(Washington, DC — Dec. 1, 2014) Radio Free Asia broadcast the following stories, and more, in November:

• Fresh clashes in Hong Kong as protesters converge on government buildings
• Tibetan singer jailed for patriotic songs
• Chinese activists set for trial
• Vietnam rights conference goes ahead despite harassment
• Journalists beaten, held as police clear Hong Kong protest site
• Myanmar president advocates charter reform
• North Koreans in China send ‘loyalty’ funds to regime
• Vietnamese journalist brutally beaten
• Myanmar military admit responsibility in deadly attack on Kachin stronghold
• Chinese court upholds ‘separatism’ verdict, punishment for Uyghur scholar
• Chinese journalist denies leaking state secrets at trial
• North Korean textile manufacturers rip off Chinese companies
• China arrests activist for supporting Hong Kong democracy movement
• Chinese rights lawyers on trial
• Foreign donors slam Laos over progress on missing civil society leader inquiry
• Cambodia’s Hun Sen denies political motivation in arrests
• Dismal conditions push Uyghurs to escape Thai facility
• Ilham Tohti’s students jailed, awaiting trial
• Myanmar students protest education law
• Chinese officials expel Tibetan nuns in Driru
• Hong Kong students blacklisted for travel
• Bipartisan bill in U.S. Congress calls for scrutiny on Hong Kong
• Two held after thousands clash with Chinese police over land dispute
• Lao Christians evicted from village
• Repatriated Uyghurs left without promised mosques
• Cambodian garment workers’ union displeased with wage raise
• Court in Cambodia jails activists, monk on rebellion charges
• Uyghurs jailed for ‘illegal’ religious activities
• Myanmar parliament condemns U.S. sanctions against ruling party member
• Defamation charges slapped on local Myanmar publication
• Doctors find Myanmar journalist died from gunshot wounds
• Tibetans jailed for aiding self-immolation protest
• Tibetan students protest call for instruction in Chinese
• Cambodia’s election reform chief calls on U.S. to tie aid to improvements
• Detentions, harassment of women in China continues during review
• Vietnamese authorities step up harassment of rights lawyer
• Polluting factories wreak havoc in Xinjiang farming township
• North Korea cuts number of party members through forced retirements
• Lawyers question ‘anti-state’ charges against Vietnamese bloggers

RFA Reports on Hong Kong police clashing with pro-democracy protesters

Nov. 30 – RFA Cantonese and Mandarin aired story [text in English/Cantonese/Mandarin] on hundreds of pro-democracy activists clashing with police in Hong Kong after student leaders of the Occupy Central movement called on supporters to encircle government buildings. The renewed stand-off came after police cleared a seven-week-old occupation of the bustling shopping district of Mong Kok.

RFA Reports on sentencing of Tibetan singer over patriotic songs

Nov. 29 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on the jailing of a popular Tibetan singer. Kalsang Yarphel, 39, was sentenced to four years of imprisonment for performing songs calling on Tibetans to speak their own language and forge unity among themselves.

RFA Reports on trial of Guangzhou activists calling for press freedom

Nov. 27 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou prosecuting two prominent rights activists on public order offenses. The activists were charged after taking part in street protests for press freedom and calling for greater government transparency and protection for human rights.

RFA Reports on Vietnam rights conference going forward despite intimidation

Nov. 26 – RFA Vietnamese aired story [text in English/Vietnamese] on Vietnamese rights activists and foreign diplomats going ahead with a planned human rights conference in Hanoi. The groups defied efforts by police to harass and intimidate event organizers.

RFA Reports on injuries of reporters by police in Hong Kong demonstrations

Nov. 26 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on the injury of more than 25 journalists in clashes with police during the Occupy Central movement. The claim, made by a Hong Kong journalists group, came as a local reporter described being held down and kicked by police officers while shooting the clearance of protest sites in Mong Kok.

