a media activist, researcher and educator currently based in Hong Kong. my chinese writings are in inmediahk.net and my twitter account is @oiwan.
Latest posts by Oiwan Lam
5 May 2018
‘Peppa Pig’ has gotten too naughty for China's censors
A subculture connecting the cartoon character “Peppa Pig” with “Shehuiren”, a term that refers to organized crime syndicates, has resulted in a muddy puddle for the popular porker.
24 April 2018
Why did China take its own propaganda film offline? Netizens point to US tech sanctions
Netizens suspect that the film is being restricted due to new US sanctions against ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications hardware company.
22 April 2018
China Central Television backs Russian version of the Syrian crisis, saying chemical attacks were staged
Russia claims the Syrian chemical attacks were staged; China's state media echoes that narrative, but not everyone is buying into it.
20 April 2018
Chinese netizens’ #IamLGBT campaign pushes change at Weibo
The move is significant, but it doesn’t mean that LGBT content will be spared from the latest censorship crackdown.
11 April 2018
No Laughing Matter: China Shuts Down Popular Joke-Sharing App
"A country, a government, a supervision department. They are all scared of a joke-sharing application."
3 April 2018
With ‘Sharp Eyes’, Smart Phones and TV Sets Are Watching Chinese Citizens
By 2020, China could have a comprehensive nationwide surveillance network, wherein law enforcement will have easy access to data collected by any individual surveillance camera in the network.
Why Did More Than 200,000 Koreans Petition to Shutter a Popular Website?
"If you are a user of this site, it means that you participate in sharing its toxicity into the world."
28 March 2018
Overseas Chinese Nervous About the Cancellation of Household Registration Back Home
The cancellation of hukou may imply that they might not be able to receive their retirement pension or sell properties they own. Other big cities may follow in Shanghai's footsteps.
16 March 2018
How a Viral Eye Roll Broke the Silence on China's Heavily Censored Web
"The rolling eyes are like a bolt of lightening that destroys tens of thousands expressions of praise and outshines speeches made by hundreds of thousands of brain-dead people."
4 March 2018
Lantern Festival Riddles Outwit and Enrage Chinese Censorship Authorities
By posting riddles, Chinese netizens have found a way to safely criticize the recent constitutional amendment proposal regarding the abolition of the two-term presidential limit.
27 February 2018
‘Monarchy Restored'? China Set to Remove Two-Term Presidential Limit from Constitution
"Actually, the constitutional amendment is not that surprising. The amendment is just turning 'party dictatorship' into 'party dictatorship led by an individual for his lifetime'."
20 February 2018
Malaysian Government Ad Used Barking Rooster to Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Dog
"This department needs to be more cultured or exposed to the understanding of other cultures. This is really embarrassing and reflects the ignorance of your department."
25 January 2018
#MeToo Has Hit China's Universities, Despite Efforts of Internet Censors
After months of censorship, a student's viral account of sexual misconduct by a renowned university professor has forced the discussion into the open.
17 January 2018
Is Taiwan a Country? What About Tibet? China Says They Aren't—and Wants Foreign Companies to Fall in Line
Multinational corporations have faced pressure to apologize for listing Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Tibet as countries on their websites, even if in reality it's a common practice.
10 January 2018
‘If I Don't Oppose Dictatorship, Am I Still a Man?': Chinese Activist Gets Eight Years in Prison
Wu Gan, better known by his nickname “Super Vulgar Butcher”, has been active in Chinese human rights circles since 2008.
27 December 2017
Don't Call “Xi the Bun” — Chinese Netizens Are Being Jailed for Chatroom Jokes
Three recent cases indicate that chatroom conversations in China are under surveillance and can be used as evidence in criminal prosecution.
24 December 2017
The Chinese Communist Party Forbids Members From Celebrating Christmas, Calling It a Festival of Humiliation
This year, the anti-Christmas campaign has been marked by the circulation of an article that recites the history of Western military invasions in China, arguing that Christmas represents Chinese humiliation.
20 December 2017
With Legislative Changes, Some Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Fear ‘Article 23 Is Coming to Town’
Article 23 refers to a controversial part of Hong Kong's mini-constitution that compels it to pass national security legislation against treason, secession, sedition or subversion against the mainland Chinese government.
11 December 2017
A Local Newspaper's Full-Page Feature on Nuclear Radiation Survival Stirs Panic in China
"The whole page feature on nuclear radiation precaution is believed to be a reaction to the risk of warfare in the Korean peninsula."
10 December 2017
The Fall of Chinese Internet Czar Lu Wei
If Lu Wei's censorship measures were viewed as selective, Chinese netizens will now find themselves facing a more "comprehensive" online content control system.
