RFA in the News (May 2018)

2018-08-20

ECONOMIST

May 31 “China has turned Xinjiang into a police state like no other

… In February Radio Free Asia (RFA), a broadcaster financed by an independent agency of the American government, cold-called 11 families at random in Araltobe, in the north of the province, far from the Uighurs’ heartland.

NEWSWEEK

May 31 “Does Kim Jong Un Even Like Burgers? Everything We Know About North Korea’s Appetite for Fast Food

Pyongyang residents, who are usually handpicked to live in the North Korean capital according to their degree of loyalty to the regime, have reportedly had access to a 24-hour hamburger joint since June 2009, when authorities awarded a Singaporean company the right to open a franchise called Samtaesung Cooling Beverage Restaurant, according to U.S.-government financed Radio Free Asia.

WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT

May 29 “Uyghur Muslims, Demanding Autonomy, Stage Protest at Chinese Embassy

… In an open letter to the Chinese Embassy, Rebiya Kadeer called on Beijing to …. Release the family members of Gulchehra Hoja and other journalists working for Radio Free Asia.

REUTERS

May 30 “China Leaned on Hong Kong Not to Hand Fugitive to US, State Department Says

… Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai, in an interview with Radio Free Asia, pointed out that the Chinese regime has a different approach to Hong Kong now. “They [Chinese regime] used to exert control via communist-backed capital in a much more underground manner; they never laid all of their cards on the table like this before,” he said

CHOSUN ILBO

May 30 “N.Korea 'Kept Nuclear Scientists out of Foreign Reporters' Way'

… North Korea hid nuclear scientists at the test site in Punggye-ri in a hospital before foreign reporters arrived to cover its demolition, Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday.

DIPLOMAT

May 29 “Was Merkel’s Visit to China Successful?

… According to Radio Free Asia, despite her extremely tight schedule, Merkel met with Xu Yan, wife of a Chinese rights lawyer, Yu Wensheng.

DAILY MAIL

May 22 “Millions in China have been banned from travelling after being deemed 'untrustworthy' by social credit system

… Cheng Xiaonong, a US-based Chinese economist, told Radio Free Asia that banning people from travelling in a certain way is a 'misuse' of the social credit system.

CNN (other CNN story, speech transcript)

May 21“Speechwriter helps John McCain say his piece in 'Restless Wave'

… "He goes to Burma and he meets with three guys who had been political prisoners for 20 years, that had just been released from prison, and when he started to speak, one of them just started to cry because he had heard his voice on Radio Free Asia so many times defending them by name," Salter said.

CHINA DIGITAL TIMES

May 20 He Weifang Waits for Opportunity to Speak Out

… From Radio Free Asia: Ding Jiaxi, who has previously served jail time for calling on top officials of the ruling Chinese Communist Party to reveal details of their wealth, was stopped by police at Beijing International Airport on Thursday as he tried to board a plane to visit his wife and daughter in the U.S.

GIZMODO

May 18 “North Korea-Linked Hackers Targeting Defectors With Android Malware

… There are more than 30,000 people who have fled from North Korea to South Korea, per Radio Free Asia, and more than 1,000 risk their lives to break free of the regime every year.

SEA GLOBE (also in DIPLOMAT, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THINK PROGRESS, NEW STAGE)

May 18 “New Phnom Penh Post owner faces press for first time since contentious takeover

… Despite the recent closure of over 30 radio stations critical of the government including Voice of America and Radio Free Asia (RFA), the shutting of the Post’s cross-town rival the Cambodia Daily, as well as the ongoing imprisonment of two RFA journalists.

ASSOCIATED PRESS (also in DIPLOMAT, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, ASIA TIMES, KHMER TIMES, ASEAN TODAY , PHNOM PENH POST)

May 18 “Cambodia Court Extends Detention of Radio Journalists

… A Cambodian court on Friday extended the pre-trial detention of two Radio Free Asia journalists who have been in prison for six months while espionage charges, which critics say are part of a crushing crackdown on independent media, are investigated.

ASIAN CORRESPONDENT (also in PHNOM PENH POST)

May 18 “Cambodia: Toxic substance from mine responsible for poisoning of hundreds

… According to Radio Free Asia, the government first blamed water tainted with pesticides and then methanol-laced rice wine for the tragedy.

CHOSUN ILBO

May 18 “Has China Compromised Int'l Sanctions Against N.Korea?

… Ever since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held two summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping, China has increased supplies of crude oil to North Korea and female workers are streaming across the border again, Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday.

