AsiaCast

Asia Cast for Thursday 19th February

China is ordering government officials and security forces in Tibet crush any signs of support for the Dalai Lama

In this bulletin …

-Beijing merchants protest over eviction;
-China issues call to crush Tibetan scenarists; and
-China probes further kidney-related infant illness.

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With the economic downturn, some Beijing merchants have asked their landlords to lower their rent. Instead, the landlords evicted them, leading to protests, both violently and peacefully across the country, as reported by NTDTV.

Between 20 to 30 people had been working at a shop, which was suddenly stripped of its products by the building management and padlocked.

The protestors are demanding the return of their goods and accusing the management of unfair trading practice.

Twenty million jobs have been cut in southern Guangdong Province alone.

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Tibetan media has reported that China has ordered government officials and security forces in Tibet to crush any signs of support for the Dalai Lama.

The orders come as the tense 50th anniversary of an anti-Chinese uprising nears.

In a possible indication China fears unrest ahead of the March 10 anniversary. China is maintaining ultra-tight security on the Himalayan region. Ahead of the date a conference of Tibetan leaders ordered authorities to “mobilise and fully deploy” to maintain stability.

The Tibetan government-in-exile says the Chinese army killed 87’000 people in the crackdown.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops in to ‘liberate’ the region from serfdom.

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A drastic rise in the number of infants falling ill with kidney stones has baffled China in the wake of a tainted milk scandal, which killed six children from kidney complications and made hundreds of thousands ill.

Nearly 300,000 children fell ill with kidney stones and other kidney-related illnesses from drinking the tainted milk last year, which was adulterated with melamine, an industrial compound used to cheat nutrition tests.

But a recent rash of kidney complaints in children with apparently no link to drinking milk tainted with melamine had puzzled Chinese health experts and prompted a new investigation.

The melamine scandal was the latest in a string of food safety failures that have blighted the “made in China” brand in recent years.

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Just hours before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to arrive in Seoul for talks on defusing the North’s military threat, North Korea said it was ready for war with the South.

In recent weeks North Korea has repeatedly threatened to reduce the South to ashes.

Analysts say in a bid to grab the new US administration’s attention and pressure Seoul to ease up on its hard line, the communist state is thought to be readying its longest-range missile for launch.

In Tokyo on Tuesday, Ms Clinton said at the start of her first foreign trip since taking office, that a North Korean missile launch would be “very unhelpful”.

The South’s foreign minister warned a launch would be met by sanctions and further isolation for the reclusive state.

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The killing of a reporter who was covering a deal to bring Sharia law to the Swat region has lead hundreds of journalists to protest throughout Pakistan.

On Wednesday, Musa Khankhel, who worked for Geo TV, was shot in the head by unknown gunmen near the town of Matta.

He was reporting on a peace drive by cleric Sufi Mohammad, who signed the Sharia deal with the government.

Talks on the deal have now started between his group and the Taleban, who are led by his son-in-law.

The deal will bring Sharia law in return for an end to the Taleban insurgency.

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And now for our Divine Performing Arts quote of the day
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Laura Devesti attended the DC show on the 14th of February and this is what she had to say about the show:

“It has a hopeful message. I think in these difficult times people really have to be looking inward, looking in spiritually, have to be showing compassion to other people, have to be mindful of other people. It’s a good message. It’s a timeless message.”

Visit www.divineperformingarts.com to find out when the show will be coming to your local city.

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