Stories from 4 December 2011
Thailand: 761,416 Webpages are Blocked
Freedom Against Censorship Thailand or FACT reports that 761,416 webpages are blocked in Thailand. Most of the websites, including Facebook pages, had been blocked because they are deemed offensive to the Royal Family. Thailand has strict Lese Majeste laws.
Thailand: Corruption Rating
Bangkok Pundit writes about the latest Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index and analyzes the ranking of Thailand.
Thailand: #welovetheking hashtag
Thai netizens use the hashtags #welovetheking, #thailoveking, #longliveking to celebrate the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. In Thailand, the King is an influential political personality. The country also strictly enforces a Lese Majeste law.
Philippines: Campout Against Budget Cuts
It could be the Philippine version of the ‘Occupy’ protests as activists prepare to launch Campout actions this week against government budget cuts on social services.
Philippines: Red Whistle Campaign against HIV/AIDS
The Red Whistle campaign aims to promote awareness about the rising cases of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines
Social Media Event Gathers Southeast Asia Bloggers
ON|OFF 2011, formerly known as Pesta Blogger, is the biggest gathering of bloggers and social media enthusiasts in Indonesia. This year's event also gathered bloggers from Southeast Asian countries.
Madagascar: Debating the Worth of Foreign Direct Investment
While Madagascar attempts to find a way out of a prolonged political crisis, Malagasy bloggers are discussing the value of foreign direct investments. Many Malagasy believe that Madagascar, like many other African countries is rich with natural resources but that the land has been plagued by poor governance and unfair trade deals.
Slutwalk Singapore Photos
The Online Citizen uploads photos of Slutwalk Singapore which was organized in Honglim Park to protest sexual violence in society.
Syria: Free Razan Ghazzawi
Syrian authorities have arrested blogger Razan Ghazzawi on the Syrian-Jordanian border today. Ghazzawi was on her way to Amman to attend a workshop on press freedom in the Arab world. Her arrest has drawn criticism and anger from bloggers and activists around the world, who are calling for her immediate release.
China: Monitoring the 2012 Presidential Election
Chinese netizen interest this weekend in the first of three debates leading up to Taiwan's presidential election next month suggests more attention will be paid to this round than was given to the island's 2008 elections, and the focus has also expanded beyond each parties' stance on reunification with China.
Yemen: Taiz is Bleeding
Taiz, Yemen's third largest city, has become the bleeding heart of the Yemeni revolution. The city has been subjected to indiscriminate shelling which is reaping victims on a daily basis. Noon Arabia sheds light on some online initiatives to draw attention to the plight of the besieged city and its people.
Canada: The Start of the SlutWalk Movement
Global Voices' author, Maria Grabowski, interviews Heather Jarvis, the co-founder of the first SlutWalk initiative based in Toronto. They talk about the background of the movement and its quick spread to the rest of the world.
Zambia: President's Son New Luxury Cars Cause Uproar
The revelation by the Committee of Citizens Executive Director, Gregory Chifire, that the Zambian president's son, Mulenga Sata, recently acquired two expensive vehicles has drawn mixed reactions from Zambian netizens.
Japan: Néojaponisme on Marginal Subcultures
Néojaponisme has finished posting five installments for a series on “how marginal subcultures took over a Japanese pop culture with no central core nor leading-edge“, providing a review of the ecosystem for the consumption and production of mainstream and subcultures.
Russia: Massive DDoS Attacks Against Independent Websites on the Election Day
An unprecedented wave of DDoS attacks [ru] against independent websites on the election day in Russia: sites affected include thenewtimes.ru, echo.msk.ru, novayagazeta.ru, kommersant.ru, publicpost.ru, slon.ru, Bolshoy Gorod (bg.ru), golos.org, ikso.org, ridus.ru, zaks.ru (Saint Petersburg), pryaniki.org (Tula), crowdsourcing platform “Karta Narusheniy” and the LiveJournal platform. Many media organizations are using Facebook and...
Bangladesh: Lone Woman Shows Resilience by Peaking Summits
Wasfia Nazreen, a Bangladeshi rights activist and development worker quit her job to fulfill her dream to reach seven summits of the seven continents. Her climbs highlight the resilience of the Bangladeshi people, who continue to face new threats due to climate change.
Azerbaijan: Dos and Don'ts of local customs
Making Wool from Eggs, a Peace Corps Volunteer blog, puts together a list of random and funny local customs, noting which are approved or disapproved of in the provincial towns and villages of Azerbaijan.
