Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Thursday 28th May

In this bulletin…

- Tortured man told there are no human rights in China;
- Sri Lanka makes some concessions for aid agencies; and
- Death toll from cyclone Aila tops 200.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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The stabbing of two Party officials by a karaoke waitress they tried to rape remains a closely watched story in China, despite the authorities banning further media coverage. A formal complaint filed by the girl’s lawyer has revealed new details about the case, reports The Epoch Times.

Deng Yujiao fought back against the men when they tried to rape her at the Xiongfeng Hotel in Badong, Hubei Province. She fatally stabbed Deng Guida while trying to defend herself.

A lawsuit has now been brought against the other official, Huang Dezhi, following the actions of Deng’s lawyer.

The Epoch Times has uncovered several irregularities in the police’s handling of the case.

The Badong County Press Office also released a statement saying Deng’s lawyer had been fired, something Deng’s mother said was untrue.

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A Falun Gong practitioner who was tortured by police in China and then denied medical treatment was told he was not in the United States and that there are no human rights in China, according to NTDTV.

Cai Guojun’s mother, Cai Shengli, said her son was targeted because he persisted in following the traditional meditation practice despite the regime’s persecution of Falun Gong.

She said he was slapped in the face, kicked and punched, and had chains put around his chest when police came to arrest him. He also broke his leg when he tried to escape and fell.

Despite being partially disabled, Guojun was sentenced to five years in prison by a court in the Ningxia Autonomous Region. His mother is appealing for help in bringing the security officers who attacked her son to justice.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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The prime minister of Malaysia has confirmed that the exiled leader of the Malayan Communist Party, Chin Peng, will not be allowed to return to the country, says The Epoch Times.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the return of the former terrorist would only bring dissatisfaction, especially to the families of those who died during Malaysia’s war for independence.

Malaysia won independence from British rule in 1957, but its aftermath sparked three decades of sustained communist insurgency lead by Chin.

The issue of Chin’s return became a hot topic after the Supreme Court upheld a decision to refuse his repatriation and a government minister commented that it would be a disaster if communism was allowed to return to Malaysia.

Chin’s supporters say he no longer poses a threat.

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Four out of the top ten IT companies in BusinessWeek’s 2009 InfoTech 100 list are from Taiwan, despite the global recession hurting Taiwanese exporters.

The American magazine combed the financial results of tens of thousands of publicly traded businesses and ranked technology companies based on four criteria—shareholder return, return on equity, total revenues and revenue growth.

The four Taiwanese firms—Inventec, Quanta Computer, Wistron and Acer—have all benefited from the rise in popularity of netbooks, which are smaller, and cheaper than other laptops.

The US had three out the top ten companies, with Amazon.com taking the number one spot for the second year running.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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The first signs that Sri Lanka may be listening to the pleas from the United Nations and other aid agencies in addressing the country’s refugee situation have been seen.

The restrictions on motor vehicles in the country’s largest refugee camp that had hampered aid distribution have now been relaxed. But the U.N said the needs of people there remain acute.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently visited the Manik Farm refugee camp, where some 220,000 people displaced by the fighting between Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces in northeastern Sri Lanka have been relocated.

A 25-year war ended earlier this month with the Tigers’ defeat.

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According to official reports, over 200 people have now been killed by Cyclone Aila—which hit Bangladesh and the eastern Indian state of West Bengal earlier this week.

At least 500,000 people are said to have been made homeless by the storm.
The situation is particularly grim in the Sundarbans, the mangrove forest and home of rare Bengal tigers, where thousands are stranded by flood waters.

The military has joined relief efforts, but has not yet reached some of the devastated areas.

Officials say the storm has weakened, but heavy rains continue to damage crops and cause floods and landslides in many areas.

Cyclone Aila made landfall in south-western Bangladesh on Monday afternoon. Coastal areas were flooded and uprooted trees caused chaos in Calcutta.

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And now for our Shen Yun Performing Arts quote of the day
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Solomon and Ruthie—both folk dancers—attended the opening night of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the California Centre for the Arts in Escondido. They saw the show last year and were so impressed they had to bring their family and friends with them this time.

Ruthie noted how the women portray gracefulness and the men strength, adding that the costumes were beautiful.

Solomon thought the computer animated backdrop really brought the show to life with its colour and the way the dancers interacted with it and made it a part of the performance.

SOH is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour, listen to our special coverage at sohnetwork.com.

For more information on the shows please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

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