RFA Reports on Myanmar leader urging charter reform

Nov. 26 – RFA Myanmar aired story [text in English/Myanmar] on Myanmar President Thein Sein telling the country’s lawmakers that they have a “responsibility” to amend the constitution. The comments came ahead of a meeting among the nation’s top leaders on how to proceed with charter reforms.

RFA Reports on North Korean workers sending ‘loyalty’ funds to regime

Nov. 25 – RFA Korean aired story [text in English/Korean] on workers from North Korea in China being advised to send home funds to support the Kim Jong Un regime. A source in China who regularly interacts with traders from the impoverished neighboring country said North Koreans working there are expected to send money to their government leadership on an annual basis.

RFA Reports on brutal beating of Vietnamese journalist by police

Nov. 25 – RFA Vietnamese aired story [text in English/Vietnamese] on a freelance journalist in authoritarian Vietnam escaping death after being beaten unconscious by eight policemen near Ho Chi Minh City. Truong Minh Duc was ambushed by the policemen in Thu Dau Mot, a town 20 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam.

RFA Reports on Myanmar military saying deadly attack meant to be a ‘warning’ strike

Nov. 21 – RFA Myanmar aired story [text in English/Myanmar] on Myanmar’s military officially acknowledging that it opened fire on a rebel training camp in Kachin state which left 23 cadets dead. The strike, officials said, was meant to be a “warning” strike, but the rebels maintained the attack was deliberate and posed a threat to peace talks.

RFA Reports on rejection of Ilham Tohti’s appeal

Nov. 21 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on Chinese authorities refusing to consider evidence supporting an appeal by jailed Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti against his life sentence for "separatism." "I don't think that they are sincere about a full and fair trial if they can ignore important material like that," Tohti’s lawyer said.

RFA Reports on Chinese journalist denying ‘leaking state secrets’ at trial

Nov. 21 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on veteran Chinese journalist Gao Yu going to trial in Beijing for leaking state secrets. Gao has now denied the charges despite a televised "confession" her lawyers said was obtained under duress.

RFA Reports on North Korean textile manufacturers ripping off Chinese companies

Nov. 20 – RFA Korean aired story [text in English/Korean] on manufacturers in North Korea contracted to produce export-bound apparel for companies in China selling some of their finished products at bargain prices in the country’s black market. Apparel such as coats are sold by the manufacturers without the knowledge of the Chinese companies and are made from raw material skimmed from the companies.

RFA Reports on arrest of Chinese activist supporting Hong Kong protests

Nov. 20 – RFA Cantonese and Mandarin aired story [text in English/Cantonese/Mandarin] on police in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou arresting a third activist on subversion charges after he publicly supported the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. Wang Mo was formally arrested on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power" after he took part in an activity in support of Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement.

RFA Reports on indictments of two well-known Chinese rights lawyers

Nov. 20 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on authorities in the Chinese capital indicting two prominent rights lawyers on charges related to separatism and subversion. The moves pave the way to an imminent trial for both men.

RFA Reports on donors demanding answers in missing Lao activist
Nov. 20 – RFA Lao aired story [text in English/Lao] on donor countries to Laos pressing the government on the whereabouts of the country’s most prominent civil society leader, who disappeared nearly two years ago. Sombath Somphone went missing on Dec. 15, 2012, after police stopped him in his vehicle at a checkpoint.

RFA Reports on Cambodia’s Hun Sen denying political motivation in arrests

Nov. 20 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen lashing out at critics who claimed that the recent arrests of four opposition officials for their alleged roles in a violent protest were politically motivated. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, nongovernmental organizations, and the United Nations envoy on human rights in Cambodia slammed the arrests as a tactic by Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party to gain leverage in electoral reform negotiations.

