NEW YORK TIMES (Also in INDEPENDENT)
Feb. 28 “Cambodian government cites Trump in threatening foreign news outlets”
… Rohit Mahajan, the director of public affairs for Radio Free Asia, said that the organization planned to “continue bringing the people of Cambodia independent, credible and honest journalism. The government’s efforts to deter and discourage R.F.A. and our esteemed media colleagues only further underscore the need for free press in Cambodia,” Mr. Mahajan said in an email.
YONHAP
Feb. 28 “Czech Republic has no info on threats against Kim Jong-un's uncle: report”
… It has not taken any additional measures to toughen the security of the North Korean Embassy in Prague where Kim Pyong-il works, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
CHINA CHRISTIAN DAILY (Also in UCA)
Feb. 27 “New report shows China's continuous crackdown on churches”
… According to the report of Radio Free Asia, both Catholic and Protestant congregations are being targeted and the government even puts them on the spotlight.
PHNOM PENH POST (Also in ASSOCIATED PRESS, REUTERS, VOA, BUSINESS INSIDER, CAMBODIA DAILY, KHMER TIMES, ASIA TIMES and WEST AUSTRALIAN)
Feb. 27 “Trump ban cited in media threat”
… Specifically naming news services Voice of Democracy, Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, the government spokesman told all “foreign agents” to “consider a new use of airtime as well as published stories” or risk being dismantled.
SHOOT (Also in BEST MEDIA INFO)
Feb. 26 “Finalists unveiled for New York Festivals International TV & Film Awards”
… Finalists include: 7 Network Australia, Bloomberg TV, CANAL 13 ARTEAR S.A., Channel NewsAsia (mediacorp), CNN, DW Deutsche Welle, KOREAN BROADCASTING SYSTEM (KBS), Radio Free Asia…
CAMBODIAN DAILY
Feb. 24 “Jailed commentator Kim Sok alleges illegal detention, seeks bail”
… than $500,000 in damages over comments he made on Radio Free Asia that appeared to link the ruling party with the July murder of political analyst Kem Ley.
PACIFIC STANDARD
Feb. 23 “China is creating an unprecedented ‘security state’ in Xinjiang”
... In what had been described as part of a national program, officials from the Xinjiang prefecture of Bayingolin have ordered that vehicles in the area have GPS tracking devices installed as a means of ensuring national security, the United States’ Radio Free Asia.
KBS WORLD
Feb. 23 “N. Korean students banned from studying science in Switzerland”
… U.S. government-backed broadcaster Radio Free Asia reports Switzerland has halted virtually all science and technology cooperation with North Korea except for medical research.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES
Feb. 23 “Thousands of Chinese military veterans stage protest seeking higher pensions”
… “We have suffered injustice for our country for the past 20 or 30 years. Because of [an] illegal regulation, we have been left in poverty and hardship. We have no jobs, no income, no status and nowhere to live,” one veteran was seen telling the crowd in the video footage, reports the Radio Free Asia.
YONHAP
Feb. 23 “Switzerland imposes further sanctions on N. Korea: RFA”
… The Swiss Cabinet began implementing the punitive steps Wednesday afternoon (local time), under which North Korean students are banned from classes on materials, electricity and mechanical engineering in higher educational institutions, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
GUARDIAN (Also in INDEPENDENT, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, CHINA WORKER and CHINA DIGITAL TIMES)
Feb. 21 “Trump's feminist critics gagged by Chinese internet giant Weibo”
... Speaking to Radio Free Asia, a US-funded news outlet, Xiong said Weibo had not been “very specific” about its motivations but “we are guessing that it’s because we sent out some tweets calling for a women’s strike action against Trump”.
BREITBART
Feb. 21 “China Imposes Mandatory GPS Tracking on Cars in Muslim Xinjiang Prefecture”
... Radio Free Asia reports that the plan to track all cars appeared to be in the works for months, with the government running a “pilot system” to test the viability of such a program before announcing the measure.
