TAIWAN: Keeping the Hakka Tradition Alive
Recently, the national Hakka cultural and economic summit was held at Taipei’s Hakka Cultural Park, by the Cross-Strait Hakka Cultural and Economic Association. Among those who attended were former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Wu Poh-hsiung, Hakka Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lee Chao-ming, and China Review News Editor in Chief,…
Full Article TAIWAN: Keeping the Hakka Tradition AliveVIETNAM: If You’re Gonna Blog, Blog Something Nice, Ok?
Sometimes in Vietnam it pays to keep your mouth (or blog) shut. Last month, a Vietnamese court sentenced three bloggers to between 4 and 12 years in prison for allegedly troubling citizens and trying to overthrow the Communist government. You’d think with debt scandals, a slowing economy and inflation expected…
Full Article VIETNAM: If You’re Gonna Blog, Blog Something Nice, Ok?
SINGAPORE: Book on UN Secretary General Reviewed
On 5 January The Straits Times of Singapore published as its lead opinion essay a review of ‘Conversations with Ban Ki-moon,” the new book on the United Nations Secretary General that is featured as part of the ‘Giants of Asia’ series. The reviewer Asas Latif, a visiting research fellow at…
Full Article SINGAPORE: Book on UN Secretary General ReviewedSINGAPORE: A Third Way for Media-Govt. Relations?
The following op-ed column was first published in The Straits Times of Singapore. BY TOM PLATE — Is there more than one rational and reasonable way to construct a news-media system that maximises overall benefit for citizens (if not just for the journalists)? One provocative answer – courtesy of we-do-it-our-way…
Full Article SINGAPORE: A Third Way for Media-Govt. Relations?
ISLAMIC GENIUS AT THE MET IN NEW YORK
ISLAMIC GENIUS AT THE MET IN NEW YORK
ISLAMIC GENIUS AT THE MET IN NEW YORK
SOUTH KOREA: A Little Sympathy Goes A Long Way!
Free speech advocate gets ten months behind bars for posting online? This sounds close to ridiculous in a democracy like South Korea. However, Park Jung-geun, a South Korean photographer and a supporter of free speech, suffered this exact fate recently. He is accused of supporting North Korea, an act that…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: A Little Sympathy Goes A Long Way!CHINA: A New Fashion Model In Town
Heels, lace, and mini-skirts! These are some of our favorite things. By “our,” I mean the possessive term for females. China’s new clothing line, Yuekou, is marketing these pieces to young Chinese fashionistas in a brand new way that is shocking to their audience, as well as the rest of…
Full Article CHINA: A New Fashion Model In TownSOUTH KOREA: Famed Daily Reviews New Book on UN Secretary General
The headline in the book review in the Korea Times, a massive circulation Seoul-based newspaper, read: “Heart-felt talks reveal Ban’s leadership style, dreams.” The review, by Chung Ah-young, read: “The United Nations is often criticized for its bloated bureaucracy and inefficiency. The position of U.N. secretary-general is no doubt daunting,…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: Famed Daily Reviews New Book on UN Secretary GeneralPAKISTAN: True Story in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’?
The new movie about the successful hunt to find and kill Osama bin Laden will surely cop a few Academy Awards. It is well done and worth seeing. But this is not intended to be a movie review. Rather, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ raises difficult issues about the morality of America’s…
Full Article PAKISTAN: True Story in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’?VIETNAM: Kissing for Charity Was Almost the Kiss of Death
Raising money for charity is a Samaritan thing to do, but male pop singer Dam Vinh Hung may have gone too far in his pursuit for monetary justice. Recently, Hung kissed two monks on the lips and hands at a charity auction in Ho Chi Minh City. In order to…
Full Article VIETNAM: Kissing for Charity Was Almost the Kiss of DeathPHILIPPINES: A Revered Lady Journalist Dies
After a six-month battle with cancer the renowned Filipino journalist Zenaida Silva has died. Silva was instrumental in covering the famous “people power” revolt, as well as many other important political events in the Philippines. Journalism is in the family for Silva – she and her late husband, newspaper writer…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: A Revered Lady Journalist DiesSINGAPORE: High Expectations and False Advertising Leave Tourists Unimpressed
As Singapore becomes a hot vacation spot, tourists’ expectations increase as they hear of its booming economy and luxury resorts. But can Singapore keep up with these higher demands? Vacationers weighed in, seeming unimpressed. Recently, the Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University released the results of its tourism…
Full Article SINGAPORE: High Expectations and False Advertising Leave Tourists UnimpressedINDIA: China’s Passport to Trouble
China is at it again! Existing territorial conflict between New Delhi and Beijing over Arunchal Pradesh is no concern of the past. The controversial issue has been revived as China recently took matters into its own hands, launching new e-passports in which it showed the regions of Arunachal Pradesh and…
Full Article INDIA: China’s Passport to TroubleMYANMAR: Our Tongue-Tied American President
Though the media in Asia and the rest of the world mainly applauded President Obama’s historic visit to Myanmar (Burma), some in the media nonetheless felt compelled to draw attention to his linguistic shortcomings. Oh well…and, really, they did have a point. What happened was that Obama had to deal…
Full Article MYANMAR: Our Tongue-Tied American President