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EXCLUSIVE: Dissident Chinese journalist works on her next book from exile in Thailand

Editor5 months ago011 mins

Read this interview in Mandarin. At the far end of a quiet garden courtyard in Chiang Mai, home to a small “village” of exiled Chinese writers and intellectuals, is a communal study room with books lining the walls. Veteran investigative journalist Dai Qing, 83, once one of the Chinese Communist Party’s most influential critics, is often there, reading and writing as she enjoys a quiet life of contemplation in Thailand — as well as working on her forthcoming book, “Notes on History.” Dai, a former reporter for the party’s Guangming Daily, was an early and prominent critic of China’s flagship Three Gorges Dam project, publishing a book Yangtze! Yangtze! arguing against the move. She also served time in Beijing’s notorious Qincheng Prison for supporting the students during the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. Now part of a community of exiled Chinese writers and researchers in the northern Thai resort town, Dai spoke to RFA Mandarin — after her daily swim — about what led her there: RFA: Why Chiang Mai? Dai Qing: I should say that Chiang Mai wasn’t actually my choice. I’ve always lived in big cities, ever since I was a child. When they asked me where I was from, I said I was Chinese. For example, I was born in the wartime capital Chongqing, and later I worked in a Beijing high school. I have always been in big cities. I really don’t like big cities, I don’t like the bustle and prosperity — I like the quiet: trees and grass, blue sky and white clouds. When we set up this courtyard, it was as a small community of friends. We all shared the same values and common hobbies, like reading. We set up a research center and invited people from foreign universities with an interest in China to come. We have so many people here who can talk to them, share our experiences, and they can stay here too. RFA: How many homes are here? Dai Qing: Today, there are 31 houses that were designed by [independent writer] Ye Fu. Many of the people here are his friends, and they just sort of came here. It costs less than one-fifth of the price of a place in Beijing, right? But they don’t all live here. Some are rented out. Who do they rent to? That’s another question. People who are dissatisfied with the Chinese education system, who want to bring their children here to study and enroll in the British education system. We rent houses to them. There are several families like that. You can see that the most lively ones are full of kids. Dissident journalist Dai Qing swims near her home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Sept. 2024. (RFA) RFA: Did they come before or after the COVID years? Dai Qing: Some came before and some came after, so there are basically two groups. The first group is people who are dissatisfied with China’s education system and come here to have their children attend school. The second group is Ye Fu, Tang Yun, and Wang Ji, all people who have suffered political discrimination and oppression in China and can’t go back. RFA: So you came here because you were dissatisfied with Chinese politics? Dai Qing: It’s not that simple. It’s just that … before Hu Yaobang’s death in 1989, civil society in China hadn’t achieved a modern transformation, but it was actually much more relaxed than it is now. We could do a lot of things. Then Hu Yaobang died, and 58 days later, the crackdown continued, until it became what it is today. RFA: What happened to you in 1989? Dai Qing: Well, I was a journalist, so of course I was in contact with people from all walks of life. I told [1989 student leader] Chai Ling, do you think that just because you’re a good student of Chairman Mao that you can gather a bunch of heroes just by raising your arms, and be a leader? That’s not how things are. I kept telling them that they kept resisting and calling for democracy and demanding concessions even though the leaders had already made concessions. I told them it wasn’t right. I was trying to bring about peace, and they wound up putting me in Qincheng. RFA: When you left China, did the police warn you not to give interviews, or make other demands? Dai Qing: The police actually let me leave in 2023 because I had so many friends and relatives in the United States, and I wanted to go visit them now that my daughter had retired. She retired on her 55th birthday in 2023. I felt that I was in the later stages of my life, and I made an agreement with them that I wouldn’t give interviews or take part in activism, and they let me leave. Then, when I went to various universities, everyone wanted to talk to me, but it had to be in closed-door meetings. Participants weren’t allowed to record audio or take photos or video with their phones. No one was allowed to publicize it. When I got back to Hong Kong and then to Beijing, the police were very happy. As far as they were concerned, I’d stuck to the deal. Later I asked … their boss who came to visit me whether he knew what I’d done back in the 1980s. He said they hadn’t bothered to research it. But they know now. RFA: How are you getting along here in Chiang Mai? Dai Qing: Actually it’s a question of “three noes and two don’ts” – that’s the way I describe my situation right now. I have no pension, no social security and no medical insurance, which is the “three noes” part. The “two don’ts” are: don’t get sick, and don’t hire help. I do all of the housework myself. RFA: Do you still follow what’s going on back in China, culturally, economically and politically? Dai Qing: Not so much. I…

