Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 1st March

In this Bulletin…

- Expert says Beijing fears traditional culture revival;
- Tsunami danger thought over; and
- Taiwan Lantern Festival lights up night sky.

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

**********************

A Chinese law academic has told SOH the mysterious disappearance of the husband of a Shen Yun Performing arts soloist shows the Chinese regime hates and fears the New York-based performance company.

Yuan Hongbing spoke to SOH’s Chinese reporters about the suspected abduction of Jiang Feng, the husband of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ erhu virtuoso Mei Xuan.

One reason Yuan gave for the interference with the company’s highly popular world tour is that it exposes the ugly fact that the Chinese regime has been trampling the traditional culture of it’s own country for the last 60 years.

SOH has learned that the families of other artists’ families in China have also been harassed.

**********************

A human rights activist in Beijing is offering a new way for petitioners to try and get their messages to China’s leadership.

Taking one’s case to Beijing when grievances with local authorities remain unresolved is allowed under Chinese law; it’s just strongly discouraged however. Many petitioners are driven out of Beijing by security forces. But, this doesn’t prevent more petitioners from arriving every day.

Now, Wu Guangzhou is compiling a video of hundreds of petitioners’ speeches. He wants to deliver the video to the National People’s Congress.

Wu told NTDTV he’s recorded nearly 1000 speeches and every day hundreds attend filming sessions. He said everyone has something to say because they want corruption to stop and be punished.

Watch NTDTV to hear from Wu, and the petitioners he’s helping.

**********************

And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

**********************

Japan’s northern Pacific coast was hit by a one metre tsunami on Sunday. The wave nearly struck 24 hours after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile.

Thousands had been told to leave coastal areas amid worries of larger waves. It was Japan’s fist tsunami warning in 15 years.

Other Pacific nations were hit by tsunamis, but the danger is now thought to have passed.

Initially, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had warned of possible widespread devastation. But the Centre said as the Chilean quake occurred in shallow water it didn’t generate such big waves.

**********************

North and South Korea have agreed to talks on easing access to the jointly run Kaesong industrial estate.

Over a hundred South Korean funded plants employ tens of thousands of North Koreans at Kaesong. The complex is just north of the militarized border between the North and the South.

The talks are supposed to discuss how transport and communication links to the estate can be improved.

Both sides had been at odds over where to hold the talks. But, Seoul finally agreed to Pyongyang’s demands that they be held in Kaesong.

The meeting comes amid a period of heightened tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and military exercises.

**********************

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

**********************

The Taiwan annual Lantern Festival was sparked into life by the Taiwanese vice president on Sunday.

The lantern festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar. It’s the first celebration of the lunar calender after Chinese New Year.

In Taiwan the festival is a big event.

Every year in Taipei County’s Pinghsi Township, sky lanterns made from rice paper and bamboo are released into the night sky. This year almost 100,000 lanterns floated above the mountainous township.

Taiwan’s president and a senior advisor jointly lit a lantern at Pinghsi praying for national peace and auspiciousness.

**********************

Organisers of a multi-cultural festival in northeast India hope the event will promote closer ties within the region itself and with neighbouring Southeast Asian countries.

The Inter-Cultural Dialogue began in the Indian state of Assam. It’s set to cover a number of other states in the region before winding up in New Delhi.

Around 150 artists and performers from Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia as well as the northeast India are giving various traditional performances to showcase their own traditional art and culture.

Organisers say the festival takes advantage of the cultural history relationship  between Southeast Asia and northeast India to help rediscover old ties.

Watch NTDTV to get a taste of the action.

**********************

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