YONHAP
Jan. 31 “N. Korean railway collegians studying at Russian university”
… A delegation from Russian Railways (RZD) visited Pyongyang from Friday through Sunday to discuss ways to train North Korean railway elites," Radio Free Asia said, citing the Russian Embassy in the North Korean capital.
EURASIA REVIEW
Jan. 30 “China: Rebel Villagers Jailed Without Chance To Appeal”
… The nine from the village of Wukan were sentenced by the Haifeng County People’s Court on Dec. 26 for their part in resisting a raid that put an end to months of daily mass protests following the loss of village land and the jailing of its former leader Lin Zuluan, Radio Free Asia reported.
UCA NEWS
Jan. 27 “China 'forcing churches to conform to Party agenda'”
… According to Radio Free Asia, China Aid, which has been documenting abuses against Christian churches, pastors, activists, and human rights lawyers, said in its report that throughout 2016, the government has engaged in activities to force all religions to "surrender to the authority and leadership of the Chinese Community Party."
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALIST (CPJ)
Jan. 26 “Videographer and blogger detained in Vietnam”
… Hoa's family on January 11 reported that the journalist, a videographer with the U.S.-government-funded Radio Free Asia's Vietnamese language service, was missing from his home in the central coastal province of Ha Tinh, Rohit Mahajan, RFA's director of public affairs, told CPJ in an email.
KBS WORLD RADIO NEWS
Jan. 26 “RFA: N. Korea Plans to Apply Capitalism Factors in Operating Companies”
… Radio Free Asia (RFA) quoted the businessman as saying that the North reached the conclusion after testing the concept in model state-run companies last year under orders from leader Kim Jong-un.
… Along with his legal work with the Mississippi Center for Justice, Diep has worked as an international broadcaster forRadio Free Asia and the Legal Aid Society in San Jose.
NK NEWS
Jan. 25 “Germany expecting new North Korean Ambassador in Berlin”
… In April of 2016, a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report cited the German Federal Foreign Office as saying that Ri had left Berlin and returned to Pyongyang.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA TIMES)
Jan. 25 “N.K. seeking to advance into Russia's maritime province”
… According to PrimaMedia in the maritime province, Rim Chong-il, North Korean consul-general in Vladivostok, paid a call to Valentine Shumatov, a regional chairman of the Russian ruling party United Russia, on Jan. 11, Radio Free Asia said.
PHNOM PENH POST
Jan. 24 “ABC loses TV time slot”
… Local broadcaster ABC Radio, which this week launched a campaign against Radio Free Asia, yesterday saw its time slot on TV3 taken away by the Ministry of Information after a video of an ABC presenter jumping over a table and playfully slapping a co-host went viral on social media.
KBS WORLD RADIO NEWS
Jan. 24 “RFA: US Reissues Advisory against Financial Transactions with N. Korea”
… Radio Free Asia (RFA) says the Barack Obama administration warned against carrying out financial transactions with North Korea just before completing the transition of power to the Donald Trump administration.
YONHAP
Jan. 24 “Tanzania to import N.K. doctors due to manpower shortage”
… The branch school of Kampala International University in Dar es Salaam is scheduled to open the hospital with 1,000 beds in June, Radio Free Asia said, citing a local source.
YONHAP
Jan. 24 “Market wardens being challenged in N. Korea”
… "It's not that hard nowadays to see women stand up to despotic wardens and security agents while shaking their fingers at them at jangmadang," the Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing a source in Pyongyang who recently visited China.
PHNOM PENH POST
Jan. 24 “ABC feuding with RFA”
… Local broadcaster ABC Radio launched a bizarre campaign against Radio Free Asia (RFA) yesterday, accusing the US-funded radio station of requesting that the United States demand the repayment of Lon Nol-era debts owed by the Cambodian government.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 24 “Resident of China’s ‘democracy village’ transferred to Guangdong prison before appeal, son says”
… Zhuang Songkun, one of nine villagers who were arrested for their role in mass protests last year, was transferred to a Guangdong prison on January 15 or 16, his son Zhuang Liehong told US-backed Radio Free Asia on Monday.
