Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Friday 1st May

In this bulletin…

- “Stretch” torture method alive in China;
- China expecting swine flu cases; and
- Srinagar, Kashmir on government lockdown.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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Many have heard of medieval torture methods where people are hung, drawn and quartered – and while most of us think it is a thing of the past – it remains a method still used today in Chinese communist concentration camps, reports NTDTV.

Chronicled in online articles written by survivors of the concentration camps, Falun Gong practitioners are being quartered within their own cells. Using two beds, prisoners are pulled apart, causing dislocation of the joints and tearing of the tendons.

The latest report is from the Weining Detention Centre in Benxi, a city in China’s northern coastal province of Liaoning, where Mr. Lee Qinghuan was tortured this way for seven days straight, and died in early April.

There are more than 20 similar reports about the Weining Detention Centre, with victims claiming they were stretched for up to 24 days.

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China’s big development plans have entrenched hundreds of thousands of Chinese in bitter struggles with development companies with help from local authorities, leaving many homeless, ruthlessly under-compensated and in severe cases fleeing the country from severe harassment.

In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times, Ms. Ge Lifang recounted how she refused to relocate when developers targeted her area for a new redevelopment plan and offered her a quarter of what the house was worth. That’s when the trouble began.

For two years her utilities were turned off on a regular basis, and local authorities would dump loads of garbage around her home. Then in 2003 she and her father were arrested while her blind mother was left at home, only to return to find all their belongings thrown outside.

While police guarded her and her family, they watched as their home was demolished.

Ge escaped to the US in 2004 and has United Nations refugee status. She now lives alone though she hopes to be reunited with her family one day.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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NTDTV has received reports of another Falun Gong practitioner taken by authorities and being persecuted to death in mainland China.

On April 17th, Mr Fu Ziming a post office worker from Jianli County in Hubei Province was on a trip to Mount Wuyi which was organized by his workplace when he was taken to a police station that evening and only two days later, word spread he was persecuted to death for practicing the meditative practice Falun Gong.

Mr Fu’s family has also been taken away and has lost contact with the outside world.

When an NTDTV reporter called the Public Security Bureau in Jianli to investigate Mr. Fu’s case, the call was hung up.

When Mr Fu’s workplace was called, NTDTV was told Mr. Fu was resting for a couple of days.

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In expectation of millions of China’s travellers this Chinese Labour day weekend, Deputy Director of China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Yang Weizhong warned, “…the risk of swine flu spreading to China is very high.”

As the three-day holiday weekend starts this Friday, travel agencies, hotels, scenic spots, tour buses and boats are urged by China’s National Tourism Administration to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures, making preparations to deal with a possible epidemic.

Even though no cases of swine flu have been reported in China, Chinese authorities feel confident they can handle the outbreak when it reaches their country because of how well they feel they handled the SARS outbreak.

China was heavily criticized for having hidden the 2002 SARS near-pandemic, which originated in southern China and quickly spread to other countries.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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In Srinagar, the Indian controlled part of Kashmir, election protests of last year have led the government there to declare a pre-emptive lockdown, with businesses closed and hundreds of police and paramilitary troops erecting barricades and patrolling the streets reports NTDTV.

Kashmir is divided between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan and claimed by both. Many Kashmiris want independence with Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan.

The lockdown came after 20 people were hurt in anti-election protests.

Separatists protesting elections are doing so to keep any Indian rule out of the region and have been backed by Hizbul Mujahedeen who is warning that anyone who casts a ballot will be considered a traitor.

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Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in the centre of a bribery scandal investigation, in a statement apologized for the bribery charges Thursday, before leaving for Seoul reported NTDTV.

South Korean media report that the prosecution has prepared about 300 questions regarding $US6 million dollars his family allegedly received from a businessman.

Roh, admitted his wife took $US1 million dollars from a shoe company executive while he was in office, but that he was not aware of the matter at that time.

Roh’s brother, and some of supporters and aides have been arrested and face various corruption charges and his son has been questioned for being involved in the alleged $US5 million dollar bribery scandal involving Park Yeon-cha, a businessman and long-time supporter arrested last year on graft and tax evasion charges.

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And now for our Shen Yun Performing Arts quote of the day
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Ms. Larsen, a civilian police officer had a chance to see the Shen Yun Performing Arts Company performance in Sydney, Australia last Sunday and this is what she had to say:

“I think it’s spectacular and colourful,” Ms. Larsen said. “It’s just spectacular, to tell the honest truth. The colour and I think also seeing the different costumes from the different regions which you wouldn’t be aware of.

She was especially moved by the piece that depicts the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Actually I had tears in my eyes because I do know about the persecution over there and how they’re trying to bring awareness to other nationalities.”

“But a lot of people are very much unaware of what is really going on over there. I think this brings that in a nice way, a cultural way, to the forefront for people to understand the culture and what is happening today.”

Experience true Chinese culture like never before as Shen Yun Performing Arts presents classical Chinese dance and music in gloriously colorful and exhilarating shows.

SOH is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

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