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Flights between Australia, New Zealand diverted because of Chinese drills

Editor6 hours ago04 mins

Several commercial flights between Australia and New Zealand had to divert on Friday because of a live-fire exercise conducted by Chinese warships, according to media reports. The Associated Press quoted Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong as saying that Canberra had warned international airlines flying between the two countries to beware of the Chinese live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea. Commercial pilots had been informed of potential hazards in the airspace. Several international flights had been diverted as a result, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported without giving details. It was not clear if the exercise had finished. The Chinese military has not commented on it. The Tasman Sea between southeast Australia and New Zealand.(Google Maps) A Chinese navy task group, including the frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu, is believed to have conducted the live-fire exercise. The Australian airline Qantas and its budget affiliate Jetstar had adjusted some flights across the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, media reported. Australia’s Civil Aviation Authority and the air traffic control agency Airservices Australia “are aware of reports of live firing in international waters,” the latter said in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency. Although the live-fire exercise was observed in international waters, airlines with flights over the area were still advised to take precaution, it said. RELATED STORIES Australia protests to China about ‘unsafe’ aircraft maneuver over Paracels China calls Australia’s DeepSeek ban ‘politicization of technological issues’ Six countries join naval drills amid tension with China Short notice China had only notified Australian authorities about the exercise off the coast of New South Wales state earlier on Friday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “We will be discussing this with the Chinese, and we already have at officials’ level, in relation to the notice given and the transparency, that has been provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises,” Wong was quoted as saying. The Chinese task group has been operating near Australia since last week. On Thursday, the Australian defense department said the Chinese ships were spotted 150 nautical miles (276 kilometers) from Sydney, well inside Australia’s exclusive economic zone. Some naval vessels were deployed to monitor the Chinese warships’ movements, given they were just exercising freedom of navigation under international law, the department said. Some Australian analysts warned of the Chinese navy normalizing its presence and power projection overseas but Chinese media dismissed those concerts as “hype”, saying it was a normal part of the navy’s far seas drills. Edited by Mike Firn We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Tibetan netizens mourn death of ‘patriotic singer’ Lobsang

Editor18 hours ago05 mins

Read RFA coverage of this story in Tibetan. Popular Tibetan singer Lobsang, who was frequently detained and interrogated by Chinese authorities for music that was patriotic and critical of Chinese policies, has died following a prolonged illness, according to two sources, one in Tibet and one in exile. He was 39. Lobsang, who became famous at a young age and produced eight albums, died on Feb. 18 of a liver disease at a hospital in the city of Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan province, the source in Tibet said, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. “Due to political content in some of his lyrics, he was repeatedly summoned for questioning and detained by Chinese authorities,” the source said. Hailing from Kyungchu county in Sichuan province, Lobsang dedicated his life to music, releasing numerous albums, and was suspected of activism by the Chinese government because of the political content in his works, a source in exile told RFA. Authorities restricted the singer from traveling to Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and other regions, he said. “Though he wasn’t imprisoned for extended periods, he was frequently questioned and detained,” the source said. Social media tributes Following Lobsang’s passing, Tibetans inside Tibet, in exile and across China expressed their grief on social media. “I grew up listening to his songs since childhood,” one Tibetan wrote. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of this singer who cared so deeply for the Tibetan people.” On his eight albums and in numerous other recordings, Lobsang sang songs that resonated deeply with Tibetans, such as “Three Camps of Sun and Moon,” which referenced the Dalai Lama with the lyrics, “The King of Snow Land, Tenzin Gyatso, coming to Tibet, may his lotus feet remain stable.” His music often touched on Tibet’s struggle, such as “Suffering and Happiness of the Snow Land,” “World Peace,” “Future of Tibet’s Children,” “Protector,” and “Fate of Tibetans.” Due to his powerful lyrics, Tibetans inside Tibet referred to him as “patriotic singer Lobsang.” Another netizen wrote: “His singing was as warm and familiar as a teacher, accompanying us through countless unforgettable times.” A Tibetan inside Tibet, speaking in a WeChat voice chat group, said Lobsang’s health fluctuated, sometimes appearing stable, while at other times deteriorating, until he died. Kunchok Tsering, a Tibetan living in India who collects and archives songs and writings by Tibetan artists in Tibet, said he considers Lobsang to be one of the region’s best singers. “His songs often praise His Holiness the Dalai Lama and reflect love for his country, Tibet, so his courage and lack of fear in creating such music were commendable,” Tsering said. Tsering cited Lobsang’s song “Nyi-Dha-Kar Sum,” meaning “Sun-Star-Moon,” paying homage to Tibet’s three spiritual leaders — the sun representing His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Moon symbolizing the Panchen Lama, and the star representing the Karmapa, head of the 900-year-old Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and one of Tibet’s highest-ranking religious figures. “His lyrics are deeply powerful,” he said. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

