DONG-A ILBO
Nov. 30 “U.N. Security Council investigates N. Korean leader’s luxury limo”
… Radio Free Asia also reported that the UNSC launched an investigation into South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s visit to the Mansudae Art Studio during his visit to Pyongyang in September and the two Koreas' exchanges of tangerines and mushrooms as gifts for possible violation of the North Korea sanctions.
CHOSUN ILBO
Nov. 30 “UN Probes Mercedes That Ferried Moon, Kim Through Pyongyang”
The UN Security Council is checking whether a Mercedes-Benz sedan President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rode together in Pyongyang violated sanctions, Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday.
MARITIME EXECUTIVE
Nov. 28 “Russian Freighter Stuck Without Fuel Due to U.S. Sanctions”
… "Korean companies are refusing to supply fuel to us," said a spokesperson for owner Gudzon Shipping, speaking to Radio Free Asia.
YENISAFAK (also in MENAFN, WORLD BULLETIN)
Nov. 28 “Rohingya take risky route to flee restive Myanmar state”
… A boat carrying 93 Rohingya Muslims, who left camps in Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe in hope of reaching Malaysia through the sea route, was seized by Myanmar authorities near Dawei, a coastal town in southern Tanintharyi region on Nov. 25, reported Radio Free Asia, a local online media.
BUSINESS INSIDER
Nov. 27 “Shocking footage purportedly shows cells inside prison camp where China oppresses Muslim minority”
… In October, Radio Free Asia reported that Xinjiang authorities were secretly transferring Uighur detainees to prisons around the Chinese mainland because existing re-education camps were too crowded to house them all.
KOREA HERALD
Nov. 27 “State Department official suggests possibility of family reunions”
… Radio Free Asia reported that the unidentified State Department official talked about the possibility of such reunions during a phone call earlier this month with the head of the National Coalition of Divided Families, an association of Korean-Americans seeking to organize reunions with relatives in the North.
CHINA DIGITAL TIMES
Nov. 25 “Minitrue: Do Not Report Black Lung Protests”
The group is part of a larger effort launched in 2009 to gain compensation and an apology from local authorities, whom they claim did not adequately inform them about the dangers of their work Radio Free Asia reports.
WASHINGTON POST
Nov. 24 “EDITORIAL: China is creating concentration camps in Xinjiang. Here’s how we hold it accountable.”
When Uighurs outside China have protested what is happening, their relatives in Xinjiang have been hauled off to camps and other locations, as happened to relatives of six U.S.-based journalists for Radio Free Asia.
YONHAP
Nov. 24 “N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un's birthday remains non-holiday next yr: report”
New year calendars recently published by North Korea marked Jan. 8, known to be Kim's birthday, as a regular working day, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
FOREIGN POLICY -- FIRST PERSON
Nov. 23 “PODCAST: Inside China’s Re-education Camps”
… Gulchehra Hoja, a Uighur journalist with Radio Free Asia, joins us on the podcast this week. Almost two dozen members of her family have been detained by Chinese authorities.
“[My brother] was detained just because of me because I am producing free news and telling the truth to the world.”
UPI
Nov. 23 “Report: North Korea running low on steel”
… A China-based source told Radio Free Asia on Thursday the Kim Jong Un regime has told North Korean traders assigned to bring in foreign currency earnings to "put all their efforts" into procuring steel.
NPR
Nov. 23 “'They Ordered Me To Get An Abortion': A Chinese Woman's Ordeal In Xinjiang”
… Alim Seytoff, director of the Uighur service at Radio Free Asia, says his team has interviewed hundreds of people from ethnic minorities in Xinjiang who describe an environment of pervasive state-sponsored terror.
ASIA TIMES
Nov. 23 “North Korea blockchain conference mixes crypto with tourism”
Radio Free Asia also reported via the Straits Times that a previous conference had been held in October, but received very little media coverage.
