Detail of Chinese banknote. A US-based micro-finance company is helping of China's rural poor to build a better future. (By Robert S. Donovan/Flickr)

In this bulletin:

- Deadly mudslides in soutwest China,
- Independent TV station wins appeal over China broadcast,
- New Philippine president inaugurated, and
- Taiwanese protests over trade deal.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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NTDTV-A court in China’s Xinjiang region has sentenced Tibetan businessman and environmentalist, Karma Samdrup, to fifteen years in prison. They’ve charged him with robbing tombs and dealing in looted relics.

The London-based, Free Tibet Campaign say the real reason for his imprisonment is his public criticism of the arrest of his brothers. Samdrup’s lawyer says he plans to appeal the conviction.

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ET-A mudslide caused by continuous heavy rain buried more than 100 villagers in southwest China’s Guizhou Province June 28.

Heavy rain started to come down in the Anshun Prefecture of Guizhou Province late in the day on June 27. Provincial authorities announced that 107 villagers from 38 families in Dazhai and Yongle villages had been buried in the mudslide.

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NTDTV-Independent TV broadcaster and SOH media partner NTDTV has won its appeal for an investigation the termination of its China broadcast. Satellite company Eutelsat abruptly stopped the signal in June 2008 citing a ‘power anomaly’ on its W5 satellite.

But an investigation by Reporters Without Borders revealed the broadcast interruption was a pre-meditated political move to appease Chinese communist officials.

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Amnesty International has called on the Chinese regime to launch an independent investigation into last year’s riots in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

A new report from the organisation includes testimonies from Uighurs who fled China after the violence. Amnesty said the official account of events left too many questions unanswered.

Security in Xinjiang has been tightened ahead of the July 5 anniversary.

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

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Less than a year after being virtually unknown to most Filipinos, Benigno ‘Noynoy’Aquino was inaugurated as President of the Philippines Wednesday June 30.

Under the campaign motto ‘There are no poor people where there is no corruption’, Aquino successfully piggybacked on the popularity of his family name to win the elections in May. He has pledged to stamp out corruption and to modernise the judicial system.

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ET-More than one hundred thousand protesters took to the streets of Taiwan’s capital on June 26. They were voicing their opposition to the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with China.

Officials say the deal will cut tariffs on hundreds of products and open up service industries. But opponents believe the agreement will erode Taiwan’s economy and democracy, eventually helping China to ‘unify’ Taiwan.

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Coming up on Asia Cast:

- Australia reaches compromise with mining companies,
- Supreme Court jails Australia’s ‘Dr Death’, and
- Micro-finance helping those China’s economy cannot.

But first.

(Quote)

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

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Taiwan is hoping the launch of a national collection service for expired or unused medications will help to protect the environment. Fifteen hundred recycling stations were opened at pharmacies across Taiwan Thursday.

A study by the National Taiwan University found traces of many drugs, including antibiotics, in rivers. Preventing them from entering the ecosystem reduces the risk of bacteria developing drug-resistance

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Australia reached an agreement on taxation with global miners Friday. In doing so Australia’s new prime minister successfully navigated her way though the first big test she faced. Last week Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female prime minister.

The tax on profits from mineral resources will now be at a rate of 30 percent instead of 40 percent. Shares and the Australian dollar rose on the announcement, but the compromise means the government will lose AU$1.5 billion Australian dollars in revenue.

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An Indian born-US surgeon has been jailed for seven years in Australia on manslaughter charges. Three of Jayant Patel’s patients died as a result of operations he botched at Queensland’s Bundaberg Hospital.

The judge denounced Patel’s repeated serious disregard for the welfare of his patients, and said that he deserved to be punished as a criminal. Australian media has dubbed Patel ‘Dr Death’.

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On a lighter note.

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NTDTV-The world’s first commercial hybrid solar passenger ferry service opened in Hong Kong June 25.

