Thai and Chinese investors have signed a power purchase agreement that paves the way for the construction of a third dam on the Mekong River in Laos. The project in the Pak Lay district of northern Laos’ Xayaburi province – delayed for several years – could see work on basic infrastructure like a bridge and road access start immediately, according to an official from the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Construction is scheduled to begin early next year on the main structure, which is expected to be open for business…
Day: March 23, 2023
Tibetan Buddhist school requires students to obey Communist Party, oppose separatists
A Tibetan Buddhist school in southwestern China is requiring entering students to obey the ruling Chinese Communist Party and oppose “separatists,” according to an admissions notice issued Thursday and obtained by Radio Free Asia. The Tibetan Buddhist Institute in Sichuan province has made abiding by the CCP’s ideology and opposing those who advocate splitting the Tibet Autonomous Region from the rest of China conditions for being admitted to the school, which educates Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns. “Though the institute claims that its aim is to provide an opportunity to…
Hong Kong orders takedown of protest artwork as police interrogate labor activists
The Hong Kong government has ordered the removal of a digital billboard installation containing the names of those who took part in the 2019 protest movement, while national security police have detained at least six former members of a now-disbanded pro-democracy labor union for questioning. A piece by U.S. digital artist Patrick Amadon titled “No Rioters” was taken down from a digital display screen on the Sogo department store in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay shopping district, the artist said via his Twitter account. “NO RIOTERS was taken down today at…
As Ramadan begins, China’s Muslims face fasting bans, monitoring and arrest
As Muslims around the world prepare to begin the holy month of Ramadan, China’s Muslims are facing fasting bans and their cultural and religious traditions increasingly under attack. Uyghurs in the northwestern region of Xinjiang are being ordered not to allow their children to fast, with children quizzed by the authorities over whether their parents are fasting or not, local officials and rights groups say. “During Ramadan, the authorities are requiring 1,811 villages [in Xinjiang] to implement a round-the-clock monitoring system, including spot home inspections of Uyghur families,” World Uyghur Congress…
Interview: ‘South Korea must temporarily acquire nuclear weapons’
South Korean lawmaker Thae Yong-ho was once a high-ranking North Korean diplomat. In 2016, while he was Pyongyang’s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, he defected with his family to the South. Less than four years after his family arrived in Seoul, Thae won a local election and became a member of the National Assembly representing the city’s wealthy Gangnam district. As a member of the assembly, Thae has served on the Foreign Affairs and Unification committee, drawing on his unique expertise on North Korea to help form South Korean…
Lao villagers barred from fishing and crabbing in Chinese tourism concession
Local authorities in Laos have warned rural villagers not to venture into an area of land that has been designated for a Chinese tourist development, but the villagers told Radio Free Asia that they have been fishing in that area for generations. District-level officials issued notice on Feb. 16 to the villagers of Huai Siet, in the central province of Borikhamxay, that if they are found fishing or crabbing in the river within the tourist development area, they will be arrested and prosecuted. “I heard an official say that this…
Canadian lawmaker resigns following claims he secretly advised Chinese diplomat
A Canadian lawmaker has resigned from the governing Liberal party following allegations that he secretly met with a Chinese diplomat and advised Beijing not to release two Canadian captives. Han Dong announced in the House of Commons late on Wednesday that he would sit as an independent. Global News reported that he met with Han Tao, China’s consul-general in Toronto in February 2021 and suggested officials in Beijing delay freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians being held by China at the time. He is also alleged to have…
China has not done enough to halt the wildlife trade
ON MARCH 20th a team of scientists from around the world provided the latest twist in the debate over the origins of covid-19. A working paper they published online confirms, using genetic evidence, that animals such as dogs, weasels, foxes and hedgehogs were present at the seafood market in Wuhan whose customers and stallholders were among the first people in China to fall ill. In some ways that is unsurprising—yet for a long time China’s government denied that such wildlife markets even existed. It was not until 2021 that a…
China wants the world to forget about its crimes in Xinjiang
When fire spread through an apartment building in Urumqi last year, killing at least ten people, the public was horrified. Hundreds of people took to the streets in cities across China. At great risk, they voiced displeasure with covid-19 restrictions that may have stopped people escaping the blaze. But today the families of the victims are reluctant to tell their stories. Most are Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group native to the western region of Xinjiang, of which Urumqi is the capital. They have long been persecuted by the government,…
Chinese nationalists are up in arms over the treatment of pandas
Le Le means “happy happy”, but the giant panda known by that name appeared to be in a sad state. Last year animal advocates accused the Memphis Zoo in America of neglecting the bear and his female companion, Ya Ya. In February Le Le died, apparently of heart disease. Now Ya Ya (meaning “cute girl”) is looking less adorable. She has been losing clumps of hair, raising concerns about her health. Listen to this story.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android. Your browser does not support the <audio>…