BENAR NEWS
Jan. 23 “Three More Muslim Men Found Dead in Myanmar’s Maungdaw”
… Last month, the bodies of three other murdered local Muslim men who worked closely with local administrative officials in restive northern Rakhine state were discovered in Maungdaw, according to BenarNews sister entity Radio Free Asia.
KBS WORLD RADIO NEWS
Jan. 22 “RFA: N. Korea Enhances Airfield Facilities”
… Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that facilities for parking and storing vehicles or aircraft were seen on the North’s major expressways and airstrips of the Korean People’s Air Force.
CAMBODIA DAILY
Jan. 20 “CPP Makes First Move to Revoke CNRP’s ‘Minority’ Status”
… In an interview with Radio Free Asia broadcast on Wednesday, exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Mr. Hun Sen was only using the proposed amendment as an excuse not to negotiate.
YONHAP (Also in BUSINESS STANDARD)
Jan. 20 “N.K. forces people to memorize leader’s New Year’s speech”
… "Local parties and labor organizations are pushing for various events, including contests to learn the address by heart as well as oratorical ones," Radio Free Asia said, citing a source in the North's Ryanggang Province.
PHAYUL
Jan. 20 “Larung Gar demolition works stopped temporarily”
… Demolition operations have been halted since the beginning of January with winter making it difficult for work crews to carry on operations, according to Radio Free Asia.
DONG-A ILBO
Jan. 20 “Kim Jong Un urges ‘beefed-up preparation for combat’”
… Meanwhile, as military draft-dodging has become more rampant, the North Korean authority is visiting all schools before students’ graduation and checking physical conditions of the students subject to conscription beginning this year, Radio Free Asia reported on Thursday.
YONHAP
Jan. 19 “Debate on female N.K. defectors' rights violations in China to be held at U.N.”
… "The North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC) will hold the forum for the first time at the U.N. on March 13," Washington-based Radio Free Asia said, quoting Jason West, a co-chairman of the NKFC's Working Group on North Korean Women.
ASIA TIMES
Jan. 19 “North Korea drug lords profiting from K-pop smuggling”
…The driving force behind the smuggling is North Korea’s military police, which operates outside of the control of the normal authorities, sources inside the country has told Radio Free Asia.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA TIMES US)
Jan. 19 “Ex-Olympic gold medalist to participate in figure skating fest in Pyongyang”
… According to the Paektu Cultural Exchange (PCE), eight professional international skaters were confirmed, as of Sunday, for the 25th Paektusan International Figure Skating Festival set for Feb. 15-17 to celebrate the late Kim's Feb. 16 birthday, called "Day of the Shining Star" in the North, the Washington-based Radio Free Asia said.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 17 “Tiananmen activist’s hands and feet shackled for extended periods in Chinese prison, lawyer says”
… His hands and feet were cuffed and shackled for over ten days after he refused to say the standard greetings to prison officials, Sui told US-backed Radio Free Asia.
YONHAP
Jan. 17 “Wages of N. Korean workers in China rise by 15-20 percent”
… Simple labor workers from the North at a food processing factory receive 1,800 yuan (US$262.17) a month on average, and skilled ones like seamsters take home 2,300-2,500 yuan, the Washington-based Radio Free Asia said, citing a source in the Chinese border city of Dandong, the largest base for North Korean workers.
VOICE OF AMERICA (Also in CAMBODIA DAILY)
Jan. 16 “In First Correspondents’ Dinner, PM Hun Sen Lays Into ‘Unprofessional’ Journalists”
… Hun Sen also apologized to reporters who had not been issued invitations to the event, including US-funded outlets such as VOA and Radio Free Asia, and foreign-based news media.
YONHAP
Jan. 16 “N. Korean doctors favor mental clinics to make money”
… "The hospitals where doctors can stably earn money in North Korea are No. 49 hospitals," Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing a source in the communist country's North Hamkyong Province.
