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RFA BREAKING NEWS: Tibetans Ready for 'Long' Struggle

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Tibetans Ready for 'Long' Struggle JULY 20, 2012—Tibetans will continue to press for freedom of their homeland, now ruled by Beijing, even if their struggle takes “another 50 years,” Tibet’s exile prime minister said Friday as he expressed readiness to resume talks with Chinese authorities on the status of the troubled region. Lobsang Sangay, who was elected last year as prime minister, or kalon tripa, of Tibet’s India-based exile government, said that he still hopes for “meaningful” talks even though Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s envoys to the dialogue with Beijing quit a month ago after talks stalled. “We are always ready to appoint special envoys for dialogue with the Chinese leadership whenever we receive the right signals,” Sangay said in an interview with RFA’s Tibetan service in Washington, where he met with U.S. officials and lawmakers. China has ruled Tibet since 1950, and the Chinese government has repeatedly accused exiled Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, of stoking dissent against its rule. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising. Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, who served as the Dalai Lama’s personal representatives in nine rounds of discussions with China beginning in 2002, resigned their posts in June. The Dalai Lama last year stepped down as political leader of the Tibetan people, devolving his responsibilities to Lobsang Sangay. And though China insists it will speak only with the Dalai Lama’s representatives, refusing to speak directly to the exile government, “we are more concerned with the substance of the dialogue than with the title of the envoys who consult with China,” Sangay said. “We are not discouraged by anything the Chinese government says or does … but we are unwavering on the path of the Middle Way,” Sangay said, referring to the Dalai Lama’s policy of seeking only greater autonomy, and not independence from China, for Tibet. “The ball is now in China’s court. Tibetan exiles are prepared to sustain our struggle even if it takes another 50 years,” Sangay said. Growing challenge In a growing wave of challenge to China’s rule, 44 Tibetans have set themselves ablaze in self-immolation protests so far in a bid to push for greater freedom and the Dalai Lama’s return. Though China has repeatedly claimed that Tibet’s exile government has incited the fiery protests, “we have made it very clear in numerous official statements that we appeal to Tibetans not to resort to drastic forms of protest, including self-immolation,” Sangay said. “At the same time, we need to highlight the underlying causes of [these protests] and the purpose for which they gave up their lives.” “Self-immolation is a political protest; there is no other way for Tibetans to protest,” he said. “As compatriots, we urge Tibetans to show solidarity with the goal of these sacrifices.” Lobsang Sangay met on Thursday with Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and with Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner. In this visit and during previous visits, Sangay said, “we have interacted constructively with all key U.S. officials who are responsible for issues related to Asia, Tibet, and China, and particularly with Maria Otero, the State Department’s Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.” “Our impression is that U.S. support for Tibetan concerns has remained steadfast and strong,” Sangay said. Reported by RFA’s Tibetan service. Translation by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/ready-07202012145209.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 10 months

Release: Radio Free Asia Wins Top Environmental Journalism Award

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2012 Contact: Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org Radio Free Asia Wins Top Environmental Journalism Prize Award Recognizes RFA Series on China's Dong River Pollution WASHINGTON- Radio Free Asia's multimedia investigative <http://www.rfa.org/english/news/special/cantonese-pollution/hub-en.html> series exposing the extreme pollution of China's Dong River was named today as a first-place winner by the Society of Environmental Journalists for its 2011-2012 Awards for Reporting on the Environment. "Disappearing <http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/multimedia/pollution_dongjiang/hub.html> River," produced by RFA's Cantonese service, won the top award in the contest's category for outstanding, in-depth reporting in a large market. "A Radio Free Asia videographer worked at great personal risk to film this investigative series," said Dan Southerland, RFA's executive editor. "The final series also benefited from in-depth interviews conducted in Hong Kong and video editing done in Washington, D.C. "The award will inspire us to continue reporting on difficult stories that have an impact on the daily lives of our audience." "Disappearing River," a 10-part broadcast, text and online video series, utilized undercover work of RFA journalists to expose the pollution of China's Dong River, a primary source of drinking water for 50 million people in southern China, including the 7 million residents of Hong Kong. Industrialization, deforestation, and overuse from the growing population are among the factors that have led to the river's advanced environmental degradation. A few weeks after the series aired, the Chinese government put 32 polluting factories on its high-priority watch list for environmental protection. Other prize winners at Society of Environmental Journalists's annual <http://www.sej.org/initiatives/winners-sej-11th-annual-awards-reporting-env ironment> juried contest recognizing the best environmental reporting in print and on television, radio, and the Internet were National Geographic, the New York Times, the Associated Press, and the Seattle Times, among others. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