More Rohingya are arriving in Bangladesh, as Rakhine state burns

Editor5 months ago5 months ago08 mins

Some 20,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh in the last three months as they flee worsening conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, with some new arrivals taking shelter in rented houses outside U.N.-administered camps, refugees and local officials say. The uptick comes with Bangladesh enmeshed in political turmoil and amid worsening violence in Rakhine, which lies just across its southeastern border. Arakan Army insurgents have been waging a fierce campaign to wrest control of the state from Myanmar’s military government. “There is a terrible situation in Rakhine. There is no condition to stay there. No food, no shelter, no treatment for sick people,” said Mohammed Feroz Kamal, who arrived last week from Rakhine’s Maungdaw district. “Drone attacks are being carried out, especially on the people who have gathered to flee to the border in that country,” he told BenarNews. “Hundreds of people are dying. ”I saw many dead bodies on the way.” RELATED STORIES Myanmar rebels say victory is near after battle near Bangladesh border Rohingyas face ‘gravest threats since 2017’ as fighting rages in western Myanmar Rohingya refugees drown fleeing Myanmar’s war as concerns mount Some 5,000 Rohingya who fled recent fighting waiting to cross to Bangladesh Rohingya community leader Mohammed Jubair, chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Humanity, said at least 20,000 people had crossed into Bangladesh during the past three months. But a Bangladeshi official put the number at around 16,000. “They used the poor law-and-order situation as an advantage,” Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman told BenarNews, referring to the chaotic and lawless atmosphere in Bangladesh before and after the Sheikh Hasina government fell in early August. Earlier this week, in the face of new cross-border arrivals, Bangladesh transitional government head Muhammad Yunus called on the international community to speed up efforts to resettle Rohingya refugees in third countries. The “resettlement process should be easy, regular and smooth,” Yunus said during a meeting on Sept. 8 with the International Organisation for Migration, Reuters reported. The interim administration headed by Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and pioneer of microcredit loans, has been struggling to maintain law and order since Hasina resigned and fled the country amid student-led, anti-government protests. Two Rohingya families who recently escaped from Myanmar have taken refuge in this multistory building in Teknaf, Bangladesh, Sept. 10, 2024. (Abdur Rahman/BenarNews) This week, a BenarNews correspondent visited several villages, including the municipal town of Teknaf, which lies along the border with Myanmar. According to local officials, Rohingyas are crossing the frontier into Bangladesh every day. “Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Coast Guard are working to prevent Rohingyas at the border,” Mohammed Adnan Chowdhury, executive officer of Teknaf Upazila sub-district, told BenarNews. “However, some Rohingyas are entering the border in the middle of the night. Many of them are renting houses in the main towns of the city and entering the villages.” He and others described how the recent influx differed from those in the past, including in 2017 when some 740,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district over a period of months. Rented digs Most of the new arrivals are businessmen or from relatively well-to-do families in Maungdaw district, Rohingya community leaders said. Feroz, who paid a broker 50,000 Bangladeshi taka (US$418) to enter Bangladesh, is now spending 4,000 taka (US$33) per month to stay in a six-room, tin-roofed house in Teknaf alongside two other Rohingya families already living there. Another Rohingya, Nur Shahed, is staying in an apartment with another Rohingya family in Teknaf’s Shilbania neighborhood He said he had intended to take his family to the Kutupalong refugee camp, but there was no more space. “So many people like me have taken shelter here in villages and in rented houses,” he told BenarNews. Mohammed Rafiq stands at the door of a building in Teknaf, Bangladesh, where he is now living in an apartment with his family after fleeing from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Sept. 10, 2024. (Abdur Rahman/BenarNews) Immigration expert C.R. Abrar, a professor at Dhaka University, underlined that regardless of their income status, the new arrivals were being forced to come to Bangladesh to save their lives. “Therefore, they should not be treated as criminals under any circumstances; they should be given facilities and security as refugees,” he said, noting that Bangladesh — with its huge refugee population — should pass laws on how to treat them, and participate in related international agreements. “Those who are outside the refugee camps are in a more vulnerable situation than those inside the camps,” he said. “They are likely to face various forms of harassment and violence. Therefore, they should be taken to the camps, from a humanitarian point of view, as the primary task.” BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Civilians killed as Myanmar rebels attack junta forces in the north