EJ INSIGHT
Jan. 16 “China civil rights lawyer suffering mental disorders after jail”
… Radio Free Asia cited one of Li’s friends, also a lawyer, as saying that Li, given his current mental status, is unable to tell others what exactly happened to him during his time in detention.
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Jan. 16 “Government Accuses NASA of Incitement Over Deforestation Data”
… Contacted on Sunday, Yeam Socheameta, an assignment editor for Radio Free Asia, denied any intentional misrepresentation of the report.
KOREA HERALD (Also in YONHAP)
Jan. 15 “N. Korea not rebuilding flood-ravaged areas near border to stem defectors”
… According to Radio Free Asia, commercial satellite photos taken of parts of Heoryong City in North Hamgyong Province in late October showed very little progress being made on repairs to neighborhoods.
THE DIPLOMAT
Jan. 14 “Is Cambodia’s Chhay Thy Really a Sellout?”
… In April, Radio Free Asia reported that timber smuggling was on the rise in Ratanakkiri province.
BLOOMBERG BNA
Jan. 13 “China: Factory Fully Pays Some Student Workers”
… “Following our news release on this matter on Dec. 1, Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, along with some other Chinese media, have all done follow-ups of the story,” Li said.
YONHAP
Jan. 13 “N.K. sets special border security period against defectors until April”
… "The commanders resolved last Wednesday to keep their border impenetrable to prevent the occurrence of any single defection until April, when the North will celebrate the 105th birthday of its late founder Kim Il-sung," the Washington-based Radio Free Asia said, citing a source in the North's North Hamkyong Province bordering China and Russia.
SPECTATOR UK
Jan. 12 “Fakery on a massive scale means we can’t trust studies from China”
… The human rights activist Mai Ke went one step further, claiming that there is an ‘all-pervasive culture of fakery’ across all products made in the country. ‘It’s not just the medicines,’ he told Radio Free Asia.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
… A staff member of the neighbourhood organisation that issued the circulated the notice and a staff member at the county government told US-backed Radio Free Asia separately that the notice was issued by the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, an organ of the communist party which oversees law enforcement agencies.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA TIMES, MEXICO STAR)
Jan. 12 “S. Korean foods, kitchenware gaining popularity in N.K.: RFA”
… "Scores or hundreds of boxes of famous South Korean ramen products produced in China are being brought into the North without restrictions as long as their outer packages contain only Chinese letters with no hangeul (Korean alphabet),"Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing a Chinese source well-versed in the North.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 11 “Hangzhou pastor who opposed cross removal arrested for embezzlement again”
… Local Christians told US-funded outlet Radio Free Asia that Gu has not returned to work at Chongyi Church since he was released on bail.
NEW YORK TIMES (Also in JAKARTA POST, JAPAN TIMES, NEWS.COM.AU, FOX NEWS)
Jan. 11 “North Korea Is a Bad Trip if You’re Looking to Get High”
… Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-government-funded news service, lit up the latest round of stoner glee last month with a story that Chinese and Russian tourists are stocking up on North Korean pot by the kilo in Rason, a special economic zone on the country's northernmost frontier that has a large, bazaar-style marketplace.
YONHAP
Jan. 11 “China exploits sanctions on N.K. for profit: RFA”
… The Chinese government is preventing foreign aid and relief goods from entering the North under the pretext of U.N. sanctions, Radio Free Asia said, citing Stephan Burckhardt, an official in charge of North Korea of the Swiss-based relief agency Agape International.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 10 “Video: Shandong academic’s criticism of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong sparks violent protest”
… A group of Maoists demonstrated outside the school on Wednesday, chanting: “Down with Deng Xiangchao, traitor to the Chinese people,” according to US-backed news outlet Radio Free Asia.
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Jan. 10 “Rights Worker Terminated After Surprise Defection”
… In 2012, Mr. Thy, Mr. Bonnar, Sok Ratha, Radio Free Asia’s provincial correspondent, and Ou Virak, then-president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, were summoned to court for incitement and terrorism over a land dispute in Lumphat district.
