Stories about South Asia from January, 2009
Sri Lanka: Questions Surrounding Slain Journalist's Death Persist
Lasantha Wickrematunge, investigative journalist and editor of the Sunday Leader, was buried in a Colombo cemetery on Monday afternoon after being shot in broad daylight on his way to work last week. Wickrematunge and his paper were outspoken critics of the government's war against the LTTE and ran stories about...
Sri Lanka: Debunking Propaganda
Dare to be Different lists ten myth busters regarding the Sirasa TV attack controversy.
Bangladesh: Against Corruption
Meandering Memos is impressed with the improvement of Bangladesh in the corrupted countries index and suggests ways forward.
Sri Lanka: YouTube for activism
ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) reports that Vikalpa’s YouTube Channel has become popular after publishing two short videos capturing reactions to the assassination of the Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickremetunge.
Sri Lanka: Endangered Media
Indi.ca asserts that the Sri Lankan Media needs security and “at some point journalists may have to just learn how to defend themselves“.
Pakistan: Low Intensity Blasts in Lahore
Skb at Lahore Metblogs reports: “During last two hours, Lahore experienced four blasts near Alflah building on Mall Road and the recent, fifth blast is just heard near Tamaseel Theatre on Ferozpur Road.”
Sri Lanka: Suppression of Dissent
Lanka Dissent, a Sri Lankan Internet news site in Sinhala , Tamil and English languages has decided to close down. An excerpt from its farewell message: “In this compassionate, democratic Buddhist land enfolded with love, in wisdom and fullest freedom, media is forbidden to raise a dissenting voice. Media is...
Bangladesh: New Faces in The Cabinet
J at Shada Kalo blog explains why he supports the selection of mostly new faces as ministers in the new Bangladesh cabinet.
India: L. K. Advani, The Blogger
Soumyadip at Cutting the Chai reports that a veteran & powerful Indian politician has started to blog: “BJP's prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani is attempting to reach out to the electorate via his newly set up blog on his website.”
Sri Lanka: Assassination Of A Journalist
Sri Lanka remains as one of the world’s most dangerous countries for independent journalists. Indi.ca reports that Lasantha Wickremetunge, one of Sri Lanka’s best known journalists was shot in the head this morning by unknown gunmen. He later succumbed to his injuries. Ground Views has details.
Bangladesh: Women In Power
Maskwaith Ahsan at Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers writes on the new cabinet of Bangladesh which includes five women in key positions including the Prime Minister: “It's no longer a dream. Breaking centuries of silence, the women of Bangladesh have finally stood up to contribute to society alongside men.”
Pakistan: The Infamous Lahore Smog
Light Within explains the reasons behind the deadly winter smog the Lahore city of Pakistan is witnessing since 1987.
Pakistan: National Security Adviser Sacked Over Mumbai Terrorist Row
Five Rupees reports that mayhem followed after Maj. Gen. (R) Mahmud A. Durrani, the Pakistan Prime Minister's National Security Advisor admitted to media today that the the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani. Later on the day Durrani was sacked by the Prime Minister and The Pakistan...
India's own Enron
Today India was shocked by the confession of the outgoing CEO of the IT giant Satyam that an Enron style huge accounting fraud took place in the company. India Political Blog has details.
Bangla Blogs: Praying For Peace In Gaza
“What's happening in Gaza is impossible to tolerate,” writes blogger Aprio, encapsulating in those few words the Bangla blogosphere's sentiments towards what most of them see as ‘Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians’. Rakib says that the current situation in Gaza is a ‘terrible humanitarian crisis’ . Ahmed Munir writes: ফিলিস্তিন...
Comparison of military strength of Israel and the Palestinians
Baithak posts an extensive comparison of military strength of Israel and the Palestinians.
Bhutan: Violence Against Women
Freedom in Bhutan discusses the growing menace of sexual abuses against women in Bhutan and the laws in place for such abuses.
India, Pakistan: Proofs on Mumbai Attacks
India produced a dossier of evidence on the Mumbai terror attacks to Pakistan, which termed it as “insufficient”. The New Horizon takes a closer look at the evidences.
A Rap Tribute to Benazir Bhutto
Über Desi posts an YouTube video of a rap tribute to Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, by her 18 year old daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto.
Bangladesh: Reactions To A New Cabinet
Awami League and the Grand Alliance, the winner of the recent Bangladesh national polls, have formed a new 32 member cabinet today. E-Bangladesh is hosting a live discussion of Bangladeshi bloggers on the reactions to the appointment of ministers.
Nepal Entangled in Temple Row
New Year in Nepal is off to a bumpy start. Adding to the energy crisis, the country is now entangled in a row involving one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines -Pashupatinath. At the heart of the dispute is the debate over whether the tradition of Indian priests conducting rituals at the...
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