Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 11th February

In this bulletin …

- Repression continues after the Olympics;
- China announces first bird flu outbreak; and
- Human rights activist Gao Zhisheng recounts 50 days of torture.

But first here’s our SOH focus on China.
********************

Recently, Dejiang County authorities forbade people from holding a dragon dance during the annual Lantern Festival under the pretense it would ‘upset social stability’.

Residents say police smashed the decorations and beat participants. This stirred up strong protest which turned violent.

Thousands of upset locals surrounded a local Party compound to seek an explanation in what was the second largest group protest in the area.

Police fired tear gas canisters into the crowd in an attempt to stifle the protest. Residents said they could not understand why a dragon dance should be banned.

********************

Fujian shrimp producer Huang Caipiao has been beaten by thugs after confronting them for sabotaging his dam.

He made repeated reports to police to no avail before he confronted the thugs directly.

In April 2000, the local Lianjiang authorities illegally caused millions of renminbi of losses to his business. He was never compensated though courts ruled in his favour.

He said, “There is no reason I should have no channel in which to appeal. If I go to Beijing, they capture me and take me home, or detain me for more than ten days at a time. I think I have a reason to appeal, because I am a victim.”

***************************************************

You are listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network

***************************************************

Six months after the Beijing Olympics, Reporters Without Borders is urging Chinese authorities to release all dissidents arrested in connection with the games, report The Epoch Times.

According to RWB at least 17 Chinese journalists, bloggers and free speech activists have been arrested since the games ended.

Reporters Without Borders calls for repeated joint requests for their release, requests that are not just made in the course of the discreet meetings that are taking place as part of the EU-China dialogue on human rights.

********************

Renowned Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng recounted his experience of being tortured for 50 days in a letter released Sunday, reports The Epoch Times.

The letter outlines horrific torture suffered by attorney Gao, he vividly recounted the details of the cruelty of his torturers.

In the letter he said, “During these more than 50 days, more horrible evils were committed than I have told here. Those evils are not even worthy of any historical records by any human governments. But those records will further enable us to see clearly how much further the leaders of the CCP are willing go in the CCP’s evil crimes against humanity in order to protect its illegal monopoly on power! Those evils are so dirty and disgusting that I don’t want to mention them at this time and perhaps will never mention them in the future.”

***********************

China’s Ministry of Agriculture issued a bird flu outbreak notice on January 10, reports The Epoch Times.

The outbreak occurred in Moyu County, Hetian area in northwest China’s Xinjiang autonomous region.

The notice stated that the virus killed 519 poultry and another 13,200 were euthanized as a precaution.

The World Heath Organization has questioned whether Beijing has covered up the outbreaks, which it did in the SARS outbreak in 2003, but Beijing rebutted the accusation on February 7.

************************

Weary Australian firefighters and rescuers pulled the remains of dozens of people from charred buildings on Monday as the death toll rose to 131 from Australia’s deadliest bushfires, reports The Epoch Times.

Police believe some of the fires, which razed rural towns near the country’s second biggest city, Melbourne, were deliberately lit and declared one devastated town a crime scene.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said,” “There are no words to describe it other than mass murder.”

**************************************************

And now for our Divine Performing Arts quote of the day

**************************************************

SOH Radio’s local reporter Corrine Malaske was at the Historical Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennesee where the Divine Performing Arts was held on February 9.

She spoke to Mayor Stan Joyner, his wife and granddaughter Abbey. They found the entire show very beautiful and exciting. They liked the performance with the little girl, who seems to be around Abbey’s age.

Experience the magnificence of ancient Chinese culture.To find out when the show will be coming to your local city visit www.divineperformingarts.com

*******************

“Asia Cast … Keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the world.”