Editor5 months ago05 mins

Read RFA coverage of this story in Burmese. Thousands of people have fled from fighting between ethnic minority guerrillas and Myanmar junta troops that entered a fifth day on Thursday, and at least 10 civilians have been killed, residents told Radio Free Asia. The autonomy-seeking Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, and allied militias loyal to a shadow civilian administration, have made significant gains in Myanmar’s northernmost Kachin state since launching an offensive in March. The insurgents have forced junta troops in the resource-rich region on the border with China into dwindling areas of control, mirroring setbacks elsewhere in Myanmar for the military that seized power in a 2021 coup. A resident of Hpakant township, a major jade-producing region, said at least 10 civilians were killed in crossfire between insurgents and the military in Hseng Taung village since the anti-junta forces surrounded it and launched an attack on Sunday. “People died after being hit by both heavy and small weapons. There are a lot of wounded,” said the resident who declined to be identified for safety reasons. “Many, many houses have been destroyed. Bullets were raining down.” Junta airstikes also sparked major fires in the town, witnesses said. Most of those killed were men, he said, adding that a peace activist named Yup Zau Hkawng, who was wounded in shelling on Monday. By Thursday, the KIA-led attackers had seized and burned down the Hseng Taung police station, sources close to an anti-junta People’s Defense Force, or PDF, allied with the KIA told RFA. RFA telephoned Kachin state’s junta spokesperson, Moe Min Thein, for comment but he did not respond by the time of publication and a telecommunications outage in the area made it difficult to check accounts of the fighting. About 60 soldiers were at the police station when the attack was launched, said another resident, who also asked to remain anonymous. “The Hseng Taung police station was captured but fighting has been going on after they set it on fire,” he said. “Some junta soldiers are dead, others were caught alive, and the rest were able to flee.” KIA fighters had sealed off all roads in and out of the village, said the KIA spokesman, Col. Naw Bu. Residents said about 10,000 people had fled from the village over the five days of fighting, many seeking refuge in Nam Hmaw, Hseng Awng and Hpakant towns. The KIA and allied forces control most roads in and out of Hpakant town and have captured all but five junta bases in the township, anti-junta forces say. RELATED STORIES Red Cross chief calls for greater aid access after visit to Myanmar Myanmar rebels capture last junta base in township on Chinese border China fires into Myanmar after junta airstrike on border, group says Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Floods swamp Myanmar’s capital, stranding thousands in typhoon’s aftermath

Editor5 months ago06 mins

Floodwaters as high as five meters (15 feet) submerged parts of Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw on Wednesday, sweeping away houses and trapping thousands of residents, as the remains of Typhoon Yagi swept inland and dumped rain after battering Vietnam over the weekend. After torrential rains that started Monday, water levels rose to the roofs of hundreds homes in villages around the capital, where the military junta’s top officers live. Some people were stranded on their rooftops. “Floods have swept away some houses,” a resident of Tatkon township told Radio Free Asia. “We remain trapped in the village. We cannot go anywhere. We have called rescue teams, but no one has come.” In Vietnam, the number of people killed or missing from Typhoon Yagi and related natural disasters rose to 292 people, including 152 confirmed deaths, according to Vietnam’s Disaster and Dike Management Authority. The storm – the biggest this year to hit Southeast Asia – battered northern Vietnam and southeastern China on Saturday, causing landslides and a bridge collapse northwest of Hanoi that was captured in dramatic dashcam footage. Brimming rivers Heavy rainfall over the last several days has dumped water into already brimming rivers in Vietnam, Laos and elsewhere. In Laos, the Mekong River Commission issued a flood warning for Luang Prabang, a popular tourist destination that sits at the confluence of the Mekong River and a major tributary, the Nam Khan. More rain was forecast for Thursday in Luang Prabang and on Friday and Saturday in the capital, Vientiane. The Mekong River Commission on Wednesday warned of flooding in northeastern Cambodia as water makes its way downriver from overflowing dams in Laos. In Myanmar’s northern Shan state, towns have also been affected by rising waters that have left people without electricity or phone service. Further south in Kayin state, the Thaungyin River burst its banks in the important border town of Myawaddy on Tuesday, according to a rescue worker who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Several residential areas were quickly flooded, and people have since taken shelter at monasteries and schools, he said. About 5,000 have been affected by the flood. “The water level is rising faster and stronger than before in Myawaddy township,” the rescue worker said. “The flood has reached to rooftops in lowland areas.” More flooding is likely to take place in southern Myanmar’s delta region as water makes its way downriver on the Ayeyarwady river, according to meteorologist Win Naing. RFA wasn’t able to contact the junta’s Department of Disaster Management to ask about the status of rescue operations throughout the country. Hanoi evacuations Flooding in the streets of Hanoi prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents near the Red River on Wednesday. In Vietnam’s northern industrial zones, some factories have been forced to close and may not reopen for several weeks, according to Reuters, which cited business executives. Many factories in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong are without power and water, Bruno Jaspaert, CEO of industrial parks in Hai Phong, told Reuters. Several Samsung and Foxconn factories in Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang are also facing the risk of flooding due to rising floodwaters, according to Reuters. Flooding in some areas of northern Vietnam was also being affected by the release of water from a hydropower plant along China’s section of the Lo River, which is a tributary of the Red River. The Vietnamese government said it has asked Beijing to reduce the discharge. Translated by Aung Naing, Anna Vu and Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. RFA Vietnamese and RFA Khmer contributed to this report. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Vietnam defense minister Phan Van Giang visits US to boost ties

