later. More from China Beat.
Will High Speed Rail Improve Singapore-Malaysia Ties?
The Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore announced a high speed train project which will provide a mere 90 minute link between the two countries. The rail link is expected to improve economic and social ties between the two neighbors which used to be part of a single federation.
Is Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Spread Racist?
Mitch Blatt from China Hush takes a look at debate over the appropriateness of Sports Illustrated magazine's set of photos for its swimsuit edition that feature ethnic minorities in China. While some think that the photos disparage minority culture in China, the blogger argues that such comments stem from a desire...
Hope on Horizon for Gays in China
Chengdu Living looks into the mindset of young people who, surprisingly, demonstrated an open attitude toward homosexuality despite their Chinese cultural background.
Media Freedom Still Murky in Myanmar Despite Progress
Myanmar's decision to dissolve its notorious censorship board was praised by many groups as a step forward in promoting media freedom in the country. But press freedom watchdogs also highlighted the continuing threats and attacks faced by Myanmar-based journalists.
China Not Blocking Hack Attack Discussion
U.S. cyber security firm Mandiant has reported that the Chinese People's Liberation Army is behind many cyber attacks against American organizations, but the usually heavy-handed Chinese government is not blocking online discussion of the news, according to TeaLeafNation. Taiwan-based Next Media Animation has produced a cheeky animated explainer of the hacking revelations.
North Korea Breaks YouTube Rules Again
It's been less than a month since a video uploaded by the official North Korean account Uriminzokkiri was removed from YouTube on grounds of copyright infringement. Now another propaganda video has been removed for using the soundtrack of a video game without consent. North Korea Tech explains in detail about...
Brunei's ‘Nature Avengers’ Think Big
Green Brunei is a non-profit group that “promotes environmental education and creates awareness on environmental conservation and clean technology through media, activities and projects.” It aims to be the biggest green community in Brunei. Its recent project was Nature's Avengers, which involved students and young volunteers.
Thai Paper Reveals Rape Victim's Name
The publication of the full name and personal documents of British sexual assault victim in Thai media outlets raises yet again the issue of lacking ethics in Thai mainstream media when it comes to reporting about crimes and the persons involved in those. Saksith Saiyasombut criticizes Thai media papers for...
Are Korean Drivers The Worst?
Asians have often been pegged as bad drivers. ROK Drop blog debunked this ‘Bad Asian Drivers’ stereotype with statistics.
Citizens Document Extreme Water Pollution in China
As the effects of China’s toxic smog problem in mid-January reverberate through the country, severe water pollution is documented by online campaigns calling for a reality check on the state of rivers across China.
Japan's Porn Law is Strangling Artists
World renown Fashion photographer Leslie Kee was arrested for selling obscene images at his latest exhibition in Tokyo. But is his work art or porn? In this post we look at the regulation of 'offensive' artistic expression in Japan.
South Korean Man Allegedly Kills Noisy Neighbors
A 45-year-old South Korean man allegedly killed his two upstairs neighbors during the hectic Lunar New Year holiday weekend. The reason? The man claimed they were too noisy.
Videos from “One Billion Rising” Global Protests for Women's Rights
Every third woman falls victim to violence in her lifetime. On February 14, 2013 thousands of people all over the world protested against these daily acts of violence with dance.
Australian Senator Deported for ‘Interfering’ in Malaysian Politics
Australian senator Nick Xenophon was detained for 15 hours at the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia before being deported after he was accused of being an ‘enemy of the state.’ Malaysian officials said Xenophon “could cause disorder and could be a danger to the community.”
Indonesia's Bill on Mass Organizations
This legal dragon in the making will seriously restrict fundamental liberties of freedom of association & assembly and freedom of thought & expression in Indonesia. For instance it potentially will effectively prevent civil organizations from revealing, denouncing, let alone charging, criminal practices, including human trafficking or corruption. Colson reviews the...
Singapore Looks to Bolster Population with Foreigners
The government of Singapore has introduced a new plan to increase the population, triggering debate over the value of welcoming more foreigners to solve the country's ageing demographics. Singaporeans are now taking a closer look at what constitutes Singaporean identity.
Australian Senator Nick Xenophon Detained in Malaysia
From Hussein abdul Hamid's blog Steadyaku47: ‘Federal independent Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained by Malaysian authorities. He was taken into custody on his arrival at Kuala Lumpur airport and told he was considered a security risk.’ He was to meet with the electoral commission and a senior government minister.
China: Foreign Men Are More Romantic
Rensi from ChinaSMACK translates a forum post about various myths or beliefs that Chinese girls have about foreign men.
Sina Weibo to ‘Great Firewall’ Architect: Get Lost
More than 10,000 Weibo users returned Fang Bingxing's new year greeting with a forward message: Get lost. Fang is the notorious architect of the Great Firewall (internet filtering system) in China. Beijing Cream has the full story.
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