at 18:30 (JST), August 13

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20210813183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : hong kong
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210813_01/

More than 90,000 people left Hong Kong last year amid tighter crackdowns by authorities on moves and expressions they regard as anti-government under the national security law for the territory.

The Hong Kong government says about 96,000 residents left the territory in 2020. That's the highest annual figure since the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Roughly 89,000 residents are estimated to have left Hong Kong during the one-year period starting July 1 last year, or one day after the security law for the territory entered into force.

The Hong Kong government says the territory's status as an international city means its population has always been subject to fluctuation as residents leave for work and study.

Local media outlets say a growing number of families have left Hong Kong for the UK and elsewhere to resettle for children's education among other reasons.

Many people, including pro-democracy politicians, have been arrested under the security law. The Apple Daily, a newspaper known for its critical stance toward the Chinese government, was forced to stop publishing in June.

Key words : government grant soccer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210812_21/

NHK says the Japanese government has decided to grant refugee status to a Myanmar soccer player who sought asylum after taking part in a game in Japan.

Pyae Lyan Aung came to Japan as a member of Myanmar's national soccer team to play in a World Cup qualifier against Japan in May. Before the match, he flashed a three-finger salute in protest against Myanmar's military coup.

He refused to return to the county along with his teammates in June and applied for asylum in Japan.

Japan's Immigration Services Agency has since interviewed him, and determined that he should be given refugee status under the UN Refugee Convention.

The agency says given the Myanmar military's record of arresting and killing civilians who protest against them, the player could face persecution if he returned home, noting that his three-finger salute was widely reported by media.

The agency says it is planning to issue Pyae Lyan Aung a document certifying his refugee status next week.

Key words : nearly 19-thousand
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210812_24/

Nearly 19-thousand new cases were confirmed across Japan on Thursday. That's a record high for the second day in a row. Experts are describing the situation as akin to a disaster.

In the capital, nearly 5,000 cases were reported and the number of seriously ill patients hit a new high at 218.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government experts say the virus is spreading with "unprecedented speed."

The average number of new cases per seven days has doubled in two weeks, pushing medical systems close to breaking point.

Vice President Inokuchi Masataka of Tokyo Medical Association said, "The care system, including ordinary care, has become extremely dysfunctional. A further increase in the number of seriously ill patients could lead to a crisis. We could lose many lives that would otherwise have been saved."

Tokyo's rapid surge is being seen across the nation. Twenty prefectures, including Osaka and Fukuoka, have logged new daily highs.

The capital's panel of experts is calling for stricter measures to tackle the surge.

They include reducing the flow of people in shopping malls and department stores, as well as asking companies to allow more staff to work from home.

Key words : thailand anger report
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20210730211135424/

Thousands of people took to the streets of Bangkok last year in a series of protests calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and reforms to the monarchy. But the rallies came to an end following a crackdown by security forces. Now, months later, the spread of the coronavirus in the country has reignited the people's anger.