Editor5 months ago09 mins

Updated Sept. 10, 2024, 07:03 a.m. ET. Vietnam’s minister of national defense Phan Van Giang is in the U.S. to bolster bilateral security cooperation amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. Vietnam is among the states that claim at least part of the waterway and it has been seeking to strengthen its maritime capabilities, including with purchases of defense technologies and equipment. Giang’s trip is his first official visit to the U.S. since he took office in April 2021. Hanoi and Washington upgraded their relations to the top tier of comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023, during a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to Vietnam. Yet their security and defense cooperation, deemed highly sensitive as the two countries fought each other in the past, remains limited and has focused mainly on the legacies of the Vietnam War, such as searching for American soldiers missing in action and decontamination of areas affected by toxic chemicals. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (R) welcomes Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang (L) to the Pentagon in Washington, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Gen. Giang and his counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, had a meeting on Monday at the Pentagon, during which they “underscored the importance of working together to overcome war legacies,” according to a summary provided by the Department of Defense. They also “discussed opportunities to deepen defense cooperation, including on defense trade, industrial base resilience, and information sharing,” the department said without providing further details. Shopping list According to the U.S. government, from 2016 to 2021, it authorized US$29.8 million – a relatively small amount – in defense articles to Vietnam via direct commercial sales. The Defense Department also has more than $118 million in active foreign military sales to Vietnam, mainly of trainer aircraft. This budget would be greatly expanded if Vietnam decided to procure more U.S. equipment, analysts say. “Defense equipment suppliers and subcontractors can expect increased demand for naval combatants, aerial defense, intelligence systems, and surveillance and reconnaissance equipment,” the U.S. government’s International Trade Administration said in its commercial guide. “Maritime security and air defense is where Vietnam has the biggest need, but I would expect Vietnam would start with maritime security first, as this dovetails with U.S. expectations,” said Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii “But there is no clear-cut distinction between maritime security and air defense. For example, aircraft, radars and missiles are essential in both,” Vuving told Radio Free Asia. RELATED STORIES Closer Vietnam-US ties not based on Beijing issues, says conference Vietnam hosts its first international defense expo Vietnam mulls law that may open market to foreign arms firms US Defense Secretary Austin Meets in Hanoi With Vietnamese Officials The United States and Vietnam signed in 2015 a so-called Joint Vision Statement on defense relations – their most important document setting out defense cooperation, in which maritime security was highlighted. The U.S. has given the Vietnam coast guard two Hamilton-class cutters – a third one is scheduled to be delivered in the near future – as well as tactical drones and patrol boats. Veteran regional military watcher Mike Yeo said that coast guard cutters “would be an obvious item” on Hanoi’s shopping list. “But another possibility is the approval for transfer of subsystems to Vietnam such as jet engines for Korean FA-50 light attack planes should Vietnam decide to buy them,” Yeo said. “Vietnam hasn’t bought the FA-50 yet but it seems like a logical choice going forward and as the engine used is a U.S. design an export clearance will be needed for any buyers,” he added. Not targeting China The United States lifted its lethal arms embargo on Vietnam in 2016, enabling it to procure U.S. equipment but “it will depend mainly on Vietnam’s needs and the prices,” said Vuving. Vietnam’s defense budget has not been made public, but could be about $7.8 billion in 2024, according to GlobalData. It remains dependent on cheaper Russian arms and equipment but there are efforts to diversify supplies with a major defense expo in Hanoi in 2022 and a second one slated for this December. Before the meeting with Gen. Giang on Monday, Secretary Austin said his department had accepted an invitation to the event that is due to be attended by defense suppliers from dozens of countries including Russia, India, the United Kingdom, Israel and France. Vietnam’s big neighbor China did not attend the first Vietnam Defense Expo and has yet to confirm its attendance at the second. A visitor looks into the U.S. Excelitas’ Merlin-LR Image Intensifier weapon-mounted sight during a defense expo in Hanoi on October 2, 2019. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP) Hanoi is always cautious not to antagonize Beijing while deepening ties with Washington, insisting that any effort to modernize its military is purely for self-defense and not aimed at any country. “China will watch Vietnam-U.S. relations very closely,” said Vuving. “Beijing is unhappy with any progress in U.S.-Vietnam relations.” Edited by Mike Firn. Updated to clarify Phan Van Giang’s schedule. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Hong Kong turns away German activist as US warns of growing risks