YONHAP
Feb. 21 “Murder of leader's half brother could serve as warning to NK officialdom: report”
… A source residing in the northern Ryanggang Province told Radio Free Asia that the incident is tantamount to warning the North's high-ranking officials not to be swayed by the situation in the communist country.
CHOSUN ILBO (Also in UPI)
Feb. 19 “N. Korea builds anti-aircraft gun battery near Kaesong”
… North Korea has built an anti-aircraft gun battery and a large-scale military drill ground near the border town of Kaesong, Radio Free Asia reported Sunday.
PHNOM PEHN POST (Also in CAMBODIA DAILY)
Feb. 17 “Analyst Kim Sok arrested, jailed after showing up for questioning”
… The second, ironically, came after Sok went on Radio Free Asia to explain his original statement. His explanation, that he was speaking about a government-controlled “system” that allowed murders to happen with impunity, resulted in defamation case number two.
WASHINGTON POST (Also in FOX NEWS, CAMBODIA DAILY, CHRONICLE HERALD, HERALD-WHIG, NANAIMO NEWS and NEW JERSEY HERALD)
Feb. 17 “Cambodian analyst arrested on charge of defaming premier”
… Kim Sok last week gave an interview to the Cambodian-language service of U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia that Hun Sen felt implied his government was behind the killing last year of another political analyst and critic of the government, Kem Ley.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA HERALD, KOREA TIMES, DAIJI WORLD, BUSINESS STANDARD, INDIA SAMVAD, CANINDIA NEWS, ZEE NEWS, INDIA LIVE TODAY, KOREA TIMES and NEWSX)
Feb. 17 “N. Koreans unaware of death of leader's half brother: sources”
… U.S.-based media Radio Free Asia (RFA) said that North Korean residents including party officials in provincial areas do not know that the half brother of the current leader was killed ahead of the 75th birth anniversary of his late father.
CAMBODIA DAILY
Feb. 16 “Tough truths”
… On July 8, the two friends participated in a Radio Free Asia (RFA) panel discussion on a recently released report from the NGO Global Witness that documented the vast business holdings of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s family.
KHMER TIMES (Also in CAMBODIA DAILY and PHNOM PENH POST)
Feb. 16 “PM’s second lawsuit denied”
… The premier’s lawyer Ky Tech added that Mr. Hun Sen wanted to file a second lawsuit because Mr. Sok’s comments during his Saturday Radio Free Asia interview had badly affected the government’s reputation.
NEW YORK TIMES
Feb. 16 “He called China’s president ‘Xitler’ on Twitter. Now he faces prison.”
… Officials at the Yanbian Intermediate People’s Court refused to comment on the trial, and Mr. Kwon’s mother, Li Lianhua, told Radio Free Asia that she did not want to say anything.
KOREA HERALD (Also in ASIAONE)
Feb. 16 “Elite female spy unit behind killing of Kim Jong-nam: defector”
… “When North Korea reorganized its current RGB in 2009, it visibly increased the number of female spies and expanded their range of action,” another defector who formerly worked for the bureau said in an interview with Radio Free Asia.
ASIA TIMES
Feb. 16 “Little Laos tackles big corruption”
… Lao officials accused of financial misconduct have recently returned large sums of money to the national treasury, a state audit organization official recently told Radio Free Asia.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Feb. 16 “Beijing police launches app for civilians to report crime”
… Beijing-based rights activist Ye Jingchun told the US-backed Radio Free Asia she feared that the application would become a method by which authorities would monitor citizens.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA HERALD)
Feb. 16 “N. Korea's spy agency sees increase in women recruits: report”
… A North Korean defector, who was formerly affiliated with the bureau, said on condition of anonymity in an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the bureau took measures to expand the number of female agents and their missions at the time of the bureau's launch in 2009.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA HERALD)
Feb. 16 “N. Korean diplomats had pressed Kim Jong-nam to return home: report”
… The official told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the current leader had ordered the State Security Ministry to bring Kim Jong-nam, who was staying overseas, back to the North, instructing its diplomats to talk him into coming back home on his own without making a fuss.
