Stories about East Asia from September, 2012
Myanmar: 500 Prisoners Released
More than 500 prisoners in Myanmar are expected to be released[my] this week. A number of netizens assume that it's a political tactic in preparation for the president's trip to the United States.
Southeast Asia: Initiatives to Celebrate International Day of Peace
Various youth groups and individuals in Southeast Asia are initiating several activities to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21. The campaign is timely and relevant since many countries in the region are troubled by long running civil wars, border disputes, and separatist movements.
South Korea: Golden Lion Winner ‘Pieta’ Reveals Society's Dark Side
The Golden Lion award-winning Korean film 'Pieta', which is also South Korea's submission for the 2012 Academy Awards (in the foreign-language film category) has sparked social media buzz and ignited various public discussions in the Korean blogosphere this week.
China: Protesters Arrested for Human Rights Banner at Anti-Japan Rally
The arrest of three protesters in Shenzhen who were peacefully demonstrating in the middle of thousands of anti-Japanese protesters on September 16 demonstrates how the police officers were effectively and selectively controlling and managing the Anti-Japan protests.
A QQ Conversation on the China-Japan Island Dispute
Xujun Eberlein from Inside out China translated a QQ conversation on the China-Japan Island dispute to help the outside world understand how ordinary people felt about the conflict.
China: Censor Machine Suspended for Anti-Japan Mobilization?
As the tension between China and Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands (also known as the Senkaku Islands) has elevated, large scale anti-Japan protests have taken place all over China in more than 50 cities over the weekend. But what lies behind the scenes of the weekend's demonstrations?
Malaysia: Parenting Guidelines on How to Spot Gays and Lesbians
A parenting seminar in Penang, Malaysia became controversial after it issued guidelines for parents on how to detect symptoms of homosexuality. The guidelines were allegedly endorsed by the Ministry of Education. According to the guidelines, gays often wear V-necks and sleeveless tops
East Timor: Contact Details of Government Officials
La’o Hamutuk links to a page containing the contact details of East Timor's Parliament members and ministry officials.
Thailand: Mobile App for Traffic Reports
Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre has released a mobile application called FM91BKK which helps users to access specific traffic reports in their areas.
Japan: Imagining Future Japanese-Korean Relations with ‘Free Hugs’
A "free hugs" video filmed in Korea by a young Japanese man attracted another round of attention this summer. The creator's intent was to "prove that there is hope for the future of Japan and South Korea". The deterioration in international relations between the two countries, reported upon daily in the media, has been causing a stir recently.
Japan: Radio Airs Story of Fukushima Province Evacuee
Multilingual community radio station FMYY in Kobe has aired a radio drama titled “Under Invisible Clouds” [ja], the story of Yasuko Sasaki, one evacuee from the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture. This story was produced by volunteers in Hiroshima as a part of the 100 Stories Project [ja] about...
China: Making Fun of the Length of Apple iPhone
Chinese netizens create a satirical image to mock the design of iPhone5, which is four inches longer than the iPhone4 but with very few new functional features (via China Hush).
China: Another Waves of Anti-Japan Protest
Anne Henochowicz from China Digital Times reports on the new waves of anti-Japan protest in major cities in China. Some angry protesters attempted to attack Japanese restaurants and cars.
China: RMB 4 Trillion Stimulus Package Questioned
In the past few months, some online public opinion leaders have openly criticized the Chinese government's RMB 4 trillion stimulus package introduced in 2008 during the global financial crisis. But Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has stressed that the government "will not hesitate to use" the surplus in the upcoming budget year.
Japan: Kansai Queer Film Festival Kicks Off
Japan's 7th Kansai Queer Film Festival kicks off in Osaka this weekend September 15-17, and will be held in Kyoto on October 12-14. It celebrates and shows various films that focus on diverse gender and sexuality issues around the world.
China: Guangzhou Students Protest University Gender Quotas
Ewan Christie from Nanfang.com reports about university students’ protest against the university gender quotas. Female students have to obtain a much higher score than the male counter part in the public examination to enter the same university.
In Sea of Censorship, China Allows Anti-Japan War Vitriol
A fleet of six Chinese surveillance ships has been deployed in response to the Japanese government's move to purchase three disputed islets from their private Japanese owners. Some Chinese netizens have reacted to the news with anti-Japan warmongering on social media channels.
China: The Million Tree Project
Jonah Kessel introduces a NGO called Shanghai Roots & Shoots which carried out the Million Tree Project in Kulun Qi of inner Mongolia by working with the national and regional Chinese government.
China: Traffic Jam
Chengdu Living blogs about the problems behind traffic jam in China: the rapidly increasing urban population, number of car owners, poor city planning because of corruption.