Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 28th April

In this Bulletin…

- Chinese media exposes release of farmer from black jail;
- Prime ministers of India and Pakistan to meet; and
- Ousted Kyrgyz leader charged with organizing mass killings.

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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Local media in Guangdong Province have exposed the illegal detention and release of a farmer from a “black jail.” He was detained in a Chinese Communist Party school that was intended for training and education for Party members.

The paper reported he was been kept behind heavily barred windows since March 26th and was watched 24 hours a day, says NTDTV.

The farmer was detained for petitioning in Beijing. Ten years ago, authorities accused him of violating the one-child policy and burned down his house. Since then, he has been trying to petition for justice, but is detained every time.

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Banned independent documentaries from mainland china are being given recognition and increased attention overseas in recent years. Buenos Aires’ 2010 International Festival of Independent Cinema has added a new category, Radical Visions From China.

Four of their eight winning entries from the Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries category were productions by mainland Chinese directors.

Though under heavy pressure in China, independent filmmakers are gaining respect worldwide.

Even under threat of their lives, filmmakers in China persist. One filmmaker criticized that China was inundated with too much tension and hatred. Many people want to be interviewed and have their voices heard.

For the whole story visit The Epoch Times.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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In Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, anti-government protestors brought the city’s train network to a halt.

The protestors shut down a sky-train station temporarily by blocking the entrance with tires. The usually bustling station is located in the busy commercial district Chitlom.

Train engineers had shut the entire network after demonstrators threatened to throw the tires onto the train tracks.

The protest is now on its 48th day. It is comprised of tens of thousands of protesters who continue to camp out in the capital and who say they are in it for the long haul.

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India’s very first blood bank for dogs has been opened. In India, owning pets is a growing trend. But the right to own a pet is exclusively reserved for the middle classes and wealthy, as they can afford animal food and veterinary bills.

28 owners have already registered their dogs for donation since opening Monday.

The facility is partnered with a university that attends to nearly 200 dogs a day. They say dogs’ lives were frequently lost for lack of blood.

Nation-wide, Indian hospitals that attend to humans, face a shortage of human blood.

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

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The prime ministers of Pakistan and India are expected to meet at a regional summit on Wednesday. The two countries have had a strained relationship and have fought three wars.

India’s prime minister had said of the meeting that the winds of change are blowing across the world. Pakistan’s foreign minister said he thinks talks and engagement are a sensible way to move forward.

In February, Pakistan and India held their first formal talks since the 2008 Mumbai attacks and agreed to “remain in touch”.

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The ousted president of Kyrgyzstan has been charged in absentia with organising mass killings, a leader of the interim government says. He said they would seek Mr. Bakiyev’s extradition from Belarus to face trial.

The interim government says the ousted leader’s administration ordered troops to open fire on protestors.

Security forces have already been ordered to request their Belarusian counterparts for Bakiyev’s extradition.

On Monday Russian security forces detained Bakiyev’s former interior minister in Moscow and returned him to the new Kyrgyz authorities.

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