Global Voices » East Asia

Defeat Has China's Soccer Fans Up in Arms

Abby — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:24:15 +0000

Chinese national football has long been mocked by fans in China for its poor performance and corruption allegations. Offbeat weighed in on a recent defeat from the national football team that has galvanized many avid soccer fans.

Support Snowden Rally in Hong Kong

Oiwan Lam — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:19:02 +0000

HongWrong has collected a large number of media reports on the rally to support Edward Snowden in Hong Kong on 15 of June, 2013. Hundreds rallied in the rain demanding the U.S government to stop its spying activities and Hong Kong government to protect Snowden.

Chinese Football Team Defeated Again

Oiwan Lam — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:07:29 +0000

Barry van Wyk from DANWEI blogs about Chinese media and football fans’ reactions to the recent humiliating defeat of 5-1 at home for China’s football team against an under-strength team of youngsters from tiny Thailand.

China's “Leftover” Women

Oiwan Lam — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:56:08 +0000

In China, if a young woman does not marry by age twenty-eight, she is widely considered “leftover”. If she is single by age thirty, she is made to feel she has truly expired.

Melissa Schneider, a couples counselor living in Shenzhen, believes that the so-called “leftover women” problem has been exaggerated.

Japan's WordPress Communities Celebrate 10 Years

Keiko Tanaka — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:22:08 +0000

WordPress communities in Japan celebrated the 10th anniversary of the open source blogging platform. Events were held in Sapporo, Kagawa, Tokyo, Chiba and Osaka. There are 40 local WordBench [ja] groups, Japan's WordPress local community directory is powered by BuddyPress. Naoko Takano blogs more about the events in Japan.

WordPress 10th Anniversary Party in Sakai, Osaka
(BY-NC-SA/3.0)

Burmese Blogger Calls for Religious Tolerance

Mong Palatino — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:59:32 +0000

dawn_1o9, a young Burmese blogger, expresses her disappointment over the reported cases of violence between Buddhists and Muslims in some parts of Myanmar:

I'm a Buddhist. I'm a Burmese living in Myanmar. But I just don't have anything against the Muslims living in Myanmar….what makes me a true Buddhist is not to boycott or hate Muslims – it is believing in peaceful co-existence and living my life to the fullest, helping people, no matter what their religions are.

Investigative Journalism in Indonesia

Mong Palatino — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:12:31 +0000

Akhlis Purnomo laments the state of investigative journalism in Indonesia.

…there has not been much of investigative journalism in Indonesia. Most of them are not even investigative, but more like reportage on everyday issues….These are then labelled as investigative by producers and TV stations.

Follow ChinainAfrica Open Mic Hangout Online

Ndesanjo Macha — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:22:27 +0000

The #ChinainAfrica Open Mic Hangout on Chinese miners in Ghana and China-Africa relations is live online. Watch it on YouTube and follow it on Twitter using the hashtag #ChinaOpenMic.

Rupert's divorce creates buzz in China

Oiwan Lam — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:44:29 +0000

The media mogul Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from his Chinese-born wife Wendi Deng. Deng is his third wife and they have two daughters. The divorce has prompted a wave of speculation online that she married Americans with ulterior motives of climbing the social letter and getting richer. ChinaSmack looks at the online reactions.

Anger Over Attacks Against Myanmar Migrants in Malaysia

Chan Myae Khine — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:03:23 +0000

The ethnic violence in Myanmar seems to be spreading in nearby countries.

Some Myanmar Buddhist migrants in Malaysia have been attacked in recent weeks which many people believe are related to the ongoing ethnic and religious tension in Myanmar. According to Eleven Media, 6 died and 12 were hospitalized with injuries during the violent attacks against Myanmar nationals in Malaysia from May 30 to June 8.

Myanmar's Embassy in Malaysia initially dismissed the news which angered many Burmese netizens. Ye Htut, Myanmar's Deputy Minister of Ministry of Information clarified[my] the report:

(We) read the news on the Internet about the clashes near a Myanmar monastery at KamPung and Selayang and that some Myanmar nationals died. (We) immediately asked the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia about this issue at 5 pm and again at 8 pm via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador said the news was false. [...]