12 years, 11 months

RFA Breaking News: Burmese Authorities Detain Student Activists

by Rachel Vandenbrink

Burmese Authorities Detain Student Activists July 6, 2012- Burmese authorities on Friday detained more than two dozen members of a banned political organization and raided the headquarters of a student activist group in Rangoon ahead of the anniversary of a major protest against the country's former military regime, fellow activists said. The detentions and raid mark a significant step backward for democratic reforms implemented by the country's nominally civilian government since it took power in March of last year. In several locations around the country, Special Branch police detained members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), an umbrella organization for all student unions in Burma and a voice for academic freedom and student rights, which was banned more than two decades ago but has continued to operate underground. The ABFSU was warned by the government last month to register as a political group or risk imprisonment of its members. But the group declined, saying that it did not qualify as a political party and did not need to register. Authorities also raided the Rangoon headquarters of the 88 Generation Students Group, a movement formed by activists who participated in student-led protests against Burma's former military regime in 1988. ABSFU chariman Kyaw Ko Ko spoke to RFA's Burmese service about an hour before authorities began looking for him at the 88 Generation Students' office in Rangoon, saying that he had recently received information about the detention of his fellow activists in various cities around Burma. "First, I heard about the detention of Soe Kyi Thar, ABFSU chair of Lashio [Shan state], together with a female student. We were waiting to see if they would be released. By 9:30 p.m. they were not released, so we talked with [ABFSU secretary] Phyo Phyo Aung to give the news to the media," Kyaw Ko Ko said. "Then we received additional news that the Abbot of Myawaddy monastery in Mandalay was being pressured about tomorrow's religious ceremony," he said, referring to a service honoring those who perished in the July 7, 1962 military bombing of Rangoon University's student union, which ended student protests against the junta. "So the Abbot is negotiating to shorten the ceremony." The organization that evolved into the ABFSU was founded by Burma's revered General Aung San, the father of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In May, Aung San Suu Kyi pledged to help revive the banned national student rights organization, saying she accepts that the student union is legal and essential to promoting democracy in the country. Anniversary ceremonies The ABFSU had planned to conduct ceremonies throughout the country tomorrow to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bombing incident. Authorities had warned the group against holding any memorials which would "dig up the past." Kyaw Ko Ko said that two ABFSU activists had been detained in Mandalay-Aung Hmyin Sant and Moe Htet-and that the group had yet to confirm the detention of a third, Yeyint Kyaw. ABFSU activists from Monywa had also been detained, he said. "Eventually, I couldn't contact Phyo Phyo Aung anymore and realized she had been taken by the police after contacting others," he said. "I also heard that [ABFSU members] De Nyein Lin, Sithu Maung, and Ye Myat Hein had been detained." Nay Win, father of Phyo Phyo Aung, confirmed his daughter's detention. "Two cars parked in front of our house at around 10 p.m. A lot of uniformed people came in and said they had some questions. The group leader said his name was Saw Thein from the Northern district of the SB [Special Branch]," Nay Win said. "Two female officers were among them and said they would take Phyo Phyo for questioning. Her mother asked if they could question her at home, and they said they couldn't," he said. "They said they would take her for only one or two days, and guaranteed to release her after that." Both Nay Win and his daughter are former political prisoners who were arrested in the aftermath of the May 2008 Cyclone Nargis disaster for helping to bury the estimated 138,000 killed by the storm, despite the then-ruling military regime's efforts to block aid to affected regions. Taken for questioning Zaw Zaw Min, father of De Nyein Lin, told RFA that his home had been visited by the Special Branch district chief and several local authorities at around 10:30 p.m. on Friday. "They requested to take him and said they would release him after questioning. When we tried to take pictures of them, they wouldn't let us. I can't believe this kind of thing could happen during this transitional [political] period. I am very surprised," Zaw Zaw Min said. "Just today we met with the deputy labor minister and he said they would welcome negotiations, and that the president and members of parliament trust the 88 students to work together. And now this happens," he said. "I consider this the destruction of peace. The president said he would leave behind those who want to turn back and will move forward [with reforms], so this kind of thing shouldn't happen at all." Zaw Zaw Min said the officers would not say how long they intended to keep De Nyein Lin for questioning. Both father and son are also former political prisoners. ABFSU said on its Facebook page that Special Branch police had detained "several students from Mandalay, Monywa, Myingyan, Shwebo, and Rangoon in connection with planned July 7 ceremonies." In a statement released Friday, the group said that other detained members include Ko Than Htike, Ko Min Khant, Ko Pyay Phyo Kyaw, Ko Wathan, Ma Htay Htay Win, and Ko Khin Oo. Headquarters stormed Around two dozen Special Branch police officers and regular Burmese police also stormed the headquarters of the 88 Generation Students group on Friday evening, looking for leaders of the ABFSU, 88 Student leader Ko Ko Gyi told RFA. "SB and police came to our office-about 20-25 of them. When I came to the office, I saw them in front of the building. They came to look for Kyaw Ko Ko," he said. "They didn't take anything from the office. They just said that they wanted to hold 'a discussion with [ABFSU members] briefly.' After about 40 minutes, they left." Ko Ko Gyi and fellow 88 Generation Student leader Min Ko Naing criticized the arrests and vowed to hold their own ceremonies on Saturday to remember the students killed on July 7, 1962. "We will continue our work until only one of us is left," Min Ko Naing said in a statement. "The act of detention during this transitional period is a threat for the country's civil society." Reported by RFA's Burmese service. Translated by Khin May Zaw. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/burma/students-07062012160721.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org. ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS: Helicopters Fire on Rohingya Refugees

