Thailand Stuck in the Past?

      This week I will be talking about Thailand. According to telegraph.co.uk Thailand has sentenced two college students to jail for two and half years for insulting the monarchy while participating in a college play. A little excessive? Well, according to the article this sentencing has come from a turmoil time currently happening in Thailand because of the new successor. Apparently, Thailand has been under martial law since a May coup. There is a lot of anxiety and stress over the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 87, and the issue of who his successor will be. Thailand has a else-majeste law that prohibits to defame the king or any member of the royal family and it is the world's harshest law, according to the article. People who are convicted under this law can be sentenced up to 15 years. The two college students named Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Pornthip Mankong, 26, were convicted under this less-majeste law when performing a play at Bangkok's Thammasat University. The play which was called "The Wolf Bride" was about a fictional kingdom and fictional king. The two students were actually sentenced to five yeas but it got reduced to two and half because they confessed. More like they forced them to confess? What do you think? After the sentencing college students gathered up and started protesting. As of right now the students are convicted and will be sent to jail. What do you think? Does Thailand's time of turmoil let it sentence two college students for insulting a fictional king?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/11429239/Thailand-jails-two-students-for-insulting-monarchy-in-college-play.html

The (Lack of ) Homophobia in Japan!

     This week we are reading about Japan and Korea. So my blog is going to be about Japan and its legalization of gay marriage. Apparently,  Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not eager to alter the Constitution when it comes to same sex marriage. He has stated that the Constitution, "does not envisage marriage between people of the same sex". This statement was a response to another statement made by a political leader that supports gay marriage. This other political leader, Kota Matsuda, said that recognizing gay marriage would give hope to 5 percent of Japan's population that have come out at as homosexuals. This article also gives insight on how homosexuals are treated in Japan. According to the article, people that have come out to the public have found it difficult to rent apartments and sometimes are denied visitation rights to visit their partners in the hospital because they are not considered family. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe however, does not only face pressure from other politicians but at home too. His wife had been part of rallies and marches that advocate for the LGBT community.  This article also talks about how Japan is not as homophobic as some western countries (I'm looking at you, United States). Japan's reluctance to legalizing gay marriage is not because of religious or cultural reasons. What do you think? Why is Japan being so reluctant if religious and cultural reasons are not the cause? What are other factors that are preventing Japan from legalizing hay marriage?

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/02/19/national/social-issues/gay-marriage-push-faces-constitutional-barrier/#.VOYxkIuJnzI

Mummified Monk Not Dead!

   Last week in class we were talking about the different types of religions in Asia. So apparently last week in Mongolia a mummified monk was found very well-preserved . The monk was found sitting in a lotus position. Senior Buddhists say that he is not dead but that he is in a deep mediative trance. Scientists, however, are still wondering why the monk is well-preserved. There are some theories that it must be Mongolia's cold weather that aided in the preservation. Dr. Barry Kerzin, a physician to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, told Siberian Times that the monk was in a rare state of meditation called "tukdam". The identification of the monk is unclear but there is some speculation that he was the teacher of Lama Dash-Dorzho Itigilov, who was also mummified. The "mummy" which is 200 years old is not being sent to be examined as it was only discovered because a man was trying to sell him in the black market. So what do you think? Is he still in a trance? Or is he dead?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31125338