Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 9th September

In this Bulletin…

- Death toll set to rise in China’s latest mining accident;
- Kim Jong-il’s health questioned as North Korean leader misses nations anniversary parade; and
- Huge reclining Buddha found in Afganistan.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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At least 50 people have been killed and hundreds more may be missing after a mining waste reservoir collapsed in north China yesterday.

Torrential rain triggered an avalanche of mud and rocks after the holding pond at the Tashan mine in Shanxi Province burst, burying cars and homes under a wall of sludge.

Chinese state media has said the reservoir was apparently filled beyond capacity due to illegal activities at the mine.

The high number of migrant workers at the mine make it difficult to determine the exact number of people missing.

China’s mining industry is the world’s deadliest, killing nearly 3,800 people last year, as widespread corruption and greed lead managers to cut safety corners.

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More than 400 students from the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Technology Adult Education Centre in Jiangsu Province, have either left or suspended their studies due to poor conditions after being relocated.

Less than 50 students remain in attendance at the new campus, which has been converted from blocks of factory buildings.
Students were very dissatisfied with the dormitory’s small size and lack of toilets. They say that they had not been informed they would be relocating until after paying their fees of over US$1,000 (8,000 Yuan) to the school.

Most of the students have now accepted a refund and are looking for other schools.

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The Communist regime’s mouthpiece claims September 1 will be recorded as a milestone in China’s education history, saying no tuition or miscellaneous fees will be charged for the nine years of compulsory public education nationwide, from this September.

However, the Epoch Times interviewed many parents around China and discovered that the policy has not been implemented in many areas. Other areas are awaiting a formal notice from the national government.

Critics have denounced the announcement as political manoeuvring as tuition is only a very small portion of multiple fees and charges involved in each student’s registration expenses, and even if the policy is implemented it will not make education any more affordable.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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The health of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il, has become the subject of much discussion after he failed to attend a huge military parade in Pyongyang.

The event marking the nation’s 60th anniversary was overseen by North Korea’s second most senior figure, Kim Yong-nam instead.

Rumours were already rife about the well being of the 66 year-old North Korean leader.

Reports quoting Western intelligence sources said on Tuesday it was possible Mr Kim had suffered a stroke.

The anniversary comes amid an impasse in international efforts to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme.

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The prime minister of Thailand, Samak Sundaravej, has been ordered to resign after a court found him guilty of a constitutional violation.

Mr Samak was found to have broken a ban on ministers having outside interests by taking money from a private company to host a TV show.

His entire cabinet has also been ordered to step down.

The news was greeted with loud cheers from Mr Samak’s opponents, who have occupied his office compound since the end of last month.

However, Mr Samak has not been banned from standing again for prime minister, and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has vowed to re-appoint him.

It will be 30 days before the court’s decision comes into effect.

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A huge statue of a reclining Buddha has been discovered in central Afghanistan, near to the ruins of the world-famous Bamiyan Buddhas destroyed by the Taleban in 2001.

Archaeologists say other artefacts such as coins and ceramics were also found with the 19m (62ft) statue, which dates back to the Third Century.

A local official in Bamiyan said measures were being taken to protect the damaged statue, and that it could be on public display next year.

Archaeologists are also working on restoring the largest of the two Buddhas that were destroyed in a project that is expected to take a decade.

Iconic Buddhist art works, now thought to be the oldest oil paintings in the world, have also been found in the caves at Bamiyan.

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