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Helicopters Fire on Rohingya Refugees JUNE 20, 2012—Helicopters opened fire on boats carrying Rohingya Muslims heading to Bangladesh and fleeing sectarian violence in west Burma, according to refugees who survived the sea ordeal. The refugees said they witnessed children drowning and starving to death during their perilous journey. The shooting took place after Bangladesh border guards turned back six boats of refugees as they tried to enter the country from neighbouring Burma across the river Naf to Teknaf town in the southernmost part of mainland Bangladesh, the witnesses told RFA. "We floated in the sea for four days and my younger brother starved to death," said Minara Begum, a 10-year-old girl, speaking through an interpreter. "We had six boats. Then a helicopter came and opened fire, and three boats were lost, all of those people [in them] were killed," She did not specify the exact date of the incident, which occurred earlier this month, or whether the helicopters were from Burma or Bangladesh, Minara Begum, who is from Sittwe, the capital of violence-hit Rakhine state in Burma, is among a group of refugees sheltered and hidden from the authorities by a Bangladeshi woman. The woman said she was moved by the plight of the Rohingyas, a stateless people described by the U.N. as one of the world's most persecuted minorities. Helicopter fire Mohammed Islam, a young father also from Sittwe, said he was among those who left in the group of six boats, three of which he said came under helicopter fire. "Because we couldn't endure the torture, we took six boats and left our homeland," he said, citing burning of homes and mosques and killings and other sectarian violence triggered in the first week of June in which he said two of his children and up to 25 of his relatives died. "Three [boats] were together and three became separated from the group," he said. "These three that fell behind were set on fire by the helicopters." "At first, we couldn’t be sure that the boats were being fired on because of the sound of our engine but then we saw the boats catch fire." Mohammed Islam said three children died on his boat. “We threw them into the sea because they were dead." Another 10-year-old girl, Nahida Begum, said she was the only child who managed to swim ashore after their boat was turned back. The vessel, carrying her grandmother and many other children, including a nursing infant, was very small, not seaworthy and possibly took on water. Third attempt A woman, Shahra Khatun, said her boat was turned back twice and although it managed to land on its third attempt, three children on the vessel, including two of her's, died while waiting out at sea. "My five-year-old boy died of starvation and heat on the boat," she said. "They burned all of our homes and killed my sisters and brothers, that's why I came here," she said referring to the violence in Rakhine state which has left about 60 dead with tens of thousands displaced, according to official estimates. At least 2,000 Rohingyas have tried to enter Bangladesh following the violence between Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine state in Burma since early June but most were either turned back or detained. In a June 18 incident cited by witnesses who spoke to RFA, the Bangladesh authorities turned back about 130 mostly young Rohingya men. "This is the first time I have ever done anything like this," said a Bangladesh security officer, identifying himself as Major Salif, who oversaw a feeding program for the 130 Rohingyas before they were put back on their boats and sent away. "According to my understanding, this [turning back the refugees] will go on for sometime but God willing it will take its natural course and settle down soon," Salif, the commanding officer at the Shapuri Dip Jetty in Teknaf, told RFA. Strained Bangladesh says its resources are already too strained and has refused to accept the Rohingyas despite appeals from the United Nations to grant them refugee status. Bangladeshi officials estimate that a total of 300,000 Rohingya people live in the country, with only about a tenth of them in two official refugee camps in the southern district of Cox's Bazaar. Burma considers the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denies them citizenship while Bangladesh says Rohingya have been living in Burma for centuries and should be recognized there as citizens. Reported by an RFA correspondent in Bangladesh. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/burma/refugees-06202012193820.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS: Key Police Witness to Urumqi Riots Dies