RFA Reports on Uyghurs escaping dismal conditions in Thai facility

Nov. 17 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on poor conditions at a government social shelter in southern Thailand forcing more than 100 Uyghurs to escape after nearly eight months of detention. The Uyghurs fled to the Southeast Asian nation from northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

RFA Reports on trial of jailed Uyghur scholar’s students

Nov. 17 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on the imminent trial of a number of students of jailed Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti. The former professor at the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing was handed a life sentence, along with deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all his assets, following his conviction on a charge of "separatism" by a court in Xinjiang on Sept. 23.

RFA Reports on Myanmar students’ demonstrating against education law

Nov. 17 – RFA Myanmar aired story [text in English/Myanmar] on hundreds of Myanmar students holding a fourth consecutive day of protests against a new education law they say will limit academic freedom. A leader of a prominent democracy group called for the government to open new talks with the demonstrators.

RFA Reports on Chinese authorities expelling unregistered Tibetan nuns

Nov. 17 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on Chinese authorities moving to tighten restrictions on monastic life in a Tibetan county by expelling scores of unregistered nuns from a Buddhist nunnery. Tibetans in Driru, a county considered “politically unstable” by Beijing, have long resisted forced displays of loyalty to Beijing.

RFA Reports on blacklisting of more Hong Kong students in wake of denied access to Beijing flight

Nov. 17 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on the ruling Chinese Communist Party blacklisting more student leaders of Hong Kong's democracy protests. The move comes after three leading figures in the "Umbrella Movement" were denied access to a flight to Beijing.

RFA Reports on U.S. lawmakers seeking scrutiny on Hong Kong

Nov. 13 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Congress seeking to revive a provision in U.S. law requiring scrutiny of political reforms in Hong Kong. The legislation comes after Beijing’s refusal to allow fully free leadership elections for the former British colony, U.S. lawmakers said.

RFA Reports on thousands clashing with Chinese police in land dispute

Nov. 13 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on authorities in a southern Chinese province holding two people following clashes with thousands of villagers in southern China. The protesters were trying to prevent their farmland from being taken over for development.

RFA Reports on eviction of Hmong Christians in Laos

Nov. 13 – RFA Lao aired story [text in English/Lao] on six Hmong Christian families being forced to leave their village in central Laos after refusing to renounce their faith. The families, consisting of 25 people, were made to leave their homes in Borikhamxay province’s Khamkeut district.

RFA Reports on absence of mosques for repatriated Uyghurs from refinery towns

Nov. 13 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on thousands of Uyghur oil workers being taken from outlying districts into Xinjiang’s Karamay city to enlarge the area’s urban population. However, despite promises by Chinese authorities, their new locations lack mosques and places of worship.

RFA Reports on Cambodian garment workers union decrying wage raise

Nov. 12 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor announcing an increase of the minimum wage for the country’s garment workers. But a workers' union representative called the raise in wages inadequate.

RFA Reports on Cambodian court jailing land activists for ‘rebellion’

Nov. 12 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on a court in Cambodia ordering three female land activists and a Buddhist monk to serve one year in prison each for “aggravating a rebellion.” The sentenced individuals had protested the jailing of seven fellow campaigners.

RFA Reports on jailing of Uyghurs over religious activities

Nov. 11 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on authorities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region sentencing Uyghurs to prison for illegal religious activities and other infractions. Twenty-two Uyghurs, including Muslim religious leaders accused of preaching illegally, received jail terms ranging from five to 16 years at a public sentencing in the western Xinjiang town of Kashgar.

RFA Reports on Myanmar parliament condemns U.S. sanctions against ruling party MP

Nov. 10 – RFA Myanmar aired story [text in English/Myanmar] on Myanmar’s parliament criticizing U.S. sanctions leveled against a leading lawmaker from President Thein Sein’s ruling party. The declaration, which came two days ahead of a visit to Myanmar by U.S. President Barack Obama, said the sanctions brought last month against Aung Thaung undermined the efforts of lawmakers to bring reconciliation to the country after decades of military rule.

