Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Saturday 15th March

In this Bulletin
- China’s side of Mount Everest closed to mountaineer’s
-Taiwan’s finance minister to resign and
- Human Rights Torch Relay Logo introduced in Mainland China

This spring, China’s Communist government will be denying mountaineer’s permission to climb its side of Mount Everest fearing that Tibet activists may try to disrupt its plans to carry the Olympic torch up the world’s tallest peak.

In recent days, everyone from the U.S. government to rights groups and George Clooney have urged China to tackle issues as varied as its restrictions on religion; the poor working conditions of migrant labor; Beijing’s oil purchases from Sudan to fuel the Darfur crisis; and Tibet.

**********************************

A mass brawl between rival MPs has ended with Taiwan’s finance minister resigning just nine days before the island’s hotly disputed presidential election.

Ho Chih-chin had accompanied members of the opposition KMT party to the campaign headquarters of the ruling DPP to investigate corruption claims.

The KMT alleged the DPP paid no rent on the Taipei building – which they deny.

*********************************

The Chinese Communist Party has accused the United States of double standards over human rights in response to an official US report which labeled Beijing an authoritarian regime.

Beijing calls Washington’s rights record “tattered and shocking”.

The Chinese report cites rising violent crime in the US as posing a serious threat to the lives, liberty and personal security of its people.

The foreign ministry said the US should stop posing as a rights watchdog and concentrate on its own problems.

********************************

Chinese authorities have given rioters in Tibet until Monday to surrender, state media report, after a protest that officials say has left 10 people dead.

Braced for possible further disorder, officials warned what they called the “plot of the separatists” would fail.

They also denied police had opened fire on crowds that torched Chinese-owned shops in Tibet’s main city, Lhasa.

State media said the dead were mainly business people, “innocent civilians”, who had been “burnt to death”.

*************************

President Hugo Chavez dared the U.S. on Friday to put Venezuela on a list of countries accused of supporting terrorism.

Chavez said the “threat to include us on the terrorist list” is Washington’s response to his government’s successes in the region.

The comment was largely a warning for Chavez, who U.S. officials suspect has lent support to Colombian rebels.

**********************************************
And now for our original SOH news direct from China
**********************************************

SOH reported, “The Human Rights Torch Relay” initiated by CIPFG in its global relay activities touring nearly 100 cities in dozens of countries has aroused great repercussions.

On March 14 the organization announced the theme logo of the Torch Relay in Mainland China, which displays a barbed wire map of Mainland China and “the Mainland under the rule of Communists as a big prison” in words.

The peace dove and the torch composition symbolize the “Human Rights Torch Relay will bring peace and freedom to China.

****************************************************************
And now for our daily up-date on the NTDTV Chinese Spectacular Show
****************************************************************

The Chinese Spectacular opened to an appreciative crowd in Berlin at the city’s International Congress Center.

Catherine Kabau, a Dutch communications worker and freelance editor, was among those who expressed her admiration, particularly for the show’s commentary on the realities of contemporary China.

Catherine thought that it would be “a pity” if the German Chinese Embassy succeeded in stopping the show which is currently the situation in Munich where the performance had been scheduled for April 18 and 19.

Today also marks the first of four of the Chinese New Year Spectacular shows in Taipei before continuing on the next leg of the tour of 60 cities worldwide.

For show information please visit www.bestchineseshows.com

**********************

This has been Wilma Reynolds from the SOH Radio Network