China repatriates 200 citizens from Myanmar scam centers amid crackdown

Editor1 day ago08 mins

MAE SOT, Thailand – Two hundred Chinese nationals were due to be flown to their homeland on Thursday in aircraft laid on by their government after leaving online fraud centers in an eastern Myanmar district on the border with Thailand, Thai officials said. The Chinese people were brought on buses, 50 at a time, from Myanmar’s Myawaddy district, over a border bridge to the Thai town of Mae Sot, and then taken to a nearby airport for their flight home, witnesses said. “Myanmar authorities and the Border Guard Force have brought Chinese nationals to the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, and are handing them over to Thai officials,” Maj. Gen. Maitree Chupreecha, commander of the Thai military’s Naresuan Task Force, told reporters. “A total of 200 people will be repatriated today in groups of 50 every two hours,” he said. It was not clear if the people being flown back to China were organizers of the online fraud that has proliferated in recent years in Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia, or were victims of human traffickers and forced to work in the centers defrauding people online and over the telephone. A first flight left Mae Sot bound for China shortly before noon and three more were due to leave through the day. More flights to China are due on Friday and Saturday, taking more than 1,000 Chinese people home, Thai officials said. Thursday’s flights were the latest in a series of actions over recent weeks aimed at ending the scam center operations that have flourished largely unimpeded in different parts of Southeast Asia for several years. The scamming, known as “pig butchering” in China, involves making contact with unsuspecting people online, building a relationship with them and then defrauding them. Researchers say billions of dollars have been stolen this way from victims around the world. Huge fraud operation complexes are often staffed by people lured by false job advertisements and forced to work, sometimes under threat of violence, rescued workers and rights groups say. Researchers have said governments and businesses across the region have been enabling the operations by failing to take action against the profitable flows they generate. RELATED STORIES China pushes Thailand to act on cross-border scam centers EXPLAINED: What are scam parks? Myanmar militia hosting scam centers says it will deport 8,000 foreigners Thousands of victims But that has changed in recent weeks amid a blizzard of bad publicity triggered by the kidnap and rescue last month of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was lured to work one of Myawaddy’s fraud operations. The growing public alarm across Asia about kidnapping and forced labor threatened to damage Thailand’s tourist industry and forced China to insist on action by authorities in its southern neighbors to crack down. China’s Assistant Minister of Public Security Liu Zhongyi visited Thailand in late January to focus efforts to combat the call center operations and the human trafficking that supplies their labor force. Thailand took its most decisive action ever against the fraud networks on Feb. 5, cutting cross-border power and internet services and blocking fuel exports to the Myanmar scam zones. The Myanmar junta also stopped fuel shipments to the Myawaddy district controlled by an ethnic minority militia force that is allied with the military government. The ethnic Karen militia that controls Myawaddy and has been hosting and profiting from the online fraud operations said last month it was going to stop fraud and forced labor and send back thousands of the people who have been working in the centers. A Thai activist group, the Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking, which has been helping scam center victims, said it has identified at least 2,000 people from more than a dozen countries forced to work at defrauding people around the world. But many thousands more people are believed to be still in the scam centers, in eastern Myanmar and beyond. A Thai member of parliament and head of its National Security Committee said it was important to gather as much information as possible from people being brought out of the scam centers to identify the kingpins and end their operations once and for all. “We need to gather information,” legislator Rangsiman Rome told reporters. “We must verify if they are victims or criminals and whether they know who is behind the call center gangs. This information is crucial for dismantling the transnational crime syndicates,” said Rangsiman. Edited by Mike Firn. RFA Burmese Service contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