A Myanmar national put 11 red roses in front of Malaysia's Embassy in Yangon in honor of Myanmar migrants killed in Malaysia. Photo – Ye Moe's Facebook.

Wai Lin Oo expressed[my] his frustration with the Embassy's response:

It's actually happening! If you want to approve Embassy's words, just prepare a flight in Myanmar to carry the dead bodies back.

Fang Ran asserted[my] a similar point.

People are suffering. They are just simply liars who don't even go outside the Embassy. And they charge us extreme taxes. I can't even mention in words how they often reprimand ( citizens who are seeking refuge in the Embassy). [...] When can we depend on Myanmar government? It's really discouraging. Where is respect for human rights of Myanmar nationals?[...]

Myo Set compared[my] how the governments of other countries are behaving when faced with a similar situation:

When a Japanese was killed in 2007 in Myanmar, a Japan Minister came at once. When Myanmar workers had issues with a Korean factory owner, the Korean Embassy suddenly became involved in the case. North Korea cleared away the books about Kim Jong Ill from book shops in Myanmar. What a shame! US came down to Myanmar once there were issues of Yettaw.

Our turn?

In Malaysia, the Ambassador's mouth got a stroke. Ministry of Information is crippled and Myanmar government is paralyzed.

We are Burmese, a community page of Myanmar citizens around the world questioned the silence of NGOs and media regarding the abuses suffered by Buddhists in Malaysia:

When riots in Meikhtilar Township in Myanmar happened, (the global) media and international organizations (like the) UN, Human Rights Watch (reported) about it and some even exaggerated the (situation), labeling it ethnic cleansing, genocide, Muslims in Myanmar are being brutally massacred, or something like that….But why are they silent than normal about the current massacre in Malaysia targeting Myanmar Buddhists? How many lives must the Burmese Buddhists sacrifice further to put the (situation) on pages and screens? Please show the so-called RIGHTS you all repeatedly use whenever you get every chance to make the Burmese Buddhists dishonorable in every page and every screen worldwide.

On June 4, when voices became louder and attacks became more serious, the Myanmar government issued an Aide Memoire to Malaysia's Ambassador in Myanmar urging the Malaysian government to investigate the issue immediately and take legal actions against responsible persons. On June 6, Malaysia reported that 900 Myanmar nationals were detained during a security sweep. Myanmar government is preparing[my] to send a team of special representatives to Malaysia.

Since some of the injured Myanmar migrants cannot afford the hospital bills, the Malaysia Kampung Free Funeral Service Social Team (Kampung FFSS) gave donation to the victims. U Aung Ko Win, President of the Kanbawza Bank who also runs Myanmar Airways International (MAI) donated[my] $50,000 US dollars and cut the MAI air ticket fees of the Malaysia-Myanmar route by 50% for the convenience of migrants who wish to go back to Myanmar. Another well-known wealthy personnel, U Zaw Zaw, who is President of Myanmar Football Federation announced[my] that he will donate 1,000 air tickets for those who want to go back to Myanmar, plus additional $20,000 US dollars donation to Kampung FFSS.

Many netizens on Facebook changed their profile pictures to black to grieve the deaths of Myanmar citizens in Malaysia.

Pastor for South Korea's Biggest Church Charged with Financial Crimes

Lee Yoo Eun — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:10:14 +0000

The largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in South Korea and the world, Yoido Full Gospel church, has come under fire as its founder and senior pastor Cho Yong-gi along with his two sons await trial on embezzlement and tax evasion charges.

Pastor Cho Yong-gi, often referred to as the “Pope” or near god-like figure in his an iconic, mega-church with more than 20,000 worshipers attending his church in each of seven Sunday services, now faces ugly accusations, including breach of duty and tax evasion involving tremendous amount of money.

The Prosecutors’ Office indicted Cho on June 9, 2013 on charges [ko] that he caused 15.7 billion won (14 million US dollars) worth of losses by directing church officials to buy stocks privately owned by his son, at prices four times higher than market value.