UPI
Nov. 21 “Report: North Korea man arrested after escape attempt”
… Radio Free Asia reported this week the man, a retiree in his 60s, was the former vice chairman of the people's committee of Hyesan City in Yanggang Province.
KOREA HERALD
Nov. 21 “Russian ship under US sanction yet to leave S. Korea: ministry”
… The ministry’s response came following a Radio Free Asia report that the Russian ship Sevastopol had re-entered the port of Busan, based on its location shown by vessel tracking service Marine Traffic.
LAKELAND OBSERVER
Nov. 21 “Cambodia shuts down US-funded NGO, expels staff”
… The Cambodian Daily reported that “Radio Free Asia and Voice of America have both been accused of not fulfilling tax and registration obligations.”
CHOSUN ILBO
Nov. 21 “N.Korea Halts Work on 30-Story Hotel Near Chinese Border”
… Construction of a 30-story hotel on the North Korean border with China has been abruptly halted, allegedly because Beijing took issue with Pyongyang's plans to build a casino there, Radio Free Asia reported Monday.
YONHAP
Nov. 21 “N. Korea abstains from vote on U.N. resolution against arbitrary executions: report”
… North Korea has abstained from voting on two United Nations resolutions on arbitrary executions and freedom of association and assembly, American broadcaster Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on Wednesday.
SUNSHINE STATE NEWS
Nov. 17 “Marco Rubio Takes Aim at China on Human Rights”
… The bill also requires the FBI to report “on efforts to provide information to and protect U.S. citizens and LPRs (including Uyghurs) from Chinese government harassment and intimidation" and another report of the U.S. Agency for Global Media “regarding efforts to intimidate Radio Free Asia (RFA) employees, the status and reach of U.S. broadcasting to Xinjiang, and analysis of disinformation propaganda by the PRC targeting Uyghur communities globally."
COCONUTS
Nov. 16 “Rohingya being ‘bullied’ into not returning, minister insists after none show up for repatriation”
… Even if they wanted to come back, they are scared and suffering over there,” Dr. Myint Aye told Radio Free Asia.
PHNOM PENH POST
Nov. 16 “Bar Association clarifies title blunder”
… The clarification was made after a controversial interview between Rithy and Radio Free Asia (RFA) concerning former opposition party president Kem Sokha on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON POST
Nov. 15 “OPINION: Yes, the U.S. is in bad shape. But China shows what real authoritarianism looks like.”
… A Chinese state media journalist told the American government broadcaster Radio Free Asia that “depression is very common in the media, because the amount of fakery we have to write gets to us psychologically.”
CHRISTIAN POST
Nov. 15 “Bible Students Escape Mynamar Army: Not Fed for Days, Suffering Health, Psychological Problems”
… Lazarus told Radio Free Asia at the end of October that UWSA has cut off areas and made travel in the region impossible.
MENAFN
Nov. 15 “Vietnamese-Cambodian villagers forced into new homes”
… Since October the villagers, who had reportedly lived in the country for generations, were ordered by local authorities to move to the Rolea B'ier district by the end of this year, Radio Free Asia reported.
CHOSUN ILBO
Nov. 15 “N.Korean Propaganda Vows to Keep Nukes”
North Korea has been telling its people that it will not give up nuclear weapons even after the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in September, according to the Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.
CNN
Nov. 15 “'Cultural genocide': How China is tearing Uyghur families apart in Xinjiang”
… Hoja, who works as a journalist for US government-funded Radio Free Asia (RFA), says her brother was the first in the family to vanish in September 28, 2017.
YONHAP
Nov. 15 “N. Korea to resume int'l amateur golf competition next year: report”
North Korea plans to resume its international golf championship for amateurs next year after a lapse of two years, American broadcaster Radio Free Asia (RFA) said Thursday, citing a British tour agency.
