Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Thursday 5th November

In this Bulletin…

- Economic development harming democracy in China;
- Typhoon damage helps Taiwan’s wildlife to recover; and
- Increase in girls trafficked from Laos for Thai sex trade.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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Speakers at a recent forum hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York discussed how in China economic development has strengthened dictatorial rule.

The forum focused on democracy in Asia.

A growing middle class population is usually a driving force for democracy. But Dr. Vincent Wei-Cheng Wang, Chair of Political Science at the University of Richmond, said in China Beijing’s policies ensure the middle class only care about their own interests. He said they accept certain political issues are taboo in return for being allowed to do nearly everything else they want.

Wang said the Chinese Communist Party now faced a problem. If the economy deteriorated the 100 million Chinese in the middle class could become discontented and not so happy to follow along.

Read The Epoch Times for more on this.

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A human rights organisation has warned that a security campaign Chinese authorities are launching in Xinjiang will only create more instability.

Police in Xinjiang told state media the latest ‘strike hard’ campaign was a manhunt to capture demonstrators involved in July’s riots.

Sophie Richardson, Asia Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch said it was these kinds of ‘strike hard’ campaigns that contributed to tensions and unrest in Xinjiang. She added they have not created the conditions for the kind of stability the Chinese regime says it wants.

Richardson said that stability came from people being able to peacefully speak their minds without fear of reprisal.

NTDTV has more on this

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Forest rangers at one of Taiwan’s national parks have said that the typhoon damage has helped native wildlife, including some rare species, to flourish.

Torrential rains brought by Typhoon Morakot triggered landslides in many of Taiwan’s mountain regions, including the Yushan National Park.

An official from the Forest Bureau said damage to the trails leading to Siangyang and Jiaming Lake meant hikers had disappeared, allowing many endemic animal species to reclaim their lost territory.

In previous years thousands of hikers would visit the area every weekend.

One of the rangers said with the absence of any people the region had been able to resume its function as a safe heaven for wild animals.

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An NGO in Thailand has told Radio Free Asia that the number of girls from neighbouring Laos being trafficked into Thailand and forced into prostitution is increasing.

The Bangkok-based Mirror Foundation said the numbers of 15 to 19 year old girls trafficked into prostitution from Laos to Thailand had risen by 20 per cent compared with last year.

The group’s spokesman, Niran Keokaseth, said brokers in Laos persuade the girls to leave their poverty-stricken villages to come to Thailand with promises of good jobs. However, they are forced to work as prostitutes once they arrive.

Experts cite the global financial crisis as a major cause for the increase. As factories close, joblessness worsens, and migrant workers and others become prey for unscrupulous brokers.

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

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India is worried that Pakistan may not be able to safeguard its nuclear assets from the Taliban.

India’s junior defense minister said the internal security situation in Pakistan seemed to be deteriorating everyday. He was concerned about Pakistan’s long term ability to adequately safeguard its nuclear assets and hoped that adequate security measures were being taken.

Insurgents have stepped up attacks amid a major offensive by the Pakistani army targeting Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan, near the Afghan border.

The offensive is a test of the government’s determination to tackle Islamic fundamentalists. It’s being closely followed by the US and other powers carrying out military operations in Afghanistan.

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Australia and New Zealand have expelled Fiji’s top envoys as their relationship with the Pacific island’s military leader deteriorated.

The two countries announced the expulsions a day after Fiji said it would expel their senior diplomats.

Fiji’s military leader Frank Bainimarama had alleged the two regional powers had been interfering in Fiji’s judiciary.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the Fijian regime had violated the constitution. Adding that Bainimarama refused to hold elections and had suspended the judiciary.

Rudd said Australia had taken a deliberately hard-line approach to the Fijian regime because it does not want Bainimarama’s coup culture to spread elsewhere in the Pacific.

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