Stories about East Asia from December, 2010
China: South-North Water Transfer Project
Yin Mingwan, a senior engineer at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, explains in China Dialogue that the South-North Water Transfer Project won’t solve Beijing’s chronic water shortage without managing water consumption.
China: Gold farming couple handed down heavy sentence
The verdict this month of a fine of USD 450,000 and several years in prison for one couple who ran a gold farm throughout 2007 has left those following the trial shocked, angered and wondering how something so common in China could suddenly be punished so heavily.
China Blog Network
A new website, China Blog Network, has just been launched today. It is a platform for blogs about China to connect to one another and for readers to discover new sources of China-related content.
South Korea: Anti-War Protests in Seoul
As tensions in Korean peninsula intensified by yesterday's military drills, protesters in Seoul went out to the streets to demonstrate various anti-war performances, with slogans like ‘Peace to Korean peninsula’ and ‘Halt the vicious cycle of violence’, Catholic magazine ‘Here now’ posted photos of protests.
2010 Chinese blogosphere: Peace and conflict
The top stories among Chinese communities in Northeast Asia in 2010 can be summarized in two words: Peace and Conflict.
South/North Korea: Tensions Escalate in Midst of Live-Fire Drills
South Korean military exercises were underway today near the disputed waters with North Korea, who threatened Seoul to strike back, raising more tensions in the Korean peninsula. The Korean people, who have had one of the toughest days in recent weeks after the Yeonpyeong incident that killed four South Koreans, sighed with relief as the day came to a close without any conflict breaking out.
China’s top stories in 2010
David Bandurski from China Media Project blogs the official list of top domestic story of the year and invites readers to fill in the gap by sharing their top stories in the comment section.
China: The short life of GFW father's microblog
China digital times explains why Fang Binxing's Sina microblog was shut down in three hours. Fang is the President of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications who is known as the “father of the Great Firewall.”
South/North Korea: A Review of 2010 in Keywords
From Cheonan incident in March to the latest North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong island, Global Voices took a look back at the year’s hottest keywords that have been widely circulated over Korean internet venues.
Japan: Woman sued Google Street View for pics of underwear
Again troubles for Google Street Views [en] in Japan. Reports said [en] that a young woman sued Google for showing pictures of her underwear drying on the balcony and claimed about 7,000 USD for damages. A blogger at Gundam Nikki commented saying that such an action is exaggerated and due...
Thailand: ‘Cyber Scout’ training
Saksith Saiyasombut reviews Thailand's ‘Cyber Scout’ training programme which aims to form a network of volunteers to monitor any “threat to national security” in the internet and “to defend and protect the royal institution.”
Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim suspended from Parliament
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was suspended from the Parliament for six months for linking Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept to that of ‘One Israel’. Bloggers discuss the impact of the suspension on Malaysian politics
Taiwan: Controversy over history
At The China Beat Paul Katz writes about the controversy that erupted over an online poll to find the most influential figures in the hundred years of the Republic of China (ROC). The poll included Chinese Communist Party leaders such as Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong. The case raises key...
Vietnam: BarCamp and EduCamp Saigon 2010
Around 500 participants attended Barcamp Saigon 2010 this week in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Saigon Educamp was also held where participants discussed technology as well as teaching and learning. Here are blog and twitter reactions
Laos: Rural electrification program
Alfredo Bano Leal blogs about the rural electrification program in Laos
Thailand: Addressing youth sexuality needs
Love Care Station and Teen Path, both based in Thailand, are online portals that provide sexuality education and counseling to young people in Thailand.
Philippines: Expats and migrants blog awards
The list of winners of the 2010 Philippine Expats/OFW Blog Awards is now posted online. OFW means Overseas Filipino Workers.
Student condition in Indonesia
EngageMedia uploads a video featuring university students from Jakarta, Indonesia who talk about their education and the condition of students in Indonesia.
East Timor: Unsafe oil power project
La'o Hamutuk reports that the construction of an oil power plant in East Timor is encountering many problems. It observed that the project is characterized by “bad planning, dubious procurement procedures, incompetent contractors, illegal practices, poor oversight, and lack of transparency and accountability.”
Cambodia: Prince Ranariddh returns to politics
Retiring from politics in 2008, Prince Norodom Ranariddh surprised everybody in Cambodia when he recently announced that he will return to politics in order to strengthen the royalist movement. What will be its impact on Cambodian politics?
China: Tax cut
George Chen discusses the tax cut agenda put forward at the Central Economic Work Conference in China.