The new ferry was designed by Australian company Solar Sailor. It features a solar-powered electrical engine, a back-up diesel motor, and even mechanical sails. The vessel is estimated to make fuel savings of up to 50 per cent.

The Solar Sailor carries up to 100 passengers with little noise or pollution as it runs between the Kowloon peninsula and the scenic island of Kau Sai Chau.

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US-based micro-finance company Wokai is making a big difference to China’s rural poor. Wokai’s small loans have helped hundreds of farmers build a sustainable future for themselves and their families.

Uniquely, donors to Wokai.org can select exactly who their money goes to after browsing farmers’ profiles and photos. The company also recycles loan repayments directly to someone else seeking to borrow.

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

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The Longtan Dragon Boat Competition, a tradition almost 100 years old, was held on the Longtan Pond of Longtan Township, Taiwan on June 15 and 16. (By Song Bilong/The Epoch Times)

In this Bulletin…

- Southern China devastated by heavy rains ;
- Thousands turn out for annual Dragon Boat Festival; and
- Malaysia pressured to review arbitrary detention.

But first we have our SOH focus on China.

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Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has announced that last month a radioactive leak occurred at a Chinese nuclear power station close to Hong Kong. But the power station’s Hong Kong based part-owners said there wasn’t a leak, but a minor rise in the radioactivity of the station’s cooling water.

The announcement by the Hong Kong security Bureau was in response to a report by Radio Free Asia. The report said the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station released dangerous amount of radioactive iodine into the air last month.

The Epoch Times website has more on this story.

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Chinese state media said over a million people living along rivers in China’s south have been evacuated. Water levels are becoming dangerously high as torrential rains continue to cause mayhem across southern China.

At least 69 deaths have been reported in floods and landslides after days of almost non-stop torrential downpours.

State media reported over 1.4 million people living along riverbanks and in low-lying areas had had to move.

The National Meteorological Centre warned more heavy rain was on the way. The cost of the disaster has reached $950 million US dollars.

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Please listen out at the end of this bulletin for news on upcoming changes to Asia Cast. Now back to the rest of today’s Asia Cast.

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Tibetans trying to rebuild their lives after a devastating earthquake are facing an unexpected problem; an official reconstruction project approved by China’s State Department.

The Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is a region in China’s Qinghai Province mostly inhabited by Tibetans. In April this year a 6.9-magnitude earthquake affected the lives of nearly 100,000 people.

One Tibetan affected by the quake told The Epoch Times local authorities were preventing residents from rebuilding their own homes.

Check The Epoch Times for more about the difficulties Tibetans in the Yushu region are facing.

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The Epoch Times said over 10,000 people attended the annual Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan’s Longtan Township last week.

The event has been held on the Longtan Pond for almost 100 years. As well dragon boat racing the festival includes a unique lion dance competition in which contestants perform highly technical lion dances on stakes placed in the middle of Longtan Pond.

The festival originated in China. It is a traditional holiday commemorating the death of the poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan drowned himself because he was distraught by politics. Local people beat drums and flailed the water to protect his spirit and to prevent the fish from eating his body. And it turned into a sport.

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

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An article in a leading medical journal has said up to 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic from drinking water in recent decades.

The study was published online in The Lancet. It followed thousands of people over a 10 year period. And found 20 per cent of deaths among this group were caused by arsenic accumulating in the body.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring poisonous element. People started to become exposed to it in the 1970s when hand pumps were installed to reach underground water sources.

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The UN has urged Malaysia to repeal security laws allowing people to be detained without trial.

UN officials made the recommendation after investigating allegations of widespread abuse of detainees.

According to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, almost all those it interviewed said they were tortured or mistreated in Malaysia’s detention centres. The group said people preferred to be in prison than a detention centre as they felt safer there.

Malaysia says it is amending its preventative laws, but has not yet said how. Parts of these laws have been used against journalists and politicians in the past.