RFA Reports on defamation charges for Myanmar weekly newspaper

Nov. 7 – RFA Myanmar aired story [text in English/Myanmar] on the Myanmar government pressing defamation charges against 11 staff of the Myanmar Herald after the paper carried an interview with a political scientist criticizing President Thein Sein. Editor-in-charge Aung Tun Lin told RFA’s Myanmar Service that the Herald employees had been charged under the new media law for allegedly tarnishing the reputation of Thein Sein.

RFA Reports on autopsy showing Myanmar journalist died of gunshot wounds

Nov. 6 – RFA Myanmar aired story [text in English/Myanmar] on doctors who performed an autopsy on a slain Myanmar journalist finding that five gunshot wounds caused his death and that his corpse showed signs of “excessive torture.” A forensics team exhumed the body of Aung Kyaw Naing—also known as Par Gyi—after his widow filed a complaint with police.

RFA Reports on imprisonment of Tibetans for aiding self-immolation

Nov. 6 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on the jailing of eight Tibetans in China’s Sichuan province for up to five years for their alleged involvement in aiding a fatal self-immolation protest. Sporadic demonstrations challenging Chinese rule have continued in Tibetan-populated areas of China since widespread protests swept the region in 2008, with 134 Tibetans to date setting themselves ablaze to oppose Beijing’s rule.

RFA Reports on Tibetan students protesting call for instruction in Chinese

Nov. 6 – RFA Tibetan aired story [text in English/Tibetan] on Tibetan primary and middle school students in China’s western Sichuan province staging protests against a possible switch to Mandarin as their language of instruction. The students and members of the communities affected have called for strengthened protections for their native Tibetan language.

RFA Reports on Cambodia’s election reform chief appealing to U.S. to tie aid to changes

Nov. 6 – RFA Khmer aired story [text in English/Khmer] on the director of Cambodia’s election reform movement asking the U.S. government to make any financial aid to the country conditional on the implementation of planned electoral reforms. The request by Koul Panha, director of the Committee on Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia came after a meeting with officials of the U.S. State Department and United States Agency for International Development in Washington.

RFA Reports on detentions, harassment of women in China during UN rights review

Nov. 6 – RFA Mandarin and Cantonese aired story [text in English/Mandarin/Cantonese] on Chinese authorities detaining and harassing outspoken women activists even as the United Nations reviews China's record in stopping violence against women.

RFA Reports on harassment of Vietnamese rights lawyer

Nov. 5 – RFA Vietnamese aired story [text in English/Vietnamese] on Vietnamese authorities ramping up their harassment of dissident rights lawyer and former political prisoner Nguyen Bac Truyen. Truyen, who provides free legal assistance to victims of land grabs and has campaigned for multiparty democracy in one-party communist Vietnam, was released from prison in May 2010 after serving three and a half years for “conducting propaganda against the state.”

RFA Reports on polluting factories wreaking havoc in Xinjiang township
Nov. 5 – RFA Uyghur aired story [text in English/Uyghur] on the devastating effect on the environment and public health in a once-fertile township of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region since factories have been opened during the rapid influx of majority Han Chinese migrants. Ethnic minority Uyghur residents in the area claim the local government has ignored their pleas to have them shuttered.

RFA Reports on North Korea cutting party members through retirement

Nov. 4 – RFA Korean aired story [text in English/Korean] on North Korea’s ruling Korean Workers’ Party establishing new age limits for party membership, forcing the retirement of older members in a bid to bring new youth and energy to party activities.

RFA Reports on lawyers questioning charges against Vietnamese bloggers

Nov. 3 – RFA Vietnamese aired story [text in English/Vietnamese] on Vietnamese authorities pressing charges against a prominent blogger and his assistant after detaining them for six months for publishing anti-government essays. Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, 58, who is also known as Anh Ba Sam, and his assistant, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, 34, will be charged with violating Penal Code article 258 on “abusing freedom and democracy to infringe upon the interests of the state.”