KOREA JOONGANG DAILY

May 18 “On the Chinese border, optimism for increased trade, better relations

… According to Radio Free Asia, the state now pays farmers above the nominal grain price after collecting 70 percent of their production, giving their livelihood a significant boost.

DIPLOMAT

May 17 “Does China Have a ‘Blacklist’ of Taiwan ‘Separatists’?

… As reported by Radio Free Asia, the activist faced harassment, detention, and arrest by authorities in South Korea, India, the United States, Turkey, and Italy.

IRRAWADDY

May 17 “Court Allows U Wirathu Supporter’s Video Evidence Against Editor

… The plaintiff submitted a video clip of an interview Ko Swe Win gave to Radio Free Asia’s Burmese-language service.

WASHINGTON POST (also in DIPLOMAT, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES)

May 17 “Former inmates of China’s Muslim ‘reeducation’ camps tell of brainwashing, torture

… Bekali said he met doctors, lawyers and teachers in the camps, while Radio Free Asia (RFA) has reported that wealthy businessmen, 80-year-olds and even breast-feeding mothers have been among the detainees.

 

SLATE (also in KOREA HERALD, NEWSWEEK, WASHINGTON EXAMINER)

May 16 “It Sure Looks Like John Bolton Is Trying to Sabotage the North Korea Talks

… In an interview with Radio Free Asia just before Trump hired him, Bolton said he suspected the North Koreans were merely “buying time to perfect the last stages of the nuclear weapons program and their ballistic missile program” and was “skeptical that they’re serious.”

DIPLOMAT

May 16 “Is Laos Really Launching a New Corruption Crackdown?

Radio Free Asia has quoted officials saying that the government last year lost three times as much money in revenue than in 2016.

UCA NEW

May 16 “Taiwan bishops invite pope for 'dream' visit

… Bishop Han Yingjin of Snyuan Diocese of Shaanxi province in China, who is recognized by the Vatican and China, told Radio Free Asia that the pope meeting with Taiwan's' bishops would have an impact.

YONHAP

May 15 “U.N. agency said to wait for N.K. invitation to nuke site dismantlement ceremony

… A spokesperson of the United Nations-affiliated organization tasked with building up a nuclear test ban verification regime told Radio Free Asia that the CTBTO welcomes North Korea's decision to destroy its nuclear test site but has not received any request to attend its dismantlement event slated for May 23-25.

CHOSUN ILBO

May 15 “N.Korea Demands Return of Defectors

… Meanwhile, Radio Free Asia reported that the bodies of North Koreans who were shot trying to flee to China across the Apnok River last winter are floating to the surface as the weather warms.

REUTERS

May 15 “Commentary: In China's Northwest, a hidden high-tech Orwellian nightmare

… At least 120,000 Uighurs have been imprisoned in so-called “re-education camps” in the last two years, according to the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia

WASHINGTON POST (also in PHNOM PENH POST, SLATE, KHMER TIMES, BRINKWIRE, ABC NEWS)

May 14 “The former Khmer Rouge commander who still leads Cambodia is again stoking anti-American sentiment

… The local branches of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America – both independent broadcasters that receive funds from the U.S. government – were shut down last year.

PHNOM PENH POST (also in KHMER TIMES)

May 14 “Ex-RFA reporters summonsed to court over ongoing detention

… Two former Radio Free Asia journalists have been summonsed to appear in court on May 16, likely to review the extension of their six-month detention which has seen human rights groups calling for their “unconditional release”, while government officials think such calls violate court procedure.

KBS

May 13 “RFA: Oil Prices Plunge in Northern N. Korea

Radio Free Asia (RFA) says that gasoline and diesel prices in northern North Korea sharply decreased this month.

CHINA DIGITAL TIMES

May 10 “Translation: Research Fund Aims to Fuel Xiology Boom

… Beijing-based historian Zhang Lifan described them less enthusiastically to Radio Free Asia as "a project that deals in the performance of ideology for political advancement."

ECONOMIST

May 10 “A huge earthquake in China ten years ago was a turning point

… The government responded by intimidating or detaining participants. (Radio Free Asia, a government-funded service in America, reported this month that campaigners in the town of Mianzhu had been put under surveillance.)

NATIONAL REVIEW

May 10 “A New Gulag in China

RFA has a Uyghur service, the only one outside of China (and therefore the only honest one).

GUARDIAN (also in WORLD POLITICS REVIEW)

May 9 “Now the Post is muzzled, Cambodia's free press is gone

… Also closed is Radio Free Asia. Two RFA reporters were arrested in November and charged with espionage: Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin remain in jail, though no evidence has been brought forward.

