Salem-News.com Asia articles Page 8

Outspoken Uyghur Economist Presumed Detained After Urumqi Clashes

An outspoken economist from China's Uyghur ethnic minority, whose blog was cited for allegedly instigating deadly ethnic clashes in Xinjiang, has gone silent and his whereabouts are unknown after he reported police had summoned him from his Beijing home, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports.

(HONG KONG RFA) - "Police have been watching my home for two days now," Ilham Tohti, an economics professor at the Central Nationalities University in Beijing, said July 7th in a telephone interview, two days after deadly clashes in the northwestern city of Urumqi killed at least 156 people.

"They are calling me now, and I have to go. I may be out of touch for some time," he told RFA’s Uyghur service.

Radio Free Asia Named Broadcaster of the Year at 2009 New York Festivals

RFA Reporters, Services Take Record 7 Awards.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Today, Radio Free Asia was named Broadcaster of the Year by the New York Festivals for winning the largest number of awards among participating broadcasters. Four of Radio Free Asia’s nine language services won top honors for excellence in journalism in the international competition, which included three gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

“While Radio Free Asia has consistently been honored at the New York Festivals over the years, it is deeply gratifying that the outstanding work by our staff won a record number of awards this year,” said Libby Liu, President of Radio Free Asia.

Tight Security After Deadly Xinjiang Clash

The weekend clashes left at least 156 dead and hundreds injured.

(HONG KONG) - Residents of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) report a heavy police and paramilitary presence inside and outside the regional capital, Urumqi, where deadly clashes erupted at the weekend following a protest by ethnic minority Uyghurs, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports.

"The situation in Gulja is so intense right now. I saw armed police everywhere when I went out to buy oil this morning. I saw five armored vehicles patrolling the streets..."

Myanmar`s Human Rights Record Matter of `Grave Concern, Says Ban

“Sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity are legitimate concerns for any government” -UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

(RANGOON, Burma) - Myanmar's future must be rooted in respect for human rights, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, voicing his deep disappointment that the South-East Asian nation's Government refused his request to meet with Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar was one of the first United Nations Member States to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but “unfortunately, that commitment has not been matched in deed,” Mr. Ban said in Yangon, at the end of his two-day visit to the country. “Myanmar's human rights record remains a matter of grave concern.”

Marine Spouse Battles Navy Over Contamination at Naval Base in Japan

Shelly Parulis, wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant, is engaged in a running battle with the Navy over dioxin and other toxins at NAF Atsugi, Japan.

(ATSUGI, Japan) - No one assigned to Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, the home of Carrier Air Wing 5, would have suspected that duty in Japan could exposed them to toxic chemicals, including deadly dioxin, the carcinogen infamously associated with Agent Orange.

Shelly Parulis, a spouse of a retired Marine Master Sergeant who was stationed at Atsugi from 1995 to 1998, and her family suffered the results of toxic exposure and leads the effort to obtain compensation and health benefits for Atsugi veterans, dependents ad civilian workers.

Burma, North Korea Said To Expand Military Ties

Exile Burmese media have voiced alarm in recent days at reports of growing ties between Burma and nuclear-armed North Korea.

(BANGKOK RFA) - A leaked report purportedly drafted by authorities in Burma’s military government describes a top-secret visit to North Korea late last year by Burma's top brass, during which the two sides pledged to significantly expand cooperation in military training and arms production.

The report surfaced just as both regimes find themselves farther out in the wilderness than ever before.

American Journalists Investigating Human Trafficking Sentenced to 12-Years in North Korean Gulag

One of the last nation's to hold onto hardcore Communism takes another step in the wrong direction.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Two Asian/American journalists associated with former Vice President Al Gore have been sentenced to 12-years in North Korea's notorious prison camps. North Korean Communists charge that Laura Ling and Seung-eun Lee entered the country illegally and are spies.

Suicide in Bangkok: Actor David Carradine Dead at 72

He will probably best be remembered for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s television series Kung Fu.

(SALEM, Ore.) - American actor David Carradine was found dead in his Bangkok motel room yesterday. He had been staying at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel on Wireless Road, near Sukhumvit, in central Bangkok, Thailand.

Oregon radio stations are reporting that David Carradine died in China, which is not accurate. Thai authorities say that according to the initial police report, David Carradine committed suicide by hanging himself.

DPR Korea’s Nuclear Test Threatens Global Disarmament Efforts, Ban Warns

The DPRK’s only “viable option,” Mr. Ban pointed out, is for it to return to the table for talks.

(HELSINKI) - The recent nuclear and missile tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) jeopardize continuing global efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned.

Addressing Finland’s Parliament in the capital, Helsinki, this week, Mr. Ban said that the DPRK’s nuclear test on Monday, its second ever, and its subsequent launch of short-range missiles not only “create tension in the region,” but “will also pose serious implications to peace and security on the regional and global level.”

UN Rights Chief Calls for Aung San Suu Kyi`s Immediate Release

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and guarantees the right to fair trial and to freedom of opinion and expression, which, Ms. Suu Kyi has exercised peacefully and courageously over many years.

(GENEVA) - Calling on Myanmar's Government to drop all charges against pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the top United Nations human rights official today appealed to authorities for her immediate and unconditional release.

According to reports, Ms. Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for several years, and two aides were escorted yesterday morning by security forces to Insein Prison, where they were charged by a special court.