North Korea’s ‘Day of the Shining Star’ dimmer this year

Editor2 days ago013 mins

Read the two Korean-language stories that were combined for this report. The “Shining Star” wasn’t quite as lustrous this year in North Korea, as celebrations for the birthday of supreme leader Kim Jong Un’s late father and predecessor came and went without much fanfare, residents told Radio Free Asia. In years past, the “Day of the Shining Star ”– Feb. 16, the birthday of Kim Jong Il — was called the “nation’s greatest holiday,” celebrated with crowded public events like gymnastics exhibitions, military parades and fireworks displays. Plus families received extra food rations and supplies as “gifts” to commemorate the late Dear Leader’s life. But this year there were no gifts, and the streets were empty, residents said. Experts, meanwhile, said the lack of celebratory atmosphere was an indication that Kim Jong Un is trying to downplay the significance of his father to boost his own reputation. The empty streets were a shocking sight, a resident from the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. “This year on February 16th, Kim Jong Il’s birthday, the streets were so quiet that I could hardly see the shadow of a person,” she said. Regarding the absence of “gifts” from the government, she said that normally there’s a special supply order coming from the Central Committee of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party, but no such order was made this year. ‘Depressing social climate’ People were still expected to visit and offer condolences to statues of Kim Jong Il and his father and predecessor, national founder Kim Il Sung, a government official from the same province told RFA. “After residents visited the statues, they went home, and the streets became empty,” he said. “The reason Kim Jong Il’s birthday, the nation’s biggest holiday, became so empty was not only due to the absence of holiday supplies, but also due to the depressing social climate.” RELATED STORIES North Korea Mobilizes Citizens for Kim Jong Il Birth Celebration Amid Covid-19, Cold Temperatures North Koreans forced to attend lectures to solidify personality cult of Kim family North Koreans gather cigarette butts to sell to clothing makers He said the people were anxious due to increased censorship and government crackdowns. “About 20 residents here in Ryanggang province were arrested by the Ministry of State Security for possessing illegal cell phones,” he said, adding that hundreds more were fined 300,000 won (US$13) — an enormous sum for North Koreans — for using electricity illegally. Due to power shortages, almost everywhere in North Korea is subject to rolling blackouts, but people can sometimes tap into power lines meant for factories or other state-owned facilities that receive power around the clock. “The people are worried that they may be arrested under some kind of pretext,” the official said. Celestial holidays for deceased leaders The Day of the Shining Star, along with Kim Il Sung’s birth anniversary on April 15, known as the Day of the Sun, are, according to the government, the two most important holidays in North Korea. They take precedence even over the Lunar New Year holiday, known in Korean as Sollal, and the autumn harvest holiday, known as Chusok. The latter two holidays had been the most important throughout the Korean peninsula for centuries, but the celestial holidays for the former leaders have been pushed to reinforce the cult of personality surrounding the three-generation Kim Dynasty that has ruled the country for nearly eight decades. The lack of celebration for the Day of the Shining Star is jarring, considering that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities still made the people attend public events to celebrate. It’s quite a departure from the early days of Kim Jong Un’s reign. He took over when Kim Jong Il died in 2011, and authorities at that time sought to solidify his legitimacy by emphasizing ties to the previous leaders, said Oh Kyung-seop, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Institute for Unification Studies. “But after (his) power base was established, they have been moving in the direction of putting (him) at the forefront,” Oh told RFA Korean. He also said that the de-emphasis on the previous generations of the Kim Dynasty these days can be interpreted as an expression of confidence that the current leader’s power base is solid. South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, meanwhile, noted on New Year’s Day that Kim skipped the customary visit to the mausoleum where his father and grandfather are buried. He had been visiting the mausoleum five times per year, including on the celestial holidays, but this pattern began to change in 2022. Travel applications denied The government also denied holiday travel applications, even for important family events, a resident of the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely. The restricted travel areas include areas near the border with China and Russia, the border with South Korea, the capital Pyongyang, and areas near munitions factories. It was not immediately clear why these areas were restricted, but the resident said that the border areas might have been off limits for travel to prevent people from escaping so close to such an important holiday. “The residents living near the border areas are allowed to travel to other areas of the country, so I don’t understand why they are trusted, but people who live in other areas aren’t trusted to travel near the border areas,” he said. “It seems like they want to prevent serious incident, like crossing the river (to escape to China) during the month of Kim Jong Il’s birthday. Residents told RFA that they knew of specific cases where travel to important family events was denied. “In early February, my younger brother tried to go to the funeral for his wife’s uncle who lived in the border area, but he was unable to go,” the North Hamgyong resident said. “Even though all processes and documents were completed, he did not receive the travel certificate.” He said the procedure is far…

