Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Saturday 19th September

In this Bulletin…

- Suspicions over Beijing’s involvement in attacks by Burmese military;
- Taiwan to establish foreign aid network ; and
- Maoist rebels growing stronger in India.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
**********************

Thousands of church members in Shanxi Province joined in prayer earlier this week after a surprise night-time attack by authorities left the building they were constructing in ruins.

Members of the Shanxi Linfeng Fushan Church were nearly done building what they say was meant to be a shoe factory, and the workers were living on-site. But local authorities thought they were constructing a church without a permit.

Church member Hongzhen Yang told Sound of Hope that more than 400 police and hired thugs surrounded the building at 3am on Sunday 13. She said they then broke through the front door with bulldozers and began beating up whoever was inside.

Watch the NTDTV report for more on this.

**********************

Analysts suspect that recent attacks by the Burmese military on ethnic Chinese in the country’s Shan State may have been supported by China, says The Epoch Times.

Shan State, is one of three autonomous regions in northern Burma. The region’s social structure and most of its residents are ethnic Chinese. But these autonomous states announced a split with the Communist Party of Burma in 1989.

China has long been equipping Burma’s army, but has played down the attacks. It is thought Beijing may have supported the attacks as part of a multi-billion dollar gas and oil deal between the two regimes and as an attempt to influence next year’s Burmese elections.

**********************
And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
**********************

According to reports from India two members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were recently injured by gunfire from the Chinese side of the border, says The Epoch Times.

The shooting occurred in an area identified as Kerang in Northern Sikkim two weeks ago but has been kept under wraps. It was anonymously confirmed by an intelligence official on Monday, but there have been no official reports from either side.

This was the first incident of gunfire across the border since the landmark 1996 Sino-India agreement in which both sides pledged not to open fire over the border for any reason.

**********************

Taiwan is aiming to boost its international credentials by establishing its own foreign aid network and making its aid programmes more efficient.

Chen Lien-gene, secretary-general of Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund said a new aid framework will be created in accordance with the 2000 United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals and the 2005 Paris Declaration.

Chen made the comments at a week-long exhibition in New York being held to show that despite not being a United Nations member, Taiwan has been capable of contributing to the rest of the world.

**********************
You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
**********************

Indian police say security forces and Maoist insurgents have clashed violently in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

They say that at least seven Maoists were killed in the fight, and one paramilitary soldier.

The clashes happened during an operation to remove more than 100 insurgents from a forest amid worries the guerrillas were growing stronger.

Thousands of people have died in the Maoist insurgency since it began in the 1960s. The rebels, who control large swathes of territory across central India, say they are fighting for the rights of the poor.

**********************

As Burma’s ruling junta granted amnesty to thousands of prisoners across the country lawyers for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi appealed her 18-month house arrest to the high court Friday.

Human Rights Watch estimates there are 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.

Exiled journalist Aung Zaw told reporters that the amnesty was the ruling junta’s tactic for diverting attention from the high-profile Suu Kyi. The U.N. Security Council has expressed serious concern over her conviction and the European Union adopted additional sanctions against Burma.

**********************

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