Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 17th March

In this Bulletin…

- The world rallies behind Tibet;
- 16 people killed in missile strikes in Pakistan; and
- Election rallies grip Taiwan.

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Protests and demonstrations over Beijing’s rule of Tibet have spread beyond the Tibetan town of Lhasa to neighbouring parts of China.

Rights groups said protests have broken out and several people had been killed in clashes in Sichuan and Gansu Provinces.

Indian-based officials said a death toll of at least 80 people was confirmed by several sources, even though China had put the death toll during Friday’s riots at 10.

The Dalai Lama has called for an international inquiry into China’s crackdown, accusing it of a “rule of terror” and “cultural genocide”.

The protests and China’s response has once again placed the spotlight on China’s Communist Party and its poor human rights record.

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Pakistani state television has confirmed at least 16 people have been killed in a missile strike on a building near Pakistan’s northern border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani state TV report said several missiles destroyed the house of a suspected militant leader in the South Waziristan region.

It was not clear who launched the strike with eye witnesses reporting that the missiles were fired from an unmanned drone aircraft.

US forces, operating in neighbouring Afghanistan, are believed to have been behind previous strikes in Pakistan’s border region.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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A week before presidential elections in Taiwan, hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in rival political rallies across the country.

The events – organised by the two main political parties – were also aimed at expressing public opposition to China’s anti-secession law.

The law, passed in 2005, legalises the use of force against Taiwan if it formally declares independence.

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Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee has rejected the idea of boycotting the Summer Games in Beijing over China’s crackdown in Tibet, saying it would only hurt athletes.

Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet have left as many as 100 protesters dead, and raised global condemnation of China’s treatment of Tibet and its poor human rights record.

On a six-day tour of the Caribbean, Rogge expressed condolences for the victims and said he hopes calm will be restored immediately. He declined to say whether the committee would change its stance if violence continues or more people are killed.

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And now for our original SOH news direct from China
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According to Radio Free Asia, in spite of the prohibition from the armed police, over 100 Lamas from Ramoche Temple continued to protests in Lhasa province of Tibet.

Numerous local residents attended the protests of the Lamas and supported them as mass riots broke out.

The tense situation has extended to the nearby villages and provinces including Qinghai and Gansu.

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According to Beijing News, in February 2008, 60 sudden public health outbreaks occurred in China, 30% more compared with the corresponding period last year. The number of medical cases was three times higher over the same period, and deaths were up by 80%.

According to a report from China Health Newspaper on March 14, the outbreaks are a result of a broader range of infectious diseases in China including influenza and Bird Flu.

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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 Spectacular continues its four-day series of performances in Taipei, while the European troupe will give one day of performances in Hamburg, Germany.

Among the audience members at Taipei was Ms. Ho Mei-yueh, Chairperson of Taiwan’s Council for Economic Planning and Development.

Talking about the meaning behind the performance, Ms. Ho said she thought it was very good that the Spectacular represents something that young people nowadays pay little attention to with dancing.

She also explained that in addition to the technique, the backdrop is very good, explaining traditional dancing has only dancing, but the Spectacular not only integrates the setting and lighting, but the backdrop is moving; that is, it has a dynamic background, which forms a whole with the dancing.

For more information about the Divine Performing Arts world tour, please visit: www.divineperformingarts.org

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This is James Xu from the SOH Radio Network.

“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the World.”