Myanmar adopts law for foreign firms to provide armed security

Editor2 days ago06 mins

Myanmar’s military government has adopted a law allowing foreign companies to provide armed security services, which analysts suspect will lead to former military personnel from China protecting its extensive economic interests in its southern neighbor. The law raises the prospect of Chinese private military corporations guarding oil and gas pipelines from Myanmar’s Indian Ocean coast to Yunnan province, and ensuring uninterrupted supplies in the event of war in the South China Sea blocking regular shipping routes. The Private Security Service Law, published in state-run media on Tuesday, states that foreign companies seeking a license to set up a security company must be registered under the Myanmar Companies Law. The National Defence and Security Council must approve a company “holding arms and ammunition due to work demand in providing private security services,” states the law, signed by the leader of the junta that seized power in 2021, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The legislation stipulates that companies must ensure that staff are “not a member of any armed forces of a foreign country.” Myanmar’s military-drafted 2008 constitution rules out foreign forces operating in the country. The law also requires that “at least 75% of the hired private security servants must be Myanmar citizens,” and companies providing private security services have to abide by existing laws on weapons. China has extensive economic interests in Myanmar, many of them linked to a long-planned China-Myanmar Economic Corridor between China’s Yunnan and Myanmar’s coast. The corridor is part of Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative of energy and trade-facilitating infrastructure projects. They include a special economic zone and proposed deep-water port, with oil and gas facilities, in Kyaukpyu in Rakhine state, 800-kilometer (500-mile) oil and gas pipelines that extend to Kunming in southwest China, copper jade and rare earth mines and hydro-electric plants. While the embattled military still holds Kyaukpyu, many of the other projects are in areas that have come under the control of anti-junta forces battling to end military rule since the generals overthrew a government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. While the civil war has delayed Chinese projects, insurgent forces, some of which maintain contacts with China, have not launched major attacks on pipelines and other facilities, and have even promised to protect them. RELATED STORIES Arakan Army closing in on capital of Myanmar’s Rakhine state Myanmar junta chief seeks China’s help on border stability Trump extends ‘national emergency’ declaration for Myanmar ‘Selling out’ Analysts said the new law sets out the legal framework for a Chinese proposal to set up a China-Myanmar Joint Venture Security Company, as reported in the military’s Myanmar Gazette on Nov. 8. Lawyer Gyi Myint said the law reflected the junta’s determination to get China’s economic projects implemented by relying on Chinese security help. “We have reached a situation where the military has allowed things that are not allowed internationally. This is not in line with the 2008 constitution,” Gyi Myint told Radio Free Asia from an undisclosed location. Political analyst Than Soe Naing said the law would allow former members of China’s People’s Liberation Army to operate legally in Myanmar. “The junta council is selling out to China for nothing even though it is constantly talking about sovereignty,” he told RFA. RFA tried to contact the junta council’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, to inquire about the criticism of the law but he did not answer the telephone. The military council has not said when the proposed China-Myanmar Joint Venture Security Company would be set up. The Burmese-language Khit Thit Media reported late last year that a deal to establish a Chinese private military corporation in Kyaukpyu was signed in November between a Special Economic Zone management sub-committee and officials from the Chinese CITIC Group Company. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

