Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 10th February

In this Bulletin…

- China’s new demolition regulations condemned;
- Renowned Taiwan scientist asked to leave China for “bad attitude”; and
- India postpones growing genetically modified crops.

But first we have our Shen Yun quote of the day

[audio]

For more information please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

Our SOH focus on China is next

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New property regulations for housing demolitions in China have just been released, and according to an SOH investigation it has received widespread condemnation.

One human rights activist told SOH the regulations will create a legal hotbed for forced evictions because of inclusions of commercial relocations.

Commercial demolition, he says, is a different relationship from public welfare. The regulations will be difficult to implement due to corruption amongst officials.

A victim of forced demolitions in Shanghai says the regulations don’t grant any protection to victims, and only provide protection to developers and officials.

For more on this story, visit Inside China Today.

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There’s been an international outcry over the disappearance of Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. He has been missing for one year, reports NTDTV.

Security forces took Gao from his home in Shanxi Province at midnight on February 4th of last year. Since then, he’s been held without charge; his current whereabouts still unknown.

President of Texas-based ChinaAid said that without Gao’s pioneering work, the Falun Gong spiritual group wouldn’t have a chance of getting their cases publicly heard in China.

Gao was in contact with persecuted house Christians in China and represented those in China suffering from religious freedom violations.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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A renowned Taiwanese nano-scientist at Beijing’s Tsinghua University has been ordered to leave China for a so-called bad attitude.

He had gone to Beijing’s Security Bureau to extend his visa application which was two days expired. However, he did not understand a question on the application, which asked him to explain his “attitude” in the Reason for Expiration section.

Not being able to understand the question about attitude after repeated questioning, he was detained in an investigation room for one day.

After the incident, he has been asked to leave China for the misunderstanding at the Beijing Security Bureau.

Read the entire story at The Epoch Times.

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Candidates for the Philippines national elections have started campaigning on Tuesday. One candidate is the son of former president Corazon Aquino.

The candidates are reportedly making promises of reform and economic progress. One political analyst said that voters will vote for candidates who will address their problems; problems with food security, poverty and securing jobs.

Though popularity may take a backseat, money is still a big factor in this presidential campaign. Candidates are expected to hold large rallies and pay for expensive media advertisements.

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

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Sri Lanka’s newly re-elected president dissolved parliament on Tuesday. His spokesman said it will clear the way for a national election two months ahead of schedule.

Official sources said voting is likely to be on April 8 and the new session of the next parliament will be on April 22. A formal announcement is expected from the polls chief after receiving nominations during this month.

Hours before parliament was dissolved, the government announced it was launching court martial proceedings against the defeated main opposition presidential candidate and former army chief.

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India has decided to postpone the commercial cultivation of genetically modified vegetable crops due to safety concerns.

The environment minister of India said more studies were needed to ensure the modified aubergine crops were safe for consumer consumption and the environment.

The genetically modified vegetable has undergone field trials since 2008 with approval from government scientists in 2009. However, public sentiment is negative and has created quite a stir.

It appears any cultivation of GM vegetables in India is on hold indefinitely.

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