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Over the next week we’re going to be announcing some big changes to the format and frequency of Asia Cast. The changes are part of a drive to bring you, our listeners, as broad a range of interesting audio content as possible. Listen out for more on this throughout the week.

And we now bring you the Shen Yun quote of the day

[audio]

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

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Pakistan officials detained two people on Tuesday linked to an American arrested in New York for a failed car bombing at Times Square. (Courtesy of Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times)

In this Bulletin…

- China’s multiple school killings covered up;
- Hong Kong’s May Day marches; and
- Two held in Karachi over botched New York bomb attack.

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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Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets in Taixing, Jaingsu Province in China, enraged over a cover up of school killings. A protest—initially started by parents and family members of victims—drew interest from local residents who also joined.

They demanded that authorities release the truth about an assault which targeted kindergarten schoolchildren.

Speculation about authorities trying to cover up the truth ran wild on the Internet after the kindergarten killings. Official reports denied any deaths. Yet, a doctor was quoted by The Beijing News saying that three children have been declared dead.

The Epoch Times has the entire story.

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China’s media is showing trends of becoming more open. Analysts say the trend is unstoppable, in spite of the Chinese Communist Party’s tight control.

The Epoch Times said this was the main conclusion among Chinese media elites who met last week in Hong Kong for an Asian and Pacific media conference.

One Chinese newspaper founder held internet media as the driving force behind China’s media becoming more open; despite tight controls, internet news spreads swiftly.

Some media members point out that the regime has realized it cannot conceal news events, however it does not mean there is full disclosure either.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Over a thousand people marched for freedom in Hong Kong on Sunday. Public discontent continues to develop over Chinese mainland restrictions on democratic governance.

Demands for democracy have become an annual event since 2003. In July of that year over half a million people flooded the streets, urging a lift of the communist regime’s governmental interference.

Beijing responded to Sunday’s rally by issuing a newly-proposed reform package. Selection committees for the region’s leaders would jump from 800 to 1,200 people and add 10 legislative members.

Democracy activists say that is not enough.

Read more on this at The Epoch Times.

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Japan’s prime minister has halted plans to move an entire US military base from Okinawa.

The Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is an unpopular base with many Okinawans. Removing the base was a key pledge of the prime minister during the last elections.

But, recently on a visit to the island, he said realistically speaking it was impossible to fully relocate the base.

Much to the chagrin of its residents, he said maintaining the base in some form was needed for national security.

The island is home to over half the 47,000 American troops based in Japan.

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

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A new computerized vote-counting system in the Philippines is malfunctioning and software recalls follow. Elections are less than a week away. Candidates and analysts fear the system could make it easier for fraud or miscounting to occur.

Yet officials remain optimistic and expect problems to be solved before the vote.

Some of the 82,300 machines tested failed to read the names of candidates.

Computerized vote-counting will be used for the first time in the Philippines during the May 10 elections.

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Pakistan officials detained two people Tuesday with links to an American arrested in New York over the failed Times Square car bomb.

The two were connected with the Pakistani-American suspect through telephone records according to an anonymous security official.

US officials have said Shahzad, a US citizen born in Pakistan, was arrested for allegedly driving a car bomb into New York’s Times Square that smoked but failed to explode on Saturday night.

He was arrested on Monday on board an aircraft at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport that was about to leave for Dubai.

Investigations are still underway.

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

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Australia could be the first country to ban all logos and designs on cigarette packets; they would only be decorated with graphic health warnings. (By Andrew Mason/Flickr)

In this Bulletin…

- What the Shanghai World Expo means for locals;
- Taiwan criticised over executions; and
- Australia plans cigarette branding ban.

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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The World Expo opened in Shanghai Saturday, with the theme, ‘Better City, Better Life. The UN welcomed the apparent focus on urbanisation and its importance for human development and the environment. But Shanghai locals told SOH that the expo had actually made their lives worse.

