Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 26th November

In this Bulletin…

- Earthquakes continue to strike Sichuan Province;
- China’s richest man faces allegations of manipulating the stock market; and
- Chinese regime calls new Guns N’ Roses album a “venomous attack” on the nation.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China

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Further earthquakes are still being felt in China’s Sichuan Province, the region devastated by a magnitude 8.0 quake in May that left 70,000 dead.

The latest was on Monday November 23 and the magnitude 7.1 earthquake only lasted for a few seconds, according to the Sichuan Provincial Seismic Station. It was followed by a relatively weak aftershock two minutes later and it is currently unknown if there were any casualties.

Many questions surrounding May’s disaster remain unanswered; including why so many schools collapsed when other buildings did not, and why so much aid money has been embezzled by corrupt officials.

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The widow of a well-known musician and Falun Gong adherent who died from abuse while in police custody has been sentenced to three years in prison, says The Epoch Times.

Xu Na’s sentence was passed down on November 25 in Beijing. The date coincidentally marks the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. During an earlier five-year detention for her faith, she was repeatedly beaten and tortured.

Ms. Xu, an award-winning artist, was charged with “using a heretical organization to undermine implementation of the law,” a vague provision of the penal code commonly used to sentence Falun Gong adherents to long prison terms.

This comes soon after harsh UN criticism of the Chinese regime’s poor human rights record.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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Trading in a Chinese electrical appliances company was halted on Monday after reports that its chairman, the richest man in mainland China, is under investigation on charges of stock market manipulation, the company said.

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong indefinitely halted trading in Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd. amid reports of a police investigation of Wong Kwong Yu, the company’s chairman, executive director and controlling shareholder, the company said in a statement.

The company said it was looking into whether the allegations were true.

Mr Wong, 39, is the richest person in mainland China, worth an estimated US$6.3 billion, according to the 2008 China Rich List, compiled by the Hurun Institute.

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Hopes are fading for the crew of a Taiwan registered fishing boat found empty and gutted by fire in the South Pacific.

The scorched shell of the Tai Ching 21 was found near Kiribati on November 9 with no sign of the crew members.

The 29 crew were from Taiwan, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, but news reports were unclear if the boat was Korean or Taiwanese.

Fiji Navy Warrant Officer Anare Rasunusunu said the boat was being towed back to Taiwan, and “from there they will make an assessment and investigation”. There was virtually no chance of finding the men alive, he said.

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At least 11 people have been injured in Bangkok after anti-government protesters opened fire on supporters of the Thai government during the latest clashes between them, officials say.

The incident came after the People’s Alliance for Democracy blocked the road to the city’s old airport in a renewed attempt to unseat the government.

Outgoing flights had to be suspended after the protesters stormed Bangkok’s main international airport. Witnesses said hundreds of yellow-shirted members of the group managed to break through police lines and enter the main terminal of the airport, much to the bewilderment of passengers.

The airport’s manager said the authorities had tried to negotiate with the protesters, “but to no avail”.

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The Chinese regime has labelled the new Guns N’ Roses album, Chinese Democracy, as a “venomous attack” on the nation.

An article in the Global Times, published by the ruling communist party, says the album, launched this week, “turns its spear point on China”.

The title track of the album, which has not been released in China because of the sensitive material, refers to the banned Falun Gong spiritual group.

The album’s official website has also been blocked in China.

The release of foreign films and albums is frequently banned in China, although they often appear in pirated form and are sold in shops and by street vendors.

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