Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 23rd March

In this Bulletin…
- US military attack Iraqi suicide bombing network;
- Taiwan’s Nationalist Party win election; and
- China welcomes failed UN referendum on Taiwan.

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After a suicide bomber attacked an Iraqi army barracks in Mosul north of Baghdad, US military in Iraq says its forces have raided what it has called a ‘suicide bombing network’ in Diyala Province.

The suicide bomber killed at least ten soldiers and wounded 40 other people, mostly soldiers.

The US response resulted in the death of 12 suspected suicide bombers.

It says six of those detained had shaved their bodies in preparation for becoming human bombs.

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Taiwan’s main opposition Nationalist Party has won the presidential election by a landslide, providing hope for improved ties with China.

But President-elect Ma Ying-Jeou said he would only consider signing a peace deal with China, an offer Beijing has made with conditions, if it stopped aiming missiles at Taiwan.

Ma said he had no plans to go to China but hinted that he would visit other major nations before taking office on May 20. Japan and Singapore congratulated him on Saturday.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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China has welcomed a failed referendum on Taiwan seeking United Nations membership.

China is yet to comment on the landslide win by opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou in the weekend’s election, but it has welcomed the failure of a referendum backed by outgoing president Chen Shui-bian.

Along with the presidential vote, electors were asked whether they supported Taiwan seeking UN membership in its own name – something that Beijing has warned would be tantamount to a declaration of independence.

But the proposition failed to meet the required 50 per cent voter participation rate.

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China’s attempts to control media reports on the Tibet riots has been taken to the next level with China issuing reports of its version of the unrest before the international community.

The Chinese government was attempting to fill the information vacuum left by its ban on international media with its own message, saying Sunday through official media that the restive areas were under control.

The government has also disseminated footage of Tibetan protesters attacking Chinese and accusations of biased reporting by Western media via TV, the Internet, e-mail and YouTube, which is blocked in China.

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In the wake of controversial media censorship over the Tibet protests, the Chinese Communist Party has once again released its “blacklist” of internet video channels.

Based on reports by the Epoch Times, on the 22nd of March the CCP ordered 25 Internet video entertainment channels to shut down their websites, and another 32 channels have been given official warnings.

Experts believe the real purpose of the CCP’s action is to prevent footage of the Chinese military crackdown on Tibetans from being seen by Mainland Chinese.

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At 6.30 am local time on the 21st of March 4 earthquakes, one measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, rattled the Xinjiang-Tibet border.

The largest of the quakes was centred in Yutian District located on the southern part of Xinjiang.

The origins of the four earthquakes were all located more than 6 miles below the surface.

At present, there were no reported injuries.

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And now for our daily update on the NTDTV Divine Performing Arts “Chinese Spectacular” show.
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The Divine Performing Arts troupes have continued their Chinese Spectacular shows in Stockholm, Germany, and Daegu, South Korea.

Hong Kong’s Human Rights Chairman Yan Sun-Kong was one of the audience members who enjoyed the show in Taipei on the 18th of March.

Mr. Sun-Kong said the shows provided a significant and vivid representation of the 5000-year old Chinese culture in the acts adapted from the stories familiar to the general public.

As the concurrent chairman of the Federation for a Democratic China Yan explained that although there are a many miseries in the world, with righteousness, we should not be fearful, and instead, we should live with hope.

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

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This has been Wilma Reynolds from the SOH Radio Network.