Some 18,000 families were displaced to make way for construction of the expo’s venue. Those that appealed against the forced demolitions faced harsh treatment from the authorities. The burden of increased taxes to cover the huge cost of the expo had also angered locals.

Listen to our Inside China Today podcast to find out just exactly what the expo means for Shanghai residents.

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And in related news, a Hong Kong newspaper with a reputation for supporting democratic reform said it’s been banned from the Shanghai Expo.

NTDTV said that earlier this week Apple Daily said it had no choice but to give up on covering the Expo because its journalists’ press credentials had not been issued. This is despite other Hong Kong media being granted their credentials weeks ago.

Apple Daily has been an outspoken advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. It’s also critical of policies of the Chinese regime and Hong Kong’s pro-regime lawmakers. The newspaper is frequently denied accreditation or official events in mainland China.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Saturday saw tens of thousands of protesters across Asia taking part in May Day rallies. Protesters were calling for higher wages and better working conditions.

Most of the protests were peaceful. But in the small Chinese territory of Macau there were clashed between riot police and protester. used water cannon and pepper spray in clashes with protesters who fought back with stones and bottles.

One of the biggest events took place in South Korea. About 20,000 unionists from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions rallied in Seoul to demand better working conditions and denounce redundancies.

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Thai communities in Thailand, Australia and America came together and prayed for peace in their homeland simultaneously.

Urgent emails were sent asking everyone to pray and chant for peace at their local Buddhist Temple.

The president of the Thai community in Sydney, Australia said they were also worried the violence may affect their beloved King, who is currently sick.

The recent protests in Bangkok have heightened, with the red-shirts fortifying their camp. Some are believed to be armed.

A Buddhist monk in Sydney said they wanted to send a good message to the people in Thailand, a message of peace.

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

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Taiwan has carried out its first executions since capital punishment was suspended in 2006.

Four death row inmates were executed Friday. Taiwan’s previous Justice Minister was forced to step down from her post after she refused to sign any death warrants. The death penalty issue became central to the appointment of her successor; the Justice Minister who replaced her said he would have no difficulties in signing the warrants.

Human rights groups have strongly criticised Taiwan for the executions.

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According to a government announcement, Australia could become the first country to remove all logos and designs from cigarette packets. Only graphic warnings against smoking would remain on the packets.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the government would not be intimidated by any tobacco companies against the anti-smoking initiative.

Australia’s Health Minister told ABC, the new legislation would be worded to withstand legal challenges from tobacco companies worried about loss of branding and profits.

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

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Police in Indonesia stormed the offices of our Indonesian media partner and forced them off air. SOH strongly condemns such action and calls for supporters of media freedom to write in protest of the matter to the head of Indonesia's Broadcasting Commission.

In this Bulletin…

- We continue to battle for media freedom;
- Asia-Pacific embraces Earth Hour, but will it help?; and
- Hopes fade for missing South Korean sailors.

But first we have our Shen Yun quote of the day

[audio]

For more information please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

But first disturbing news on the plight of one of SOH’s media partners.

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Indonesian authorities have shut down Radio Erabaru, our media partner in Indonesia. This was despite the radio station showing police and broadcast officials documentation, stating an appeal was currently under way in the Indonesian Supreme Court

Station manager Raymond Tan said their broadcast was shut down and essential radio equipment was forcibly removed from the station. But he said they would continue with their case in the Supreme Court

Indonesian authorities say the station does not have a valid broadcast license. But that license was withdrawn after the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta made a formal request to Indonesia to shut Radio Erabaru down. The station suspects that request was linked to it carrying content on sensitive issues such as Falun Gong and Tibet.

Radio Erabaru is popular with Chinese-Indonesians. About a third of its broadcasts are in mandarin. These programmes are provided by SOH.

Reporters Without Borders said media freedom was a constitutional right in Indonesia and no foreign government should be able to influence official decisions on such an important subject.

