Stories about South Asia from December, 2012
Sri Lanka needs a National Media Commission
Shenali Waduge opines that Sri Lanka needs a National Media Commission to steer Journalistic Ethics. The blogger adds: “in the absence of self-regulation by mass media and communication channels there is a need for content analysis by a competent and unbiased team”.
Bhutan's Journey From Monarchy To Democracy
Sabrina Soares explains how Bhutan progressed from a monarchy to a parliamentary democracy.
Reporters Stand By as Biswajit Das is Brutally Murdered in Bangladesh
On 9th December, 2012, during an 8-hour road blockade programme called by the opposition, 24yr old Biswajit Das was brutally murdered in the open before the eyes of the public and a large number of media personnel who were busy taking photographs and video footage of the incident and did nothing to try and save the young man from his horrific end. Shock and outrage poured in via social media.
India: The Menace Of Eve-Teasing
Main Toki at The Broken Scooter highlights the challenges to tackle Eve-teasing, sexual harassment of women in public places. In India the law exists but it does not define eve-teasing in proper terms and the fines are negligible.
A Research On Gender Sensitive Speech Online
The Internet Democracy project in India is conducting a research project that looks at how women in India, who are social media users, deal with speech addressed to them online that makes them feel uncomfortable as women. You can also participate – details are here. Deadline 15 December, 2012.
Global Voices: Where Every Voice Counts
The idea that every voice counts is one that is very close to the notion of Global Voices as a platform and as a community. As netizens unite to have their voices heard when the world's authorities argue on who should run the internet, we decided to ask our diverse community speak out on issues that matter to them and look back at issues we have covered over the year bearing in mind that every voice counts.
Mehzar – Pakistan's Youngest Victim of Violence Against Shias
Mehzar Zahra is one of the youngest victims of the ongoing assault on Shia Muslims by terrorists and extremists organizations in Pakistan. The 12 year -old girl was shot while her father was taking her to school. Her father died instantly and she is battling for her life in a hospital in Karachi.
‘The Economist’ Accused of Hacking by Bangladesh's War Crimes Tribunal
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is an ongoing tribunal in Bangladesh that was set up to investigate and provide justice regarding the war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The tribunal has asked The Economist magazine to explain how it got emails and recordings of private Skype conversations between a presiding judge and a diaspora legal expert and put an embargo on publishing the same.
Women Banned from Using Mobile Phones in Indian Villages
A village council in the Indian state of Bihar has banned women from using mobile phones because it is “debasing the social atmosphere” and leading couples to elope. Similar bans have also been seen in other parts of India.
Sri Lanka: The Rise Of The Classified Portals
Nandasiri Wanninayaka sold his Motorbike through a free online classified portal in Sri Lanka and writes about his experience and the potentials of such platforms.
Social Media Unites To Stand Up For Saving Colombo's Trees
In the last week of November a number of century old trees across Reid Avenue in Colombo were cut by the authorities. Caring citizens created a Facebook page titled “Stand Up For Colombo's Trees”, using which they created awareness and mobilized a silent protest in the city to save trees.
Nepal: Social Media Training For Journalists
Ujjwal Acharya posts some observations of two day long journalist training on Social Media that took place in five cities of Nepal. Acharya comments that journalists in Nepal are not alien to social media but only use them for personal purposes.
India: Haryana Rape Cases Prompt March Against Violence
In recent months, rape in the Indian state of Haryana seems to have become commonplace and Dalit women are in a vulnerable position. A nine day long march titled Dalit Mahila Garima Yatra (Dalit women pride march) traveled through towns and villages of Haryana meeting rape survivors, officials and community members.
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