Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 20th January

In this Bulletin…

- Thailand set to restore democracy;
- Police arrest teen associated with Bhutto death; and
- Deaths of Olympic workers covered up.

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Thailand’s People Power Party has announced a new coalition government, ending weeks of uncertainty and marking a step towards restoring democracy.

The move came after a court dismissed legal challenges against the PPP, which won the most votes in December’s polls.

Experts say the coalition government’s installation next week will be a significant step back to democracy after military leaders are widely perceived to have mishandled the economy while in power.

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Pakistani police have arrested a teenager who said he was part of a team of assassins sent to kill former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The teen also confessed to taking part in a plot to attack Shiites during Ashoura, even as police in Pakistan’s far south said they had foiled suicide attacks planned for the Shiite Muslim festival.

Intelligence officials said the 15-year-old told investigators that a five-person squad was dispatched to Rawalpindi, where Bhutto was killed, by Baitullah Mehsud, a militant leader with strong ties to al-Qaeda and an alliance with the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan.

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According to reports from the Times Online China has systematically covered up the accidental deaths of at least 10 workers, and perhaps many more, in a rush to construct the futuristic “bird’s nest” stadium in Beijing for this summer’s Olympic Games.

Witnesses and other workers have reported instances where workers plummeted to their deaths from the perilous heights of the stadium, explaining that the bodies were swiftly removed by police, who sealed off accident scenes with orange tape and cleared other workers from the area.

Chinese officials deny that there have been any deaths. The authorities have ensured the silence of bereaved relatives by making unusually high compensation payments.

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Continuous snowfall and rains in China have forced several roads to close leaving more than 1,000 trucks stranded on Saturday at an overburdened ferry en route to the Three Gorges Dam area in central China’s Hubei Province.

The snow was said to be the heaviest in the past 30 years in Yichang city, where the dam is located. Meteorologists said the snow would continue in the area over the next four days.

The trucks were heavily loaded with variety of goods, including glass, equipment, cables and fresh foods.

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And now for our original SOH news direct from China

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In China, voices of support on the Internet for the arrested Beijing human rights advocate, Hu Jia, and his wife were blocked.

The authority simultaneously blocked Hu Jia’s wife, Zeng Jinyan’s blog and the web journal “Yi Bao” of former magazine chief editor, Zhai Minglei.

However, supporters are using various alternative means to express their concern of Hu Jia’s situation.

Radio Free Asia reported on the 18th, after Hu Jia’s arrest, there have been continuous voices of support from overseas media, human rights organization, human rights advocates, dissents and social workers.

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On the 18th of January, a coalmine gas incident occurred in Chongqing city in China, where 13 miners were killed.

The BBC reported: gas from the Gaoqiao coalmine in Dongcheng Street, Nan Chuan district suddenly exploded.

According to reports from rescuers there were 17 people inside the mine when the incident happened.

The official, Xinhua news agency reported last year 3786 miners died in mining incidents in China. Presently, China has around 5 million miners.

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And now for our daily update on the NTDTV Divine Performing Arts “New Year Spectacular” show.
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Today the Divine Performing Arts will give its final shows to audiences in Toronto, Canada and Los Angeles, in the US. Tomorrow the show will continue on to Los Vegas for one day of shows before continuing on to Detroit.

According to reports from the Epoch Times, on Friday night at Toronto’s Sony Center for the Performing Arts, David Kilgour, former Canadian MP and Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, attended the Chinese New Year Spectacular for the second time this year.

Speaking of the courage with which Falun Gong practitioners face the Chinese government’s persecution, a spirit which is beautifully displayed in the show, Kilgour saw parallels with persecutions of centuries past, such as the persecution of Christians when the Roman Empire fell.

Kilgour also stated his belief that the ancient Chinese traditions, destroyed by decades of communist policies and currently being revived by the Spectacular, will inevitably reappear in China.