Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 22nd December

In this Bulletin…

- SOH radio partners in Indonesia and Taiwan suppressed;
- China loses WTO entertainment imports appeal; and
- India’s wettest place suffers water shortage.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China.
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SOH Radio Network President Allen Zheng is highly concerned about the situation of SOH partner Era Baru Radio in Indonesia, where the Chinese regime is pressuring Indonesia to close down one of its own media.

Mr Zheng said he is calling upon friends, news media and governments around the world to work together and help save the Era Baru station.

In Taiwan, the Chinese regime is also controlling SOH partner Radio Taiwan International (RTI), an SOH partner for six years.

Taiwan Representative Ms Ko said RTI told her next year’s contract with SOH couldn’t be processed due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party.

Listen to Inside China Today for more on this story.

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According to a report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China is dealing with more acute problems than ever before as crime and social unrest is on the rise.

Although reports of alleged economic growth have supposedly provided a greater number of jobs, China has definitely seen much more social-conflict in 2009 than ever before.

The authors of the report believe deep resentment has been accumulating against unfairness and power abuses by government officials at various levels.

Nevertheless, the report says that people are turning more and more to the internet to expose failings and abuses.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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China has lost an appeal to the World Trade Organisation against a ruling that called for it to stop restricting imports and distribution of US film and music.

In August, the WTO had ruled that China’s policy of allowing goods to be imported and distributed by state-run firms alone broke global trade rules.

China’s current restrictions on US entertainment imports have created a large domestic counterfeit industry, much to US annoyance.

Washington has long accused China of trade protectionism and keeping the Yuan undervalued to make exports artificially cheap.

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The Supreme Court in Burma has agreed to a request to hear an appeal against pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s latest detention.

Ms Suu Kyi had been found guilty in August of violating terms of her house arrest when an American man swam uninvited to her lakeside home in Rangoon.

Originally sentenced to three years in prison, her sentence was later commuted to 18 months of house arrest.

Her lawyers told reporters that their request for an appeal hearing had been granted, although no date has yet been set.

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You are listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network

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Located in northeastern India and once considered one of the world’s wettest places, Cherrapunji is getting up to 20 per cent less rain every year and is suffering water shortages.

Residents say their town is hotter and drier than ever before and they blame it on global warming as they take no part in industrialisation.

Townspeople now have to purchase water in the winter when rains are scarce.

Cherrapunji’s weather office says erratic rainfalls started in the beginning of the decade and their average rainfall has dropped by about 20 percent in the last five years.

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Charity aid organisations are strongly criticising the international community for failing to help end Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Just ahead of the anniversary of Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip, the charities condemned not just Israel but the world community.

The charities are calling for more pressure to be exerted on Israel to end what they describe as its illegal collective punishment of Gaza residents.

An Israeli spokesperson said sanctions would remain in place as long as Hamas is committed to destroying Israel and killing Israelis.

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