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Key Police Witness to Urumqi Riots Dies JUNE 20, 2012—The former chief of a police station in the capital of China’s restive Xinjiang region who was a firsthand witness to some of the worst ethnic violence in the country has died suddenly, raising suspicions as to the cause of his death, according to various sources. Tursun Bexti, who had dealt with sensitive cases involving Uyghurs missing in the aftermath of 2009 clashes in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi, was found dead in the yard outside his home in mid-May, sources told RFA. His death raised unease among some Uyghurs because he was in his early 40’s and the death occurred just after RFA’s Uyghur service reported individual and detailed accounts of Uyghurs who disappeared in the aftermath of the bloody riots. An officer contacted by RFA at the Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau confirmed he had died last month but declined to give further details. As chief of an Urumqi police station during the July 5, 2009 riots between Han Chinese and ethnic Uyghurs —the worst ethnic violence in China’s recent history—he had detailed knowledge about Uyghurs who disappeared following the unrest, sources said. Exile Uyghur groups say some 10,000 Uyghurs were reported missing following the violence, which according to official statistics left some 200 dead. Most of those disappeared are believed to have been taken into custody in large-scale roundups, often with little or no notice or explanation given to their relatives. Following the unrest, Tursun Bexti was transferred to the petitioning office of the city’s Public Security Bureau, where he accepted and recorded the cases of Uyghur families demanding information about their missing loved ones. “He was engaged in very sensitive and hard cases,” a police officer at the bureau who wished to be identified only as Zohre said. Tursun Bexti had earned a reputation for attempts to be fair toward other members of the minority in his work, despite being part of an institution they often regarded as biased against them, sources said. Another police officer suggested that his death may be linked to his excessive questioning of authority. “It is true that he was one of those who did not follow the orders of [higher] authorities without questioning them. He was always raising questions of ‘Why?’ and ‘What for?” to the authorities,” the police officer told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity. “I guess this was the cause of his death,” he said. Funeral One source said Tursun Bexti died on May 14 and was buried two days later, as soon as his sons had returned to Urumqi from their universities in eastern China for the ceremony. "His body was kept for two days until his two sons came from universities in inner China to attend the funeral. The funeral was conducted on Wednesday [May 16],” he said. Ablet Rahman, a police officer from the Tianshan subdivision of the Urumqi Public Security Bureau who attended the funeral, said that the family had wanted to wait longer to hold the ceremony but authorities had rushed them. He added that authorities promised his sons jobs after their graduation in an apparent attempt to ease any concerns. “On Wednesday at the ceremony, our [police] chief Kadeer Memet promised Tursun Bexti’s family members that his sons would start work at the Urumqi public security department as soon they finished school,” he said. Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur service. Translated by Shohret Hoshur. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/policeman-06182012155524.html <http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/burn-06202012095119.html> Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS: Blind Dissident Chen Says US Vowed to Push China

