Stories from 20 February 2009
Pakistan: Caste System Still Alive
Raza Rumi at Jahane Rumi comments on casteism in Pakistan: “I live in a society where branding and group labels are essential, if not unavoidable. For this reason I am peeved that I still don’t know who I am.”
Sri Lanka: Web Discussions On Humanitarian Crisis
ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) rounds up the latest web discussions centered around the post of Sri Lankan blogger Michael Robert at GroundViews – ‘Dilemmas at War's End: Thoughts On Hard Realities‘.
India: WordCamp
Delhi Bloggers Bloc is organizing the first WordCamp in India from 21st – 23rd February, 2009. Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress will be present there. You can follow the live twitter feeds of WordCamp India.
Japan: Internet paranoia
Neojaponisme has an article discussing the recent legal prosecution of 18 internet users for making false accusations towards a comedian. The blogger points out that in reporting the case, mainstream media has indulged in willfully-ignorant paranoia about the cyberspace.
China: Expectations of Xinjiang people
An article now popular in Chinese cyberspace depicts the sufferings and expectations of the people in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The post suggests that “all the friends across the country” owe an apology and a big “Thank you” to the Xinjiang people [zh].
China: Riding on Chairman Mao's head
On Feb19,a set of pictures that shows a girl riding on the head of Chairman Mao was circulated around the internet. Of course, what she rides is just a statue erected on the plaza in Hunan, Mao's hometown. However, the story with the pictures immediately secured the headline position in...
Indonesia: Weird Durian fruit
Good News from Indonesia posts a picture of a weird durian fruit from the wild rain forest of Borneo.
Clinton visits Indonesia
Aside from meeting the leaders of Indonesia, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton found the time to visit a slum community in Jakarta. She also appeared in a teen-oriented TV show. What are the reactions of bloggers?
Japan: Hay Fever Season is Here
If only it was just love that's in the air. Spring is slowly dawning, and pollen from Japanese cedars is starting to make its way around. Kafunsho (hay fever) season has officially started in Japan. Leftover Valentine chocolates have been pushed aside in convenient stores to make room for kafunsho related items: tissues, surgical masks, mint drops, and more.
Fiji: Bloggers react to police commissioner's ‘crusade’
Bloggers in Fiji are commenting on the police commissioner’s recent outburst recorded by television cameras at a meeting with Indo-Fijian officers warning them with termination if they continue to air their complaints directly to the media