Eye on Asia - Asia Observer’s blog

Parents have pledged support for a gunman who took a busload of pre-school children hostage in a slum area in the Philippine capital, Manila. Armando Ducat said he took the action to draw attention to the impoverished conditions in which the children lived. The story reminded me of an article I wrote some years ago from another slum area in Manila, describing how poor people sold their kidney to get some money. Here is a reprint of the article. Read the rest of this entry »

The Norwegian media blog Undercurrent uses the development of Asia Observer as an example of socalled microglobalization. Read the rest of this entry »

Under pressure from politicians worried about the implications of a declining population, Japan’s big companies have started offering special deals to workers with children in an effort to reverse a dramatic fall in the national birth rate. Read the rest of this entry »

19 years after she disappeared from her family she suddenly returned, apparently after spending the years in the jungle. The amazing story from Cambodia caught worldwide attention. But what happened next? Read the rest of this entry »

Singapore is ranked the least corrupt country in Asia. On the opposite end of the scale is the Philippines, passing Indonesia which used to have the little honorable position.

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Oliver Jufer, a 57-year-old Swiss man, drunkenly spray-painted several portraits of Thailand’s beloved king Bhumibol Adulyadej. It was not a smart thing to do, though. Now he may face up to 75 years in jail.
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All of a sudden the popular video sharing web site YouTube was blocked in Thailand. Bloggers are now speculating about what possibly could be the reason. Was it another example of political censorship? Read the rest of this entry »

Violence has erupted again in East Timor. In the capital city Dili a foreign blogger gives his daily and dramatic report. Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s denial that women were forced to become sex slaves by the Japanese army during World War II has caused numerous reactions by bloggers. We have collected some of the comments raised.
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