Latest posts by Mong Palatino from March, 2009
Laos: Blog of a coffee cooperative
A blog was set-up by a coffee cooperative in southern Laos.
Vietnam: Yahoo! 360 to close blog service
News about the decision to Yahoo! 360 to end its blog service has alarmed many Vietnamese. Yahoo! 360 is the most popular blog platform in Vietnam.
Global: Bubbles, Bailouts and Stimulus Plans
Identifying the economic woes of the United States is crucial. But we should also understand that other countries are also grappling with bankrupt companies and shrinking economies. Many countries are also implementing their own stimulus plans. What are some of the examples used by bloggers around the world when they discuss the bubble economies, bailout of banks and stimulus plans of their countries?
Singapore: 10th costliest city in the world
According to an international survey, Singapore is the 10th costliest city to live in the world.
Vietnam: Kidnapping children
Are child traffickers now kidnapping children in Vietnam provinces? Some children who were reported as missing were found later working in garment factories in Saigon.
Manila impressions
Mukti from Bangladesh shares his impressions of Manila during a recent travel conference.
Malaysia: Bloggers charged for insulting Sultan
Malaysian bloggers were charged for insulting the Sultan of Perak through their blogs and through posting of offensive comments in online sites.
“Obama Thailand”
Suphoj Bunseupwong is known as “Obama Thailand” in his village because of his physical similarity to US President Barack Obama.
Bangkok: Elephant feeding
A YouTube video features an elephant attraction in a crowded tourist street in Bangkok.
Global recession and its discontents
Today the world seems flat. From Asia and Africa to Europe and the Americas, the people of the world are experiencing the traumatic effects of a global economic recession. This post is an attempt to describe the social impact of the great financial crisis as seen and felt by ordinary citizens around the world.
East Timor: Reporter used SMS texts to expose corruption deal
Veteran East Timor journalist José Antonio Belo used leaked mobile phone text messages to expose a corruption deal involving the country’s Justice Minister. Today, the journalist is facing a criminal defamation suit.
Southeast Asia: Who is my neighbor?
Pravit Rojanaphruk writes about the lack of knowledge of Southeast Asians about their neighbors in the region.
East Timor: SMS text used as corruption evidence
Leaked mobile phone text messages were used by a journalist to expose a corruption deal in East Timor. The journalist is now facing a criminal defamation suit.
Malaysia: Police used teargas to disperse rallyists
More than 8,000 Malaysians trooped to the streets to oppose the proposal to use the English language in teaching Math and Science in schools. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Indonesia: Protest against Buddha Bar
Some Indonesian Buddhists are not happy over a bar in Jakarta which is known as the Buddha Bar. They believe the name of the pub insults Buddhism.
Thailand: Web director arrested for “allowing offensive comments”
A web editor in Thailand was arrested by police yesterday for allowing comments which authorities deemed as offensive to the monarchy. The editor is now out on bail. The arrest was made on the same day the Prime Minister assured media that the government will increase press freedom in Thailand.
Brunei: Largest serving of grilled satay
Last Monday, Brunei Darussalam reached a new milestone for creating the “largest serving of grilled satay in the world”. Just imagine 75,000 sticks of chicken satay being simultaneously grilled from one end to another end (over 200 metres).
Myanmar envoy: Rohingyas “are as ugly as ogres”
beyond skin mentions some of the hilarious and racist statements issued by the Thai and Myanmar governments about the status of the Rohingya refugees. For instance, a Myanmar envoy described the Rohingyas as “ugly as ogres.”
Thailand: “Thai-style democracy”
Khi Kwai analyzes the two major and opposing political forces in Thailand and proposes several political reforms to establish a “Thai-style democracy.”
Myanmar: Firefighters lack equipment
The Irrawaddy reports that the job of Myanmar's firefighters is hampered by lack of proper equipment to handle fire disasters.
Bird Flu in Laos
Lao veterinary authorities have sent a report to the World Organisation for Animal Health about a bird flu outbreak in the northern part of the country. The virus has affected more than 3,000 village poultry.