BREITBART

May 9 “China Extends Religious Crackdown to Assemblies of Foreign Citizens

Radio Free Asia (RFA), citing the official notice on the religious affairs agency site, reports that the rules have not yet been passed, but the government is seeking “input” from the public on how to improve upon the draft laws.

BBC NEWS

May 9 “Trains, boats and planes: Kim Jong-un's modes of transport

… In June 2015, Washington-based Radio Free Asia reported that a researcher had spotted a new helipad at Kim's lakeside villa in South Pyongan province.

COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS

May 9 “Police in China arrest farmer over article alleging corruption at Yili Group
… The security bureau on May 2 changed the charge to "extortion and blackmail," according to Radio Free Asia and the independent investigative news blog Jianwen.

NEW DELHI TIMES

May 9 “US Lawmakers’ Help Sought on Use of Encrypting Apps

… Some of these technologies have received financial support from the Open Technology Fund, a U.S. government program funded by Radio Free Asia and the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the agency that oversees Voice of America.

KOREA TIMES

May 8 “Center for North Korean refugees opens in UK

… "As there is currently no dedicated space for North Koreans in the U.K., a center will be a useful place for support for North Koreans for integration," Michael Glendinning, founder and director of the organization, was quoted as saying by Radio Free Asia.

KBS WORLD RADIO (also in ARIRANG, DAILY CALLER)

May 8 “US Committed to 'Permanent Dismantlement of N. Korea's WMD'

Radio Free Asia (RFA) issued a similar report on Tuesday, saying that the department's East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau reaffirmed its goal of realizing the permanent dismantlement of the North's weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

UPI

May 7 “North Korea security agent dismissed for drug trafficking

… Sources in the country who spoke to Radio Free Asia on the condition of anonymity said the security agent who helped smuggle drugs across the country was recently found guilty of crimes.

ASIA SENTINEL

May 7 “Myanmar’s Repression Coalition Fractures

… As Zayar Hlaing, editor of investigative journal Maw Kun, told Radio Free Asia, “The police are closer to the people.”

GUARDIAN (also in AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS, AFP, AL JAZEERA, BBC, SEA GLOBE, DIPLOMAT, CNN MONEY, AP, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, TELEGRAPH, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, UCA NEWS, LATIN AMERICAN HERALD TRIBUNE, LA TIMES, ASEAN ECONOMIST, NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW, NEW DELHI TIMES, NEWSGRAM, CAMBODIAN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, MUMBRELLA, ZLOTO NEWS)

May 7 “Newspaper takeover is 'staggering blow' to Cambodia's free press

… This was swiftly followed by the shutting down of the Phnom Penh office of Radio Free Asia (RFA), which produced some of the most popularly consumed reporting on human rights violations and illegal government activity.

NEW ZEALAND HERALD

May 6 “Six months to crunch time for Trump and the US political parties

… Former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, Thae Yong Ho, told Radio Free Asia that the North will never agree to end its weapons programme irreversibly and with verification.

IRRAWADDY

May 4 “News Editor Loses Bid to Have Evidence Thrown Out

… The plaintiff had submitted a video clip of an interview Ko Swe Win had done with Radio Free Asia RFA’s Burmese language program.

KHMER TIMES

May 4 “Eking out a living through extortion

… Only days later, Radio Free Asia’s Phnom Penh bureau also shut down due to similar pressure over a tax bill.

EPOCH TIMES

May 3 “VIP Treatment: Chinese Top Officials Get Special Food Supplies Delivered to Them

… Back in 2008, Radio Free Asia reported that the CCP’s State Council, a top administrative organ, established a “Special Food Supply Center for The Central State Organs” in April 2005.

TELEGRAPH

May 2 “UN urges Burma to protect thousands of fleeing civilians as army escalates attacks on Kachin rebels

… However, the ongoing violence is creating increasing unrest in Kachin, reported Radio Free Asia. About 5,000 people took to the streets of state capital, Myitkyina, on Monday in protest at the displacement of civilians and demanding that the army end indiscriminate shelling.

PHNOM PENH POST

May 2 “Rainsy hits out at newly formed small parties

… “I compare the party which has been pushed to join the fake election to an ahp party,” Rainsy said in an interview with Radio Free Asia, referring to a type of spirit with a head but no body.

 

CHOSUN ILBO

May 2 “N.Korea Promotes Rosy Outlook on Trade

… "North Korea will soon become a trading powerhouse," an official at the consulate said last Saturday, according to Radio Free Asia on Monday.

 

EXPRESS UK

May 2 “DON'T TRUST KIM! Even brainwashed North Koreans don’t believe despot will destroy nukes

… Residents told Radio Free Asia the news was being met with a mixed response in North Korea.