Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 9th March

In this Bulletin…

- Chinese regime continues harassment to Shen Yun families;
- Thailand vows to prevent protest violence; and
- Australia says Sydney air quality to worsen.

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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An overseas Falun Gong investigative group believes that the husband of a Shen Yun Performing Arts soloist has been sent to a brainwashing facility in China.

The WOIPFG made the announcement after investigating the mysterious disappearance of Jiang Feng.

Jiang’s wife, Mei Xuann, has enjoyed great success as an erhu virtuoso with Shen Yun Performing Arts. She believes the kidnapping of her husband is part of the regime’s plot to interfere with the show’s tour.

Other members of Shen Yun have also reported harassment of their families in China. This case however, is the most severe to date.

For more on the circumstances of Jiang’s disappearance visit The Epoch Times.

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The Chinese Communist Party’s largest English language newspaper has undergone a US$6.5 billion dollar makeover. It is part of a plan to expand the regime’s global media network, in efforts to gain foothold on the world’s media stage.

Meanwhile, at home its tight grip on freedom of expression shows no signs of easing up.

Recently, all independent online news services were outlawed. Online journalists are not allowed press cards, and cannot conduct interviews or make news reports.

Critics are calling it a double standard, saying if online journalism is illegal, why are regime-sanctioned online journalists from the People’s Daily legal?

See more of this story at NTDTV.com.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Thailand’s government has vowed to take all means within the law to prevent expected protest violence. They are preparing for major protesting from the former prime minister’s supporters.

Hundreds of thousands of Thaksin supporters are expected to gather in Bangkok on Saturday. They will gather in the wake of a court decision that seized US$1.4 billion dollars of the ousted PM’s fortune.

The protests by the masses known as “Red Shirts” promise to be the biggest since last April, when up to 100,000 took to the streets.

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In India, a bill which would reserve one third of high-ranking government seats has been reintroduced, sparking protests in the upper house.

The bill which would reserve seats in parliament and state legislatures was first proposed in 1996, but never passed. This time it has the backing of India’s main parties.

However, voting was due on Monday, but delays ensued as protests forced the upper house to adjourn.

At present, women make up just 10 percent of the lower house of parliament and even less in state assemblies.

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

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At least 13 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in Lahore, Pakistan say local police.

More than 60 others were injured when a car containing explosives targeted an anti-terrorist wing of the federal investigative agency.

The quantity of explosives is said to have been so large, it was able to bring down the two-story building.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban told the BBC they were responsible for the attack.

Passers-by, including children on their way to school, were said to be among the dead and injured.

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An Australian government report says Sydney’s air quality is only going to worsen significantly over the next 15 years. The report says residents will suffer increased respiratory diseases from the rising levels.

It said the problem will be worst in the region stretching from Richmond in the north to Macarther in the south and centred in Bringelly. These are major growth areas where ozone is already found at higher levels.

The report argued the government should take additional measures to reduce emissions and said car emissions are the single largest contributor to ozone levels.

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