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Blind Dissident Chen Says US Vowed to Push China MAY 3, 2012—Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng said Thursday that the United States had given him an assurance that it would push Beijing to respect his rights and freedom if these were violated while he remains in China. The assurance, he told RFA's Mandarin service, was a key component of a U.S.-China deal that prodded him on Wednesday to leave the U.S. Embassy in Beijing where he had sought refuge after a dramatic escape from house arrest in his rural Shandong province. In an interview, Chen, who is bedridden with his foot in plaster at a Beijing hospital, said the Chinese authorities appeared to be defying the bilateral deal by placing restrictions on him in terms of phone contact and family movements, as well as by making threats to his wife. Chen, a crusading lawyer who had exposed forced abortions and sterilizations under China's "one-child" policy, is now requesting political asylum for himself and his family in the United States, throwing into doubt the deal used to coax him out of his sanctuary in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The 40-year-old activist said he decided on Wednesday to leave the U.S. Embassy only after Beijing agreed that his "civic rights and freedom would be protected." He was also assured of medical treatment, being reunited with his family, and arrangements made for him to pursue further studies at a university under the deal hammered out in talks led by Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on the American side. "I asked Mr. Campbell what would happen if these conditions were not met. And he said if the conditions were not met, they [the U.S. side] would continue to express concern and ask that the terms of the agreement be fulfilled," Chen said in the interview. Washington acknowledged Thursday that Chen and his family now want to leave the country and said it is in talks with him about his options. No visitors Chen said he has received no visits from friends or well-wishers on Thursday. "No, not one," he said, when asked if anyone had been to visit him. He added that contact by phone was also unreliable. "Yesterday evening I wasn't able to call out or receive calls at all," he said. RFA had dialed his number nonstop for one hour, getting a busy signal each time, before he picked up on Thursday. Chen said his phone hadn't rung and that he had received the call only because he randomly "hit the button." He said he had only been on the phone for a total of 10 minutes during the past few hours. Asked if there were any restrictions on his wife's movements within Chaoyang Hospital, he said, "Yes, it seems that there are. [My wife] hasn't been out of the hospital, but she has been out of the building." "Yes, [she was stopped] yesterday," said Chen, who is now staying in his hospital with his wife Yuan Weijing and the couple's two children. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman told reporters on Thursday that American officials are planning to talk further with Chen, to decide whether he and his family should leave their homeland and seek asylum in the United States. “It is clear now that in the last 12 to 15 hours they ... have had a change of heart,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. “We need to consult with them further, get a better sense of what they want to do, and together consider their options.” Rights groups expressed "concern" for Chen's safety, should he and his family remain in China. "On the basis of a promise from the Chinese government ... U.S. diplomats hastily delivered Chen from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to a local hospital designated by Chinese officials on May 2," the Hong Kong-based group China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said in a statement. "Six days after Chen reached the embassy to seek sanctuary, his fate is now back in the hands of the very government that has been complicit in disappearing, detaining, and assaulting him over the past seven years, including, most brutally, from the time he was placed under house arrest in September of 2010 until his daring escape on April 22," it said. 'Never pressured' U.S. Ambassador to Beijing Gary Locke denied that Chen was pressured in any way, adding that the activist had appeared keen to leave shortly after a phone call from his wife. He told reporters that U.S. officials were prepared to have him stay much longer, if a deal couldn't be reached. "I can tell you unequivocally that he was never pressured to leave," Locke told a news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. "He was excited and eager about leaving when he made his decision." But he added: "He also fully knew of what ... staying in the embassy would entail if he decided not to leave. And he was fully aware of and talked about what might happen to his family if he stayed in the embassy and they stayed in the village in Shandong province," Locke said. Asked what was the deciding factor in his decision to leave the U.S. Embassy, Chen replied: "It was because they threatened me. They said that if I didn't go straight to the hospital, that they would take my wife straight back to Shandong." Zeng Jinyan, a fellow activist and friend of Chen and his wife, reported via Twitter that the couple now fear for their future. A transcribed phone conversation between Chen and rights lawyer Teng Biao posted on the website of the U.S.-based ChinaAid Christian group detailed how Chen was swayed by advice he received from Teng, and how differently things might have gone if he had spoken to him before he left the embassy. "If not for your own sake, but for the sake of your family and friends who tried to rescue you, you should still go back to the U.S. Embassy and find a way to go to the U.S.," Teng is quoted as telling his friend. "If this stays unsettled, all of you will be in danger.... We don’t want to see you sacrifice more and pay a heavier price." Reported by Zhang Min for RFA's Mandarin service. Translated by Luisetta Mudie and Jennifer Chou. Written in English by Luisetta Mudie and Parameswaran Ponnudurai. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/requests-05032012102805.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

