Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Friday 4th December

In this Bulletin…

- AIDS advocates on house arrest in Henan;
- European Union hearing on human rights in China; and
- Violent clashes in Mumbai.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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SOH’s Inside China Today reported that because of a lack of regulation on blood transfusions, there are more and more AIDS patients in China because of infections from blood products.

These patients do not have the necessary medical care nor any guarantee on their livelihood, and were denied their rights to appeal.

On the eve of World AIDS Day, many advocates for Chinese AIDS patients went to government offices to appeal, only to be put on house arrest.

AIDS advocate Tian Xi said there is a much wider spread of AIDS in China than is know by the world at large, he stated that the situation is quite grim.

Listen to the full report on SOH’s Inside China Today.

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The Chinese regime’s massive stimulus package is worsening the country’s overcapacity problem, according to a report released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

For example, China’s alleged current annual steel production is 660 million tons, exceeding the market demand of 470 million tons.

An expert on China’s economy blames the political system for overcapacity and says that because local authorities do not need to pay back the money borrowed, they over-invest and overcapacity occurs, resulting in a large amount of waste of its own resources.

China then lowers its prices to dump excess product on the global market.

Read the entire story at The Epoch Times.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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The European Union Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights held an open hearing in Brussels this week, discussing religious freedom, minority rights and political prisoners in China, reports NTDTV.

The European Parliament’s clear objective was for China to open up and guarantee its citizens civic and political rights.

Members of the Parliament criticised the Chinese communist regime’s treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, missing rights activists and treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Participants questioned the usefulness of the E.U.-China Human Rights Dialogue held in Beijing on November 20th, calling it a marginalized dialogue among officials.

Watch NTDTV for more on this story.

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North Korea is believed to be in the process of drastic re-denomination of its currency, the won, as reported by North Korean traders in north-eastern China.

Experts say the move is economically and politically motivated.

The re denomination would knock two zeros off the nominal value of each banknote, meaning a 1,000 won note valued at seven US dollars will now be worth just 10 won. The exchange rate would then be adjusted.

The news, carried in a media report, has not yet been confirmed by Pyongyang – or by the South Korean government.

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

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The city of Mumbai is in the grip of a severe water shortage with supply cuts of between 15 to 30 per cent being imposed in many areas. Violent clashes between police and protesters have broken out.

Police have reportedly used sticks to beat back thousands of demonstrators protesting against the water supply cuts.

Officials say the insufficient rainfall this monsoon season is the cause for the shortage and that supply cuts will continue until next year’s monsoon season.

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In his first foreign policy act as Australian Opposition Leader, Tony Abbot has riled the Chinese communist regime by meeting with the Dalai Lama.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said China was firmly opposed to the Dalia Lama’s visit, and that the position was consistent and clear.

Mr Abbot said he understood there are diplomatic sensitivities in these areas in which opposition leaders can do what prime ministers find more difficult.

Although Prime Minister Kevin Rudd did not meet with the Lama during his visit, his office rejected it was due to fears of upsetting China.

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