Stories from 14 April 2013
Christian Colony Attacked In Pakistan
Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House describes how another Christian colony had been attacked in Gujranwala, Punjab in Pakistan using the same rhetoric – revenge for alleged “Insult to Islam”.
India's ‘Paradoxical’ Right To Property
In a podcast at mylaw.net legal practitioner Namita Wahi talked about the paradox of the fundamental right to property in the Indian Constitution and how to deal with it.
Yemen: Anti Drone Protests in the US
Yemenis join nation-wide rallies across the US in protest against predator drones and extrajudicial killings.
Thailand: Victims of 2010 Protest Crackdown
Thai independent web portal Prachatai publishes the names of 21 civilians and five soldiers who died during a military crackdown of an anti-government protest three years ago. Officials of the previous administration continue to face trial for their role in the violent crackdown.
Helping Laos Recover from Cluster Bombs
Bryan Thao Worra, a Laotian American writer, reflects on his last trip in Laos where he witnessed the impact of cluster bombs in rural villages. Laos was one of the most heavily bombed countries during the Vietnam War and thousands of unexploded bombs continue to be a threat today.
Great Broadband Wagon Rolls Out in Australia
The Opposition’s national broadband policy, released on 9 April 2013, was always going to be highly contentious in Australia. It is not just for geeks but also looms as a major issue in the Federal election to be held on 14 September.
Violence Can Disrupt Pakistan Elections 2013
Raza Rumi at jahane Rumi discusses about the strong possibility of violence during the impending Pakistan 2013 elections.
Madagascar's Presidential Candidates
The presidential elections are set for July 24, 2013 in Madagascar. According to Ben from mada-tribune.com, the first candidates to have submitted their dossiers [fr] to the special electoral court are: Hajo Andrianainarivelo, Jean Lahiniriko et Roland Ratsiraka are the first to have filed their candidacies. Dr. Jean-Louis Robinson, Pierrot...
Why is WeChat So Popular in China?
WeChat is a mobile phone text and voice messaging communication service developed by Tencent in China. It has more than 300 millions registered users and is the most popular mobile apps. Tricia Wang from Bytes Of China explained its popularity by looking into her own user experience.
Chinese Media Exposes Labor Camp Torture
@Lens Magazine wrote on its official Sina Weibo account that in Masanjia Women’s Reeducation Through Labor Camp in northeastern China’s Liaoning province, torturing methods, such as exploitation of camp labor, solitary confinement, electric shock, ‘big hang’, ‘tiger bench’ and ‘death bed’, are taking place almost every day. Jing Gao from...
Russia's #1 Netizen Heads to Trial
Pussy Riot, eat your heart out. Later this week, Russia’s most polarizing blogger, Alexey Navalny, will stand trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company in the city of Kirov. In a country constantly plagued by politicized legal proceedings, prosecuting the nation’s most prominent netizen promises fireworks.
China's Anti-Japanese TV War Dramas Knocked for Vulgarity
The Chinese entertainment industry's incessant production of anti-Japanese TV dramas, under the scrutiny of netizens for a while now, has hit a nerve with China's state-controlled media after two photographs from a war drama showing a nude girl saluting a group of Chinese soldiers leaked online.
Fancy Cars and Booze Fuel Russian Online Petitions
A Russian government online petition platform went live on April 2. RuNet Echo takes a look at how it works in practice.
