Stories about East Asia from November, 2016
These East African Countries Show How Teamwork and Technology Can Thwart Illegal Fishing
Innovation sparks success as nations collaborate to identify and take action against fishing vessels suspected of illegal fishing.
Alipay’s New App Abuses Personal Data and Reinforces China's Class Divisions, Critics Say
"Even if the company needs to expand into social media, it should use a better means rather than being so shameless."
News Commentators Decry the Errand Economy as ‘Ruining’ Friendship on Chinese University Campuses
"Laziness is the driving force of scientific progress. Washing machines were invented because people were too lazy to wash their clothes."
Myanmar’s Refugee Returnees Struggle to Build New Lives
“We returned from a refugee camp. We didn’t come back bringing heaps of money. How are we supposed to pay 3 million kyats [US$2,200]?”
Corporate Japan must now offer stress tests to overworked employees. But is it enough?
"When you work over 100 hours of overtime, you won't have time to be with your family, friends or lover...you start to think...'I don't know why I'm living this life.'"
Why You Shouldn’t Stick Your Chopsticks in Your Rice Bowl and Other Vietnamese Superstitions
"I don’t personally know if the superstition can bring misfortune but I still avoid it because I consider it as bad manners."
White Ribbon Campaign Enjoins Singaporean Men to Reject Gender Violence
"We need a culture of equality, not disrespect. As an athlete, I want everyone to know that strength does not mean dominance and aggression."
Sriracha, a Truly Global Sauce with a Big Heap of Vietnamese Love
"...whenever I post a message on Facebook or maybe like email my friends asking them if they want anything from California...the number one answer is Sriracha sauce."
VIDEO: How Do Japanese Cats Stay Warm in Winter? With ‘Kotatsus’, Just Like Humans
YouTube vlog Kagoneko captures a quintessential Japanese winter scene of warmth and comfort—cats snuggling under 'kotatsus.'
Complaint of Moldy Buns Triggers Wave of Harassment at Chinese University
A students was forced to make a public apology after accusing his school cafeteria of selling moldy buns. He has now left Weibo, after receiving a flood of harassing comments.
Leader of Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Movement ‘Bersih’ Arrested Under Anti-Terror Law
"Is this the type of country that we Malaysians want to live in, where corruption runs amok, elections are rigged and innocents are placed behind bars?"
Love Trumps Hate: The Week That Was at Global Voices Podcast
This week we start in the US, where Omar Mohamad narrates his piece "America I used to love you", and then we take you to Cuba, Syria, and Taiwan.
Japanese Social Media Panic After Psychic ‘Predicts’ Massive Earthquake
"Matsubara Teruko, who predicted the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, is the perfect example of the saying 'even a stopped clock is right twice a day.' Trust her predictions accordingly."
No Surprise: Backdoors and Spyware on Smartphones is the Norm in China
"We are so used to the leaking of personal data. We don’t care about government surveillance anymore. We are nobody."
When Abe Met the Trumps
Japanese PM Abe was the first world leader to meet the US President-elect. While the meeting reportedly went well, not everyone in Japan is thrilled.
This Woman Has Been Stuck in Korea for Three Years Trying to Get Home to the US
Her adoptive parents never filed paperwork to make her a US citizen, so Kim Craig fell through the cracks. And now she finds herself stuck in Korea after a visit.
Despite Suppression, Founder of Prize-winning Chinese Citizen Journalism Website Remains Optimistic
This post was written by Catherine Lai and originally published on Hong Kong Free Press on November 12, 2016. The version below is published on Global Voices under a partnership...
1990s Japan Is Alive Online Thanks to One Man
Lyle Hiroshi Saxon's massive Web presence provides a fascinating glimpse into life in Japan during the 1990s.
Chinese Authorities Execute an Anti-Land Seizure Folk Hero for Murder
"He is no criminal...He was just taking up his role as a man to safeguard his family. But the excavators have been ruining Chinese people’s homes…"
The World According to Russian Stereotypes
RuNet Echo explores popular stereotypes about foreigners gleaned from autocomplete suggestions generated by the website Yandex, Russia’s most popular Internet search engine.
Chinese State Media CEO Challenges Tencent’s Power Over Online News
Xu, who has 33 years of experience working in media, is now openly expressing concern that Internet corporates may soon be more powerful than the state and the party.
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