CAMBODIA DAILY
Feb. 16 “Sued commentator Kim Sok asks prosecutors to delay questioning”
… Mr. Hun Sen’s lawyer told government mouthpiece Fresh News on Wednesday that the prime minister would file another lawsuit today based on improper comments Mr. Sok made to Radio Free Asia (RFA) when he was explaining his initial comment.
ASIA PACIFIC REPORT
Feb. 14 “Radio – last bulwark of media freedom and independence”
… And the authorities often jam the signals of foreign radio stations such as Voice of America and Radio Free Asia that offer one of the few possibilities of getting freely reported news.
YONHAP (Also in ASIAONE and STAR ONLINE)
Feb. 14 “N. Korean leader's half-brother did not respond to advice to seek asylum in S. Korea: report”
… The South Korean resident in Malaysia told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that he used to recommend that Kim Jong-nam go to South Korea rather than live in constant fear, as the Seoul government would protect him.
GOSPEL HERALD
Feb. 14 “Chinese police assault elderly political prisoner over beard length, reveals disturbing report”
… In a separate interview with Radio Free Asia in 2016, Zhu's sister, Zhu Xiaoyan, said that because of the treatment he has endured at the hands of the Chinese government, his entire family now suffers from psychological problems.
YONHAP
Feb. 13 “N. Korea diverts int'l aid for flood recovery to construction projects: report”
… A source in the northern Ryanggang Province told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that materials and funds in humanitarian aid for flood-hit areas offered by the international community were partly used to roof public buildings and houses for locals, and the rest was diverted to Ryomyong Street development underway in Pyongyang and an underwater hotel project in Wonsan on the North's east coast.
CAMBODIA DAILY (Also in PHNOM PENH POST and KHMER TIMES)
Feb. 13 “Hun Sen slaps analyst with $500K lawsuit”
… In an interview with Radio Free Asia on Sunday, Mr. Sok claimed that the CPP had manipulated the opposition party and said later that “they” killed Kem Ley, a political analyst murdered last July shortly after speaking out against Mr. Hun Sen’s family’s vast business holdings.
KHMER TIMES
Feb. 13 “Police ordered to watch analyst”
… Mr. Sok has denied the allegations, saying he used the term “they” in reference to any state institution and did not specifically mean Mr. Hun Sen or the CPP during his comments at a Radio Free Asia roundtable event on Saturday evening.
PHAYUL
Feb. 13 “Kirti-bound pilgrims restricted by Chinese officials”
… Tibetans traveling from northwest China’s Gansu province to attend a large religious gathering in neighboring Sichuan are being stopped at the border and told they may not proceed by car, sources cited by Radio Free Asia said.
DAILY STAR
Feb. 13 “North Korea disaster: Collapse in Kim's showcase 'skyscraper street' kills 30”
… The collapse, revealed by Radio Free Asia, is blamed on corners being cut in a bid to meet Kim’s deadline.
CAMBODIA DAILY (Also in PHNOM PENH POST and KHMER TIMES)
Feb. 12 “Prime minister to file lawsuit against commentator over Kem Ley accusation”
… Ky Tech, a lawyer for Mr. Hun Sen, said he would file a court complaint based on comments Mr. Sok made in a Saturday roundtable discussion on Radio Free Asia (RFA).
YONHAP
Feb. 11 “Most N. Koreans unaware of sacking of spy agency chief: report”
… Citing Japan's media outlet Asia Press that claimed to have contacted four North Koreans to check if Kim Won-hong's fall from grace has reached ordinary people, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said most in the reclusive country were oblivious of what took place.
BANGKOK POST
Feb. 11 “Myanmar jade mine slide kills 9”
… The owner of the small mine in Nanthmaw village was among those killed in the incident on Thursday, Radio Free Asia quoted township administrator Kyaw Zwa Aung as saying.