Image of Yoido Full Gospel Church, The red building complex all belongs to the church (several minor buildings don't appear in the photo). Image by Flickr user uselesswork (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The pastor, additionally, is accused of evading 3.5 billion won (three million US dollars) in taxes. His eldest son, former chairman of daily newspaper Kookmin Ilbo which was launched by the Yoido Full Gospel church [ko], is already in prison on charges that he embezzled the company's money. Among several minor lawsuits surrounding Cho's family, there is an even incident that a Kookmin Newspaper's labor union leader was fired for criticizing Cho family [ko], but he eventually won the lawsuit.

South Korea ranks as one of the most Christian countries in East Asia. Over the last decade, however, the number of Protestants has made a sharp downturn [ko] and it has become increasingly unpopular among the younger generation as more disturbing news came about on several pastors’ sexual assault cases and prominent churches turning partisan in favor of the ruling political party.

@jirisan99: 여의도순복음교회 조용기 목사 삼부자 배임혐의로 나란히 법정에 서다. http://goo.gl/6eXY4 세계최대 단일교회로 기네스에 올라있다더니 역시 스케일이 남다르군.

@jirisan99: Yeoido Full Gospel church’s Pastor Cho Yong-gi and his two sons will all be standing before the court for breach of duty charges Link to article [ko] The church made into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the biggest single church in the world- no wonder the sheer scope of [their failure] is unprecedented.

@syh24: 순복음교회 조용기 목사와 두 아들이 모두 법정에 서게 됐다고. 죄명은 돈과 관련된 배임과 탈세. 하나님의 법정이 아닌 세속의 법정에 서게된 목자, 세속의 작은 법도 지키지 않으면서 어찌 하나님의 큰 말씀을 설파할 수 있나요? 부끄럽지 않으세요?

@syh24: Senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel church and his sons are being summoned to the courtroom, under the charge of breach of duty and tax evasion. This pastor, came to stand up in front of a secular court, not the god’s court. How can you preach God’s word when you can't even follow ordinary secular law? Aren't you just ashamed of yourself?

The Yoido Full Gospel church released a statement [ko], arguing the “church’s decision-making process is different from a regular private company” and “the senior pastor does not have a great knowledge in professional areas such as taxes and stocks”. About 160,000 church members have filed a petition [ko] that they don't want any legal punishments for Cho.

However, net users have questioned such claims and pointed out it may not be a simple mistake or unintentional error:

@pattyy0098: 조용기 목사 탄원서 쓰시고 항의 하시는 성도님들…지금 조용기 목사가 십자가 메고 골고다 언덕을 올라가는거 아닙니다. 부정한 일 저질러서 검찰에 조사 받으러 가는겁니다. 한 두번이 아닌거 잘 아시잖아요.

@pattyy0098: Those church people signing the petition and protesting back, [please wake up.] It is not like Pastor Cho Yong-gi is climbing up the Calvary carrying a cross. He is going to meet a Prosecutor for investigation because he did something wrong. And you already knew that it is not his first time. [read previous GV article]

@iron_heel: 조용기 탄원서에 16만이 서명했단다. 아마 이 사람들은 자신들이 하느님의 일을 한다고 굳게 믿을 것이다.

@iron_heel: 160,000 have signed a petition defending Cho Yong-gi. These people would firmly believe that they are doing “God’s work” by doing so.

@ddanziabba: 장로 28명 조용기 고발, 조용기 고발한 장로 28명 징계 결정, 조용기 150억대 배임혐의 불구속기소, 한기총 조용기 노벨평화상 후보 추천 결의, 교회라서 철저하게 [인과응보]는 배척하나? 대체 이 시퀀스를 어떻게 이해하란거지?

@ddanziabba: [quick timeline] The 28 church elders have sued Cho Yong-gi. Cho decided to punish those 28 elders. Cho was indicted for breach of duty. The Christian Council of Korea (CCK) suggested Cho to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. How can we understand this timeline? Do they think they can totally ignore the “consequences of their actions” because they are the church?

