at 18:30 (JST), November 29

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/20221129183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : protests against tough hong kong
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221129_09/

Protests against China's tough COVID restrictions have spread to Hong Kong.

Many people gathered near a station in central Hong Kong Island on Monday night with flowers in a response to an online call to hold a vigil for the victims of an apartment fire in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Dozens of them held up blank sheets of paper in a silent show of protest for the victims in the city of Urumqi.

One of them said now is the time to express support for and solidarity with the people protesting across China.

Rumors have spread that the victims in the fire could not be saved because COVID lockdown measures hampered rescue operations in the high-rise complex.

It is rare for protests against the Chinese government to be staged in Hong Kong.

Authorities have suppressed demonstrations since a national security law was introduced in the territory in 2020 to crack down on anti-government movements.

Police officers at the site of Monday's vigil urged the participants to move on. The crowd left after about an hour.

Key words : indonesia evacuee 323
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221128_40/

A week after a deadly earthquake struck Indonesia, authorities are struggling to assist more than 100,000 evacuees.

Officials say the magnitude 5.6 earthquake that rocked West Java province last Monday killed 323 people. Some 63,000 homes and other buildings were destroyed in the affected areas.

Search operations are underway in the district of Cianjur, hit hard by the quake and ensuing landslides. But the work has been delayed because of fears rain and ongoing tremors could trigger more landslips.

Officials have set up emergency shelters, but many people are living in makeshift tents. Monsoon season brings the threat of illness.

A survivor in Cianjur said evacuees need proper tents because the air is very cold at night. He said some children are sick.

The coronavirus is another challenge amid the prolonged evacuation. Infections surged again this month in Indonesia. Officials confirmed about 4,000 new cases on Sunday.

Key words : tuna atlantic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221128_30/

The annual fishing quota for bluefin tuna in the main fishing grounds of the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea has been raised to the largest amount ever.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas says it decided the quota for the three-year period from 2023 based on a recovery in bluefin tuna stocks.

The bluefin tuna quota will be increased by 12.7 percent to 40,570 tons per year. The quota hit a record low of 12,900 tons in 2011 and 2012.

Japan's annual quota will be 3,114 tons, up about 300 tons. This is the largest quota ever and people in Japan would enjoy eating bluefin tuna at a more reasonable price.

The commission has 52 members, including Japan, the United States and Canada, and manages the stocks of bluefin tuna and other marine resources.

Key words : canada indo-pacific
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221128_25/

Canada's new strategy for the Indo-Pacific region describes China as an increasingly disruptive global power.

The strategy unveiled on Sunday says the Canadian government will invest 2.3 billion Canadian dollars, or about 1.7 billion US dollars, in the next five years to promote security and expand trade and investment in the region.

The document says China's rise has been enabled by the same international rules and norms that it now increasingly disregards, and that the country has had an enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific.

At a news conference in Vancouver, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said, "Our neighborhood, alongside Japan and South Korea, is facing real security threats" from China and that it "continues to challenge international norms."

Joly also said Japan is Canada's only G7 partner in the region and one of Canada's most important commercial partners.

She expressed hope that Canada will deepen cooperation with Japan in the field of security to strengthen the rules-based international order.

Key words : japan air self-defense intercept
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221128_19/

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force has carried out a drill to deploy ground-based PAC-3 interceptor missiles near a nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture.

The exercise was conducted on Monday along the coast in the town of Ohi, where Kansai Electric Power Company's Ohi nuclear power plant is located. It was the first time a drill involving the PAC-3 system was carried out in a municipality hosting a nuclear power plant.

ASDF personnel gathered at a parking lot and guided vehicles carrying missiles and radars to the site. Upon the vehicles' arrival, they examined the positioning of the missile launchers.

They also conducted an exercise to deploy a different interceptor missile to deal with attacks from aircraft targeting the PAC-3 system.

The PAC-3 system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles if Aegis destroyers fail to shoot them down. They are deployed across the country and moved to key facilities as necessary.

A senior ASDF official stressed the need to be flexible enough to deploy the PAC-3 system anywhere depending on the circumstance. He said the latest drill proved the capability to appropriately deploy the system in a new location.

Key words : Tuesday marks halloween crush
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221129_04/

Tuesday marks one month since the deadly Halloween crowd crush in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

The incident in the capital's Itaewon district on October 29 left 158 people dead, including two Japanese citizens. Another 196 people were injured.

An investigation by a special police team is underway into officials who are suspected of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.

Investigators pointed out a lack of plans to ensure safety on the day of the incident. They also said authorities had been slow to respond to calls from people on the scene.

Yonhap News Agency said the investigation team is expected to finish questioning the former head of the police station overseeing the Itaewon district and other top officials this week. Police may seek arrest warrants for some of them.

A separate investigation is expected to open in parliament next month, in a bid to get to the bottom of the tragedy and to prevent a similar incident in the future.

The main opposition Democratic Party is increasing pressure on President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration, demanding that Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min be sacked, citing his poor handling of the incident.

Key words : japanese journalist
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221128_33/

A Japanese journalist freed from prison in Myanmar earlier this month spoke to reporters in Tokyo on Monday. Kubota Toru called for more awareness about the human rights situation in the country and urged the ruling military to improve it.

Kubota was held by security authorities in Yangon in July for filming protests against the junta while on a tourist visa. He had been facing a total of 10 years' imprisonment on charges including violating the immigration law.

In a press conference, Kubota referred to a report by a human rights group that says more than 16,000 people have been detained in Myanmar since the coup in February last year. He said as one of those 16,000 he felt entrusted to articulate the thoughts of people who are not allowed to speak out.

Kubota said he was detained in a small cell with one toilet along with more than 20 other people.

He said the Japanese government should take a strong stance against the junta, urge it to release people who have been unjustly detained and establish a democratic government.

He said as Japan has a large presence in Myanmar with close economic ties, people must keep a close eye on whether money from Japan is being used by the military to kill people.