AsiaCast

Asia Cast for Thursday 29th October

In this Bulletin…

- Pollution hotspots mapped by activists in China;
- UN to review security after Afghanistan deaths; and
- Sri Lankan asylum seekers remain in limbo.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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Online activists from Fujian Province have compiled a Google map of the worst-polluted areas in China.

Peter Guo Baofeng said they were inspired by a prize-winning series of photos documenting the severity of environmental pollution in China and a Google map showing the areas with the highest number of reported cancer cases.

Guo said he was shocked when he saw the photos by Lu Gang and wanted to compile them in a way that reflected their geographical location. When this map was superimposed with the locations of China’s so-called cancer villages there were many matches.

You can read more on this in The Epoch Times.

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The Epoch Times has reported on the growing concerns in Xinjiang that the Chinese regime won’t restore the region’s internet.

Xinjiang’s internet has been continuously blocked by the authorities since the eruption of ethnic violence in July.

Local media personality Wang Dahao believes these kinds of actions by the regime to supposedly ensure security and bring stability to society actually create more chaos.

A number of politically sensitive anniversaries fall in 2009. Beijing has used any occasion to mount security increases and crackdowns on dissidents. Wang said that there were so many national holidays each year the regime could always make an excuse not to restore Xinjiang’s internet.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Activists held a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Manila Wednesday in protest at a Chinese oil and gas project in Burma.

The protest was part of a global day of action against the Shwe Gas Project. Similar events were held in India, Thailand and South Korea. in Manila a letter calling for the suspension of the project was handed into the consulate.

Isagani Abunda, of the Free Burma Coalition said the Chinese regime should stop the project because it would just result in more human rights violations in Burma, including forced labour and possible rape of women and girls in Burma.

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Relations between the EU and Taiwan have been strengthened by the announcement Taiwanese nationals could travel visa-free in the near future.

Charles Tannock, a British member of the European Parliament, revealed that he is working to persuade the EU to grant visa-free privileges to Taiwanese visitors.

Tannock made the remarks in a speech on the Taiwan-EU partnership at the National Taiwan University International Convention Center in Taipei City.

He said Taiwan was an important trade partner of many European countries, noting that although the EU maintains diplomatic ties with China, its friendship toward Taiwan remains strong.

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

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Five UN staff members were killed in an attack on a private guest house in central Kabul Wednesday. Nine others were injured.

The agency is reviewing its security procedures, but remains committed to its work in Afghanistan.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there were at least 25 UN staff members at the guest house, including 17 from the UN election team. He condemned the attack as a shocking and shameless act of terrorism.

The UN has been assisting with the organisation of a second round in the country’s flawed presidential elections.

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Australia remains divided over asylum seekers. While the country receives only a fraction of what the UN estimates to be more than 15 million refugees globally, it remains a contentious issue.

In the latest incident to reignite the debate the government is avoiding answering questions concerning 78 Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka. The group have spent 10 days aboard an Australian Customs ship in Indonesian waters.

Australian and Indonesian authorities are negotiating over the terms of an agreement. Each wants the other to accept the Tamils. The group is refusing to leave the ship and local Indonesian authorities are also refusing to take them.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister has refused to say whether they could be brought to Christmas Island, an Australian territory.

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