Release: Radio Free Asia Wins at 2012 New York Festivals

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2012 Contact: Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org Radio Free Asia Wins at 2012 New York Festivals RFA Uyghur, Korean Broadcasters Earn Gold and Finalist Spots WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia Uyghur service broadcaster Shohret Hoshur won a gold medal at this year's New York Festivals radio awards in the category of best coverage of a breaking news story. In addition, three broadcasters from RFA's Korean service were named as finalists in separate categories as announced at the international broadcasting contest's awards reception last night in New York. "At Radio Free Asia, our lives are focused on the audiences we serve in the most repressive information environments on earth. We are dedicated to bringing a voice to the voiceless, promoting the free exchange of ideas, and shining a light on events occurring in the dark," said Libby Liu, President of Radio Free Asia. "We are honored by the New York Festivals' recognition of our programs' excellence, and we are constantly inspired by our audiences to fulfill our crucial mission of bringing uncensored news to millions living in closed societies." Information about RFA's winner and finalists, and their entries follows. . RFA Uyghur's Shohret Hoshur's gold-medal-winning entry, titled "Hear the Children Cry Freedom," chronicles an incident in which four Uyghur youths, the youngest being 7 years old, were jailed following a deadly clash with Chinese police on Dec. 28, 2011. The youths were branded by the authorities as traitors for trying to seek political asylum outside China. The piece won in the category of best coverage of a breaking news story. . RFA Korean service broadcaster Jung Min Noh was named as a finalist in the contest's category of social issues/current events programming for his series on a bicycle rally and human rights campaign in Europe to bring attention to China's forced repatriation of North Korean refugees. . RFA Korean's Won Hee Lee was named as a finalist in the category of best human interest story for her piece on a Korean-American living in the United States engaged in a project attempting to reunite families separated after the Korean War through personalized video greeting letters. . RFA Korean's Jinseo Lee was named as a finalist in the category of educational programming for his series on a group of North and South Korean college students meeting in Germany to discuss the possibility of a unified Korea. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Rohit Mahajan Media Relations Manager Radio Free Asia Email: mahajanr(a)rfa.org Desk: (202) 530-4976 Cell: (202) 489-8021 www.rfa.org

12 years, 12 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS: Massive Security Buildup in Tibet’s Capital Lhasa

