Asia Cast for Friday 27th July
Nine leaders of a violent anti-government protest in Thailand last Saturday have been detained for further questioning after appearing at a court in the capital.The protesters had accused 86-year-old Prem Tinsulanonda – the most senior adviser to the Thai king – of orchestrating last September’s military coup.
The nine men deny charges of illegal assembly and inciting violence.
Since the takeover, which saw Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ousted from office, there have been regular protests against military rule, but until now none have been violent.
In an act of defiance acting Cuban President Raul Castro commented yesterday that Cuba has avoided the collapse the U.S. predicted when his brother Fidel fell ill a year ago, and signalled he was willing to talk with a new American administration after President Bush leaves power.
The acting president said the island suffered “a hard blow” when Fidel relinquished power last year, but he focused more on the future while addressing tens of thousands of loyalists celebrating Cuba’s Revolution Day.
The younger Castro’s government is still officially provisional but has begun to take on an air of permanence. In his essays, Fidel seems in little hurry to return to power although Raul suggested Thursday his brother still weighs in on key decisions.
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A Bangladesh court has jailed a former minister for 31 years for aiding Islamic militants who were hanged for killing two judges.
The court in Rajshahi town convicted Aminul Huq for helping the Jamatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB) group.
The Islamic militants were accused of carrying out bomb attacks around the country, demanding imposition of strict Islamic law.
The court found Mr Huq, a former telecommunications minister, guilty of helping six Islamic militant leaders who were convicted for the murder of two judges in March.
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According to the pro-Falun Gong website Clearwisdom.net one of China¡¯s infamous 610 Offices has been repeatedly arresting Falun Gong practitioners for large financial rewards.
The 610 offices in China¡¯s provinces have been given instruction to stem the growing popularity of Falun Gong in China, and despite the cruel punishment faced by practitioners when detained, the office has failed to suppress the peaceful practice.
An example of a recent Falun Gong practitioner who was detained by the 610 office for money is 40 year-old Fan Jirong who has been detained three times since the Communist regime started persecuting Falun Gong in 1999.
Each time Fan was released when the punishments led to health problems, then quickly re-aprehended.
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A powerful tornado has swept through east China’s Anhui province hammering 33 villages in Yinshang County.
The tornado is the latest disaster to strike the province which has seen flooding due to seasonal rains and rising water levels of the Huai River.
Trees have been uprooted and buildings damaged, but as yet no fatalities have been reported.
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The Political and Consulting Bureau of China¡¯s Guangdong Province has found what it considers are disturbingly high levels of pollutants reaching the coastal region of the province from the Zhu River.
The levels of contaminants, caused by garbage and industrial waste upstream of the river, are possibly the highest in any of China¡¯s Rivers.
Authorities are looking into the findings to determine exactly where the pollutants are entering the water system, and to find ways to clean up the system.
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A number of media outlets have criticised the Chinas Communist Regime¡¯s apparent hypocrisy as it announced a decree to improve the quality and legitimacy of media publications.
The Communist regimes media broadcasts have often been criticised, particularly by international media for being misleading or ambiguous in the delivery of news.
The irony of the party¡¯s announcement has outraged numerous media outlets within China who feel it is time for the party to practice what it preaches.
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