SOH’s Daniel Teng looks into this story and interviews Radio Erabaru’s station manager in an Inside China Today special podcast.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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This weeks all eyes were on China in terms of Internet censorship and freedom of information. The impact of the decision first by Google, then by Go Daddy, to stop censoring Internet search results in China and pull out is yet to be known.

But Reporters Without Borders said that while the Chinese regime has been trying to find out where overseas Chinese get information on sensitive topics from.

The media rights organisation said a detailed questionnaire about the attitudes towards the Dalai Lama and the so-called ‘Tibet problem’ was recently sent to thousands of Chinese around the world. Reporters Without Borders said the questionnaire also tried to establish how overseas Chinese obtain news and information about Tibet.

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Saturday saw this years’ Earth Hour event sweep around the world in a wave of darkness. Lights were turned off for one hour all around the world.

The event was widely supported across the Asia-Pacifc region with many central and southeast Asian countries participating with Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations.

The event is embraced by activists who want policy makers to take climate change seriously. But some commentators have remarked that the action seems to suggest climate change can only be fought by suffering. And policy makers are unlikely to win many friends if they start turning the power off.

But that doesn’t seem to have deterred supporters of the Earth Hour campaign from partying; in the dark, of course.

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

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Hopes are fading for 46 South Korean sailors missing since Friday. Their naval patrol vessel sank after an explosion rocked the ship’s hull.

Although the ship sank near the disputed sea boarder with North Korea officials say there is no indication the North was involved.

South Korean media reported that 58 members of the 104-strong crew had been rescued. But rough seas are hampering rescue efforts and hopes of finding any more survivors are fading.

The incident is one of South Korea’s worst maritime disasters.

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Australian indigenous rights activists are still fighting to get a better deal for the country’s Aboriginal population two years after an apology for the suffering white colonisation caused.

Activists told NTDTV that years after the Australian prime minister’s historic words of apology to them they still have not seen or experienced true democracy.

The activists said current government policy is still failing them.

Since the Australian government suspended the Racial Discrimination Act, domestic violence and substance abuse have both risen sharply.

Now activists want to see a government treaty with Aboriginals similar to those seen with the first nation’s people in the US and Canada.

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

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In this Bulletin…

- Official statement deepens mystery of Chinese lawyer’s status;
- Chinese reporters told to ignore ‘unusual statements’ by political representatives; and
- Vietnam releases high profile human rights activist .

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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The fate or whereabouts of a renowned Chinese human rights lawyer is no clearer despite a statement on the matter from China’s foreign minister.

Speaking at a press conference, the Chinese foreign minister said Gao Zhisheng had been sentenced for committing the crime of subverting state power.

But the minister did not say if he was referring to a suspended five year sentence Gao was given in 2006, or to a new charge.

This was the fourth time the authorities had attempted to clarify Gao’s status since he disappeared over a year ago. Each time a different explanation has been given.

Check out The Epoch Times to learn more about why Gao has disappeared in Beijing.

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The security around the Chinese regime’s annual political meetings, known as the Two Sessions, is tighter than ever this year. Some 700,000 personnel have formed a ’security moat’ around the city. While another 600,000 are serving as security guards within the city.

Insiders told SOH that media restrictions were also tighter this year as well. The usual ‘forbidden zones’ that were off-limits to the media were clearly marked out. But new for this year’s Two Sessions is a warning sign that reads, ‘No unusual statements or comments of representatives are to be reported.’

But not everyone is obeying the order. You can read some of these unusual statements, as well as responses from Chinese bloggers, on the Epoch Times website.

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Several hundred Chinese media workers are demanding the governor of Hubei Province apologises, and even resigns, for directing an angry outburst at a female reporter.

The Hubei governor became enraged by a question from a People’s Daily reporter during a press conference at the annual political meetings currently under way in Beijing.

The reporter asked about a high profile rape case in Hubei which two Party officials were implicated in. The case involving waitress Deng Yujiao was among the most discussed items on the Chinese Internet in 2009.

