Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 12th May

In this bulletin…

- Anniversary of China’s devastating Sichuan earthquake;
- Swine flu not showing signs of pandemic says WHO; and
- Journalist charged with spying released from Iranian jail.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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One year ago today, tens of thousands of parents lost their only child, buried deep in the rubble of school buildings. Thousands more died in China’s massive earthquake on May 12, 2008. The official death toll is almost 70,000 with more than 17,000 people still missing.

The tragedy does not end with the deaths, the aftershocks, the chilling winter spent in makeshift tents; nor even with the knowledge that the schools were constructed from sub-standard materials. Grieving parents are now being harassed and thrown in jail for seeking redress from officials, reports The Epoch Times.

An Amnesty International report recently detailed how Chinese authorities intimidated and unlawfully detained parents and relatives of children who died in the earthquake and harassed activists and lawyers who tried to assist them.

Widespread corruption not only caused the death of many children when their schools collapsed, but has also dogged aid efforts. Money meant to help the survivors has been embezzled by corrupt officials.

One year after the earthquake, Beijing is presenting a picture of unity, reconstruction and a return to normality. Meanwhile there is no sign of the promised investigation into why so many schools collapsed, the parents are still grieving, and many have lost hope of any kind of redress.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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The new H1N1 virus so far shown no signs of sustained person-to-person spread outside of North America, meaning it has not reached pandemic proportions, a senior World Health Organisation official said Monday.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant director-general, also told a news briefing it was too early to say whether the swine flu virus would cause a pandemic, adding that, “It is still a confusing situation.”

UK researchers have found evidence supporting the theory that the virus originated in Mexico. But the worst impact is still in North America, with 60 deaths.

Schools throughout Mexico were scrubbed from floor to ceiling last week and the 20 million students who returned Monday were told to follow strict hygiene rules.

Monitoring of the situation continues.

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Indonesian radio station Era Baru continues to fight in the courts over what they say is the illegal cancellation of their broadcasting permit by country’s judiciary.

Representatives for the popular, but outspoken, broadcaster said that recent irregularities in the handling of their case were part of a planned agenda to keep them from broadcasting.

They point to the sudden change of judges as evidence, noting that as soon as the new board arrived the case was rejected without no consideration of the prior court proceedings.

“The judges made sure that they would not hear testimony from our witnesses,” said an Era Baru representative.

“This decision is not in line with Indonesian law. The judge said this case needs to be sent to the Administrative Courts, but that is very wrong,” the station’s lawyer stated.

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The US born journalist Roxana Saberi was released from jail in Iran Monday, after an appeals court cut her eight-year jail sentence for spying to a suspended two-year term.

Her release resolved a case that was straining US-Iranian relations at a time when U.S. President Barack Obama wanted to engage with Tehran after three decades of mutual mistrust.

“This is excellent news,” press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders said. “The appeal court’s decision to free her can be used as a legal precedent for other journalists currently detained in Iran.”

Iran denies Western allegations it is seeking to stifle dissenting voices. The government says it welcomes constructive criticism and upholds the principle of free speech.

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Residents fleeing their homes in America because of tainted Chinese drywall will get help if legislation passed by the House of Representatives last Thursday is put into law, reports The Epoch Times.

Many residents, chiefly in Florida, are leaving their homes after experiencing multiple health issues. Typical symptoms associated with the Chinese drywall include bleeding noses, sinus trouble, fatigue, headaches, asthma, and bronchitis. All are thought to be caused by toxic sulphur gases emitting from the drywall.

Affected houses often smell like rotten eggs, metal in the homes is turning black, and appliances are failing.

Thousands of homes are thought to be affected by the Chinese drywall, which was mainly imported between 2004 and 2007, during the housing boom and hurricane rebuild.

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