[caption id=”attachment_3657″ align=”alignleft” width=”250″ caption=”Jiang Tianyong (pictured) and another Chinese rights lawyer, Teng Biao, were recognized for this year

A giant fish sculpture made from 2,360 traditional Chinese lanterns and over 2,000 bamboo sticks lights up Hong Kong's Victoria Park in celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival. (By Song Xianglong/The Epoch Times)

In this bulletin:

- Chinese human rights lawyer released,
- Greenpeace highlights China’s toxic produce,
- South Korea pressured over deportations, and
- Asia’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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ET-Chinese human rights lawyer Guo Feixiong was released from prison September 13. Although in poor health and weakened by the ordeal of five years imprisonment, he declared himself unchanged in his core.

Prior to his detention in September 2006, Guo was active in the ‘weiquan’ or rights defense movement. The weiquan is a loose collection of lawyers and intellectuals that sought to protect the rights of ordinary Chinese through litigation.

Guo defended poor peasants whose land had been stolen, Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, and others who have suffered under the Chinese regime. He was a close associate of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who advocated for Guo

Gatot Machali at the microphone at Radio Erabaru's small studio in Batam, Indonesia. (Courtesy of Radio Erabaru)

In this bulletin:

- Slave labour rescue highlights problem,
- Chinese environmental damage under investigation,
- Indonesian broadcaster targeted over Chinese broadcast, and
- Business success squeezes Hong Kong international schools.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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NTD-More slave labour has been discovered in China

Demonstrating against the communist regime's tyranny, protesters are met by a police blockade in Hong Kong. (Courtesy of NTD Television)

In this bulletin:

- China’s hacker army enters Vietnam dispute,
- Hong Kong angry over Chinese leader’s security,
- Greenpeace investigation details toxic sportswear, and
- Bell rings for peace on Taiwan island.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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ET-News reports in June told of escalating confrontations between China and Vietnam over the sovereignty of some islands in the South China Sea. But the Epoch Times says these reports missed a cyber war that broke out between the two countries.

Armies of hackers from both countries set about hacking the websites of the opposing country. Chinese hackers called it a self-defense attack. They became furious after Chinese media reported Vietnamese hackers had broken into a Chinese website on June 2 and posted provocative messages.

Chinese patriotism had already been inflamed by repeated media reports Vietnam was occupying China

Participants in a march in Washington, DC in July celebrate 100 million withdrawals from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)

In this bulletin:

- Facing restrictions Chinese journalists blog news instead,
- Movement to quit CCP reaches 100 million participants,
- New Tibetan political head sworn in, and
- Taiwan’s population rapidly ageing.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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ET-Faced with restrictions on permissible reports, Chinese journalists have turned to Sina.com and other blogs to make important stories known.

In the wake of last month

Malaysian police use tear gas against protesters calling for electoral reform in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday July 9, 2011. (James Chow/The Epoch Times)

In this bulletin:

- Beijing’s glory projects turning sour,
- Grow-your-own taking off in Chinese cities,
- Tibetans jailed for celebrating Dalai Lama’s birthday, and
- Malaysia defends heavy handed reaction to protests.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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NTD-A new highway in China

The snubfin dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni), just one of the 1,060 new species recorded in New Guinea by the WWF. (Isabel Beasley/Wikimedia)

In this bulletin:

- China slammed for extending journalist’s detention,
- Beijing tested by torrential rain,
- Support keeps independent Taiwan broadcaster on-air, and
- World’s largest tropical island yields new species.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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NTD-Press freedom advocates have criticised the Chinese regime for sentencing a journalist to eight more years in jail. Qi Chonghuai was expecting to be released Saturday June 25 after having served a four-year sentence.

But on June 9th authorities in northeastern Shandong Province extended his term. They found him guilty of the same charges he was accused of four years ago.

After Qi Chonghuai exposed local corruption in 2007, he was convicted of extortion and blackmail. While in prison, he also wrote articles about the ill treatment of inmates, which were published on overseas news services. Qi himself was beaten in prison and forced to do hard labour.

On June 9th, authorities accused him again of extortion and blackmail, plus an additional charge of stealing advertising revenue from a former employer. They found him guilty and extended his sentence to eight more years.

International media advocates have condemned the move.

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NTD-Torrential rains left much of Beijing paralysed Thursday June 23. Residents struggled to make it home, with parts of the subway system closed and treacherous road conditions.