The governor threatened the reporter and snatched her voice recorder yelling how could someone from the Communist Party’s mouthpiece ask such a question.

The Epoch Times website has got the full story on the Chinese media’s unusual response.

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

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And now for the rest of Today’s Asia Cast”

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Sri Lanka’s former army chief is fighting charges he says have been fashioned to remove him from politics.

Retired Army General Sarath Fonseka faced a military court Tuesday. A panel of three military judges is to consider if he is guilty of participating in politics while still in uniform.

The former military leader says the charges against him are false and politically motivated. His supporters say he was seen as a threat to the government and he was arrested to stop him participating in parliament next month.

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A high profile human rights activist  in Vietnam has been released from prison five years before his sentence was due to end.

Father Ly was given an eight year jail term in 2007 for disseminating anti-government propaganda. In 2009 he was left partially paralysed after suffering two strokes.

Western governments had made repeated demands that the Roman Catholic Father be freed.

But it is still unclear whether his release is final, or just for medical treatment.

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Taiwan has announced plans that would allow it to join the world trade in carbon credits. The Environmental Protection Administration announced Tuesday that Taiwan wanted to help its diplomatic allies in Africa develop green energy in return for carbon credits.

Taiwan is currently excluded from the global carbon trade scheme as it is not a member of the United Nations. But hopes it can obtain carbon credits from helping African nations develop their solar and bio-energy resources.

The 2010 Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting takes place in Taipei this week.

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

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Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights has said pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta to force an independant radio station off the air is a violation of Indonesia’s press freedom by the Chinese government.

In this Bulletin…

- Beijing’s political conferences branded as waste of money;
- Chinese interference with Indonesian media investigated; and
- Pacific battered by cyclones.

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 award winning Chinese journalist has branded Chinas two most important annual political sessions as frivolous and a waste of money.

The National People’s Congress and the People’s Political Consultative Conference are currently under way in Beijing. Journalist Gao Yu has said they won’t solve any of China’s problems.

According to Gao, ever since the 1989 democracy protests that ended in the June 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre, dissidents has been banned from the two conferences. She said this turned the so-called democratic conferences into mere show pieces.

Listen to our Inside China Today podcast to hear Gao’s thoughts on China’s economy, real estate bubble and the toxic milk powder scandal.

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The Chinese regime has been accused of reaping the profits in China’s overpriced property market

Many attending the regime’s annual sessions in Beijing said local authorities were responsible for China’s sky-rocketing real estate prices.

Experts have also said money from Beijing’s economic stimulus package had been used to enable state-run industries to speculate on the real estate market.

But nobody wants to burst the bubble. Beijing doesn’t want GDP to fall, which it would if real estate prices dropped. China’s banks would be left with a massive toxic debt. And as one critic put it, property speculation has become a means for the rich and influential in China to accumulate wealth.

You can find out how this situation has arisen on the Epoch Times website.

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And now we bring you the second part of our update on the why the Chinese regime is pressuring Indonesia to shut down our media partner there, Radio Erabaru.

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SOH provides Radio Erabaru with the Mandarin programmes it broadcasts. So the news the station airs in Indonesia reveals the truth about what’s happening under the regime in China.

Radio Erabaru said its difficulties started after the Chinese Embassy spoke to Indonesia’s government in 2007. The station was denied a broadcast license without being told why. And now it’s being threatened with closure over alleged technical irregularities. Including not having a valid license.

But Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission recently said the station hadn’t broken any rules. The Commission is seeking an explanation from the government and the Chinese Embassy. Indonesian media, such as the Jakarta Post, have also been investigating the story.

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In Taiwan on Sunday, hundreds of Tibetans and their supporters commemorated the second anniversary of the Lhasa Uprising in 2008.

Tibet supporters gathered in Taipei’s city centre before marching down through the streets.