India boosts security protection for Dalai Lama

Editor3 days ago06 mins

Read RFA coverage of this story in Tibetan. India has boosted security for the Dalai Lama, adding about 30 police commandos to protect the Tibetan spiritual leader amid reports of potential security threats, according to a person familiar with the matter and Indian media reports. The move raises the security coverage for the 89-year-old Dalai Lama to the third-highest level, called Z-category, under the Central Reserve Police Force, or CRPF, the source told Radio Free Asia on the condition of anonymity because he wan’t authorized to speak to the media. Video footage of the Dalai Lama in southern India showed armed CRPF commandos around a vehicle carrying the Tibetan spiritual leader. Citing official sources, the Press Trust of India said the central government enhanced the Dalai Lama’s security because of “potential security threats.” The Indo-Asian News Service said the move was prompted by a recent Intelligence Bureau threat analysis report. RFA could not independently confirm these reports, and the security department of the Central Tibetan Administration — the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, northern India — did not respond to requests for comment. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, the CRPF and the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also didn’t offer any comments. The Dalai Lama normally lives in Dharamsala, but has been visiting a Tibetan community in southern India since Jan. 5. Chinese opposition The move comes amid growing concerns over the Dalai Lama’s safety due to China’s long-term opposition to his activities. Beijing is seeking to appoint the successor to the Dalai Lama, who is expected to either name his successor or provide some indication regarding his succession when he turns 90 in July. “This has led to growing desperation from the Chinese side,” senior Indian journalist and national security affairs specialist, Aditya Raj Kaul, told RFA. The highest level of security in India, given to the Indian prime minister and his immediate family, is called the Special Protection Group. Below that are the Z+ category, provided to top ministers in the central and state governments, and Z category, provided to prominent leaders and individuals based on their threat perception. Since the Dalai Lama’s flight from Tibet into exile in India in 1959, the Indian government has assumed responsibility for his security protection, maintaining a 24-hour security patrol around his residence in Dharamsala to ensure his safety. Whenever the Dalai Lama travels to different parts of India, his security arrangements are overseen by the central government, with state governments coordinating protection during his visits. The Dalai Lama (center) is guarded by the members of the Central Reserve Police Force in Hunsur, Karmataka state, India, Feb. 18, 2025.(Pema Ngodup/RFA) The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs directed the CRPF’s VIP security wing to take charge of the security for the Dalai Lama and ensure Z-category protection with around 30 CRPF commandos across the country, the Press Trust of India and other Indian media reported. The CRPF’s VIP security wing is provides security to individuals as assigned by the ministry, including politicians, state government ministers, governors, spiritual leaders, business tycoons and other prominent individuals. “Now there will be a massive security cover with commandos traveling with him in a multiple convoy and the possibility of additional state security cover,” senior Indian journalist and national security affairs specialist, Kaul, citing sources, told RFA. In December 2022, security at Bodh Gaya in northeast India’s Bihar state had been beefed up after an alleged threat to the Dalai Lama from a Chinese woman. However, the state police later clarified the incident was no threat to the Dalai Lama and that the Chinese woman had been detained and deported because she overstayed her visa. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi and Tashi Wangchuk for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Kalden Lodoe, Tenzin Pema, Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