UPI (Also in YONHAP, ARIRANG and KOREAN TIMES)
Feb. 10 “Report: China arrests four Christian missionaries near North Korea border”
… A local resident in Yanji, a city in the Yanbian region of Jilin Province, said the arrests were made at a hotel in the town on Thursday, Radio Free Asia reported.
ASIA TIMES
Feb. 10 “Despite the risks, Laos goes ahead with Pak Beng dam”
… Anonymous government whistle-blowers quoted in a 2009 Radio Free Asia report said bribery was commonplace on big infrastructure projects, including dams, in Laos.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Feb. 10 “A human rights activist is slain in Cambodia, and the mystery leads all the way to California”
… On July 9, he appeared on Radio Free Asia to discuss a Global Witness report that claimed Hun’s family members had amassed a fortune worth at least $200 million.
THE STRAITS TIMES
Feb. 10 “Lam is Beijing's pick for HK top job: Report”
… A pro-Beijing source told the Radio Free Asia website that Mr Zhang's main audience during his Shenzhen trip was made up of a relatively high proportion of business people with seats on the Election Committee, particularly those who are undecided.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Feb. 9 “Former editor at Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing Commercial Daily newspaper seeks asylum in US”
… Long Zhenyang resigned as assistant editor-in-chief of the Commercial Daily, a Beijing-backed newspaper in Hong Kong, after being placed under “political measures” at the paper for over a year, he told US-funded Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.
YONHAP
Feb. 8 “N. Koreans to hold mass rally near Mt. Paektu on late leader's birthday”
… A source in the northern Yanggang Province told the Radio Free Asia (RFA) that North Korean youth and students, and residents will take part in a series of political events, including the rally in the province's border town of Samjiyon on the birthday, which falls on Feb. 16.
DAILY PIONEER
Feb. 8 “China’s new-found but fake love for religion”
… Radio Free Asia reported: “Thousands of pilgrims from Tibetan-populated areas of western China, who had hoped to attend, have been forced to return home, while others have been blocked from leaving China.”
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
… She pleaded not guilty at a Guangdong court at her trial in April to charges of “incitement to subvert state power.” Liu told US-backed Radio Free Asia at the time that “she had no intention in that direction, and the case basically rested on a few articles she wrote.”
YONHAP
Feb. 7 “N. Korean people avoid N. Korean-made foods, medicines: report”
… A source in the northern Yanggang Province told the Radio Free Asia (RFA) that people have vomited or broken out into a rash after consuming yeast bread manufactured by a foodstuff company in the city of Hyesan, prompting health and quarantine officials to launch a probe into the case.
MALAYSIA DIGEST
Feb. 7 “Chengdu man detained after posting air pollution warning on social media”
… Shu Xiangxin, a Shandong province-based lawyer, told the US-based Radio Free Asia that the decision to detain Lan was ridiculous: “Constructive criticism should not be treated as spreading rumours… this greatly harms freedom of speech.”
UPI
Feb. 7 “Kim Jong Un praises automation at North Korea munitions plant”
… The state in response built a massive number of new homes for flood victims, but the construction effort has resulted in a glut of supply according to a source in North Korea, Radio Free Asia reported.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Feb. 7 “Chengdu man detained after posting air pollution warning on social media”
… Shu Xiangxin, a Shandong province-based lawyer, told the US-based Radio Free Asia that the decision to detain Lan was ridiculous: “Constructive criticism should not be treated as spreading rumours… this greatly harms freedom of speech.”
DAILY O
Feb. 7 “India needs to be wary of two-faced China”
… Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported: “Thousands of pilgrims from Tibetan populated areas of western China who had hoped to attend have been forced to return home though, while others have been blocked from leaving China.” RFA got hold of an official notification which was circulated in Dechen prefecture of Yunnan province: “Anyone engaging in these acts will be in violation of Article 55 (pertaining to national security) of the Public Security Law and will face severe consequences,” the notice said.
KOREA HERALD (Also in YONHAP and KOREA BIZWIRE)
Feb. 7 “Resumption of Kaesong complex could spark row over UN sanctions violation”
… US-based media Radio Free Asia reported last week that North Korea smuggled out rice cookers produced in the factory zone in mid-December and sold them to a businessman in China.
