Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 2nd March

In this bulletin …

-Reverence for Dalai Lama defies Chinese rule;
-Auction sabotaged by China ‘patriot’; and
-Manhunt in Bangladesh for mutineers

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

Years of Chinese government denunciations and decades in exile have not loosened the Dalai Lama’s influence over Tibetans in his homeland, where his banned image remains treasured, as reported by the Epoch Times.

This month marks not just the first anniversary of anti-Chinese protests across the Tibetan world, but also the 50th anniversary of the flight into exile of the Dalai Lama after a failed uprising against China in 1959.

Tibetan reverence for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist monk runs especially deep in China’s Qinghai province, where the Dalai Lama was born in 1935. Qinghai, known to Tibetans as Amdo, neighbours Tibet and is home to many ethnic Tibetans.

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

An advisor to China’s National Treasures Fund, Cai Mingchao, is the winner of the auction of two high profiled head sculptures, and claims he will not pay for them.

The sculptures, which where originally looted from Beijing in 1860, sold for 15 million euros (19 million dollars) each, in Paris last week.

Mr. Mingchao says that his actions where deliberate and it was a ‘patriotic’ act.

However, Christie’s claims the sale is legal, which was backed by a French court.

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

Last week 140 army officers where killed in their headquarters by border guards who mutinied. Twenty civilians’ are also thought to have died.

The Bangladesh army has launched a manhunt for the border guards, issuing arrest warrants for 1,000 guardsmen and accomplices.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked for assistance in the investigation from the FBI and Scotland Yard.

Thousands gathered on Monday in the capital, Dhaka, for state funerals of officers who were killed.

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

In China, a human rights support group has been established, called the National Grievance Union. It hopes to be able to help the international community understand the human rights situation of the people in China, as reported by NTDTV.

Spokesperson of the group, Shen Ting, says the main purpose of the group is to help stop the Chinese Communist Party from deceiving the international community, by allowing the real voice of the Chinese people to be heard.

In a meeting in France with officers of the European Union, Shen Ting realized that the international community is not very clear on the seriousness of the human rights situation in China, and is being misled by a false economic impression of China.

The China Grievance Union will hold a National Conference on March 5th during the period of the CCP’s “Two Sessions” in Beijing.

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

Two Falun Gong practitioners, imprisoned for their belief, are trying to open a case against police who ransacked their home. But local judges won’t allow the case to be heard, saying this is a policy passed down from communist officials, as reported by NTDTV.

Liang Yehnanjing and Zheng Linyu were arrested while visiting friends during the lead-up to the Chinese New Year. They were in a re-education camp for 15 days. While imprisoned police ransacked their home, destroying equipment, and took private property.

According to eyewitnesses, police did not show any ID when on the premises of Liang and Zheng’s home and would not give relatives an itemized list of what they took.

The lawyers have requested the legal requirements needed to register the case, but local judge’s say it is illegal to listen to cases concerning Falun Gong.

When local lawyers presented the indictments to the judges, the judges threw the documents in the trash. The two lawyers said that this is a common phenomenon throughout courts at all levels in China.

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

The Election Commission has announced that over April and May general elections in India will take place in five phases.

From April 16 to May 13 polling to elect a new Lok Sabha (lower house) will run with counting due on May 16.

714 million voters are eligible to cast ballots and nearly four million officials will conduct the elections.

Battling a host of smaller parties is the incumbent Congress party-led coalition and parties led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

If no group wins a clear majority, the smaller regional parties could play a crucial role.

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

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