North Korea vows to bolster nuclear force as US, allies push for denuclearization

Editor3 days ago05 mins

TAIPEI, Taiwan – North Korea said Tuesday it will stick to its policy of bolstering its nuclear forces, days after the United States, Japan and South Korea reaffirmed their goal of the complete denuclearization of the North. The top diplomats of the U.S. and its two Asian allies on Saturday also decried “systematic, widespread and gross” violations of human rights in the reclusive state. The North’s foreign ministry dismissed denuclearization as an “unrealistic and failed concept,” condemning U.S. policies as “shortsighted,” as reported by its state-run Korea Central News Agency on Tuesday. North Korea will “consistently adhere to the new line of bolstering up the nuclear force” and “thoroughly deter the U.S. and its vassal forces from threats and blackmail” by making use of all political and military tools at its disposal, the ministry added. It also warned that any provocation would be met with decisive countermeasures, framing its nuclear program as essential for peace, sovereignty and self-defense. US ‘openness for dialogue’ South Korea’s foreign ministry said last week’s trilateral talks between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul sent a “strong” warning against North Korean provocations and stressed their commitment to reinforcing the global sanctions regime against it. The ministry added the U.S. reaffirmed its “ironclad” security commitments to South Korea and Japan, “backed by America’s unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities.” But the U.S. Department of State said in a statement following a separate meeting between Rubio and Cho that the U.S. remained “open” to a dialogue with the North – an element omitted from the South Korean statement. “Secretary Rubio reaffirmed America’s commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK while expressing the Trump administration’s openness to dialogue,” the department said, without elaborating. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK, is the official name of North Korea. The South has not commented on the U.S. statement. RELATED STORIES North Korea demolishes facility for family reunions: Seoul Russia supports US-North Korea dialogue, envoy says North Korea vows to bolster nuclear forces as US, Japan hold summit The inconsistency raised concern in Japan where its leader said there should be no divergence among the three allies on North Korea. “Maintaining the regime is North Korea’s core national interest, and we must seriously consider how to separate this from the issue of its nuclear possession,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday during a parliamentary session in response to a question about the U.S. stance on North Korea and its implication for cooperation between the U.S., Japan and South Korea. “We must ensure continued cooperation and communication among Japan, the U.S., and South Korea on achieving complete denuclearization while addressing North Korea’s demands for security guarantees,” Ishiba noted. Edited by Mike Firn. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

China wants tunnel, basement rooms at planned London ‘mega-embassy’

Editor4 days ago04 mins

An architect working on China’s controversial plans for a new ‘mega-embassy’ in London has revealed some of the details of the project, including a tunnel connecting two of the former Royal Mint buildings, basement rooms and accommodation for hundreds of staff. Plans submitted to a government inquiry indicate large-scale remodeling of the buildings on the former Royal Mint site, including a large basement area with a security airlock for vehicles, suites of basement rooms and a new tunnel connecting two of the existing buildings. Oliver Ulmer of David Chipperfield Architects speaks at the planning inquiry for China’s proposed new “super-embassy” in London, Feb. 13, 2025, in this image made from a live webcast.(Tower Hamlets Borough Council) “The basement … will be reconfigured to provide support spaces to the embassy functions on the floors above,” he said. “These will consist primarily of facilities to support the catering of events.” Changes will be made for “the provision of necessary security required for the embassy use,” Ulmer told Planning Inspector Claire Searson as part of a 10-day inquiry into the plan. The plans show a large basement with a security airlock, with access to two suites of unlabeled rooms, one via the new tunnel. Royal Mint Court, the controversial site of China’s proposed new ‘super-embassy’ in London.(Matthew Leung/RFA Cantonese) But political scholar Benson Wong said the use of basement facilities for espionage-related activities was highly likely. “Underground tunnels can effectively prevent host country security forces from conducting surveillance of foreign diplomatic missions to collect intelligence or carry out wiretapping,” Wong said. “This means the embassy can carry out any espionage or intelligence work in a secure environment.” “If the Labour government does nothing and allows the new Chinese Embassy to take liberties, I think the impact could be disastrous,” Wong said. The project plans also include a formal entrance hall with ‘screening facilities’ for diplomatic visitors, a cultural exchange center and a ‘heritage interpretation center’ and conference and exhibition facilities, Ulmer told the inquiry. A new visa application center is also planned, along with “student service” and “business services” facilities, he said. The outdoor space includes plans for a courtyard garden with increased biodiversity and “Chinese influences,” Ulmer said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Myanmar junta frees nearly 1,000 Rohingya from prison, group says

