Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 13th July

In this Bulletin…

- Parents of Sichuan quake victims under surveillance;
- Beijing turned into a “fortress” as the Olympic draws nearer; and
- Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Sydney.

But first, here’s our original SOH news direct from China

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Parents of Juyuan Middle School students who were killed during the May 12 earthquake have been placed under surveillance by local officials.

The school, one of many which collapsed during the major earthquake tremor in Dujiangyan in Sichuan province left 300 students and staff dead.

According to a source, the victim’s parents have been threatened not to accept interviews with foreign medias and the school itself is under complete lock down and is currently guarded by special police forces.

So far, the only explanation given by the Dujiangyan communist officials as to why the school collapsed whilst other surrounding buildings did not was that the school was situated on the path of a seismic wave. No announcements have been made on the progress of any investigation.

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Dissidents, petitioners, the homeless and beggars in Beijing have become the target of officials’ “cleanup” efforts with the Olympics less than 4 weeks away.

With main routes in Beijing being secured by fully armed police, Beijing is becoming a guarded fortress with a very uneasy atmosphere.

Associated Press reports that petitioners from other provinces will be surrounded by Beijing security officials if they appear on the city’s streets and be escorted out of Beijing in security vehicles.

Petitioners are now prohibited in all Olympic venues, residences of the Chinese Communist Party leaders and foreign embassies.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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As resignations from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) nears 40 million, supporters in Ottawa held a rally on Parliament Hill on July 12 to celebrate this milestone in the approach to the end of communism in China.

“Forty million have resigned from the CCP, and that is 40 million steps in a better direction,” said David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific.

The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), which initiated the petition, plans to present the petition to the U.N., the International Olympics Committee, and various governments and human rights organizations worldwide at the end of July, just prior to the start of the Beijing Olympics in August.

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Evidence that China is currently providing the Sudanese Government with military assistance in Darfur has been uncovered by a British television documentary.

They claim the truck’s markings identify it as one of more than 200 that were allegedly exported from China to Sudan in 2005, after a United Nations arms embargo on Sudan was imposed.

International lawyers say the findings are evidence that China is breaking the ban.

Beijing has always denied such allegations but has made no direct response to the program.
Meanwhile the UN has raised the security level for staff operating in Sudan’s war-torn region of Darfur, stopping short of evacuating non-essential staff.

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An agreement on a timetable has been made for North Korea to disable its nuclear facilities, according to state media.

North Korea agreed to complete dismantling of its Yongbyon nuclear facility by October in return for the completion of energy assistance to North Korea by the United States, South Korea and other countries by the same time, Yonhap reported

The parties to the talks also agreed on a system for verifying North Korea’s compliance, including “visits to facilities, review of documents, interviews with technical personnel and other measures unanimously agreed upon among the six parties,” the statement said.

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Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Sydney to join hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at the Roman Catholic church’s youth festival.

Political and church leaders, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, welcomed Pope Benedict after a 20-hour flight from Rome.

The 81-year-old Pontiff will be in the city for eight days, during which time he will apologise to Australian victims of sexual abuse from Catholic clergy.

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