Stories about East Asia from April, 2012
One Day on Earth: Worldwide Collaborative Music Video Released
A new music video has been released in preparation for the worldwide screening of the Global Collaborative film One Day on Earth, which will take place in locations all around the planet on Earth Day (22 April, 2012). The video features musicians, poets and dancers captured on film all during the same 24 hour period in 10 October, 2012, artfully recut and remixed by Cut Chemist.
Thailand: Internet Freedom Threats and Violations
Aim Sinpeng reports that internet censorship has continued in Thailand despite the victory of the opposition in the last elections. The government continues to block thousands of websites for violating the local laws. Several bloggers were also arrested for allegedly insulting the Royal Family.
Overseas Chinese Students Bring Changes to China?
Ali from Offbeat China discussed the impact of overseas Chinese students to China upon their return. The discussion in major overseas Chinese student web forums indicate that rather than the assumption that these students would be exposed to fundamental value changes and help China to develop political reform, many take...
Myanmar: Continuing Press Freedom Violations
The International Freedom of Expression Exchange lists five concerns that highlight the continuing press freedom violations in Myanmar
China: The Uyghur Human Rights Project
A new blog Xianjiang Source interviewed Henryk Szadziewski about the Uyghur Human Rights Project, which aims at promoting human rights and democracy for Uyghurs and others living in East Turkestan.
China: Struggle to Remember Fang Lizhi
Chinese intellectual Fang Lizhi, who inspired a whole generation of student activists during the 1980s, passed away on April 6, 2012 in the United States, at the age of 76. Authorities were quick to ban the news from the Internet and Chinese netizens now have to struggle with web censors to remember Fang.
Overview of Buddhism in Vietnam
tomosaigon provides a brief introduction of the various Buddhist sects in Vietnam.
Vietnam: Videos About Hanoi
Travelfish recommends several YouTube videos about Hanoi, Vietnam. The list includes videos about Hanoi tourism, music, and food
US War Drones in the Philippines
A Radical's Nut looks at how US war drones or “unmanned aerial assault crafts” violates Philippine sovereignty and endanger the lives of ordinary Filipino civilians.
Laos: Creative Minds Come Together to Produce Children's Programming
Through a workshop on Innovative Communication for Early Childhood Development, creative minds in Lao People’s Democratic Republic came together with UNICEF to generate quality media for children, as can be seen on video in Young People's Media Network's post.
Is Basketball's Jeremy Lin the Light of Taiwan?
From a benchwarmer to an NBA player who led the New York Knicks to seven consecutive victories, Jeremy Lin's inspiring Cinderella story has incited “Linsanity” in Taiwan. All major newspapers have extravagantly portrayed him as "the light of Taiwan." However, many Taiwanese bloggers are wary of this kind of blind idolatry.
Taiwan: A Family's Forced Eviction Casts Shadow on Urban Renewal Act
The outraging eviction of Wang family executed by Taipei City government showed the public how fragile citizens' private rights is in front of the urban renewal projects. More and more public opinions urged for the revision of the current Urban Renewal Act.
China: No Fishes for Chinese Fishermen
Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu translated a local feature story about the livelihood of Chinese fishermen who can't find fishes near the China coast because of pollution and over fishing.
‘Anonymous’ Aims at Hacking China
Hackers network “Anonymous” claimed that they have hacked more than 500 Chinese government websites and will continue to make statements against China censorship measures. China Digital Times has a round up of their action.
Video: Firefox Flicks Video Contest
The Firefox Flicks worldwide contest will give awards for short films teaching web browser consumers about online issues such as privacy, choice, interoperability and opportunity, and how the non-profit Firefox brand helps people to face these issues.
South Korea: Illegal Surveillance of Citizens and Entertainers
South Korea's presidential administration has come under fire over its illegal monitoring of civilians. Entertainers who often hosted anti-government protests have revealed that they have been followed and monitored by government intelligence agence officials.
China: Dissident Artist Ai Weiwei Puts Himself Under Web Surveillance
Prominent Chinese artist Ai Weiwei had installed four live webcams at his home in Beijing as a symbolic protest against the police's 24-hour surveillance of him. However, the Chinese authorities ordered Ai to turn off his webcams yesterday.
China's richest city in 2012
Xinjiang far west China introduced a Xinjiang city, Karamay, the richest city in China in 2012. The Wealth of the newly established city comes from oil.
Netizens’ reactions to China Election Monitors to Myanmar
Joe from ChinaSMACK translated netizens’ reactions to Chinese government's election monitor tour to Myanmar. Many comments mocked at the hypocrisy of China monitoring a foreign election when China itself has no direct elections.
Videos: Female Gendercide and Infanticide in India and China
Between India and China, 200 million girls have gone "missing" as parents abort female fetuses or kill and abandon baby girls. Several documentaries and reports cover this phenomenon, trying to explain the causes for this deadly gender discrimination and figure out what can be done about it.
Philippines: Students Prevented from Graduating Over Facebook Bikini Photos
An exclusive all-girls Catholic school managed by nuns in the Central Philippine island of Cebu sparked public outrage when it barred five high school students from joining the graduation ceremony because of photos posted on their Facebook accounts showing them wearing bikinis.