indonesia

Southeast Asia: Controversies and tragedies of 2008

In the previous post (Southeast Asia: Newsmakers of 2008), I wrote about the major events that took place in Southeast Asia. In this article, I will highlight other stories which became controversial as well. Another objective is to gather and categorize the linkposts on the right side of the Global Voices, pertaining to the region.

Source: Global Voices Online

Indonesia: Solving cybercrime

Police authorities in Jakarta have a proposal on how to eliminate cybercrime: Internet cafes would be requested to record their customers' IDs in a guest book to prevent cyber crime.

Source: Global Voices Online

Southeast Asia: The shoe, the shoe

Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi will be known for a long time as the shoe thrower. He who succeeded in throwing a pair of shoes at U.S. President George Bush last Sunday in Baghdad.

The shoes are now priceless. A Saudi entrepreneur has offered $10 million for one of the pair of shoes.

The shoe throwing incident has been hailed as heroic by many people around the world, especially those who opposed the foreign policies of the outgoing US president. What are the reactions of Southeast Asian bloggers and residents?

Source: Global Voices Online

Indonesia: Healthcare System and HIV Treatment

Elizabeth, an epidemiologist and advisor to governments on health issues, writes that inspite of funding, the healthcare administration in Indonesia is not able to help people deal with HIV.

Source: Global Voices Online

Ramsar Wetland Convention Meeting in Korea: Peat, Bogs And Poetry

indonesia palm oil destruction action image

Photo from Indonesia: Greenpeace activists working with locals to halt drainage by constructing dams on peatlands. This will prevent the peatland from drying out and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Peat-forming wetlands are an estimated 60% of all the wetlands distributed globally. Do peatlands remain in the "grey zone" seemingly unattractive to the conservation movement? I was reminded of Digging, the poem by Seamus Heaney:...

Source: TreeHugger

Indonesia: “Security camera” show in a hotel TV

Isman from Indonesia is shocked to discover a different kind of amenity offered by a hotel in Manado: A TV program airing a direct feed from the hotel's security camera.

Source: Global Voices Online

Indonesia: Elections and used car markets

Youthful Insight from Indonesia compares next year's elections to used car markets: “Both of them offer nothing but high risk, low return for voters and buyers.”

Source: Global Voices Online

Indonesia: Pesta Blogger 2008

Five bloggers from different countries have joined Indonesia's Pesta Blogger 2008, a blogging trip and festival.

Source: Global Voices Online

Indonesia: Earthquake displaces thousands

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit north Sulawesi in Indonesia last Monday displacing thousands of residents. A tsunami warning was also issued by the authorities.

Source: Global Voices Online

Greenpeace Activists Detain Palm Oil Tanker: Where Do Readers Stand on Direct Action?

finland palm oil protest photo
Greenpeace Finland protesters targeting the other end of the palm oil chain, photo: Greenpeace Finland

I’m not entirely sure that this is the type of civil disobedience Al Gore was talking about at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting back in September, but maybe I’m wrong...

Source: TreeHugger

Bali after the bombings

El Marco returns to Bali and posts pictures of the monument at the site of the 2002 Bali bombings. He also observes: “I found a land and a people painfully changed in the aftermath of the 2002 and 2005 terrorist bombings.”

Source: Global Voices Online