YVONNE EPPS WRITES- Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, they just did. Vietnam’s war on peaceful protest has reached guerrilla warfare of the monetary kind. Hey, Uy’s atrocities were unforgivable, so why not take the rest of the Internet down, right? Two decrees have been posed against social…
Tag: Netizens
CHINA: Watermelon-Man Death Prompts Micro Blog Uproar
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – It never occurred to Huang Xixi that selling watermelons would be a business endeavor that could cost her the life of her husband. On July 27, police apprehended six urban management officers who reportedly attacked a married couple selling watermelons. The result left the man dead…
CHINA: Dollars Make China Holler
LANI LUO WRITES – With China’s booming economy and increasing standard of living, cell phone use has grown exponentially. Folks across the country are using stylish smart phones and all their fantastic features. One of which is the WeChat application offered by Tencent, a social media outfit that until now…
China Blog Blotter: Too Soon for Equal Rights?
“Gays Dare to Love” was the slogan for the Equal Rights for Gays Parade that took place in Hong Kong recently. Much like America’s own Pride Parades, Equal Rights for Gays Parade is public, loud, and flamboyant. Although parades like these have happened in the past in Hong Kong, this…
PHILIPPINES: Arrest Sparks Heated Debate Over Cybercrime Law
You want to hear ridiculous?! Filipino environmentalists and Internet users have rallied behind Esperlita Garcia, an anti-mining advocate who was arrested on libel charges for a critical post on her Facebook. She was arrested despite the Supreme Court’s suspension of the law that was used against her, which was actually…
China Blotter: Basketball Grandma’s Story
China may be world’s second largest economy, but it is still nowhere close to utopia. Today, the world is dazzled by China’s booming financial freedom. However, there is not enough attention given to those who are still suffering. The government, of course, is working on pulling as many people out…
CHINA BLOG BLOTTER: Scandal, Crackdown and Coverup!
Backtrack to the dismissal of Bo Xilai, a top Chinese leader. A few months ago, scandals surrounding Bo began to surface and subsequently led to an explosion of discussion within the Chinese blogging community. The central government attempted to censor these posts one by one, but Netizens proved more than…
CHINA MEDIA: The Mad Scramble to Arrest a Key Keyword!
Opinionated Chinese Netizens have long blogged and slogged Chinese leaders for being corrupt. But last week’s sacking of Bo Xilai, a top Chinese Leader, ignited an explosion of blogging activity about official corruption that topped anything anyone has ever seen. At first, perhaps surprisingly, the Chinese government allowed the eruption…
CHINA BLOG BLOTTER: Netizens Noodle Around Obama
Chinese Netizens are blocked from using Facebook. What else is new? But now there is another (albeit less popular) American social networking website that the Great Firewall does not block: Google+. Ever since February 20, 2012, the Chinese government lifted its censorship of Google+. Ever since, Chinese Netizens have been…
CHINA BLOG BLOTTER: Netizens Parody Hong Kong’s Anti-Mainlander Ad
The mutual dislike between Hong Kong-ers and Chinese mainlanders is nothing new. Although Hong Kong is part of China, it runs as a special administrative region and a half autonomous economy. Unlike the motherland, Hong Kong has a historical advantage as an ex-British colony,…
China Blog Blotter – Issue #4: Nudity is Not Porn…On the Internet
Ai Weiwei, the sensational Chinese artist who often criticizes China’s government, is in trouble again. Last time, he was detained for three months for “tax evasion.” This time, an artistic photo of him and four women, all nude, titled “One Tiger, Eight Breasts” is deemed pornography. The government is now…
China Blog Blotter – Issue #3 Freedom of Speech on the Internet
Chinese Netizens understand that its government controls every form of the media. State censorship is the norm, and Chinese people have come to accept that. Even so, Chinese Netizens regard the internet as a better reflection of reality than traditional media. Through their personal blogs, they are able to express…
China Blog Blotter – Issue #2: What They Are Saying About Tibet
No one in China more exposed to Tibet independence campaigns than the country’s Netizens. No matter how intensely the Chinese government would like to block such websites, these “Free Tibet” pitches somehow see through the cracks of the Great Firewall. But prompted by national education campaigns regarding the Tibetan independence…