YONHAP
Feb. 7 “N. Korea discharged soldiers to settle in vacant houses in flood-hit areas”
… A resident of Pyongyang who visited China told the Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the North Korean authorities are forcing former servicemen to live in houses left over in North Hamgyong Province, adding he learned about it through acquaintances living in the northern province.
VOICE OF AMERICA
Feb. 6 “Study: Cambodian media ownership concentrated among elite”
… "All have freedom of speech and are free to broadcast anything because they are private media," he said in a phone interview. "The state does not provide funds like the ones received by Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. In this country, the media survive by themselves."
PREMIER
Feb. 6 “Vietnam: Plain clothes police block priests attending mass”
… Rev Phan Van Loi told Radio Free Asia that local police have been monitoring his movements in the city of Hue since January.
DAILY DISRUPTION
… Radio Free Asia reported that these charcoal-powered vehicles are also used as taxis at the Aviation University in North Hamgyong province.
DONG-A ILBO (Also in UPI)
Feb. 6 “Pyongyang sells leftover rice cookers in Gaesong Complex to China”
… Radio Free Asia (RFA) has recently announced that North Korea is selling electric rice cookers that South Korean companies left behind in February last year when Gaesong Industrial Complex was closed.
MIRROR
… Charcoal-powered trucks operate as taxis at the Aviation University in North Hamgyong province, according to Radio Free Asia…Radio Free Asia reported: “They thought something was wrong with it because of the copious amounts of smoke it was producing and yelled, “North Korean people, the vehicle is on fire!” to the driver as he drove along a road.”
CHINA DIGITAL TIMES
Feb. 3 “Internet users detained for insulting police officers”
… As Radio Free Asia reports, these detentions come as at least six people have been detained for insulting police online: In total, six people have been arrested in recent weeks for “insulting a police officer,” according to a social media post from police in the eastern province of Shandong.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA TIMES, KOREA HERALD and UPI)
Feb. 3 “N. Korea demands ethnic Chinese pledge allegiance to Kim's family”
… A source in North Hamgyong Province told the Radio Free Asia (RFA) that ethnic Chinese residents in the North are pressured to pay allegiance to the Kim family just like North Koreans do.
EURASIA REVIEW
Feb. 2 “China: Thousands detained as year of rooster begins”
… As the rest of the country got together with family to mark the Chinese New Year, crowds have continued to gather outside central government offices since the first day of the New Year on Jan. 28, Radio Free Asia reported.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA HERALD)
Feb. 1 “Kim Jong-un's drive for domestic products likely to fall apart: report”
... "The phenomenon of stagnant sales that started at major foodstuff plants across the country has spread to light industry plants manufacturing clothes," a source in northern Jagang Province told Radio Free Asia (RFA).
YONHAP
Feb. 1 “N. Korean soldiers cross into China to get firewood: report”
… "An increasing number of North Korean border guards who risk being caught cross the border to gather firewood on the Chinese side," a source in northern Yanggang Province told Radio Free Asia.
THE NATION (Also in BURIRAM TIMES, DAILY MAIL, FREE MALAYSIA TODAY, COCONUTS BANGKOK, and ASIAONE)
Feb. 1 “Supected drug lord linked to Thailand Lao celebrities”
… Sommaly Thammavong, daughter-in-law of former prime minister Thongsing Thammavong, told the Washington-based Radio Free Asia that a photo showing her with Xaysana was taken by accident. Sommaly is the wife of the former prime minister’s son Dethsongkam Thammavong.
UPI (Also in GEPHARDT DAILY)
Feb. 1 “North Korea rated "worst of the worst" for violations of rights, liberties”
… Radio Free Asia reported on Tuesday that Switzerland has cut exports of luxury watches to Pyongyang by more than 80 percent.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
… One Weibo user named Wu Bin who commented on the incident online told US-backed Radio Free Asia that he thought the controls on online speech were becoming stricter.
