Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 6th September

In this bulletin …

- Hong Kong reporters beaten by police in Xinjiang;
- Six missing in Korea flood mystery; and
- Sri Lanka expels UNICEF official.

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Three Hong Kong reporters were beaten and taken away by armed police while covering a protest in Urumqi, the capital city of China’s northwestern Xinjiang Province, on September 4, as reported by the Epoch Times.

Lin Zhenwei, a Hong Kong NOW TV cameraman, Lin Zihao, a TVB reporter, and Liu  Yongquan, a TVB cameraman, were suddenly taken down by armed police with their hands  twisted behind their backs.

The three Hong Kong journalists were later released after strong protests from Hong Kong.

A number of news agencies strongly condemned the Xinjiang authorities for using violence to prevent journalists from reporting on the demonstration.

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Two Indian priests where attacked by protesters at one of Nepal’s holiest Hindu sites, the Pashupatinath temple. Nepal is expressing regret over this attack.

The Minister for culture in Nepal said the priests’ attackers would be found and punished.

The protesters are backed by the Maoist party and are demanding the appointment of Nepali priests.

On Saturday the Indian priests, who had been beaten severely, started work at the temple amid tight security.

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In South Korea rescue workers are looking for six people believed to have been swept away from a campsite in a mysterious flash flood.

Officials say they are investigating whether the surge came from a new dam in North Korea, further up stream.

They say there has been no rainfall recently in the area at Yeoncheon, 60km (37 miles) north-east of Seoul.

More than 1,000 rescue workers are scouring a stretch of the Imjin River, close to the border with the North.

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In China’s far-west city of Urumqi tensions have been lifted after two officials were fired and doctors reassured a spate of needle attacks would not spread AIDS.

Tens of thousands of Han Chinese demonstrated to call for the resignation of regional party secretary Wang Lequan late last week, saying he had failed to ensure their security. Some protesters also tried to storm Uighur areas.

Rumours of needle attacks have been rife in Urumqi, which has been cut off from the internet and has limited phone access for two months.

The Chinese Government says 513 people have so far lodged reports of needle attacks but only 106 showed any physical signs of injury.

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A rescue operation is under way in the Philippines after a ferry sank with more than 960 people on board.

Coastguards say 900 people have now been rescued from the Super Ferry 9 but five people have died and more than 60 are still unaccounted for.

The passenger ferry was sailing off the southern Zamboanga peninsula when it began listing.
It issued a distress call, prompting the coastguard, the navy, the air force and private boats to help.

The Philippine Defence minister, Gilberto Teodoro, said that the rescue operation had been helped by good weather and the presence of other vessels close to the site.

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Sri Lankan authorities have ordered a senior United Nations official to leave the country over comments he made during the war with Tamil Tiger rebels.

James Elder’s visa has been cancelled over his “propaganda in support of the Tigers.

Mr Elder, a spokesman for the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, regularly spoke to the media on the plight of children caught up in the conflict.

Sri Lanka declared victory in its war against Tamil Tigers in May.

Mr Elder had raised UN concerns over the fate of children and civilians regularly during the final stages of the government assault in northern Sri Lanka.

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