Editor5 months ago011 mins

Read coverage of this topic by RFA Mandarin, RFA Tibetan or RFA Cantonese. Authorities in Hong Kong have interrogated and denied entry to a German rights activist amid warnings from the United States of growing personal and business risks for those traveling to the city. Immigration officers turned away rights activist David Missal, deputy managing director & press officer for the Berlin-based Tibet Initiative Germany, after he arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on Sept. 7 from Beijing’s Daxing International Airport, according to a copy of an official “Refusal Notice” he shared to his X account on Sunday. “I was just refused entry to Hong Kong,” Missal, who is also the co-founder of a group called Freedom for Hong Kong, wrote in his X post. “After 13 sleepless hours under immigration examination in the middle of the night, I was told that I could not enter the city and was eventually allowed to take a plane to Vietnam.” Missal, who isn’t the first foreign rights activist to be denied entry to Hong Kong, described being “questioned several times and held in a room without any daylight,” adding that immigration officers also searched his luggage. “The police did not provide any reason for the entry refusal. In the end, I was accompanied by plainclothes police officers to the plane to Vietnam,” Missal wrote, adding that he had been allowed to enter mainland China for two weeks on a visa waiver program with no issues. “I hope Hong Kong will be free – one day,” he said. Eroding freedoms Ray Wong, who heads Freedom for Hong Kong, said the erosion of the city’s freedoms was clear to all, including foreign passport-holders. “That Hong Kong has become less free is something not only we, who come from Hong Kong, notice,” Wong said in a statement. “Foreigners are also not safe from the regime’s arbitrariness. The National Security Police has become an instrument of repression.” Tenzyn Zöchbauer, executive director of Tibet Initiative Germany, strongly condemned the treatment of Missal. “It is unacceptable that even private travelers with critical voices are denied entry,” Zöchbauer said. “These measures are not only an alarming sign of the ongoing loss of Hong Kong’s autonomy but also a clear violation of international human rights standards.” Missal told RFA Mandarin in a later interview from Vietnam that the move was an example of China’s “transnational repression.” “The Hong Kong government and a lot of authoritarian countries are doing this now; I think it’s very common,” he said. “It’s pretty scary.” A screenshot of a post on X by David Missal, deputy managing director & press officer for the Berlin-based Tibet Initiative Germany he says shows a plainclothes policeman following him in the Hong Kong airport, Sept. 8, 2024. (@DavidJRMissal via X) Yet Missal was allowed to enter China, spending time in Beijing and southwestern Sichuan province in a private capacity before boarding the plane to Hong Kong. This suggests the city’s officials are now even more zealous than their mainland Chinese counterparts when it comes to turning away “undesirables.” “I feel like Hong Kong is the same as mainland China now, or it may be more strict, which is a real shame,” Missal said, adding that he didn’t know if the incident would affect his ability to go back to mainland China in future. Personal details probed From Sept. 3, anyone traveling to Hong Kong will have their personal details sent to the city authorities before they board their flight, making it easier for officials to turn away foreign journalists, members of international organizations, and anyone else they see as “undesirable” before they travel. Missal’s denial of entry came as the U.S. government issued risk advisories to American citizens and businesses, warning them of “personal safety and legal risks” when traveling to Hong Kong or doing business there. Five government departments issued a statement to “highlight new and heightened risks” to U.S. companies operating in Hong Kong in the wake of the latest national security legislation, known as “Article 23.” “Hong Kong’s diminishing autonomy from the central government of the People’s Republic of China, creates new risks for businesses and individuals in Hong Kong that were previously limited to mainland China,” the departments said in a joint statement dated Sept. 6. A screenshot of a post on X by David Missal, Deputy managing director & press officer for the Berlin-based Tibet Initiative Germany that shows his denial for entry into Hong Kong, Sept. 8, 2024. (@DavidJRMissal via X) The warnings were aimed at individuals, businesses, academic institutions, media organizations, research service providers and investors operating in Hong Kong, it said. “The vaguely defined nature of the law and previous government statements and actions raise questions about risks associated with routine activities,” it said, in a reference to the “Article 23″ legislation passed in March. The U.S. State Department has warned Americans to “exercise increased caution when traveling to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws” since April 2024, when its advisory was updated following the implementation of Article 23. ‘I don’t think this ploy will succeed’ The Hong Kong government rejected the advisory as “misleading and untruthful,” accusing Washington of “trying to create panic.” The city’s second-in-command, Chief Secretary for the Administration Eric Chan said the U.S. advisory was an attempt to suppress China’s rise. “The National Security Law has been enacted for a long time and we can all see that we have never groundlessly arrested any business people,” Chan told reporters on Saturday. The warnings “involve an element of intimidation, to scare away business people hoping to invest in Hong Kong. I don’t think this ploy will succeed,” Chan said. Anouk Wear, U.S. Research and Policy Advisor for the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch, welcomed the U.S. advisory, however. “This advisory … rightly highlights the new and increased risks of operating in Hong Kong,” Wear said in a statement, which called for further sanctions on Hong Kong officials…