Now Beijing

Thousands of people clashed with security forces on the night of June 12, over the beating of a pregnant migrant worker by police outside of the southern China city of Guangzhou. (Weibo.com)

- Bombings stun Chinese officials,
- Southern China flooding hits millions,
- Taiwan’s main parties unite behind independent broadcaster, and
- Special Olympic athletes make history.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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ET-A string of recent bomb explosions targeting government buildings throughout China continue to stun officials. The bombings include five incidents in Fuzhou of Jiangxi Province and, most recently, one in the northern municipality of Tianjin.

While authorities attempt to block the news and divert attention, the spotlight of public opinion persists in illuminating the incidents.

The latest explosion on June 10, in front of the Tianjin Municipal Government, resulted in two minor injuries. A person with insider information told Sound of Hope Radio a petitioner had detonated two homemade bombs. Our source, who wished to remain anonymous said authorities responded by sending a large contingent of police for crowd control and to prevent the news from getting out.

The Epoch Times website looks at the significance of the explosions in terms of protest in China.

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ET/NTD-Security forces have broken up protests sparked by the beating of a pregnant migrant worker by police in southern China’s Zencheng City. A curfew was also in force.

Migrant workers from Sichuan Province, unhappy for a long list of reasons, plan to strike for a month.

According to report from the Hong Kong-based newspaper Apple Daily, Chinese authorities mobilized 2,700 soldiers on the night of June 12 and another five thousand police on June 13.

From late June 12 to early June 13, tens of thousands of Zencheng residents took to the streets in protest and clashed with police.

Zengcheng is around an hour’s drive from Guangzhou, the affluent capital of Guangdong Province, which produces about a third of the country’s exports.

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NTD-Millions have been affected by flooding in southern China after almost two weeks of heavy rain and storms. According to official reports, as of Friday June 17 up to one million people have been forced to leave their homes.

State-run media at the time stated at least 105 people were dead and another 65 were missing. A rescue worker from Wangmo County, Guizhou Province told SOH the actual death toll was much higher than the official figure and any missing persons had a slim chance of survival.

Torrential downpours have battered previously drought-stricken sections of China. Vast areas of crops have been ruined and hundreds of homes destroyed. Early estimates suggest the damages will tun into tens of millions of US dollars.

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

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ET/NTD-NTD AP, the SOH Network’s partner media in the Asia-Pacific region continues to get support from both main political parties in Taiwan over the future of its broadcast.

Taiwan

(From top L) Prominent writer Cao Tian, social commentator Li Chengpeng, chief editor/column writer of China Daily Wuyuesanren (Yao Bo), Chief Executive of Tianya forum's e_commerce Liang Suxin, retired steel worker Liu Ping. (Compiled by The Epoch Times)

In this bulletin:

- Beijing again denies cyber attacks,
- Chinese regime worried by People’s Congress independent candidates,
- Tiananmen Square Massacre animation unlikely online hit, and
- Hong Kong a refuge for Chinese artists.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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ET/NTD-According to what experts told CNET and its affiliate ZDNet Asia, the cyber-attacks in May on three US defense contractors was carried out by what seems to be the Chinese regime.

The attacks on Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L-3 Communications were precise and complex.

Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest aerospace company and the Pentagon’s number one arms and IT supplier. Lockheed took immediate action to protect its systems and said no data was compromised.

Recently Google

Three Gorges Dam infographic. (Created by GDS Inforgraphics for Infrastructure MENA)

In this bulletin:

- No justice for China’s toxic-milk victims,
- Three Gorges Dam should be dismantled,
- Talks stall on independent Taiwanese TV broadcaster, and
- Retirees volunteer for Japan nuclear clean-up.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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Following the recent revelation of a secret compensation fund set up after the 2008 melamine tainted milk scandal, SOH spoke to some victims’ families.

Under the regime’s guidance, China’s dairy industry association established a medical compensation fund managed by China Life Insurance Company. But this fund was deemed a state secret.

The parent of one victim told SOH they got to know a lot of families whose children developed kidney stones from the toxic milk. They said none of them had heard about this multi-million dollar compensation fund.

Several parents of affected children told our Chinese reporters all the authorities had offered them was 2000 yuan, about $300 US dollars. And only then if they agreed to waive their right to sue those responsible.

SOH also learned that children with small kidney stones were being given the all clear to keep the number of victims as low as possible.

Reported by Qin Yue and Yu Ming for Sound of Hope Radio.

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ET-According to a hydrology expert quoted by the Epoch Times, China’s Three Gorges Dam is a huge failure and should be dismantled.

The massive 17-year project on the Yangtze River displaced at least 1.4 million people. It was intended to control and harness China