NEW YORK TIMES
Nov. 14 “Lawmakers Push Trump to Act Against China on Uighur Detention”
… In July, the commission listened to testimony on the repression and heard from Gulchehra Hoja, a Uighur-American journalist for Radio Free Asia who said two dozen of her family members in Xinjiang have gone missing.
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Nov. 14 “Senators call for new sanctions against China's human rights abuses”
… They want “a report by the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media regarding efforts to intimidate Radio Free Asia (RFA) employees, the status and reach of U.S. broadcasting to Xinjiang, and analysis of disinformation propaganda by the PRC targeting Uyghur communities globally.”
NPR
Nov. 14 “A Woman Tells Her Story Of Forced Abortion And Escape From China's Repression”
… Alim Seytoff, director of the Uighur service at Radio Free Asia, says his team has interviewed hundreds of ethnic minorities inside Xinjiang who describe an environment of pervasive state-sponsored terror.
ARIRANG NEWS
… Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday that when asked whether the hidden sites went against the spirit of the summit, a State Department official said President Trump made it clear that the North has a brighter future should Kim make good on his commitments.
PHNOM PENH POST
Nov. 13 “Rainsy ‘fallen in own trap’, PM says as Sokha ‘bet’ defended”
… In an interview with Radio Free Asia’s Khmer Service on Friday, Rainsy said Hun Sen had “fallen into my trap” and revealed himself to be a “dictator who is using the courts as a political tool”.
CHINA DIGITAL TIMES
Nov. 12 “Minitrue: Do Not Report Macau Official’s Fatal Fall”
Radio Free Asia reported last week on a similar case involving a former editor-in-chief of People’s Daily.
IRRAWADDY
Nov. 12 “Explosives Kill Two in Northern Shan”
… Separately, in Muse Township, a 13-year-old ethnic Mong Wong boy was killed instantly when an improvised explosive he and his friend were playing with on Sunday went off, according to Radio Free Asia.
NPR
Nov. 12 “Families of the Disappeared: A Search for Loved Ones Held in China's Xinjiang Region”
… At Radio Free Asia, Shohret Hoshur is in between broadcasts at the Uighur language service. His team's work has come at a price: He and five colleagues have family members who have been detained.
ASIA TIMES
Nov. 10 “China VR research on steady path to reality”
… One, as Radio Free Asia has reported, involved trials of a VR system that tested the loyalty of CPC members at a newly opened Party Education Center in the northeastern province of Shandong.
INFOSURHOY
Nov. 9 “China makes commerce zone at North Korea border ‘nationwide precedence’”
… Radio Free Asia reported in late October North Korea is making international roaming available to a select group of Chinese visitors.
PHNOM PENH POST
Nov. 9 “Smith calls for ‘release’ of Sokha as visit ends”
…. “I call for the lifting of the sentences against Tep Vanny and the [Adhoc 5]. I remain concerned about the charges pending against the [former Radio Free Asia] journalists."
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Nov. 9 “Hong Kong has changed, but it’s not about to die”
… Radio Free Asia quoted it in a report on localist Lau Siu-lai being disqualified from running in a Legislative Council by-election later this month.
MYANMAR TIMES
Nov. 8 “Journalist charged with causing public alarm via Facebook”
A correspondent for Radio Free Asia and editor in charge of the Magwe Journal in Magwe Region has been charged under Section 68 of the country’s Telecommunications Act for allegedly posting information on his Facebook page that frightened the public, police said.
ASIA TIMES
Nov. 8 “Details emerge of ‘confusion’ in Laos prior to dam collapse”
… Sources have allegedly told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that local officials were aware on July 22 – the day before the disaster – that a crack had developed in the western auxiliary dam.
UPI
Nov. 7 “China makes trade zone at North Korea border 'national priority'”
… Radio Free Asia reported in late October North Korea is making international roaming available to a select group of Chinese visitors.
UPI (also in YONHAP)
Nov. 7 “North Korea woos investors with plans for hotel, water park”
… JS Tours, a Japan-based agency with ties to North Korea's Choson International Travel Agency, has released itineraries that cover newly famous sites visited by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un at their summit, Radio Free Asia reported.
ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION REPORTING PROJECT
Nov. 7 “China: Detained Activist’s Life in ‘Immediate’ Danger”
… Last month she petitioned the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing and met with various foreign diplomats to discuss her son’s case, according to Radio Free Asia.
CHOSUN ILBO
Nov. 7 “UN Mulls Taking N.Korea to Court Over Rights Abuses”
… Meanwhile, U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Asia claimed that a senior member of Kim’s security team was purged for listening to RFA.
CHOSUN ILBO
Nov. 7 “N.Korean Crime Rackets Try to Bring in Hard Currency”
… According to Radio Free Asia, North Korean hackers late last month attacked German construction firm igr AG with a virus dubbed "Hermes Ransomware."
PHNOM PENH POST
Nov. 7 “Government ‘wants RFA and VOA reopened’”
Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith told the outgoing US ambassador on Tuesday that the government intended to reopen Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) for “effective communication and to promote freedom of the press in Cambodia”, local media reported.
DIPLOMAT
Nov. 7 “Central Asia Gassing Up China”
… A Radio Free Asia article in June 2018 noted that officials in Kazakhstan were saying that deliveries were expected to rise “nearly a third from the 38.7 billion cubic meters.”
NEW ARAB
Nov. 6 “Exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh sparks ecological crisis”
… A Bangladeshi official referred to the expansion of Rohingya refugee camps as nothing less than "an environmental catastrophe" in an interview with Radio Free Asia, which reported that Bangladesh had cleared $18 million worth of forests to make way for the refugee's arrival.
PHNOM PENH POST
Nov. 6 “Report: Cambodia’s internet freedom slipping”
… The report based its conclusion on a wide range of aspects affecting media freedom, including the adoption of the lese majeste law, the release of code of conducts for the media by the National Election Committee, inter-ministerial prakas to form groups to monitor online news and the closure of Radio Free Asia Cambodia and the Cambodia Daily newspaper.
ASIA TIMES
Nov. 5 “K-pop hits a sour note with Pyongyang’s hardliners”
… The Party Central Committee gave special instructions to root out non-socialist phenomena, such as fashion choices and hairstyles that “do not fit the socialist lifestyle,” a source told Radio Free Asia.
KOREA HERALD
Nov. 5 “[Newsmaker] Ordinary North Koreans join elite in acquiring taste for coffee”
… North Koreans have developed a new taste for coffee as its consumption saw a rapid increase over the past few years with the introduction of market forces to the state-run economy, according to a report from Radio Free Asia on Thursday.
CHOSUN ILBO
Nov. 5 “N.Korea 'Still Mining Uranium'”
… Meanwhile, Jason Arterburn of the Center for Advanced Defense Studies in a forum in Washington last week said North Korean restaurants in China have served as "commercial nodes" for several decades and "therefore [can] be associated with other potentially high risk proliferation activities," according to Radio Free Asia last Thursday.
HONG KONG FREE PRESS
… Media reports from the New York Times, Radio Free Asia, and the Financial Times describe the startling extent of family separations. One county in Kashgar Prefecture built 18 new orphanages in 2017 alone.
UPI
Nov. 2 “Report: Fuel shortage in North Korea forcing station shutdowns”
… The Kim Jong Un regime's gasoline and diesel oil shortages have forced the shutdown of state-sanctioned fuel stations, but because demand is outstripping supply, unauthorized stations are selling fuel, Radio Free Asia reported Friday.
IRRAWADDY
Nov. 1 “Loss of Market Access a ‘Clear Possibility’ if Rights Issues Not Addressed, EU Warns”
Radio Free Asia’s Burmese service quoted the cardinal as saying that the garment sector employed more than 400,000 workers, and the West rarely considered the fact that the government led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was trying hard to build a democratic country.
