Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 15th December

In this Bulletin…

- Eyewitness recounts organ harvesting in China;
- China officials would face arrest in Taiwan with proposed law; and
- Cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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An eyewitness has recounted in vivid detail the story of a female Falun Gong practitioner in China-a high school teacher in her 30s-who was detained, tortured, raped, and finally operated on to extract her organs while she was still alive.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a policeman who worked for the public security system of Liaoning Province in 2002 said he himself had participated in torturing and interrogating Falun Gong practitioners many times.

It is the first time investigators have spoken to an eyewitness in a case of harvesting organs from a living practitioner.

A 30-minute interview, in two separate conversations, was carried out by an investigator from the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong and a recording is available on its Web site.

Read the entire story at The Epoch Times.

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According to the Center for Global Development, China is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter and emissions have jumped 120 percent since the start of this decade, causing devastating effects on the environment and human health.

Thick air pollution, coal dust and contaminating factory run-off, have become part of daily life for many Chinese people.

Those who live and work near factories are suffering from a range of health problems, like lung cancer or birth defects.

For decades, the Chinese regime has placed little or no restrictions on waste from factories, plants, and power stations.

See more on this story at NTDTV.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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A Taiwan legislator and a group of human rights attorneys have proposed laws to ban serious human rights violators from visiting Taiwan, reports The Epoch Times.

The announcement came at a press conference on International Human Rights Day.

Five high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials who have recently been indicted by a Spanish court for their role in the torture and genocide of Falun Gong practitioners would be impacted by the proposed legislation.

They could face arrest if they came to Taiwan.

The Taiwanese legislator said that Taiwan is facing a moral crisis in choosing wealth or freedom.

Read more on this at The Epoch Times.

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China’s Beijing Automotive is buying the intellectual property of two of General Motor’s Saab models as well as some car parts to use in their own branded vehicles.

The Saab brand is still up for sale by General Motors however and Dutch car-maker Spyker is in talks over a deal.

Beijing Automotive had in the past been part of a failed takeover bid for the whole of Saab, but that bid had been called off.

General Motors has warned that it will drop the Saab brand completely if it fails to find a suitable buyer.

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

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In what is being called Pakistan’s biggest bank heist, robbers have stolen at least $3.7 million US dollars worth of American dollars, Euros and Pounds from a bank in Karachi’s financial district.

The theft took place at one of Pakistan’s largest banks, just shy of 100 metres from police headquarters.

Police are saying the gang was led by one of the bank’s guards and have launched an investigation, but have made no arrest so far. They will be looking for ties to terrorists.

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There is a cholera outbreak in the remote regions of Papua New Guinea with new reports that it’s gaining pace and spreading to more populated areas and claiming more lives, according to The Epoch Times.

Cholera, which has not been seen in Papua for over 50 years, was first reported in the remote northern province of Morobe in August this year and claimed 40 lives.

It has now spread 500 kilometres west of East Sepik Province, with over 335 cholera cases reported in East Sepik Province and eight confirmed deaths.

Papua New Guinea is Australia’s closest northern neighbour with a population of around 6.1 million.

Read more on this story at The Epoch Times.

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