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Massive Security Buildup in Tibet’s Capital Lhasa June 1, 2012—More than 3,000 security personnel have been deployed to bolster security in Lhasa following the first Tibetan self-immolation protest in the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, according to an official document obtained by RFA. One protester who survived the burning last Sunday has been identified as a former monk, but details on his condition were not made available after he was bundled into a security vehicle and taken away from the protest site in front of the famous Jokhang Temple in central Lhasa, sources said. According to the official document dated May 29, the security forces deployed in the capital to “carry out investigations in sensitive areas” include “large contingents of armed police, soldiers, and special forces.” “They have stopped all vehicles and pedestrians in Lhasa city, thoroughly searching inside the vehicles and checking identity papers,” said the Chinese-language report, the first official account of the magnitude of the security buildup in Lhasa, which had already seen heightened security since anti-government riots rocked the capital four years ago. “In the last 24 hours alone, 11,731 vehicles and 28,046 individuals have been searched,” it said. Among those, it said, 157 Tibetans from the Tibetan-populated Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, and Yunnan “were closely questioned, and 35 who were found without proper permits were sent back to their native places.” In addition, 13 monks and nuns were also repatriated to the Chinese provinces, the report said. Earlier accounts this week said hundreds of Tibetans have been detained since the May 27 self-immolation amid additional controls imposed on the Internet and telephone lines. “Controls on Tibetans’ mobile phones and other electronic devices in Ngaba have been increased, and it is now hard for them to communicate not only with the outside but even with [Sichuan’s provincial capital] Chengdu and neighboring areas of China,” Kanyag Tsering , a Tibetan monk living in India, said, citing sources in the region. Protester identified as former monk Meanwhile, the young Tibetan man who survived the self-immolation was identified as a former monk from the restive Kirti monastery in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture in Sichuan. Dargye, 25, apparently survived his burns after Chinese security forces extinguished the flames of the two self-immolators and took him to hospital, sources said. The other protester, identified as Dorje Tseten, died at the scene, state media reported. Dargye came from Soruma village in the Choejema township of Ngaba prefecture’s Ngaba county, Kanyag Tsering said. Dargye’s father’s name is Lodey and his mother’s name is Shekyi, Tsering said. “He was the youngest of six children. He joined Kirti monastery at a young age, and a few years ago he disrobed and took a job as a cashier at a restaurant in Lhasa owned by the Chukel family, a trading family from Ngaba.” Following Dargye’s self-immolation, Chinese authorities detained the restaurant owner, together with his wife and family and six members of a Lhasa-area Ngaba community association, Tsering said. Five of those detained were identified as Nyurgyog, Khambey, Tamdrin Kyab, Sangdrak, and the group’s chairman, Drolma Kyab. The identity of the sixth group member is still unknown. Separately, another former monk from Ngaba, Khedrub Dramnak, was also detained, Kanyag Tsering said. Dargye’s and Dorje Tseten’s self-immolations were the first reported in the Tibetan capital amid a wave of other burning protests, now totaling 38, by Tibetans challenging China’s rule in historically Tibetan areas and calling for the return of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Most of the previous protests have taken place in Sichuan province’s Ngaba and Kardze prefectures and in two other Tibetan-populated provinces in western China, Qinghai and Gansu. On Wednesday, in the latest self-immolation, a Tibetan mother of three set herself ablaze in Ngaba prefecture’s Dzamthang county. Reported by Tseten Namgyal, Rigdhen Dolma, and Dorjee Tso for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai and Richard Finney. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/deployed-06012012161632.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

