Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 20th April

In this bulletin …

-Thousands flee Sri Lankan combat;
-South Korean blogger found not guilty; and
-India launches key spy satellite.

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In the north of Sri Lanka around 5,000 Sri Lankans have escaped from a Tamil Tiger-held area.

The military said the people fled after the army broke through a fortification which had been blocking its advance into the Tigers’ last stronghold.

The UN estimates that up to 100,000 civilians remain in the area, which has seen heavy fighting for months.

The Red Cross (ICRC) says government doctors working in the area are “worn out” and do not have enough supplies.

Each side accuses the other of killing civilians in the long running civil conflict.

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A blogger from South Korea accused of spreading false information on the internet has walked free from court.

Park Dae-sung, better known as Minerva, built up a huge online following by making largely negative, though accurate predictions on the economy.

Prosecutors said his brand of financial journalism was damaging to the public interest – but a Seoul court ruled there was no proof of malicious intent.

The “innocent” verdict is being seen as a victory for freedom of speech.

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In Melbourne, the Royal commission into the fires has opened, however victims’ groups say they are being denied a voice.

Victims of February’s bushfires in Victoria have complained they are being locked out of a public inquiry into the worst disaster in Australian peacetime.

There is also anger that the initial focus of the inquiry is the response to the fires rather than what caused them.

The Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and destroyed over 2,000 homes.

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India has successfully launched a spy satellite that will be able to track movement on its borders.

The Israeli-built Radar Imaging Satellite was launched from the space centre at Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh state.

The satellite was carried on the Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV-C12 rocket.

The 300kg satellite has been placed in orbit about 550km (340 miles) above the Earth.

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The Federal Government could be liable to pay compensation to the families of those killed and injured after the Ashmore Reef asylum boat explosion, as claimed by a human rights lawyer.

The blast killed three of the 47 Afghans and two of the crew on board,  and the Defence Department says two others listed as missing are presumed dead.

Greg Barnes from human rights group Rights Australia, says because the boat, known as SIEV 36, had been taken into custody it may emerge that the Navy had a duty of care to the asylum seekers.

Mr. Barnes says there could be grounds for compensation.

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CNN reports that two anonymous administration officials have stated that President Obama will soon announce that he his planning to meet with his Cabinet for the first time since his inauguration, and challenge it to slash its expenses by $100 million within the next three months.

All related agencies will be required to table how they have reduced spending after this 90 day period.

One senior administration official also states that  this announcement is in line with Obama’s “commitment to go line by line through the budget …” and “reform the government.”

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