Editor4 days ago08 mins

Myanmar’s military government has released from prison nearly 1,000 members of the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority, a human rights group said on Monday, a rare gesture of goodwill towards the persecuted community. The junta has not announced the release and there has been no explanation as to why they were set free but it comes days after a court in Argentina issued arrest warrants for the junta chief and 22 other military officials for crimes committed against the Rohingya in a 2017 crackdown. “It is clear that the junta wants to cover up the crimes that they’ve committed against Rohingya,” said a senior member of group Political Prisoners Network Myanmar, Thike Htun Oo. “They immediately released the Rohingya from detention as soon as a court in Argentina issued international arrest warrants for them. We must be aware of this,” he told Radio Free Asia on Monday. Most of the 936 people being released on Sunday from prison in the main city of Yangon, including 267 women and 67 children, were arrested after the military overthrew an elected government in 2021, Thike Htun Oo said. They were due to be sent by boat from Yangon, to the Rakhine state capital of Sittwe in western Myanmar, he said. On Saturday, officials from the military’s Immigration Department entered Insein Prison in Yangon to issue the Rohingya with identity documents, Thike Htun Oo said, though adding he could not confirm exactly what type of documents they were given. Details of what those being released had done to be locked up in the first place were not available but most were believed to have been imprisoned for violating restrictions on their movements. RFA tried to telephone the Prison Department spokesperson and the office of the department’s deputy director general for information about the release but they did not answer. Most Rohingya are from Rakhine state and most are stateless, regarded as migrants from South Asia and not one of the ethnic groups classified as indigenous in Buddhist-majority Myanmar’s constitution. RELATED STORIES Myanmar junta bombs Rohingya Muslim village killing 41, rescuers say Rohingya at risk of being forgotten, activists say Violence against the Rohingya explained Forced to fight? Myanmar government troops led a bloody crackdown in Rakhine state in 2017 in response to Rohingya militant attacks on the security forces and more than 700,000 members of the persecuted Rohingya community fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where most remain. U.N. experts later said the military carried out mass killings and gang rapes with “genocidal intent.” The United States in 2022 determined that the violence committed against the Rohingya amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity. The Myanmar military said it was engaged in legitimate security operations. A court in Argentina ruled last week that international arrest warrants be issued for the self-appointed president and junta chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, and 22 other military officials for crimes committed against the Rohingya. Argentina became the first country to open an investigation into serious crimes against the Rohingya under the principle of universal jurisdiction, a legal principle allowing for the prosecution of serious crimes no matter where they were committed. Political analyst Than Soe Naing also said the junta was trying to improve its image in light of the Argentinian court ruling. “They’re releasing the Rohingya in order to try to restore justice from their side but they’re not going to succeed in trying to cover up their criminal mistakes,” he said. The leader of a Rohingya welfare organization said there was a danger those being released would be pressed to fight for the military in Rakhine state where an ethnic minority insurgent group battling for control of the state, the Arakan Army, or AA, has forced junta forces into a few small pockets of territory, including Sittwe. The co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, Nay San Lwin, said the military was already pressing Rohingya men in camps for displaced people in Sittwe to join junta forces. “They are really worried about being forcibly recruited,” he said of those who had been released. Last year, embattled junta forces recruited Rohingya into militias to help fight the AA, which draws its support from the state’s Buddhist, ethnic Rakhine majority. The recruitment by the military of Rohingya led to attacks by the AA in which international human rights organizations said Rohingya civilians were killed. The AA denied that. Translated by Kianan Duncan. Edited by RFA Staff. RELATED STORIES Myanmar junta bombs Rohingya Muslim village killing 41, rescuers say Rohingya at risk of being forgotten, activists say Violence against the Rohingya explained We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

