Stories about East Asia from July, 2013
Club-Goers Rebel Against Japan's Dance Regulation
Club goers across Japan are rebelling against an antiquated law that requires public venues to acquire a license for dancing or face raids, arrests and closures.
Japan: Winny Developer Dies at 42
Isamu Kaneko, the Japanese developer of file-sharing software Winny, died due to an undisclosed illness on July 8, 2013 at the age of 42. He was charged in 2006 with “assisting” Winny users to violate copyright, but the case against him was later overturned and his acquittal upheld by the country's Supreme...
Korean Reactions to Asiana Airlines Crash
One of South Korea's two major airlines, Asiana Airliner's plane crashed in the U.S. while landing at San Francisco International Airport, killing two and injuring 181 passengers. Korea Bang translated various comments Korean nets users have made about this tragic incident.
Online Resources to Monitor Cambodian Elections
On July 28, Cambodian voters will decide whether to end or extend the 28-year rule of the Cambodian People’s Party as the nation prepares for its fifth National Assembly elections since 1993. The ruling party is led by Prime Minister Hun Sen who is already the longest serving head of state in Southeast Asia.
INFOGRAPHIC: China's ‘Losers’ to Consumers
ChinaFile has translated the infographic created by Sohu Business [zh] about the lifestyle and consumption habits of China's ordinary citizens, known as “diaosi“, who are poised to become the mainstream consumers in China. It also hints that China’s underdogs may become the country’s mainstream.
Egypt's Failings Become China's Propaganda
Following Egypt's military coup, Chinese State media ran editorials warning of the dangers of copying Western democracy, stating that democracy is not a “universal cure” for the ills that developing countries face. EPOCH TIMES has more details.
China’s Post-90s Migrant Workers
Sina Photo[zh] takes a look at the lives of China's Post-90s migrant workers who aspire to an urban lifestyle. Offbeat China has translated the stories into English.
China: Statue Built and Removed
The Statue of the Soong Ching Ling, wife of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of Republic of China, was appeared in November 2011 in Zhengzhou to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, was quietly removed. Why? See Beijing Cream for the story.
‘Gangnam Style’ Parody Features Urban Poor Kids in Cambodia
‘Gangnam Style’ continues to be an Internet sensation but this time it is performed by 160 children from an urban poor village in Cambodia. The parody of the music video originally popularized by South Korean superstar Psy got more than 200,000 hits on YouTube a few days after it was uploaded.
Chinese Social Media Users are Rumor-Happy, Low-Educated, Report Says
A new report from the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences that labels social media in China as a rumor mill and social media users in China as having low levels of education and income is raising alarm among netizens.
Fishermen Organize First Migrant Workers’ Union in Taiwan
The first migrant workers' union was formed on May 25, 2013 in Taiwan to improve foreign fishermen's working conditions.
China Orders Grown Children to Visit Their Parents
China has put into effect a new law this week requiring grown children to visit their parents “frequently”, triggering ridicule on China's most popular microblogging website Sina Weibo among users.
Protests Erupt in South Korea Over Spy Agency's Electioneering
Protests have continued for several weeks in South Korea against the state secret agency’s electioneering. Nine agents from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) created hundreds of Internet IDs and wrote more than 5,000 posts on the Internet and used some of them to attack domestic opposition parties and their candidates ahead of South Korea’s presidential election last December.
Malaysian Internet TV Up with Viewers
KiniTV, a Malaysian Internet TV service recorded 7.2 million video views last May: KiniTV will be producing news reports and talk-shows that come straight from ordinary people and independent analysts, free from censorship and to promote dialogue and encourage transparency.
First Burmese-language Social Networking Site
SQUAR is Myanmar’s first Burmese-language social networking site. The Irrawaddy interviews Rita Nguyen who is overwhelmed by the support of Myanmar netizens: …even if Burmese were online, there was really no destination that belonged to them, built for and by them.
Breast Milk Popular Among China's Rich
Since the 2008 milk scandal in which tainted baby formula poisoned hundreds of babies, China's Southern Shenzhen are enjoying a new nourishment: human breast milk. Wet nurses are hired to breast feed some babies and even adults. Offbeat China has more details.
“Chinese-Style Justice”
ChinaSMACK has translated a “one-point” essay from a test-taker at China's annual National College Entrance Exam that took place last month. The critical essay reviewed China's social problems in the recent years, including the rampant corruption and food scandal.
Former Philippine President Convicted of Plunder Likens Himself to Mandela, Suu Kyi
During his inaugural speech as mayor of Manila, Joseph Estrada, a former president of the Philippines who was ousted from power and convicted for plunder, compared himself to other world leaders like Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar who also served a prison term. Many netizens disagreed with him
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