Stories about East Asia from March, 2013
Religious Extremism Blamed for Myanmar Riots
The Meikhtila riots in central Myanmar which also spread to other towns have killed more than 40 people and raised fears that religious and ethnic clashes would continue to worsen in the country. Many people have analyzed the roots of the violence, in particular, the rise of religious extremism which have caused division and hate in many parts of Myanmar.
History of Myanmar's Movie Industry
Ei Ei Su writes about the history of Myanmar's movie industry beginning with the country's first silent film in 1920, up to the 1940s when the industry was producing about...
Thailand: Mobile App for Autistic
The Autism Foundation of Thailand has developed a mobile application known as ‘True Autistic’ aimed at enhancing the “physical and mental development of the autistic, and provide guidance to their...
Status of Vietnam's Civil Society Organizations
The Asia Foundation estimates that there are about 2,000 Civil Society Organizations or CSOs in Vietnam. It recently published a survey on Vietnam's CSOs: The nature of civil society in...
VIDEO: Student Film on Japan's Ruthless Job Hunt Goes Viral
Recruitment Rhapsody, an emotional short animated film that captures the rigid and obstacle-ridden job hunt process Japanese students must endure has gone viral with more than 350,000 views.
Official Fine Dining Goes Underground as China Curbs Excesses
China's crackdown on extravagance and banqueting has sent official fine dining underground. Local governments have turned in-house cafeterias into fine restaurants and hosted lavish private dinners in their homes in order to avoid being seen indulging in public.
Censoring Censorship in China
The above screen capture of a local news brief has gone viral on Chinese social media yesterday. It said: “Recently Myanmar has unblocked Facebook, the world's most popular social media...
China Government's Growing Weibo Footprint
The number of Chinese government Weibo accounts has soared over the past few years and will continue to be so. Via China Digital Times: The survey by the Chinese Academy...
Beware: North Korea Rockets on Standby
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered rockets on standby to attack US military bases in South Korea in response to recent U.S.-South Korea joint military drills. North Korea Leadership Watch...
China's Social Web Fawns Over First Lady
China's fashionable first lady Peng Liyuan has not only made the front cover of newspapers home and abroad, but also has attracted a hardcore following on popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.
China's Feel-Good Viral Photo Wasn't Real
A feel-good viral photo showing a young girl on her knees helping an elderly homeless man eat has turned out to be a publicity stunt and netizens feel cheated. More...
Charity on a Subway
[G]iving to beggars is a straightforward opportunity to practice generosity in my daily life. So why the resistance to giving? At the time my friend pointed out that I had probably...
Dream a Little Dream in China
My Chinese dream: Judicial fairness. Give back the life of my son. While China’s new leader Xi Jinping likes to talk about his “Chinese dream”, a group of Chinese petitioners...
Chinese Couples Divorce to Dodge Property Tax
A capital gains tax hike in China has couples rushing to file for divorce to avoid paying a steep rate on the sale of their second home.
Despite Bans, China's Uyghurs Wear their Identity with Pride
A viral photo showing Uyghur students being punished for wearing Muslims caps in Xinjiang's Urumqi city has been labelled by the authorities as a "rumor" and a "plot" by "outside forces." But many Uyghurs wonder when the government will show some respect for their culture.
China's Dead Pigs Expose Illegal Farms
Barry van Wyk from DANWEI highlights a local report that shed lights on the floating dead pigs in Shanghai river by investigating into the problem of illegal pig farms in...
No Ghost Cities in China
China Law Blog has a guest post by Dirk Chilcote who had lived in Zhenzhou for 3 years. He is skeptical of western media's report on China's ghost cities: In...
Crisis in Sabah After Malaysia's Standoff with Armed Filipinos
Sabah is part of Malaysia but the Sulu Sultan from the Philippines insists its part of his kingdom. His armed followers occupied parts of Sabah in February but the Malaysian military ended the 'invasion' quickly. The standoff is over but the crisis continues.
Drones and Drug Politics in China and Myanmar
Burmese drug lord Naw Kham was executed by China through lethal injection last March 1 after being found guilty of killing 13 sailors on the Mekong River in 2011. His death sparked discussion about his criminal activities, drug politics in Myanmar, and an admission on the part of China that it has acquired drones.
South Koreans Blast Authorities Over Hack Attack Handling
Nearly a week after a massive cyber attack against major websites in South Korea, the identity of the attackers remains unknown. Frustrated South Koreans have slammed authorities in their comments online for their incompetence in blocking such attacks and for taking political advantage of the situation by blaming North Korea.
About our East Asia coverage