2 Lao women warn of pitfalls of agreeing to ‘sham marriages’ in China

Editor5 days ago07 mins

A Lao woman who traveled to China for an arranged marriage warned others to demand legal documents and to have in-person meetings with potential husbands before leaving the country. Any woman who enters into what she called a “sham marriage” runs the risk of being trafficked to another man after they arrive in China, she told Radio Free Asia. “To those who may want to come to China, they should think and do research carefully,” she said, requesting anonymity for security reasons. “They shouldn’t decide without knowing what they could be facing. I experienced that myself.” A newlywed man shows marriage books for him and his wife in Luliang, northern China’s Shanxi province on Feb. 11, 2025.(Adek Berry/AFP) The woman said she jumped at the chance to move to China two years ago for an arranged marriage. But eventually she realized that a promised 60 million kip (US$2,750) payment was never going to come. “I heard many people say marrying a Chinese man would help to solve financial problems and make life more comfortable,” she said in an interview on Feb. 4. “I had too much excitement from a lack of experience at that time.” Arranged marriages between Chinese men and young Lao women have become more common in recent years as the women and their families seek financial security amid Laos’ bleak economy. A Lao anti-human trafficking activist who goes by the name Ms. Dee told RFA last month that a middleman is usually involved in forming an agreement. The young women and their families are paid at most 30,000 yuan (US$4,150) while the middlemen keep the remainder of the fee, which can be around 200,000 Chinese yuan (US$27,500), she said. “After being sent to China, the Lao girls of course expect to receive some money that they can send home to support their families. But in fact, their Chinese husbands refuse,” Ms. Dee said. ‘Just go with him’ Another Lao woman told RFA in a separate interview that a middleman sold her to a man three days after she arrived in China. “I was told not to be too particular,” she said on Feb. 10. “Just go with him. I have no choice at all.” The middleman added that she would get paid for the marriage after about six months, and could then “run away with a new man and get paid again,” she said. But the money never came, and she said she worries that a typical 16-year-old Lao girl could also be easily tricked by middlemen who promise monthly payments of 2,000 yuan (US$275) to send to family back in Laos. “The middlemen always gave them nice images of being married to Chinese men. ‘He’ll buy you a smart phone, nice clothes, new shoes,‘” she said. “All those materialistic things plus thinking of being out of poverty.” RELATED STORIES Lao police stop 3 women from boarding flight to China in trafficking case Three human traffickers to stand trial in northern Laos Lao official: Gov’t can’t afford to address rise in human trafficking Vientiane police arrest taxi driver and woman, rescue 4 teenagers The woman who spoke to RFA on Feb. 4 said Lao women could end up with a Chinese man who has a criminal record and isn’t able to provide legal marriage documents. “If the Chinese man cannot come to Laos and provide you with any legal documents, be aware and never believe that,” she said. “Don’t believe it if a middleman told you they will provide all needed documents when you have arrived in China.” She added: “You cannot trust the middleman. They will not pay you after you are sent to China.” A Lao official at the Anti-Trafficking Department told RFA that the middlemen often target young women from hill tribes who lack awareness and whose families have financial hardship. Translated by Khamsao Civilize. Edited by Matt Reed. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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