Stories about East Asia from November, 2010
China: thousands gather at site of Shanghai fire
Early reports coming in from Twitter say that thousands are gathering at the site of Monday's deadly fire in Shanghai that claimed 58 lives. Coverage in Chinese and English can be followed by using the hashtag #jiaozhoulu (the name of the road the building is located on).
Korea: Concerns loom over volcanic activity on Baekdu Mountain
In South Korea, public concerns are looming over the possible eruption of volcanic Baekdu Mountain, located on the border between North Korea and China. Experts predict that Baekdu’s damage could be ten to a hundred times greater than that caused by the April 2010 eruptions in Iceland.
Philippines: Leading botanist killed in alleged military-rebel cross-fire
A flurry of tributes and condemnations posted online followed the unexpected death of top Filipino botanist Leonard Co and his two assistants in an alleged cross-fire between the Philippine Army and communist rebels in the province of Leyte
China: Educated youth face a tough future
China Media Project translates an article by Yu Jianrong about educated youth in China, which can be divided into two groups. The first one are privileged by their access to wealth and power. The second, and much larger, group lack this privilege. It is the latter group which face a...
China: First case of Twitter inquisition
A woman in China was sentenced to one year of ‘re-education through labour’ for sending a single tweet, under the charge of 'disrupting social order.'
Brazil: dreams of competing with China
Writer and analyst Bradley M. Gardner weighs in on billionaire entrepeneur Eike Batista's plan [pt] to bring Apple’s manufacturing process to Brazil. Gardner writes that Batista “wants his country to be China”, where Apple's products are currently manufactured. He adds that he “wouldn't put it past” Batista, the world's eighth-richest...
Taiwan: National dignity hurt in the Asian Games
On November 17, leading Taiwanese Taekwondo athlete Yang Shu-chun was disqualified from the 2010 Asian Games during a match with a Vietnamese competitor for “wearing non-certified electronic foot equipment” or “electronic socks”. The incident has stirred up a lot of emotions in Taiwan.
Bangladesh: Discrimination In The Middle East?
“Would there be any lashing if they were white Europeans or Americans?” – so reacts Jyoti at Unheard Voice on the news that a Filipina maid and her Bangladeshi lover had received punishment of 100 lashes and deportation for having sex out of wedlock in Sharjah.
Philippines: Zamboanga, “Asia's brownout city”
Because of regular power outages in the city, Zamboanga residents describe their place as “Asia's brownout city.” Zamboanga is located in the southern part of the Philippines
Brunei: Suicide attempt stirs online buzz
A suicide attempt by a young woman in Brunei generated an online buzz, especially on Facebook and Twitter. Bloggers criticize the "insensitive" jokes and funny reactions made by some netizens about the issue
China: Reporter steps up to Obama and asks for trouble
At a press conference held by American president Obama in Korea this week, one highly popular young reporter became the center of polarizing controversy at home not due to the content of his question, but in how it was asked.
Cambodia: Unofficial health service fees
Vutha from Cambodia blogs about the problem encountered by hospital and clinic patients in relation to the collection of unofficial health service fees.
Cambodia: Street children video
EngageMedia uploads a video produced by Friends International about the street children problem in Cambodia.
South Korea: Korea's Presidential Office's First Facebook Account
South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae opened a Facebook account[ko]. Local media outlets defined it as a move aimed at improving relations with young internet users.
Korea: Serious Concerns Over Possible Volcanic Eruption in N. Korea
As South Korean government discusses launching a task force to prepare for possible volcanic eruption of Mount Paekdu, the highest mountain in North Korea, twitterers have nervously retweeted Wikitree's article[ko] telling that the Paekdu's eruption may cause far greater damage than Iceland's volcanic eruption did in April.
China: iPadgate
Since October Chinese Customs have started charging a 20% tax for carrying iPhones and iPads across the border even if the products were out of the box and in use. This has caught people by surprise because in recent years shopping tours are one of the most important parts of the cross-border economy between Hong Kong and China.
China: Sanyo workers in Shenzhen stage strike
China Labour Bulletin reports that more than a thousand workers at Sanyo Huaqiang Laser Electronics in Shenzhen’s Longhua district staged a one day strike last week over working conditions and a planned merger with a factory in another district in downtown Shenzhen.
Japan: In memory of a courageous prosecutor
Journalist and yakuza expert Jake Adelstein pays his last respects [en] to Toshiro Igari [ja], a prosecutor who was found dead in Manila (Philippines) in August. Igari-san was the author of many books [ja] on the organized crime and in the last months he was investigating the collusion of the...
Japan: Inspired by Tokyo's Yamanote Line
An introduction to personal photography projects that were inspired by Tokyo's Yamanote train line.
China: Shanghai fire claims 53, local coverage criticised
53 lives were claimed and 43 others remain missing as a result of the tragic fire that ripped through a high-rise apartment block in Shanghai yesterday afternoon. The 28-storey building was undergoing renovations when welding sparks caused the scaffolding to catch fire, eventually spreading to the building itself. City blog Shanghaiist...
Slovakia: Netizens Discuss Chinese Highway Construction Offer
The Slovak minister of transport is reluctant to let the Chinese companies, which offer extremely low prices, enter Slovakia's highway construction market. Tibor Blazko reviews the Slovak netizens' reactions.
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