Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for the week ending Friday 30th July

In this bulletin:

- Floods devastate South Asia,
- Dalian oil clean-up ineffective,
- Thousands rally to keep Cantonese language, and
- Surprise by-election win for South Korean president.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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NTDTV-Chinese state media said Thursday severe flooding in Jilin had washed thousands of chemical storage barrels into the Songhua River. Official reports said 4,000 of the barrels were empty. But 3,000 contained flammable chemicals and as much as 500 tons of chemicals could still potentially contaminate the river.

Water supplies were cut to parts of Jilin City in response to the incident. A strange odour reportedly spread through down town Jilin as the barrels floated by.

Rains across central and southern China have killed more than 900 people and left over 400 missing so far this year, causing around $26 billion US dollars in damage.

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ET-Environmental damage from last week’s off the coast of China’s Dalian City is already impacting businesses in the region.

Fishermen told The Epoch Times the authorities had not done enough to assist them in the clean-up operation. The attempt to manually scoop and soak up much of the 1,500 ton crude oil spill has not been effective.

Local media reported up to 30 centimetres of oil washed up on some areas of the shoreline.

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Amnesty International is trying to help a journalist recently sentenced to 15 years in prison by China.

Hairat Niyaz is an Uighur journalist from China’s Xinjiang region. He was arrested in October 2009 for allegedly endangering state security. After the 2009 unrest in Urumqi Niyaz spoke to Hong Kong media. At the time of his arrest police said Niyaz had given too many interviews.

During the trial in Urumqi Niyaz said was just carrying out his duty as a citizen and a journalist and had not broken any laws.

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ET-Over 10,000 protesters in the southern province of Guangzhou marched in opposition to an initiative by the Chinese regime to clamp down on their native Cantonese language.

The march was in response to a proposed decrease in Cantonese TV programmes, especially during prime time. Some protesters compared the move to the destruction of traditional culture during the Cultural Revolution.

A human rights activist who supported the march told SOH the event remained peaceful and orderly.

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SOH takes a look across the wider Asia-Pacific region.

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South Korea’s ruling party secured a surprise win in parliamentary by-elections Wednesday.

The Grand National Party took more than half of the seats being contested. The win will boost the political standing of President Lee Myung-bak.

Last month Lee’s party suffered defeats in traditional strongholds during local elections. And the president had been fighting speculation his rule was entering a ‘lame duck’ period.

But the following day the country’s prime minister offered to resign for a second time over failing to win parliamentary support for a government project.

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Hundreds of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan have died in floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains.

More than 300 people were killed in northwest Pakistan and in Afghanistan at least 60 people have perished.

Officials in Pakistan said the flooding in the region is the worst for more than 80 years. The situation could worsen as more rain has been forecast.

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Coming up on Asia Cast:

- Thailand maintains emergency rule in Bangkok,
- Finding a wife getting harder for Asian men, and
- This year’s volcano festival in Sumatra draws to a close.

But first

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

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Back with the rest of today’s Asia Cast I’m Rich Crankshaw

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Thailand’s government is maintaining emergency rule in the capital Bangkok. The announcement made Tuesday followed a deadly bombing last weekend.

Thailand has come under international pressure to end the state of emergency. The prime minister said emergency rule would be gradually lifted in other provinces.

Under emergency rule hundreds of suspected anti-government supporters have been arrested and anti-government media silenced.

In related news a hand grenade exploded on a street in central Bangkok Friday leaving one person with serious head injuries.

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A new wave of migrants have been identified in Asia; wives. A report released this week said particularly in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan men were increasingly looking overseas to find a wife.

In 2009 15 per cent of wives in Taiwan were from overseas. It was eight per cent for South Korea. In Japan the figure is lower, but the phenomenon began decades ago.

The report said the increase in social status among East Asian women was the main reason fewer of them were willing to marry.

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NTDTV-The Dalai Lama inaugurated a 106-foot-tall Buddha statue during his nine-day visit to the Himalayan region of Ladakh. The statue of Buddha Maitreya is at a monastery in India’s Jammu and Kashmir State.

The statue is the tallest in the Ladakh region and took six years to complete. Jammu and Kashmir State has a significant population of Buddhist followers. The state’s chief said the Dalai Lama came and prayed for the people of the region, for peace and brotherhood. Adding they could not wish for anything more.

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On a lighter note.

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The annual Krakatau festival celebrating the famous volcano drew to a close this week. Held in Sumatra’s most southerly province, Lampung, it culminated in a tour of the volcano itself. The only time a ship sails to the volcano is during the festival marking Krakatau’s last, and devastating eruption in 1883.

The festival is also a showcase for the region’s cultural traditions and is main draw for tourist dollars.

One difference this year has been a greater involvement of indigenous people.

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Organisers of the Taipei Tap Festival announced earlier this week the event will feature award-winning dancers from the US and Japan.

The event takes place next month in Taiwan’s capital, as well as the southern city of Kaohsiung.

As well as performing the world-renowned dancers featuring in the festival will also be hosting workshops.

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