Rebel army captures major Myanmar navy training base

Editor5 months ago05 mins

Read coverage of this story in Burmese. Insurgents in western Myanmar have captured an important military training base after a month of fighting, the rebel army said in a statement, dealing what is likely to be a severe blow to the embattled military. .Arakan Army troops seized the Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot between Thandwe township’s Maung Shwe Lay and Kwin Waing village in Rakhine state on Thursday, said the ethnic minority insurgent force battling for self-determination. The Arakan Army, or AA, said the facility was the last naval base held by junta forces in Thandwe township, and it was defended on a “huge-scale” by the junta’s air force and navy as well as more than 1,200 soldiers, including many new graduates from the base. “More than 400 junta soldiers were killed during our attack, and junta weapons, ammunition and equipment were seized,” the AA said in its statement. Radio Free Asia was not able to independently verify that toll and the junta main spokesperson, Major Gen. Zaw Min, Tun did not respond to requests for comment. The AA posted pictures of its fighters standing by a diving boards at the training center. The base is a major navy training facility and its loss will be of huge significance for the military, said Pe Than, a former member of parliament for the Arakan National Party, which in the past had affiliations with the AA. “Losing such a base will affect training as well as fighting. They’ve destroyed the navy and weakened the army, like cutting a man off at the waist,” he said. He said the Danyawaddy Naval Base in Kyaukpyu township, to the north of Thandwe, was the navy’s last facility in Rakhine state. “The military is like a bird with one wing now,” he said. Arakan Army forces after capturing the junta’s Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot in Rakhine State on Sept. 5, 2024 (Arakan Army Information Desk) The loss of the base will not only dent the junta’s morale and reputation but also bring in more resources for the AA through the control of goods coming through a nearby port, he said. The AA said it expected junta retaliation against civilians in the area. Human rights investigators say junta forces have been increasingly attacking civilian targets as they lose ground to insurgent forces in different parts of the country. The military denies attacking civilians. The Arakan Army, which launched a new offensive against the military in November, controls nine townships in Rakhine state and one in neighboring Chin state, and is battling to take full control of three other townships. Junta forces have launched crackdowns in the north of the state, near the Bangladesh border, and across the neighboring Ayeyarwady region after AA gains in the south of the state. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Chinese soccer fans bemoan 0-7 loss to Japan as ‘Day of Humiliation’

Editor5 months ago09 mins

Read a version of this story in Chinese Chinese netizens reacted with embarrassment and frustration to the men’s national soccer team’s humiliating 0-7 loss to Japan in a World Cup qualifying match, with some calling it a “Day of Humiliation.” “Ah! It’s simply embarrassing to talk about. As a Chinese, I am ashamed,” sports enthusiast Zhao Xiang told Radio Free Asia. “This is practically a joke.” “Why can’t we solve these problems?” he asked. “I don’t think the physique of Chinese people is an issue. Koreans and Japanese are also Asian and they make it to the (World Cup). Why can’t we?” Japan is one of Asia’s strongest teams, competing in every World Cup since 1998. Meanwhile, China has only managed to qualify once, in 2002 – so getting beaten isn’t terribly surprising. But losing by such a lopsided score in Thursday’s match in Saitama, north of Tokyo, was hard for many Chinese fans to swallow. Japan’s Takumi Minamino fights for the ball with China’s defender Liu Yang during their World Cup qualifying match in Saitama, Sept. 5, 2024. (Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP) Despite its relative lack of success in the world’s premier tournament, China is a soccer-crazed nation. President Xi Jinping, a fan himself, once expressed his hope for China to host and even win the men’s World Cup one day. “Sept. 5 is a day of humiliation for Chinese soccer,” said an online media outlet run by the government of Shandong province. Chinese citizens have a complex relationship with Japan, owing to the troubled history between the two nations, which fought major wars against each other during the 20th century and found themselves aligned on opposite sides of the Cold War. EXPLORE OUR WORLD CUP QUALIFIER COVERAGE North Korea falls 0-1 to Uzbekistan to start 3rd round of World Cup Asian qualifiers Asian qualifier outlook round 3: North Korea Podcast: RFA Insider EP10 (Timecode 17:32) While thousands of Chinese tourists have flocking to Japan each year, Chinese social media regularly erupts in Japan-bashing sentiment, such as when Japan released wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant last year into the ocean, sparking fears about tainted seafood. ‘Real gap’ It was the worst loss for China’s men’s team since 2012, when the team suffered a 0-8 shellacking to perennial world powerhouse Brazil. The Chinese women’s national soccer team has performed much better, competing in eight World Cups, with the 1999 team finishing 2nd in that year’s tournament. The women’s team is ranked 18th in the world, while the men’s team is ranked 87th. Zhang Yuning, a former player of the Chinese team, said the match “demonstrates the real gap between Chinese and Japanese football.” “It is ultimately reflected in the score, which demonstrates the difference between Chinese and Japanese football,” he said. China’s Fernandinho, Alan, Dalei Wang and teammates after their 0-7 World Cup qualifier loss to Japan in Saitama, Sept. 5, 2024. (Issei Kato/Reuters) He said the Chinese team should acknowledge the gap and try to perform better in the upcoming matches. According to Chinese media reports, Fan Zhiyi, another former national player, also criticized the home team by stating that the loss to a powerful team like Japan was understandable, but it was terrible that Japan was allowed to score so easily. “If it weren’t so far from here, I would have really jumped into the Huangpu river,” Fan said, referring to Shanghai’s main waterway, in a widely circulated video. “How many football association presidents have we had? Has anything changed? It’s just changing the syrup without replacing the prescription!” Competing for spots Thursday’s match was the start of the third round of China and Japan’s world cup qualifying campaign, and they are competing with 16 other Asian teams for spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico and the United States. Wataru Endo opened up the scoring for Japan in the 12th minute, and China managed to keep the Japanese out of the goal for the rest of the first half until the second minute past regulation, when Kaoru Mitoma found the back of the net. Goals rained down on China in the second half, with Takumi Minamoto scoring in the 52nd and 58th minutes, followed by Junya Ito at 77, Daizen Maeda at 87, and Takefusa Kubo at 5 minutes past regulation. China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic on the sidelines during the World Cup qualifying round football match between Japan and China in Saitama, Sept. 5, 2024. (Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP) Many fans on social media blamed the loss on China’s new manager, Croatian Branko Ivankovic, who was handed the reins in February, but others clapped back. “Stop blaming the head coach and demanding for his resignation after the game,” netizens said. “It doesn’t matter who the coach is. … (we should) just withdraw from the competition. … We can’t afford the embarrassment.” Others suggested that China withdraw from international soccer altogether. With the defeat, China sits at the bottom of the Group C standings, and will look to regain its footing on Tuesday vs Saudi Arabia in Dalian. Also in Group C, Bahrain upset Australia 1-0 and Saudi Arabia and Indonesia played to a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, in Group B, Palestine turned heads earning a scoreless draw against heavily favored South Korea, and in Group A, North Korea lost to Uzbekistan 0-1. Translated by Li Yaqian. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

