Author: Asia Media Staff
China Blotter: Think of the Children!
China is not known for its relaxed rules, and neither are its schools. When I attended pre-school and elementary school in China, I often came home crying. There was always something to get in trouble for: I vividly remember being scolded by teachers for eating my lunch too slowly or…
JAPAN: Hot Porn Actress Asks Chinese Fans to Simmer Down
While anti-Japanese sentiments continue to brew across China due to the unseemly scrum over the Senkaku, called the Diaoyu by the Chinese, islands, some celebrities in the region have spoken out against the tension. Notable amongst them is Sora Aoi, a former Japanese pornography actress, who has helped China, or…
PHILIPPINES: Freedom of Speech Gets a Criminal Record
The Philippines has introduced yet another law restricting freedom of speech, causing the Human Right Watch (HRW) to call for an appeal. The Cybercrime Prevention Act, which was signed into law by President Aquino earlier this September, drastically increases punishment for criminal libel, raising the minimum sentence twelve-fold, from six…
MALAYSIA: Romeo & Juliet Gone Very Wrong
Talk about a messy relationship – and she’s got the scars to prove it. “Ling,” a 16 year old, performed sadomasochism in hopes that she might save her boyfriend’s life. Ling heard from her boyfriend’s uncle, Alex Leung, a supposed royal or “datuk” and a sultan, that by depriving herself…
Openly Gay HK Legislator Comes Out Swinging on the Fast Beat!
In a move sure to leave Beijing squirming, media outlets and LGBT activists (for, of course, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) have praised Raymond Chan Chi-chuen as the first Hong Kong legislator to come out of the closet. Chan, a former disc jockey and CEO of the Internet radio station Hong…
AUCKLAND ROCKS OUT TO ROCK ‘N ROLL EXHIBIT
AUCKLAND ROCKS OUT TO ROCK ‘N ROLL EXHIBIT
AUCKLAND ROCKS OUT TO ROCK ‘N ROLL EXHIBIT
PHILIPPINES: Filipino Radicals Try to Play Nice
Surprise, surprise! The Philippines’ largest Muslim insurgent group, the pro-violence Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), rejected the call from Al-Qaeda to attack US targets over an anti-Islam film that originated in the states. Is this a new extremist morality? No, just a temporary tactic in the extremist war, it seems.…
China: Defending His Country
There are a few islands on the northeast side of Taiwan called the Diaoyu Islands, if you’re Chinese. But if you’re Japanese, you call it the Senkaku Islands. Both China and Japan claim the sovereignty of these islands, not only for national dignity but also the rich deposits of natural…
JAPAN: It’s Upsetting the Country’s Constitution
How much tension could a chain of uninhabited islands create? Quite a bit, apparently, as many Chinese take to the streets in outrage following Japan’s decision to nationalize three of the Senkaku islands. Concurrently, some Japanese have voiced a desire to revise the current constitution. The Mainichi Daily, a leading…
INDIA: A Techno Solution forTouchy India/Pakistan?
The recent blowup of the Innocence of Islam and the detrimental effects that the provocative video (or is it a mere trailer?) is forcing many to question the power of technology. However, a new program in India may redeem hope that technology, the media, and entertainment can also be a…
SINGAPORE: Singapore Says “Told You So”
The US often criticizes Singapore for restricting freedom of the press, especially on visceral topics. But after speculation that the assassination of Christopher Stephens, US Ambassador to Libya, was a result of the “Innocence of Muslims” trailer, based on a longer video made by radical (so-called) Christians to denigrate the…
CHINA: The Man Who ‘Disappeared’… Re-Appears!
For the past two weeks, Xi Jinping’s disappearance and reappearance in public view have occupied the front pages of newspapers all over the world. When the high-profile meeting between Xi and Hillary Clinton was suddenly cancelled on September 5th, major western media started to mention the unexpected disappearance as if…
SOUTH KOREA: Forgive But Never Forget
Until recently, the stage seemed set for South Korea and Japan to sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, but South Korea suddenly decided to back down from the agreement. The GSOMIA would have been the first agreement to permit the exchange of military intelligence between South…