Stories about East Asia from October, 2013
Malaysian Court Rules Catholic Paper Can’t Use ‘Allah’ to Refer to God
The court ruled that the Catholic paper would create confusion and disrupt public order if it is allowed to use the word Allah
Remembering and Reviving Vietnam's Ca Tru Singing
Đoan Trang interviews Pho Kim Duc, a famous ca tru (sung poetry) vocalist in Vietnam in the 1940s. Kim Duc said ca tru is a very noble form of art. “It’s is not just singing but also poetry. Whoever with a taste for poetry will love ca tru to find...
Thailand Shark Conservation Project
The Thailand eShark Project was launched in light of the reported 95 percent drop in shark sightings in Thailand. The Thailand eShark Project results will be used to bring awareness to declining shark populations in Thailand. Additionally to help improve protected marine park enforcement and reinforce the importance of no...
South Korea: Mass Candlelight Rallies Against the Spy Agency Scandal
More revelations of the spy agency's election manipulation scandal came out, rekindling several month-long protests. Three agents were being probed on Oct 18 for tweeting and re-tweeting political articles to influence pubic opinion. On Oct 19, about 20 thousands[ko] attended a mass candlelight vigil in Seoul protesting the spy agency scandal. @Wjsfree gathered...
Viral Video Compares Chinese Top Leaders to Kung Fu Masters
Viral video in China: What kind of leaders do you want? American idols or Kungfu masters?
Japan: OpenStreetMap Aggregates Typhoon Info
OpenStreetMap users volunteered their time to create a crisis map of Izu Oshima island [ja], a small island to the south of Tokyo where more than a dozen of people were killed by mudslides triggered by this week's deadly Typhoon Wipha. The red dots on the map represent reports submitted by users, which give...
PHOTOS: Hundreds Dead, Historic Churches Destroyed in Philippine Quake
"Our churches may have been destroyed but not our faith" became a popular online message in the Philippines after a strong earthquake hit the central part of the country
China's Maple Bridge Experience and Local Governance
Qian Gang looks into the political implications of recent state propaganda of “Fengqiao experience” (or Maple Bridge Experience) which took place in Zhejiang province during the Mao's era in early 1960s as a local governance model under the new China leadership.
China: School Forces Students To Participate in Forced Demolition
Joe from ChinaSMACK translated a news story about a middle school in Guiyang city, Guizhou province, that forced students to wear SWAT police uniforms and participate in the demolition of illegal structures. In China, demolition armies are as notorious as Chengguan on account of their violent actions against rural villagers who...
Arbitrary TV License Decision Undermines Hong Kong Freedom of Speech
Hong Kong people believe that the government screened out a new free-to-air Television competitor due to political reasons.
China's Agenda in the World Media Summit
David Bandurski from China Media project reported on the World Media Summit which took place in Beijing between October 8-10. To sum up, the World Media Summit, this ostensible back-slapping affair offering an opportunity for media leaders to talk media strategy, is fundamentally about China projecting its influence over global...
On Blog Action Day, Thousands of Blogs on Human Rights
Bloggers around the world, including Global Voices contributors, are highlighting this year's #BAD13 topic: human rights.
Across Rivers, Atop Mountains: A Constituency Unreachable via Internet
As a youth party representative in the Philippine Congress, Mong Palatino visited remote and impoverished communities in need of far more than an internet connection.
Is Japan Ready to Host the Paralympics?
Ayako Yokota and Ryan Ball take a look at the facilities and technological solutions for people with disabilities in Japan.
Chinese Party Paper Bashes Former Google China Chief Lee Kaifu
China’s Party magazine “Party Building” recently published “Ten Questions for Lee Kaifu”[zh], questioning the former Google China chief and online celebrity’s citizenship status, his motives, his public comments and political views.
Saving Mothers and Babies in Laos
The group CleanBirth.org is committed to improving the maternal health care situation in several Laos rural villages by providing birth kits, training of new nurses and mobilizing village volunteers. In a recent update, the group highlighted why many rural Laotians are choosing homebirths over delivery at health centers. Among the...
Massive Anti-Nuclear Protests Held in Tokyo
On October 13, 2013, thousands of people marched down the streets of Tokyo to protest against nuclear power. In a rally dubbed Goodbye Genpatsu [ja], Japanese people demanded the end of nuclear power plants and the use of more environmentally friendly sources of energy. Kenzaburo Oe, winner of the 1994...
Brunei Launches Digital Learning Hub
The government of Brunei has launched a digital learning hub called Media and In-Service Centre “to innovate interactive fresh learning media and empower teacher capacity development. It will usher in a new era of digital learning based on OUR digital values! Brunei Darussalam aspires to build a strong community that...
Man Saws Off Own Leg In Rural China
Fauna from China SMACK translated a terrible news story about a man in rural China who sawed off his own leg at home because he had no money to go to hospital to have a proper surgery.
Official Blames Chinese Cooking Style for Polluting Air
Zhao Huimin, director of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office, was quoted in a T.V interview: Our Chinese cooking styles also contribute a lot to PM 2.5 density. We hope Beijing citizens corporate with us and work with the government to clean the air. Offbeat China wrote a round-up on Chinese...
Chinese Journalist Arrested After Exposing Corruption Online
Liu Hu was formally arrested after seven weeks of detention on charges related to his posts on Sina Weibo detailing the alleged corruption of four high-ranking officials.
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