Stories from Quick Reads and East Asia
The stories of Koreans in Kyrgyzstan who converted to Islam
Their conversion is partly the result of the re-Islamization of Kyrgyzstan, which started in 1991, after Kyrgyzstan gained independence.
‘History of love in the country of hatred': influencers detained in Russia for LGBTQ+ ‘propaganda’
Apart from widespread censorship, the Russian "anti- LGBT propaganda" law leads to unprecedented pressure on LGBTQ+ people and the organizations helping them.
Muhammadiyah Wants Indonesia be a Key Player in the World
With a large population and abundant resources, the Islamic group Muhammadiyah wants to push Indonesia to emerge as a key player in the world.
Preserving Historic Thai Films
The Thai Film Archive has been uploading historic films and vintage news reports on YouTube. One of the films is Chok Song Chun (Double Luck), which is Thailand's first feature silent film produced in 1927. Only 55 seconds of the film have remained featuring a fight scene and car chase....
Court Fines the Taiwan Immigration Authority for the Denied Entry of a Foreign Visitor Ahead Anti-nuclear Protest
Two years ago in March 2013, Daniel Andres Helmdach was detained and deported from Taiwan because the immigration suspected that he visited the country to join the anti-nuclear protest. The German youth had done nothing illegal in Taiwan before, he merely worked as a volunteer on conversation projects back in...
PHOTO: 141 Dead in Indonesia C-130 Plane Crash
Indonesian officials have recovered 141 dead bodies after a military C-130 plane crashed in Medan, the country's third largest city. The plane crashed just two minutes after take off on June 30, 2015. Many of the fatalities were relatives of air force personnel. Authorities are now probing the safety of...
After FIFA Ban on Indonesia, New Book Tells Story of Former Football Coach
He's not a famous coach in the world. During his training to PSM, many people liked him because of the friendly and firm character. For those, Segrt leave special memories.
Malaysian Lawyer's Viral Post Criticizing the Proposal to Require Non-Muslims to Fast During Ramadan
Malaysian lawyer Azhar Harun criticized the suggestion of some local leaders to require non-Muslims not to eat when Muslims fast during Ramadan. Why the need to close school canteens during Ramadhan? Why must non-Malay pupils be asked to drink behind closed doors and even in the toilet? Just because our...
Infographic Shows Thailand Junta Arrested Hundreds in the Past Year for Criticizing the Government
The free speech advocate iLaw uploaded an infographic which showed that 166 people have been arrested in the past year in Thailand for expressing an opinion against the military-backed government. The army grabbed power in May 2014 but it vowed to restore civilian rule and conduct free elections next year....
Why the Numbers 64, 89 and 535 Are Missing From the Chinese Internet
Today is June 4, the 26th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests of 1989. In recent years, some numbers have gone missing on the Chinese Internet because of censorship. These numbers are 64, 89 and 535 — which stands for May 35, a popular way to refer to June 4. They are...
These Maps Show Where Cambodian Journalists Have Been Killed and Harassed
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights has launched a portal documenting the human rights violations experienced by Cambodian journalists. Cambodia's constitution guarantees freedom of speech but journalists are still harassed and killed, especially those who report about the abuses committed by local officials and business interests with ties to powerful...
An Online Joke Captures China's Censorship Practices
Letscorp, a site devoted to bridging information across Chinese speaking communities, reposted an online joke on Twitter that vividly captures mainland Chinese censorship practices. 老大:官员好不好,百姓说了算。宣传部:我补充一句,大多数百姓不明真相。团中央:没事,我们有一千万网评员保证舆论。公安:还有漏网的我们就抓。央视:再让他们嫖娼。环球:就说他们收了美国人的钱。外交部发言人:依据相关法律和政策,我国有充分言论自由。人民日报:你瞧,这是人民的选择嘛 — 墙外楼 (@letscorp) May 28, 2015 Man on top [implying Chinese president Xi Jinping]: Whether a government official is performing well should be judged by...
Southeast Asia Migration Routes and Statistics
The International Organization for Migration has released a map showing the routes taken by boat refugees from Bangladesh and Myanmar when they sought shelter in several Southeast Asian countries. As of May 19, 2015, the IOM estimated that 4,000 refugees are still stranded in the sea while 3,200 have already...
Photo of a Mexican Revolutionary Who Looks Like Pacquiao Goes Viral
A photo of a Mexican revolutionary who looks like Manny Pacquiao has gone viral few days before the Filipino boxing icon's fight today against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas for three champions belts (OMB, CMB y la AMB) in the welterweight division. In Twitter there were many tweets related to the picture: Resulta que el abuelo de...
Mapping Cambodia's Land Concessions
Licadho, a Cambodian human rights group, has released its dataset of land concessions approved by the government in the past years. The group is now urging the government to release all records related to the land contracts it awarded to domestic and foreign companies. According to activists, many of these...
How a Celebrity's Facebook Check-In Brought Down a Brigade in Taiwan
After the photos of the unauthorized tour to Apache helicopters AH-64E were posted on Facebook, 18 militant officials were disciplined.
Mapping Vietnam's Socio-Economic Indicators
The World Bank has launched mapVIETNAM, an interactive map that shows various socio-economic indicators in Vietnam such as poverty rates, employment, and electricity connectivity. The photo above shows the number of households living on $2 dollars a day. Using the map, we can see that poverty rates are high in...
In China, Online Game Has To Comply With Laws in Real Life
An online game designer, Xu Youzhen revealed in his Weibo that the Chinese authorities require that childbearing in his company's video games comply with family planning. The guideline was issued by Internet Culture Office, Bureau of Culture Markets in their powerpoint explanation of “Ministry of Culture's Online Game Content Censorship...
Open Letter Asks UN Human Rights Council to Probe Abuses in Vietnam
An open letter signed by 27 groups and 163 individuals is asking the United Nations Human Rights Council to probe the human rights abuses committed by the Vietnamese government. The signatories are also demanding the removal of Vietnam's membership in the UN human rights body. We urge member states to...
Cleaning Up the Coastal Areas of Singapore
Since 1992, the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore has been organizing activities to remove garbage from the beaches and mangroves of Singapore. Every year, about 1,500 volunteers are joining the cleanup events that are able to collect 60,000 pieces of litter.
Worst Drought In A Decade Hits Taiwan
As a subtropical/tropical island, Taiwan usually covers with wetness and green. However, last year, there were only two typhoons, the island is now facing the worst drought in a decade. Independent reporter Chu Shu Chuan reported that the storage of 12 major reservoirs is reduced to less than 50%, according...