· July, 2011

Stories about East Asia from July, 2011

Plank Vietnam

  31 July 2011

A Tumblr account was created encouraging Vietnam netizens to post their planking pictures.

Vietnam: TEDx Mekong

  31 July 2011

TEDx Mekong will take place on August 18 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. This year's theme is “Entrepreneurship in Vietnam”

Vietnam: Resolving the dispute over Spratly Islands

  31 July 2011

Vietnam Talking Points uploads an article by Thi Quang Lam, a former general in the South Vietnamese Army, who writes about the dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea involving Vietnam, China, and other Southeast Asian nations.

Practicing legal profession in Vietnam

  31 July 2011

Attorney Huynh Van Dong writes about the challenges facing lawyers in Vietnam. He reports that an increasing number of lawyers are now in jail for “expressing their own personal opinion.”

China: Hu Jia's tweets

  31 July 2011

Mainland Chinese activist Hu Jia had been imprisoned for 3.5 years under the charge of “inciting state sedition”. He was released on 26 of June 2011. @WLYeung has translated Hu's tweets about his state of mind.

China: Music Video on Wenzhou Train Crash

  31 July 2011

Some netizens have changed the lyrics of a popular rock song “Nothing to my name” by Cui Jian to comment upon the Wenzhou Train Crash. C Custer from China Geeks has the lyrics of the music video translated.

U.S.A., Japan: The US Declares War On The Japanese Mafia

  31 July 2011

Investigative journalist Jake Adelstein reported [en] that US President Obama has officially declared war on the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, as it represents an “extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” Japansubculture.com also published the text of the actual executive order.

Japan: On Fake Glasses

  31 July 2011

Marxy at Neojaponisme gives an interesting insight [en] on the “lens-less frame” trend spreading in Japan.

South Korea: Controversies on the Return of Korean Royal Books

  30 July 2011

Koreans celebrated in May 2011 the return of a collection of Korean Royal books, looted by French troops in 1866. As it was later found out that the return was a de facto 'rent' of the treasure, many people have expressed resentment toward the French and Korean governments for failing to fulfill their long awaited wish.

China: Know more about activist Wang Lihong

  29 July 2011

Wang Lihong, one of many lesser known activists jailed in China, is facing imminent trial. The blog Free Wang Lihong has published a detailed English biography of her. Amnesty International has also issued an appeal to take action for her release.

South Korea: 35 Million Users’ Information Leaked in Cyber Attack

  29 July 2011

Thirty-five million Koreans’ information stored in the South Korean portal site Nate and Cyworld, was hacked in cyber attack from China. One net user from Daum Agora website blamed [ko] Nate's default setting in checking emails- reading the emails without preview function- for involuntarily opening doors to mass hacker attacks.

China: Wen Jiabao in bed for 11 days?

  29 July 2011

Jing Gao from The Ministry of Tofu questions the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's statement in the press conference of the Wenzhou train crash that he was ill and in bed for 11 days. According to the records (in snapshots) of official newspapers, Wen had been active in meeting foreign visitors...

South Korea: 41 Dead in Torrential Flooding and Landslides

  28 July 2011

Torrential rain has battered South Korea for several consecutive days, causing landslides, flooding and power cuts. At least 41 people have been killed and 12 people are still missing. Throughout the disaster, South Koreans have shared updated stories, photos and useful tips for those affected via Twitter.

Malaysia: Letter of Catholics to Pope

  28 July 2011

A letter signed by 365 Catholics and other Christians in Malaysia was sent to Pope Benedict XVI expressing concern about the timing of the visit of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the Vatican. They remind the Pope that Najib used “unnecessarily excessive force” in dispersing a democracy walk early...

About our East Asia coverage

Oiwan Lam
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Mong Palatino
Mong Palatino is the South East Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.