Cambodian civil servant caught up in dragnet is brother of government critic

Editor5 months ago010 mins

Read RFA coverage of this story in Khmer. As a Cambodian civil servant, Hay Vannith’s only apparent wrongdoing was being related to an ardent critic of Hun Sen. But even that was enough to get him arrested at a busy border crossing last month as he attempted to flee into Thailand. Three weeks later, the 28-year-old Ministry of Health official remains in detention at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh. He is one of nine still being held following a crackdown in August aimed at critics of a decades-old regional economic cooperation agreement with Laos and Vietnam. Hay Vannith and the eight others are accused of plotting to overthrow the government and can expect to be prosecuted, Prime Minister Hun Manet – the son of long-time leader Hun Sen, who is now Senate president – said Thursday at a graduation ceremony for law students and trainees in Phnom Penh. All told, Hun Manet announced that 66 people were arrested last month ahead of planned – but never carried out – protests against the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Triangle Development Area, or CLV. All but the nine were released. Cambodian scholar Hay Vannith is seen in a screen grab of a Zoom call posted on social media. (VOA) But friends say Hay Vannith has not been involved in political activism – unlike his brother Hay Vanna, an opposition figure who lives in Japan. “From what I have known and shared with him for almost a decade, he has nothing to do with politics, and has no political interest or rivalry against the current government,” said Chiva Sum, a former classmate of Hay Vannith’s at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. “These allegations are falsified in a political manner,” he said. ‘Unlawfully detained’ A joint statement from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch last week criticized the mass arrests, saying that activists and others were “unlawfully detained and charged for peacefully expressing their views.” The 1999 CLV agreement was aimed at encouraging economic development and trade between Cambodia’s four northeastern provinces and neighboring provinces in Laos and Vietnam. Debate over the deal has resurfaced over the last several months, with some activists expressing concerns that it could cause Cambodia to lose territory or control of its natural resources to Vietnam, mostly through the use of land concessions to private investors. The prospect of losing sovereignty or land to Vietnam is a politically sensitive issue in Cambodia, with opposition politicians often using anti-Vietnamese rhetoric. Overseas Cambodian activists organized protests on Aug. 11 against the CLV in South Korea, Japan, Canada and Australia. One of them was Hay Vanna. Hay Vannith and other relatives of Hay Vanna had been worried about their safety since July 23, when Senate President Hun Sen gave an angry speech on state-run television that specifically threatened the activist’s family. Cambodian scholar Hay Vannith is seen in a booking photograph following his Aug. 16, 2024, arrest in Phnom Penh. (Confidential source) “This person by the name of Hay Vanna, who lives in Japan, commented on the so-called ceasing of the four Cambodian provinces to others,” Hun Sen said. “But you shouldn’t be confused – you have family members here in Cambodia,” he said. “And they who are living here, must not be arrogant. After hearing his message … you must stop, or else.” Tense political environment Hay Vannith was born in Kampong Cham province, the fourth child in a well-to-do family. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biological engineering, he studied at Kansas State University in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship. He earned a master’s degree in food science in 2023, and returned to Cambodia to work at the Ministry of Health’s National Institutes of Public Health. At first, Hay Vannith didn’t consider leaving Cambodia in response to Hun Sen’s threats, according to Chiva Sum, who lives in Japan. He was focused on his work at the ministry, engrossed in his pursuit of scientific knowledge and wanted to continue preparing for a return to the United States for doctoral studies. Also, he believed he would be overlooked by authorities amid the tense political environment due to his lack of interest and involvement in national affairs, his longtime friend said. RELATED STORIES Cambodian political activist’s brother arrested at Thai border crossing Cambodia arrests 30 amid warnings over anti-CLV demonstrations Hun Sen warns of more arrests related to Vietnam-Laos cooperation deal But by mid-August, a heavy police and military presence could be seen in every major city and along highways, where authorities set up checkpoints and began making arrests in an effort to prevent the protests, which had been planned for Aug. 18 throughout Cambodia. Other family members successfully made it out of Cambodia on Aug. 5, according to Hay Vanna. Eleven days later, Hay Vannith was arrested at the Poipet border crossing in northwestern Cambodia. Authorities didn’t confirm his whereabouts for four more days. A day later, on Aug. 21, a recorded confession was posted on the government spokesperson’s Facebook page. In the audio clip, Hay Vannith said that his brother instructed him “to carry out a plan to mobilize the people with an intent to overthrow the government and absolutely oppose the CLV through the means of sharing on Facebook and Telegram.” Authorities have also distributed a typed confession signed with Hay Vannith’s thumbprint. Legal observer Son Chumchoun told Radio Free Asia that prosecutors will have to show other evidence that supports the confession. Coerced statements go against the principle of the rule of law – even if the accused has signed with a thumbprint, he said. Unlike other previous cases, where detainees in political cases were released after they acknowledged their wrongdoing, the authorities haven’t released Hay Vannith, Son Chumchoun said. RFA hasn’t been able to reach the Ministry of Health for comment on the arrest. Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