The Taiwan Friends of Tibet arranged the rally to demand an end to what they say is the persecution of Tibetans by the Chinese regime.

On March 14, 2008, Buddhist monks held protests in Lhasa that gave way to heated violence. At least 19 people died in the violence, which sparked waves of protests across Tibetan areas.

You can see some of what took place in Taipei on Sunday on the NTDTV website.

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

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Two Thai soldiers were wounded Monday in a grenade attack on a military base in Thailand.

Four M-79 grenades were fired at the army barracks on Bangkok’s northern outskirts where the Thai government has been housed. The attack came as crowds of red-shirted protesters left their picket in front of the barracks to press their demand for snap elections.

Monday’s incident was the first reported violence in Bangkok since the supporters of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in the capital demanding that current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva call snap polls. Calls that Abhisit has so far rejected.

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A state of emergency has been declared in parts of Fiji battered

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Radio Erabaru is Sound of Hope's media partner in Indonesia. The Chinese regime has been trying to stop the privately owned station's broadcasts.

In this Bulletin…

- China’s suppression of media freedom spreads across Asia;
- US releases annual human rights report; and
- Bangkok braced for anti-government protests.

But first we have our Shen Yun quote of the day

[audio]

For more information please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

But first we bring you a special update on Era Baru Radio, our media partner in Indonesia.

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Indonesia’s Communications and Information Technology Ministry has said it plans to force the privately owned Radio Erabaru off the air.

Radio Erabaru’s target audience are Chinese-Indonesians. The station transmits 30 per cent of its broadcasts in Mandarin. Broadcasts provided by SOH. But by airing news on sensitive subjects, like the Chinese regime’s persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual group, the station has apparently angered the Chinese embassy in Jakarta.

In 2009 the Indonesian government declined to extend the station’s broadcasting license, first issued in 2007. The station has now been told it’s also interfering with other radio frequencies.

But Indonesia’s Legal Aid Foundation suspects the action against Radio Erabaru came after political pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta.

Station director Raymond Tan said the Chinese government was behind the efforts to close Radio Erabaru because the station aired news on Falun Gong. Tan added, the news was aired because it was worthy of being aired.

The Legal Aid Foundation said it had written proof about Chinese interference in the affair. It says the document states that if the station continues broadcasting it might damage relations between the two countries.

Radio Erabaru said it will continue broadcasting as it had not been given a deadline to cease operations.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Taiwan’s justice minister has stepped down over her reluctance to sign execution orders for the country’s 44 death row convicts.

But in an ironic twist of fate her departure may actually speed up the executions. Willingness to sign the death penalty orders has become the main consideration in appointing a new justice minister.

The Vice Justice Minister has also tendered his resignation over the matter.

The Taiwanese Premier told a legislative hearing Friday that Taiwan is a country ruled by law. He stressed that the new justice minister must carry out his official duties without any hesitation.

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The United States government has released it’s 34th annual human rights report. In it the US says that China and Iran have stepped up human rights abuses.

The report accused China of violating cultural and religious freedom, and for broadening its effort in monitoring information on the Internet.

According to the report China increased its efforts to monitor Internet use, control content, restrict information, block access to foreign and domestic websites, encourage self-censorship, and punish those who violated regulations.

Iran was accused for the violent suppression of mass protests, which followed the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The US also criticized Cuba, Burma, North Korea, Russia and Sri Lanka for human rights

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

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The president of Afghanistan has agreed to let two foreigners join a panel monitoring September’s parliamentary elections. This is a reversal of an earlier decision.

Last month the Afghan president signed a decree letting him appoint all five members of the Electoral Complaints Commission.

The decree was met with stiff criticism. Some saw it as an attempt to control a body which stripped nearly a third of his votes in last year’s fraud-tainted election.

On Saturday, a spokesman said the president would now accept some foreigners on the body. But with three out of the five votes the Electoral Complaints Commission would still be controlled by Afghans.

