(Washington, DC—April 1, 2009) Radio Free Asia broadcast the following stories, and more, in March:
RFA Reports on testimony of key ex-Khmer Rouge official
March 31 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on the opening court testimony of Cambodia’s chief torturer under the Khmer Rouge. Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as murder and torture and could face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
RFA Reports on possible involuntary Hmong repatriations in Laos
March 26 – RFA Lao aired story [text in English/Lao] on Thai and Lao authorities claiming to have repatriated 452 ethnic Hmong who had fled to Thailand to seek asylum abroad. But a Hmong witness said 40 others fled to avoid returning home, where advocates fear they will face persecution.
RFA Reports on jailed Burmese activist’s health deteriorating
March 24 – RFA Burmese aired story [text in English/Burmese] on jailed labor activist Suu Suu Nway’s health suffering in prison, according to her sister and a Hong Kong-based human rights group that is now requesting the ruling junta to arrange immediate medical treatment. Suu Suu Nway, originally from Rangoon, is a member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition National League for Democracy.
RFA Reports on Tibetan town tense after protests
March 23 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on Chinese authorities in the remote northwestern province of Qinghai dispatching troops to a Tibetan-populated region following protests and detentions of dozens of Tibetans.
RFA Reports on church protest sentences being upheld
March 23 – RFA Vietnamese aired story [text in English/Vietnamese] on a Vietnamese court in Hanoi rejecting appeals by eight Roman Catholics convicted of disturbing public order and damaging property. The incidents occurred during a string of protests demanding the return of land that once belonged to the Church.
RFA Reports on Korean family reunions in jeopardy
March 20 – RFA Korean aired story [text in English/Korean] on the diminishing reunion hopes among Korean families separated by at the end of the Korean War. As relations between the two Koreas take a turn for the worse, many are trying to meet up with loved ones in China, defectors and aid workers said.
RFA Reports on Burmese monks’ leader urging resistance
March 18 – RFA Burmese aired story [text in English/Burmese] on a leader of Burma’s 2007 Saffron Revolution, U Gambira, urging the Burmese people to continue resisting the military government. He also has agreed to appeal his conviction and lengthy prison sentence, according to his mother.
RFA Reports on Tiananmen soldier calling for investigation on crackdown
March 18 – RFA Mandarin aired story [text in English/Mandarin] on a former People's Liberation Army soldier renewing his call for a full investigation into the Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989, as the 20-year anniversary of the event approaches.
RFA Reports on Tibetan protests on key anniversary
March 15 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on ethnic Tibetans in China's southwestern Sichuan province defying a massive Chinese security presence to stage small-scale protests against Beijing's rule. This coincides with the anniversary of two major uprisings.
RFA Reports on high joblessness among Uyghurs
March 6 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on a leading moderate in China’s mainly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority who criticized Chinese policies in the northwestern Xinjiang region. Ilham Tohti, an economics professor at the Central Nationalities University in Beijing, said that joblessness remains the single biggest problem and residents have suffered under the current governor.
RFA Reports on heavy Chinese police presence as petitioners gather
March 3 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on petitioners in Beijing reporting heavy police surveillance and tight security as China’s two largest annual policy meetings got under way. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) began its session on March 3, while the National People’s Congress opened on March 5.
RFA Reports on Chinese push for food safety
March 2 – RFA Mandarin aired story [text in English/Mandarin] on China enacting food safety laws following a series of high-profile contamination cases. But critics say freer media and better enforcement are also necessary to ensure the safety of Chinese food products.
