Latest posts by Mong Palatino from June, 2013
Thailand Cuts Rice Subsidy Price
The Thailand government has announced the reduction of rice subsidy price that it gives to four million farmers. The program was meant to improve the savings of farmers. Critics blame the rice pledging program for the huge financial losses in the rice sector.
Singapore: From Haze to Hail in Less Than a Week
From #sghaze to #sghail. After the record level haze pollution, Singapore was struck by rainstorms carrying hail this week. The haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia is the worst air pollution in Singapore in years. Many people welcomed the rains which poured down on Singapore early this week because it helped in easing the haze situation but they were surprised by the hail which hit the country Tuesday afternoon.
Myanmar's Internet Freedom Forum
Faine Greenwood writes about the first Internet freedom forum in Myanmar and the challenges facing the IT community: The event revealed optimism about opportunities for a newly connected society, even...
Soldiers Go Online to ‘Fight’ for Monarchy
Thai online journal Prachatai features the military unit Rangers Task Force 45 whose members were instructed to go online and promote or defend the monarchy. Soldiers of the unit reportedly...
Bankruptcy in Malaysia
iMoney.my creates an infographic about bankruptcies in Malaysia. Almost 20,000 bankruptcy cases were recorded in 2012 or about 53 Malaysians who went bankrupt everyday.
Thai Monk On Abortion and Buddhism
Takato Mitsunaga of Prachatai interviews Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, a feminist and Buddhist monk, about the spread of abortion in Thailand. About 300,000 abortion cases are reported in Thailand where majority of...
Southeast Asia: The Great Haze of 2013
Since last week, a thick haze has enveloped Singapore and some parts of Malaysia caused by forest fires mainly in Indonesia. The haze brought air pollution levels to a record high in the region. Malaysia placed two districts under state of emergency while Singaporeans were advised to remain indoors.
Video Exposes Lavish Lifestyle of Thai Monks
This viral video shows Thai monks reportedly from the Si Sa Ket’s Kanthararom district riding in a private plane and carrying luxury brand bags and sunglasses.
‘V for Thailand’ Protesters Call for Ouster of Thai Prime Minister
The group which calls itself ‘V for Thailand’ has already organized three mass assemblies in Thailand’s capital this month demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Wearing white Guy Fawkes masks, protesters have decried the alleged corruption in the government.
Malaysia Launches Dengue Web Portal
To fight dengue, Malaysia's Ministry of Health launched a GIS-based web portal called I-Dengue, “which aims to provide the public with the latest information on dengue hotspots and preventive measures...
Burmese Blogger Calls for Religious Tolerance
dawn_1o9, a young Burmese blogger, expresses her disappointment over the reported cases of violence between Buddhists and Muslims in some parts of Myanmar: I'm a Buddhist. I'm a Burmese living...
Investigative Journalism in Indonesia
Akhlis Purnomo laments the state of investigative journalism in Indonesia. …there has not been much of investigative journalism in Indonesia. Most of them are not even investigative, but more like...
Dengue Outbreak in Singapore
Singapore recorded 4,632 dengue cases in 2012. This year it went up to 9,847 already. This is a record high for Singapore which last experienced a dengue outbreak in 2005. The National Environment Agency has launched the ‘Do the Mozzie Wipeout’ campaign to promote awareness about dengue prevention
Dog Thefts in Vietnam
Mike Tatarski clarifies that most Vietnamese do not eat dog. However, there is demand for dog meat which gives rise to dog thefts: The main reason this trade continues is...
Environment Impact of Mining in Indonesia
An article published at mongabay.com exposes the destructive environment impact of mining in remote Indonesian towns.Some scholars fear that “parts of Indonesia now have the highest levels of mercury contamination...
How Southeast Asian Leaders Use Twitter
Twitter has been a very useful tool for Southeast Asian leaders who needed to communicate directly with their citizens. Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the most popular leader in the region with 2.4 million followers. Meanwhile, Malaysia's Najib Razak is his country’s most popular Twitter personality with 1.6 million followers. The Philippines' Noynoy Aquino is also a prominent Twitter user with 1.5 million followers.
Situation of Cartoonists in the Philippines
Art professor Neil Doloricon laments the exodus of cartoonists in the Philippines: Cartoonists in the Philippines are rare breed, they are on the brink of extinction so to speak. Most...
Singapore’s ‘Largest Blogger-led Protest’ Bats for Media Freedom
An estimated crowd of 2,000 people joined a protest assembly in Singapore’s Hong Lim Park last June 8, 2013 to oppose the government’s new licensing scheme for news websites. Organized by the ‘Free My Internet’ movement, it was reported to be the ‘largest blogger-led protest’ in Singapore.
Singapore Memory Project
Initiated in 2011, the Singapore Memory Project aims “to collect, preserve and provide access” to Singapore's history. Further, “it aims to build a national collection of content including print, audio...
‘Free My Internet’ Movement Rises in Singapore
Singapore’s new licensing scheme for news websites announced by the Media Development Authority was quickly denounced by many netizens as a censorship measure. A group of concerned netizens called the ‘Free My Internet’ movement has called on the public to join a rally this coming Saturday, June 8, 2013, to demand the withdrawal of the controversial regulation.
Artists Dodge Censorship in Myanmar
Artist and former political detainee Htein Lin talks to Art Radar Asia and discusses Myanmar's current art scene and politics: For visual art exhibitions, there are still some censors. Some...