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Hundreds of thousands of protesters were expected in Bangkok Sunday. The protesters, all supporters of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had been arriving for days.

The series of anti-government rallies they planned to hold over the weekend have been seen as the biggest threat yet to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s power.

Security forces have been guarding state buildings after government warnings of arson and bombings. Protesters say authorities are trying to fan public fears to justify a potential crackdown.

The government said the 50,000 security personnel handling the protest would not be armed.

You can see more on the build up to the protests on the NTDTV website.

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

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13 Chinese newspapers were punished after publishing an editorial calling for reform and eventual abandonment of China's household registration system. The system restricts where rural "peasants" and urban dwellers can travel and live. (By qilin/Flickr)

In this Bulletin…

- Unprecedented news editorial punished by Chinese regime;
- Secret Cold War deal between Japan and U.S. confirmed; and
- Myanmar law expels Suu Kyi from democratic league.

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 editorial published in 13 Chinese newspapers calling for household registration reform has been met with swift punishment. The editor-in-chief who drafted the editorial was fired immediately.

The editorial stated that individuals are born free and have the right to move freely. It called for reforms that restricted where people could travel and live within China.

But an Epoch Times news analyst cited, if China had a functioning legislative body, an editorial appeal would make sense.

Yet, the simultaneous publication in 13 Chinese newspapers of an editorial challenging the CCP is an unprecedented act.

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An intense and destructive drought is gripping much of southwest China. NTDTV reports there are drinking water shortages and millions of acres of crops have been lost.

The report says rivers have dried up and herd animals grow weaker in dust bowls that used to be watering holes.

State-run media reports list Guizhou, Yunan, Guangxi and Sichuan as the four provinces hardest hit by the drought. The areas have lost more than US$1.5 billion dollars in revenue.

Critics of China’s rapid economic expansion say the lack of environmental controls is responsible for the drought.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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The existence of a secret Cold War deal with the U.S. has been confirmed by Japan. The deal which was sealed in the 1960s has allowed the transit of nuclear-armed U.S. vessels through its ports.

The news announced by a government-appointed panel ends decades of official denial. However, the existence of the pact was an open secret.

There is controversy associated with the pact, since after WWII Japan adopted three non-nuclear principles; not making or possessing nuclear weapons nor allowing them on its soil.

Declassified U.S. documents already confirmed the deal.

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India’s upper house of parliament has approved a bill to reserve seats for women in parliament and state legislature.

The historic bill states one third of all seats in the national parliament and state legislatures are to be reserved for women.

The bill first introduced in 1996 had triggered uproar from opponents, resulting in the suspension of seven MPs on Tuesday.

The bill was passed with 186 members of the 245-seat house voting in favour. Only one member voted against.

India already reserves a third of local governing council seats in towns and villages for women.

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

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Authorities in India-occupied Kashmir have recovered what they say is a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Officials say it was found in a Pakistan-backed militant outfit hideout after security personnel received a tip

An Indian commanding officer said they began their search operation in a deep forested area with metal detectors. They had spotted a hideout beneath a huge rock. AK-47s, magazines and cartridges were recovered.

He said that during peak days of the militancy, that particular route was often used to sneak into the valley, despite surrounding barbed wire fencing.

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Under Myanmar’s new election laws, the National League for Democracy must expel detained leader Aung San Suu Kyo from its ranks. A spokesman said it must be done ahead of polls this year.

Details of the Political Parties Registration Act have been published in state-run newspapers. It says anyone serving a prison term cannot be a party member, and any parties failing to obey the law will be abolished.

The spokesman for the democratic league expressed surprise at the law.

The democratic league has 60 days to register as a party, however they have not yet decided if they will participate.

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The Chinese regime's harassment of Shen Yun artists and their families may reveal it feels threatened by Shen Yun's world tour. Jiang Feng (right) has been sent to a Chinese brainwashing facility. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

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.”

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