Stories from 5 June 2009
Japan: Female Internet user
Fumi Yamazaki from What's happening in Japan right now? blogs a research finding on websites that have higher percentage of female users with 20-34 years of age. The result is “communication sites”, “online shopping sites” and “gourmet sites”.
Myanmar: “No toilet paper but unity!”
The popularity of social network sites is increasing in Myanmar. Some are using the sites to express their views about Myanmar society. In Toilet Wall, the slogan is “No toilet paper but unity!” It is a parody of official slogans calling for unity.
Thailand: Yellow shirts become Green shirts
In Thailand, members of the People's Alliance for Democracy, more popularly known as the Yellow Shirts, have formed a political party adopting a different color: yellow and green. According to their leaders, green represents clean politics.
Singapore: Sex trafficking on the rise
There appears to be a rise of sex trafficking in Singapore. New Mandala received a comment from a reader who accuses the police and other Singapore authorities of protecting sex traffickers and brothel owners.
Thailand: On David Carradine's death
Thailand Jumped the Shark has an advice to family and friends of the late Hollywood actor David Carradine: “…whatever you do, don't ever trust the Thai police or the Thai media to get to the bottom of the truth. I wouldn't trust the US embassy staff either. Get your own...
Malaysia-Indonesia border dispute
Tension rose when Indonesia accused Malaysia of sending naval battleships in Ambalat, a maritime area which both Indonesia and Malaysia claim as their territory.
Iran:Interactive blogosphere
Harvard's Berkman Center's Internet and Democracy Project presents an interactive Iranian blogoshere map.
China: Dog massacre
A county, Yangxian, in Shaanxi province killed every single dog there on 31 of May. ChinaSMACK translated the brief story and netizen comments from MOP.
Trinidad & Tobago: Safe Social Networking
Keith in Trinidad says that staying safe on social networking sites really comes down to having “a modicum of common sense”, but links to an article that offers security tips – just in case.
Jamaica: Valuing Treasures
Jamaica's Snailwriter notices that construction on the Treasure Beach canal has stopped: “Of course, it ‘stopped’ after the National Works Agency…had finished what they intended to do in this Phase One, had packed up their bulldozers and headed off to seek other funding to complete the destruction.”
Cuba: Thanks, but no thanks
Generation Y considers the lifting of the long-standing OAS ban on Cuba to be “like another hand offered, a new door opened, only to face the Cuban government’s unwillingness to accept it.”
Barbados: Multiculturalism
“Ultimately, both the concern that multiculturalism damages a political landscape and the concern that multiculturalism leads to volatile social conditions boil down to the question of integration”: Zak Rose, guest blogging at Bajan Dream Diary, examines whether immigration fears in Barbados are a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Jamaica: One Love
“For the four days that I was in Treasure Beach for Calabash 09, I saw two Jamaicas”: Litblogger Geoffrey Philp explains that he would “like to return to a place that doesn’t have 1,611 murders in one year. I don’t want two Jamaicas. I’d just like a Jamaica of One...
India: Do Not Evict The Chakmas
Paritosh Chakma at Musings of a Chakma draws attention to the fact that in Mizoram state of India the land of many Chakma indigenous population have been acquired by the government to make way to border fencing along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border. “There is no plan to rehabilitate the displaced Chakmas...
India: Liberalizing The Education Sector
While discussing the recent increase of attacks on Indian students in Australia, Atanu Dey opines that the Indian Education sector should be liberalized, so that the Indian students do not have to go abroad for higher studies.
Israel/Palestine: Commemorating the Nakba and Debating Loyalty
May 15 is Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate the creation of Israel and subsequent Palestinian displacement and dispossession. Shortly after the day this year, a controversial piece of legislation was proposed in the Knesset banning commemoration of the Nakba. Two other bills were recently proposed, one introducing a pledge of allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state, and another criminalising public denial of Israel as a Jewish state. While the “loyalty law” has been rejected, and the Nakba bill has been amended, the fact that the bills were introduced at all has prompted debate and protest.
Ukraine: Thoughts on “Grand Coalition”
Taras Kuzio shares his thoughts on the looming “grand coalition” in Ukraine.
Ukraine: Babi Yar
The Uncataloged Museum writes about a visit to Babi Yar in Kyiv.
Russia: Teenager Dies While Shooting Horror Video
Profy writes about the death of a teenager who was shooting a horror video for a Russian video portal: “The 16-year old boy from a small Russian town supposedly wanted to get his share of online fame so he wanted to shoot a video for RuTube featuring a scene of...