13 years

RFA BREAKING NEWS: Xayaburi Dam Construction Suspended

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Xayaburi Dam Construction Suspended MAY 9, 2012— Laos has suspended construction on the controversial Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River following an uproar from neighboring Cambodia and environmental groups, a senior Lao government official said Wednesday. An agreement was signed between companies for construction of the dam project from March this year even though a four-nation commission which manages development along Southeast Asia’s key river has not given the go-ahead for the project. “No construction is going on; it’s discontinued, postponed,” Sithong Chitgnothin, director of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press department, told RFA’s Lao service Wednesday in what is believed to be the first government statement that construction will be halted. He said that Laos would stand by agreements of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), an intergovernmental body including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam which manages development along Southeast Asia’s main waterway. “The agreement of the four MRC members still stands and the Lao government will always abide by it,” Chitgnothin said. In a landmark ruling in December, MRC member countries agreed that the dam project should not proceed until further assessment was conducted. The decision followed an earlier recommendation by an expert study group for a 10-year moratorium on all mainstream Mekong dams—of which Xayaburi would be the first on the lower part of the river—due to a need for further research on their potentially catastrophic environmental and socioeconomic impact. But in April, Thai company Ch. Karnchang announced it had signed a U.S. $1.7 billion contract with Xayaburi Power Co. for construction of the 1,290-megawatt dam, prompting protests from green groups in Thailand, where most of the dam’s electricity would be sent. In the contract, the company set a start date for the construction on the dam in March 2012, in spite of the December MRC agreement that the dam should wait for further study. Environmental groups monitoring the dam have said that preliminary construction around the dam site, including of roads and support facilities, has begun, but officials say work on the dam itself had not yet started. Cambodia lodged its complaint in a letter to Lao MRC representatives last week, opposing the preliminary construction and warning Laos not to allow the dam to move ahead. The letter followed earlier threats from Cambodia to take Laos to international court over the dam. Through the MRC, established in 1995, member countries have agreed to a protocol for consulting with and notifying each other about use of the river’s resources, but the organization has no binding jurisdiction on what Laos does about the dam. Agreement On Tuesday, an MRC spokesman reiterated that its members were in agreement that the project should be halted pending further study. “All four Lower Mekong countries are still on the same page; that is, that the project needs more study on its impact, [as do] all projects on Mekong River,” Surasack Glahan, a communications officer at the MRC secretariat in Vientiane, Laos, told RFA. “Despite the contract, the construction of the Xayaburi dam must stop until the new study is completed,” Glahan said, adding that the MRC members are consulting with one another on how the environmental impact study will be conducted. Opponents of the project are concerned that the dam, which would block fish migration on Southeast Asia’s main waterway, could not only impact the lives of millions in the region who rely on the river for their food and their livelihoods, but also pave the way for other hydropower projects on the river. At least 11 other dams have been proposed on the mainstream Lower Mekong, in addition to five already built on the upper part of the river in China. Six of them are in Laos, which, with over 70 hydropower dams in total planned on its rivers, has said it hopes to become the “battery” of Southeast Asia. Reported by RFA’s Lao service. Translation by Max Avary. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/xayaburi-05092012154022.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

13 years, 1 month

Release: Radio Free Asia President Responds to Freedom of the Press Findings

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2012 Contact: Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org RFA President Responds to Freedom of the Press Findings Radio Free Asia Broadcast Countries 'Not Free' WASHINGTON - Today, on World Press Freedom Day, Radio Free Asia (RFA) President Libby Liu responded to Freedom House's 2012 Freedom of the Press <http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/freedom-press-2012> survey that classified all six of RFA's broadcast countries as "Not Free" with North Korea as the worst-rated country on the list. "Sadly, on World Press Freedom Day, there is little to celebrate in the countries into which Radio Free Asia broadcasts," Liu said. "For our listeners, as Freedom House's survey finds, free speech, free expression, and free press are far from being guaranteed rights. "Audiences turn to Radio Free Asia not only as a source of trusted news, but as a way to get closer to the truth and to each other, as well as having their voices heard." Freedom House's survey found that despite the overall conditions for press freedoms improving elsewhere in Asia, RFA target countries' media environments remain stuck in a pattern of heavy restrictions and censorship. China was cited by the report for having the "most sophisticated system of media repression" and for stepping up "its drive to control both old and new sources of news and information through arrest and censorship." RFA's mission is to provide accurate and timely news and information to Asian countries whose governments prohibit access to a free press. Guided by the core principles of freedom of expression and opinion, RFA serves its listeners by providing information critical for informed decision-making. Radio Free Asia has nine language services delivering content online and via the airwaves and satellite television into six countries: China, North Korea, Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Rohit Mahajan Media Relations Manager Radio Free Asia Email: mahajanr(a)rfa.org Desk: (202) 530-4976 Cell: (202) 489-8021 www.rfa.org

13 years, 1 month

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