Media Watch: Rumors about Chinese leader Xi spread online

Editor5 months ago08 mins

In nations where secrecy shrouds the lives of leaders, like China, North Korea and Russia, rumors can quickly take root in the absence of information. This is particularly true when it comes to the health of those leaders, an issue often treated as a state secret. Recently, the internet buzzed with speculation about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s health, as a noticeable lack of public appearances from July to August fueled rumors that he might be seriously ill. Despite recent media appearances, rumors about Xi’s health show no sign of waning online. Below is what AFCL found. Stroke rumor A rumor that Xi suffered a stroke appeared in mid-July following the Communist Party’s Third Plenary Session. At the time, the phrase “stroke” was banned from one of China’s main search engines, Baidu, lending credibility to the rumors swirling around Xi’s health. On top of that, a photo of Xi frowning in apparent discomfort at the session emerged online, with many claiming that it was evidence of a health problem. However, it was later revealed that the photo had been taken two months before the session and captured a fleeting expression on Xi’s face. Rumors on X claimed that Xi had suffered a stroke. (Screenshot/X) Xi’s body double? On July 20, China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV released footage of Xi paying tribute to the late Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the country’s embassy in Beijing. Soon after, several Chinese-speaking online users claimed that the man at the ceremony was actually a body double of Xi, adding that Xi could not make it to the event due to health issues. Some users claimed that a body double of Xi appeared at a commemoration for the recently deceased Vietnamese general secretary. (Screenshots/X and Ministry of Foreign Affairs website) The users cited blue patches on the carpet seen in the video, along with Xi’s stance and the folds of his ears, as evidence that the CCTV footage was likely fake and had been heavily edited in post-production. A comparison of the rumors on X (left) with photos taken by Vietnamese and Chinese outlets (right) shows that the crease on Xi’s ear changes depending on the angle and lighting of a given shot. (Screenshots/X, VNA and CCTV) However, using an image verification tool InVID, AFCL found no sign of the video being edited by AI. Missing tripod? A claim about Xi using a body double due to health issues emerged again in late July when a X user shared a CCTV report on Xi’s meeting East Timor’s head of state, claiming that there were visual inconsistencies. The users pointed out a tripod positioned behind the side of a table where the Chinese delegation was sitting. While the tripod was visible in some shots, it seemed to be missing in others taken from different angles in the same general direction. Rumors cite a variety of circumstantial evidence as proof of the rumors of Xi’s ill health. (Screenshots/X) But the claim lacks evidence. The meeting was held in the east wing of the Great Hall of the People, the same venue where Xi had met with former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou in April 2024. AFCL compared CCTV footage of the two meetings and found that three similar doors were positioned on the side (circled in red in the pictures below). They show that the tripod was placed in a spot where it could have been out of view depending on the camera angle. Comparing footage of Xi’s recent meeting with East Timor’s leader (left) with that of his earlier meeting with Ma Ying-jeou (right) a number of similarly shaped doors at the meeting venue. (Screenshots /Jennifer Zeng X account and CCTV) Regular reappearances In the Chinese dissident community in the United States, rumors about Xi’s health have been around for years, appearing regularly since at least 2017. They include a claim that Xi had severe health conditions such as a brain tumor, a brain aneurysm and a hearing issue. But Yaita Akio, a former special China correspondent in Beijing for the Japanese news daily Sankei Shimbun, says such rumors are illogical and often easy to spot. Due to officials’ control over media, breaking news in China is often vague and piecemeal when first being reported, Akio said on X, noting that details of an event are more likely to trickle out to the media rather than to be all known at once, which can lead to misunderstandings. Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Taejun Kang. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Category: ASEAN