(Washington, DC — June 1, 2010) Radio Free Asia broadcast the following stories, and more, in May:
RFA Reports on surveillance in Lhasa hotels
May 31 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Mandarin] on hotels in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, being required to install electronic surveillance equipment amid an ongoing security clampdown in the city.
RFA Reports on 14 detained in Uyghur restaurant incident
May 29 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on police in the eastern Chinese city of Tianjin detaining 14 Han Chinese migrant workers who allegedly attacked and destroyed a Uyghur-owned restaurant.
RFA Reports on China iPhone plant plagued by suicides
May 28 – RFA Cantonese and Mandarin aired story [text in English/Cantonese/Mandarin] on a Taiwan-owned factory in China that manufactures the iPhone for Apple announcing a pay raise for staff following a spate of suicides. The incidents have sparked calls for an investigation into working conditions at the factory.
RFA Reports on citizen journalism thriving in China
May 27 – RFA Mandarin aired story [text in English/Mandarin] on citizen journalism in China thriving despite tight government controls of the Internet. Chinese spend more time online than netizens in any other country, with the exception of France and South Korea, and are more likely to contribute to blogs, forums, chat rooms, and other social media such as photo- and video-sharing sites.
RFA Reports on new curbs for Uyghur Muslims in China
May 26 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on authorities in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region publicly announcing new religious curbs in the mostly Muslim area. Officials issued the directive online in an unprecedented move.
RFA Reports on new details on Uyghur detainees
May 26 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on new accounts detailing the detention of ethnic Uyghurs in northwest China in the wake of deadly unrest. The reports indicate that Chinese authorities have targeted members of the mostly Muslim minority, keeping them in custody without access to family and often without notification of when they might be tried or freed.
RFA Reports on Chinese netizens’ dialogue with Dalai Lama
May 24 – RFA Mandarin aired story [text in English/Mandarin] on thousands of Chinese netizens exchanging questions and answers with Tibetan exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on the microblogging service Twitter. The online exchange prompted Chinese online censors to quickly attempt to block users’ participation.
RFA Reports on North Koreans unaware of tensions
May 21 – RFA Korean aired story [text in English/Korean] on the North Korean public appearing unaware of escalating tensions between the North and South. North Korean residents, interviewed by Radio Free Asia by telephone, said they had no knowledge of reports that South Korea is holding the North responsible for the sinking of a naval ship.
RFA Reports on extended jail term for Burmese dissident
May 21 – RFA Burmese aired story [text in English/Burmese] on a prominent Burmese student leader being sentenced to an additional five years of incarceration while currently serving time in prison.
RFA Reports on Tibetan ringtones ban
May 21 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English] on students and teachers at a high school near the Tibetan city of Shigatse being told to delete certain popular Tibetan-language songs from their cell phones. On a public Web site, local education officials designated the ringtones as “unhealthy.”
RFA Reports on Chinese travel ban for Uyghur scholar
May 20 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on authorities in Beijing informing an outspoken ethnic Uyghur scholar he is barred from leaving China, at least for the rest of the year, regardless of destination. Ilham Tohti, a prominent economist at Beijing's Central Nationalities University, said he has been refused permission on eight separate occasions to travel outside China for academic conferences and lectures since deadly ethnic violence gripped the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region last July.
RFA Reports on restoration of Internet services in Xinjiang
May 19 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on China’s restoration of most Internet services to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 10 months after deadly ethnic rioting in the area. However, many experts and analysts believe controls will continue to affect the mostly Muslim ethnic Uyghur people.
RFA Reports on online campaign for jailed Chinese AIDS activist
May 18 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on Chinese netizens launching an online campaign for the release of jailed AIDS activist and rights campaigner Hu Jia on medical grounds. In a campaign on the social networking site Facebook titled “A Day Longer Is a Day Too Long,” Hu’s supporters called on people to mark World AIDS Vaccine Day by making phone calls to the authorities to support his bid for medical parole.
RFA Reports on Burma’s junta hampering drought relief
May 14 – RFA Burmese aired story [text in English/Burmese] on authorities in Burma slowing relief efforts as a severe drought grips the country. Residents in the hardest-hit regions told Radio Free Asia that the Burma’s military government is attempting to project an image of maintaining control over the situation, even as drought conditions have led to deaths in Rangoon and Pegu divisions.
RFA Reports on shooting of Thai general
May 13 – RFA Burmese aired story [text in English] on the fatal shooting death of a renegade Thai general. Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawatdiphol, also known as Seh Daeng, told Radio Free Asia the protests could deteriorate into “civil warfare” just hours before he was struck in the head with a bullet.
RFA Reports on Tibetans renewing protests against mine
May 12 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on villagers in the Tibet Autonomous Region of western China renewing protests against mining operations on mountains long considered sacred. The Tibetan demonstrations are being held despite strong presence by armed Chinese police.
RFA Reports on concerns over dredging along Cambodian shore
May 12 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on sand mining along Cambodia’s coastline negatively impacting the country’s economy and environment. An international NGO has issued a damning report on the impact of sand dredging operations managed by Cambodian lawmakers with close ties to the country’s prime minister.
RFA Reports on Chinese police raid on Christian church
May 11 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on two Christians belonging to a family church in central China being detained for more than two weeks following a police raid. The two detainees, Chen Fengming and Qin Gaiying, are part of a 30-member underground congregation that had gathered to pray in Henan province’s Neixiang county when security officers stormed their place of worship.
RFA Reports on more China aid to Cambodia
May 6 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on China pledging a massive aid package to bolster the Cambodian military. The announcement came just weeks after the United States froze a planned delivery of military trucks to the Southeast Asian country.
RFA Reports on police clash at funeral in Vietnam
May 5 – RFA Vietnamese aired story [text in English/Vietnamese] on dozens of Vietnamese Catholics being injured and detained by police while trying to bury the remains of an elderly woman at her funeral.
RFA Reports on Chinese netizens criticizing Kim visit
May 5 – RFA Mandarin aired story [text in English/Mandarin] on Chinese netizens reacting angrily to a visit to China by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, with large numbers taking part in a campaign on Twitter titled “Kim Jong Il, get out of China!”
