A media activist, researcher and educator currently based in Hong Kong. My Twitter account is @oiwan and personal views are published on: patreon.com/oiwan
Latest posts by Oiwan Lam from October, 2013
Ballett Dortmund's Red Dream Ballet Censored in Hong Kong
Scenes and images related to the Cultural Revolution were removed abruptly before and after Ballett Dortmund's Red Dream opening performance in Hong Kong.
Chinese Newspaper Defies Censors, Publishes Front-Page Call for Journalist's Release
Reporter Chen Yongzhou was detained by police after the publication of his numerous investigative reports on the business practices of a large Chinese construction company.
Three Lessons on Dating in China
Jocelyn Eikenburg from Speaking of China shared her experience in cross-cultural dating in China. The three lessons she had learned are: 1. Actions matter more than words; 2. Keep that past relationship in the past; and 3. It takes a lot longer to meet the parents.
CCTV News Tweets About Zhou Yongkang Corruption Case
China Watch Twitters spotted a news tweets which was quickly deleted about the government's investigation on Zhou Yongkang's corruption case. Is it a rumor? Or a glimpse of the truth? Beijing cream put a spotlight on the discussion.
Viral Video Compares Chinese Top Leaders to Kung Fu Masters
Viral video in China: What kind of leaders do you want? American idols or Kungfu masters?
China's Maple Bridge Experience and Local Governance
Qian Gang looks into the political implications of recent state propaganda of “Fengqiao experience” (or Maple Bridge Experience) which took place in Zhejiang province during the Mao's era in early 1960s as a local governance model under the new China leadership.
China: School Forces Students To Participate in Forced Demolition
Joe from ChinaSMACK translated a news story about a middle school in Guiyang city, Guizhou province, that forced students to wear SWAT police uniforms and participate in the demolition of illegal structures. In China, demolition armies are as notorious as Chengguan on account of their violent actions against rural villagers who...
Arbitrary TV License Decision Undermines Hong Kong Freedom of Speech
Hong Kong people believe that the government screened out a new free-to-air Television competitor due to political reasons.
China's Agenda in the World Media Summit
David Bandurski from China Media project reported on the World Media Summit which took place in Beijing between October 8-10. To sum up, the World Media Summit, this ostensible back-slapping affair offering an opportunity for media leaders to talk media strategy, is fundamentally about China projecting its influence over global...
Man Saws Off Own Leg In Rural China
Fauna from China SMACK translated a terrible news story about a man in rural China who sawed off his own leg at home because he had no money to go to hospital to have a proper surgery.
Official Blames Chinese Cooking Style for Polluting Air
Zhao Huimin, director of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office, was quoted in a T.V interview: Our Chinese cooking styles also contribute a lot to PM 2.5 density. We hope Beijing citizens corporate with us and work with the government to clean the air. Offbeat China wrote a round-up on Chinese...
Hong Kong: 2010 Manila Hostage Incident and Banning Maid
Tom Grundy from Hong Wrong comments on the local community call for banning Filipino domestic workers’ working visa to pressure the Philippine President Aquino III to apologize to the 2010 Manila hostage Incident's victims and their families. The incident in 2010 was obviously awful and tragic and the authorities were...
Hong Kong Journalists Kicked Out of APEC After Questioning Philippine President
The journalists had asked President Aquino III if he would apologize to the victims and their families of the 2010 Manila hostage incident. Netizens and political groups call for a boycott.
Hong Kong: Viral Video Showing Kneeling Guy Slapped 14 Times by Girlfriend
As explained by Tom Grundy, a pedestrian called the police and the woman was arrested for slapping her boyfriend who was kneeling down in front of her pleading for her forgiveness for bringing another woman home.
Hong Kong: Say No to Ivory Trade and Crafts
A coalition of concerned individuals and NGOs, Hong Kong for Elephants, rallied on October 4 calling on the Hong Kong Government to destroy its entire stockpile of 25 tonnes of confiscated ivory.
China: Netizens’ Reaction to Inheritance Tax Proposal
Chinese netizens expressed their discontent on the draft inheritance tax law as the proposed exclusion starts rather low at RMB 800,000 yuan. Instead of balancing the wealth gap, netizens believed that the new law is to steal money from the working middle class. More from Offbeat China.
Abuse, Low Wages and Little Freedom: The Life of Hong Kong's Foreign Maids
The case of Indonesian maid Kartika Puspitasari, who was assaulted and tortured by her employers has thrust the terrible living conditions of Hong Kong's foreign maids into the spotlight.