Dengue Outbreak in Singapore

Mong Palatino — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:04:40 +0000

Singapore recorded 4,632 dengue cases in 2012. This year it went up to 9,847 already. This is a record high for Singapore which last experienced a dengue outbreak in 2005.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has launched the ‘Do the Mozzie Wipeout’ campaign to promote awareness about dengue prevention:

Singapore cannot fight dengue without the community’s action to remove mosquito breeding in their homes. The Aedes mosquito breeds in artificial containers mainly found in homes, and its life-cycle averages seven days. Hence it is imperative for all to do the Mozzie Wipeout together to break the breeding cycle.

Aside from maintaining a dengue information portal, the NEA also has a Facebook page to educate the public about government and community efforts to fight dengue. It also uses a mapping system to categorize dengue cases into clusters:

A dengue cluster is formed when 2 or more dengue cases occur within 14 days and the homes of the dengue victims are within the distance of 150m.

Mr Miyagi reminds readers that construction sites are not the only breeding ground of mosquitoes which carry the dengue virus:

The NEA has reported that the majority of sites found to have bred mosquitoes have been homes. Now I’m not saying that the construction sites are not responsible at all, but the fact remains that no matter how much you want to blame someone else or some other site for the spread of this disease, the solution to breaking the vector cycle of is still firmly in your own hands.

The government plans to distribute 1.2 million bottles of insecticide to all households next month. My Singapore News has a suggestion: free medical treatment for dengue patients

Apart from giving free insect repellants, maybe it is time that all dengue patients should be given free medical treatment. This will encourage every dengue patient to come forward for treatment and will cut down the source of virus carriers in the chain.

Dengue clusters

Bertha Harian is proposing a ‘dengue shock syndrome approach’ to make people aware of the seriousness of the outbreak:

Much money has been thrown into the business of making people aware of the dengue danger, and “reality’’ videos are supposed to be hitting computer screens as well. Perhaps, a dengue shock syndrome approach should be applied to the campaign to get under the skin of those who don’t think dengue will happen to them.

Blogging for Myself argues that it is not enough to report the dengue problem in terms of numbers:

The story and danger must be much better told.

And my simple probability calculations is wrong because it grossly oversimplifies the story. We are actually looking a situation with a potential of going exponential or in layman's terms ballistic. This risk is not widely made know to the population. Not a bad idea to frighten people a little with the truth.

The outbreak also led netizens to discuss the health care situation in Singapore. Writing for The Online Citizen, Terry Xu asks if hospitals are giving adequate attention to dengue patients:

Given that more than 8,000 people have come down with dengue fever since the start of the year, why given the current dengue fever epidemic that fever patients are not given special attention?

Is there enough beds in the hospital where patients can stay to be observed by the medical professionals?

Leong Sze Hian and Roy Ngemg probe the government’s health care spending and public health policies:

…we do not just have foreigners and PRs literally fighting for stretched healthcare facilities and capacity in Singapore, but we may also be competing against foreign medical tourists who can pay higher non-subsidised fees (and arguably sometimes may be able to jump the queue – to the detriment of Singaporeans seeking subsidised medical treatment)

China Quotes Foreign Press on Snowden

owen — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:12:50 +0000

China tightened its media's use of information from foreign press in April, 2013, in a move to exert stronger control over domestic newspapers and TV broadcasts. Ironically, Chinese media in recent days have increased their quotations from foreign press as the Snowden story unfolds. China Media Project has the details.

Dog Thefts in Vietnam

Mong Palatino — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:14:24 +0000

Mike Tatarski clarifies that most Vietnamese do not eat dog. However, there is demand for dog meat which gives rise to dog thefts:

The main reason this trade continues is money. Dog meat is expensive, costing $5-$10 per kilogram. This provides incentive for something that has been big news recently: dog theft.

Environment Impact of Mining in Indonesia

Mong Palatino — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:15:30 +0000

An article published at mongabay.com exposes the destructive environment impact of mining in remote Indonesian towns.Some scholars fear that “parts of Indonesia now have the highest levels of mercury contamination on earth.”