Stories about East Asia from April, 2013
Japan's Next Election Campaign will be Tweeted, Emailed and Blogged
Japan has approved a bill that will allow political candidates to tweet and blog during their election campaigns. Up until recently Japanese electoral candidates had to cautiously navigate their Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and blogs to avoid breaking the country's strict election laws which banned all online political activity.
Thailand Police Shame Drunk Drivers on Facebook
Bangkok's Metropolitan Police has posted photos of drunk drivers on the public Facebook page of its deputy chief. The move is an apparent effort to show the seriousness of the police in apprehending drunk drivers but some are skeptical about its effectiveness and even its legality.
The Kingdoms of Southeast Asia
There are four monarchies in Southeast Asia: Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The March 2013 issue of the Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia discussed the history and prospects of these monarchies. In Brunei, the absolute monarchy is able to consolidate its rule by implementing generous welfare programs.
“Tell Everyone I'm not Free”
The wife of jailed Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo has been seen in public for the first time on April 23 after years under house arrest.On her way to the trial of her brother who has been accused of real estate fraud, she shouted to the public: “Tell everyone I'm...
Hong Kong Hit by Gold Tourism
As the price of gold drops worldwide, mainland Chinese Tourists travel cross the border to Hong Kong to clear local banks and jewellery shops. See Hong Wrong for story detail.
Legal Checklist For Doing Business in China
Is Your Company Bribing Anyone? The United States vigorously enforces its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which penalizes improper payments to foreign officials by US companies. In certain situations, US companies can be liable under the FCPA for payments made by their Chinese partner. Canada and most European countries have...
Indonesia: Reflections on Women's Emancipation Day
Kartini Day or Women's Emancipation Day is celebrated every year on April 21 in Indonesia to honor Raden Ajeng Kartini, a champion of women's rights. For many Indonesians, Kartini's vision of gender equality has yet to be realized
Hong Kong Man Arrested for Cursing China's President with Graffiti
The excessive use of police force in the recent arrest of a man who wrote graffiti cursing the Chinese President has outraged many in Hong Kong.
Torture Victims March in Hong Kong
Hong Wrong blogs about an upcoming protest on April 27 among refugees, tortured survivors and NGOs against the government’s treatment of torture victims and to call for an urgent review of the screening system for assessing protection claims.
Chinese Earthquake as Seen on Weibo
Offbeat China looks into the distribution and discussion on China's social media on the recent 7.0 earthquake in Sichuan Ya'an: Unlike many of China’s typical disaster reporting from traditional media that focuses more on government officials’ whereabouts and works, these netizens who are at the front line of disaster relief...
South Korean Spy Agency's Political Meddling
The latest police investigation found that at least two agents from the South Korean National Intelligence Service have illegally posted online comments to influence the presidential election. An online petition was posted [ko] on Daum Agora site in support of one police woman who bravely revealed that she has been pressured...
YouTube Lags in South Korea While Internet Zips By
In South Korea where net users are accustomed to whizzing along with one of the fastest Internet connection speeds in the world, YouTube's sluggish performance is a source of constant complaints. The reason behind the video-hosting website's snail-like speed? The utter disrespect that South Korea's dominant corporations have for net neutrality.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's ‘Fake’ Taxi Ride Fools State Media
China's state news agency is backpedaling on a report it endorsed that appeared in Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper about Chinese President Xi Jinping hailing a taxi last month in order to chat with the cabby about the issues of the day, calling the piece "fake news".
What Malaysians Expect in the General Elections
With the 13th General Elections drawing closer, many Malaysians have turned to the internet for news and other information, as well as posting their thoughts on the election. Malaysians are mostly concerned about the economy, the rising cost of living, as well as more government transparency
Philippine Education Directory
Filipino student leader Cleve Arguelles has listed a comprehensive matrix of Philippine education-related social media accounts. The directory features the country's leading universities, student councils and publications, government agencies and education officials
Malaysian 2013 Elections Alphabet
Art Harun gives a primer on Malaysia's 13th General Elections by listing and explaining some keywords that define Malaysian politics. For example, letter A refers to Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Opposition; while letter N refers to Najib Razak, the incumbent Prime Minister
Myanmar: Suu Kyi Beats Lady Gaga in Time Magazine Poll
Myanmar opposition leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was voted as the Time Magazine's most influential person of the decade on April 17, 2013. Suu Kyi won against Lady Gaga by 61 percent of the total votes. Following her victory after the voting closed, many people in Myanmar shared their joy and enthusiasm on Facebook
Netizens Tell Red Cross China to Get Lost
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 AM local time today. The Red Cross Society in China posted in its official micro-blog [zh] expressing its concern over the disaster. However, many Chinese netizens who still remember the organization's corruption scandal...
Indonesia: Relief Still Needed for Rokatenda Refugees
The impact of the Rokatenda volcanic eruption in Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia is still felt by some 3,000 refugees from Sikka District. Rokatenda erupted last February and following the natural disaster, residents are still hesitant and afraid to return to their houses.
No More Apologies – Japan's Facebook Users Share ‘Fake’ Propaganda
A thousand Japanese Facebook users unknowingly endorsed and shared a fictitious image that claimed to be an official publication and highlighted the negative impact Japan's apologetic stance in history has on the country's children.
China Censors Film Director's Censorship Slam
Feng Xiaogang, one of the most famous movie directors in China, when giving a speech when he accepted the honor of Director of Year from the China Film Directors Guild on 12 April, criticized the censorship system in Chinese movie industry. However, in the video showing his speech, the word...
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