AsiaCast

Asia Cast for Thursday 21st February

In this Bulletin
- South Korean President cleared of fraud allegations
- Spielberg quits Beijing Olympics causing uproar in China and
- China to experience severe drought this spring

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Lee Myung-bak South Korean President-elect has been cleared of fraud allegations following an inquiry.

The announcement comes four days before Mr Lee, who won December’s election, is due to be sworn in.

During the campaign he had denied allegations linking him to a 2001 share-rigging scandal, for which an ex-business partner of his is on trial.

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At least three people are dead and at more than twenty have been injured by a 7.5-magnitude quake near Indonesia’s western Aceh province, officials say.

The tremor, whose epicentre was near the island of Simeulue, 319km off the coast of Sumatra, also damaged many buildings, they added.

The epicentre was close to that of the earthquake which triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami, killing 200,000 people.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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Hollywood director Steven Spielberg’s decision to quit the Beijing Olympics over the Darfur crisis is drawing condemnation by China’s state-controlled media.

The famous American director withdrew from his role as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Games, accusing China of not doing enough to press for peace in the troubled Sudanese region.

A biting front-page editorial Wednesday in the overseas edition of the People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s official newspaper, blasted Spielberg for his decision.

China is believed to have influence over Sudanese leaders because it buys two-thirds of the African country’s oil exports.

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Although weathermen predicted storms and occasional rain, hundreds of people came out to support the Human Rights Torch Relay in Tel Aviv Monday evening, Feb. 18.

The Human Rights Torch Relay called for an immediate end to all crimes against humanity taking place in China before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Darfurian refugees, Falun Gong practitioners, Rabbis, religious leaders, physicians, artists and all kinds of supporters participated in the rally.

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And now for our original SOH news direct from China
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Yang Chun Lin the rights advocate for Jiamusi lost-land farmers has been arrested after helping the farmers fight for their right to compensation.

Since last year, he launched the campaign in an open letter “No Olympic Games But Human Rights”, more than 10,000 signatures had been called up.

British Broadcasting Corporation reported over the internet, last July, Yang has been arrested and charged with “incitement to subvert state power.”

Yang Chun-Lin’s defending counsel expressed discontent for the authorities putting a black head cover on him during court and said the act of authorities violated the human rights.

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Following the Chinese New Year – when central and southern China had been hit by a serious blizzard.

The China Meteorological Bureau pointed out that this spring and summer, the north of the Huaihe River will be facing serious drought.

Central News Agency reported that eastern China will be mainly subject to dry weather conditions and drought in spring, which covers most of Jilin and Liaoning, the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, North southern China, the regions of Yellow River and Huai River, northern Guangdong and Guangxi areas.

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