Stories about East Asia from January, 2022
Why Beijing’s artificial snow at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is stirring controversy
The Winter Olympic Games start in Beijing, on February 4: For the first time, all of the snow at the Games will be entirely man-made.
Azerbaijan is silent as other nations announce plans to boycott the Beijing Olympics
The country's leadership and its National Olympic Committee have remained notably silent when discussing the host country's dismal human rights record.
Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year is ruined by Omicron outbreak
This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year is on February 1. Yet, thanks to the community outbreak of Omicron and the zero-COVID policy, there isn't much festival mood in town.
Tennis star Peng Shuai and Professor Gulnar Obul: From captives to actors
The fate of a tennis star and a professor who had criticized the Chinese leadership showed a similar pattern. The critique turned into a forced public support.
Philippines’s new vaccine mandate decried as punitive and anti-poor
"This measure is punitive. The low vaccination rate should not be blamed on the people especially if supplies are not always available."
Media crackdown continues ahead of coup anniversary in Myanmar
"He is the third journalist to be killed in Myanmar in less than a month, in a sign of the absolutely unacceptable practices increasingly employed by the junta."
Internet watchdog finds encryption flaw in mandatory Chinese Olympic app
Athletes, journalists and all other attendees of the Beijing Winter Olympics are required to use the My2022 app but data submitted through the app may be intercepted.
Police violently break up Afghan refugee protest in Indonesia
Some refugees in Indonesia have been in limbo for more than 10 years. Protesters gathered outside the UNHCR building in Medan to call for resettlement and demand better living conditions.
The Hong Kong government ordered 2,000 rodents culled. Netizens are organizing to save them
Outraged by the Hong Kong government's decision to cull some 2,000 rodents, netizens organized to save the hamsters themselves.
Netizens mock China's suggestion that Omicron was brought to Beijing via a letter from Toronto
Based on the assumption that Omicron could spread through China via international mail, the Chinese authorities urged the public to reduce importing goods and receiving mail from overseas.
An overview of Indonesia’s coal export ban and Asia’s energy crisis
All coal mining companies in Indonesia are required to reserve 25 percent of their coal supply for domestic sale, which they have been shirking since coal prices skyrocketed internationally in 2021.
Typhoon Rai aftermath highlights Duterte’s sluggish disaster response
Duterte and his officials have failed to respond to the crisis, deflecting blame with excuses such as depleted governmental funds, media underreporting, and impassable roads.
Excitement, misgivings over Japan's newest bullet train
The public is questioning the very utility of the new West Kyushu shinkansen line, which complicates travel in certain areas and remains only partially completed.
Typhoon Rai overwhelms the Philippines’ Queen City of the South
A month after Typhoon Rai rampaged through the Philippines, residents of Metro Cebu continue to struggle to overcome the devastation brought by the storm on December 16, 2021.
China aims to wipe out Omicron ahead of Winter Olympics
China's Zero-COVID policy is threatened as cases of the Delta and Omicron variants were identified in the country in recent weeks, raising concerns about how Beijing can contain the outbreak.
How one birthday party sparked an outpouring of anger and resentment in Hong Kong
Dozens of Hong Kong government officials attended a birthday party with over 200 guests, in violation of the city's COVID-19 control rules. Now attendees are testing positive for Omicron.
Japan calls for stricter COVID-19 measures for U.S. military personnel
For some, Japan's "mambo"—the country's quasi-state of emergency—is not enough to deal with the COVID-19 threat that they percieve is being posed by the U.S. military.
Indians give Chinese places hilarious names after China renames 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh
As China renamed 15 places in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, Indians on Twitter responded by renaming Chinese places with Indian names.
Independent Hong Kong news outlet Citizen News announces shut down
Citizen News was established by a group of veteran journalists in 2017. In its shut down announcement the news team said they can not fulfill their ideals without any worry.
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