THE DAILY CALLER
Jan. 9 “Report: Chinese Nuclear Plants Have ‘Systemic Safety Concerns’”
China’s nuclear power program has “systemic safety concerns,” according to a report published Monday by Radio Free Asia.
PHAYUL
Jan. 7 “Tibetans in Tibet perform prayers secretly during Kalachakra”
Despite stern directives from the Chinese authorities Tibetans in Tibet are clandestinely holding prayers during the period of Tibetan leader’s Kalachakra initiation in Bodh Gaya, according to the Radio Free Asia.
ARIRANG
Jan. 7 “19 N. Korean refugees started new lives in U.S. in 2016: report”
… Radio Free Asia reports that among the total settled in the U.S. 128 are women and 83 are men.
GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REVIEW
Jan. 6 “Work on grand China-Laos railway kicks off, again”
… Some locals have expressed anger at a lack of information regarding the project, reports Radio Free Asia, a pro-American broadcaster.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 6 “Group of Chinese lawyers offer legal help to foreign NGOs as new law kicks in”
… Founding member Chen Jinxue – who is also representing the family of detained lawyer Jiang Tianyong – told US-backedRadio Free Asia that the added pressure on NGOs is doing great harm to civil society.
KBS WORLD RADIO (Also in YONHAP)
Jan. 6 “RFA: N. Korea Builds Dock to Pave Way for Large Submarine”
Radio Free Asia (RFA) says North Korea is carrying out a naval construction program at a ship repair yard in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, mobilizing engineers from another shipbuilding site in the country.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 6 “Tiananmen leader Wang Dan to move to US; will continue fight for China’s democracy and human rights”
… “I’ve already been teaching in Taiwan for seven years… these seven years I have been under quite a bit of pressure and it’s had a negative effect on my health,” Wang said in an interview with Radio Free Asia.
NK NEWS
Jan. 5 “U.S. N. Korea human rights ambassador to retire: source’”
… He was also a longtime advocate of improving information access for North Koreans, supporting the work of Radio Free Asia and efforts to get South Korean media into the country.
YONHAP (Also in KOREA HERALD)
Jan. 5 “’N. Korea mobilizing border residents to earn hard currency: RFA”
… The North Korean authorities have beefed up security in the northwestern Jakang Province bordering China more than that in the capital Pyongyang in order to prevent the leak of information as the area is home to the North's military industry, with the passage of local residents and visitors into and out of the region strictly controlled, the Radio Free Asia(RFA) said.
DAILY MAIL (Also in Z NEWS)
Jan. 4 “’Thousands’ of pilgrims return to China before Dalai Lama event”
… Last month Radio Free Asia reported that many Tibetan pilgrims who travelled to Dharamsala ahead of the Kalachakra had been ordered to return home before the end of the year, preventing them from heading on to Bodhgaya.
UPI
Jan. 4 “Fish linked to North Korean guards’ diarrhea declining in value”
… Prices are plunging because of rumors leader Kim Jong Un is expected to give out Japanese sandfish as gifts to the people on the occasion of his birthday, Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 4 “Chinese blogger-activist ‘Super Vulgar Butcher’ to be indicted; lawyer not given access - report”
… One of his lawyers, Ge Yongxi, was not permitted to meet with Wu on Tuesday, and has filed a complaint with the court against a detention centre for violating his right to carry out his work as a lawyer, according to US-backed Radio Free Asia.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
Jan. 3 “Father of detained China activist Jiang Tianyong attempts to sue state-run papers for defamation”
… Jiang’s family still does not know where he is being held, his father told US-backed outlet Radio Free Asia.
CAMBODIA DAILY
Jan. 2 “Gov’t IDs 3 Suspects Over Photoshopped Porn Image of King”
… But in an interview on Saturday with Radio Free Asia, broadcast on Sunday morning, he said authorities were pursuing three suspects, one of whom was living in Thailand.
ELEVEN MYANMAR
Jan. 1 “Shan peace talks fail”
… The Radio Free Asia Facebook posted that commission member Aung Soe said it had been planned to meet the Northern Alliance in Hpansan but no rebels attended. He said the commissioners were still keen to meet.
