at 18:30 (JST), May 09

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/20230509183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : ethnic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_37/

Ethnic clashes in northeast India have left dozens dead and thousands homeless.

The violence erupted last week in Manipur state, where the Meitei people are seeking special status.

The majority Hindu community wants to be recognized as a Scheduled Tribe to receive benefits including quotas for government jobs and college places.

Fighting broke out after Kukis and other mainly Christian tribes staged marches against the move.

Authorities put the death toll at 37 as protesters vandalized shops and businesses. Hundreds of homes were burned down.

The army has been deployed in violence-hit areas, including the state capital, Imphal.

A curfew is in place, and internet services remain suspended to prevent social media from being used to stir up the unrest.

The trigger for the bloodshed was a court order urging the state government to consider Scheduled Tribe status for the Meiteis.

Minority community leaders say granting more privileges to the group would be unfair.

India has the special category as a form of affirmative action to tackle historic inequality and discrimination.

Key words : chinese foreign criticized
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_33/

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has criticized Sunday's Japan-South Korea summit meeting.

Wang Wenbin was speaking to reporters on Monday.

He referred to the security cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea, in opposition to North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Strengthening the cooperation was reaffirmed during the summit.

Wang said that the root causes of the issues on the Korean Peninsula are clear. He said all parties should adhere to the direction of political settlement, strive to resolve their legitimate concerns in a balanced manner, and maintain peace and stability on the peninsula.

The spokesperson stressed that the parties concerned should not conspire in a small group to tackle the issues.

Wang also spoke about South Korea's decision to send experts to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to inspect Japan's plan to release treated and diluted water into the sea.

He said that if Japan is truly sincere about addressing the concerns of stakeholders, it should stop forcibly advancing its plan.

He urged Japan to agree to discuss all possible disposal options other than discharging into the sea.

He added that otherwise, bilateral exchanges and inspections will be of no practical significance and will only be used by Japan as a cover for advancing the plan.

Water used to cool molten fuel mixes with rain and groundwater. The water is treated to remove most of the radioactive materials before being stored, but it still contains tritium.

The treated water will be diluted to reduce tritium levels before it is released into the ocean. Its tritium concentration will be lowered to one-seventh of the World Health Organization's standards for drinking water.

Key words : convoy attacked
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_36/

A convoy carrying diplomats from Indonesia and Singapore has been attacked in Myanmar.

Local media say the officials came under attack in eastern Shan State on Sunday, but no injuries were reported.

Myanmar's security situation is expected to be high on the agenda at a summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations set for Wednesday in Indonesia.

The chair country's president, Joko Widodo, said it was regrettable that the incident happened while the officials were on their way to deliver humanitarian aid.

"It's the people who will suffer, and under these conditions nobody will win," he said.

He stressed his country's efforts to end the fighting in Myanmar won't change. He also called for dialogue to find a solution.

Indonesia is seen as a hard-liner among the ASEAN members as it has strongly urged Myanmar's military to immediately stop the violence in the country.

Attention is on how the incident could affect discussions at the upcoming ASEAN meeting.

Key words : tpp dpp
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_20/

Taiwan's opposition Taiwan People's Party is expected to field its leader and former Taipei mayor, Ko Wen-je, as its candidate for the presidential election in January next year.

The TPP is the third-largest force in Taiwan's legislature after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang, the largest opposition party.

Ko served as Taipei mayor for two four-year terms until last December. He is considered to be one of the presidential hopefuls. Polls show he has a support rate of over 20 percent.

On Monday, Ko filed his candidacy for the primary to decide the party's presidential candidate at its headquarters in Taipei. There have been no other candidate applications.

Some members of the Kuomintang are looking to cooperate with the TPP in a bid to realize a change of government.

But Ko has stressed his resolve to run in the presidential race. He said the TPP can work with any party if it is in the people's interest.

The TPP is expected to decide on Ko's nomination on Wednesday next week. He is likely to hold a news conference on May 20 to explain his campaign platform.

Last month, the ruling DPP named party chairperson Lai Ching-te, who is Taiwan's vice president, as its candidate for the presidential election.

Key words : un report
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230509_06/

A UN report released on Monday shows a surge in the number of people subjected to corporal punishment in Afghanistan. It calls on the Taliban, who seized power in 2021, to halt the practice.

The report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, says that, in a period of about six months through April, 58 women, 274 men and two boys were lashed for a variety of offenses.

This was an increase of about a six-fold from the number recorded in the prior 15 months. The offences included theft, homosexuality and adultery.

The surge came after Taliban's supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada in November 2022 reportedly ordered judges to fully enforce Islamic law.

In one instance, a woman died after being lashed by de facto police, according to the report.

UNAMA is calling on the Taliban to end corporal punishment, saying the practice is a violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

In response to the UN report, the Taliban said 99 percent of the people of Afghanistan follow Islam and Islamic principles, so the country's laws are determined in accordance with Islamic rules and guidelines. It added that, "in the event of a conflict between international human rights law and Islamic law, the government is obliged to follow the Islamic law."

Key words : toyota apologize
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_35/

Toyota Motor Chairman Toyoda Akio has apologized for its affiliate Daihatsu Motor's rigging of door safety tests.

In his apology at a news conference in Bangkok on Monday, Toyoda said such an act by Daihatsu is an unacceptable violation of consumer trust. One of the affected models is sold in Thailand under the Toyota name.

Daihatsu revealed on April 28 that it had rigged parts of the doors in side-collision safety tests that were carried out on about 88,000 small cars developed for markets outside Japan.

Toyoda said he needs time to review each step of the testing procedures.
He said he will spearhead group-wide effort to get to the bottom of things and come up with preventive measures.
Earlier, emissions test data alterations were revealed at Hino Motors, another Toyota group company.

Toyota has expressed its intention to make sure that certification testing is carried out properly by all the companies in the group.

Key words : tokyo police four teenager
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230509_21/

Tokyo police have arrested four teenagers, including a high-school student, in connection with a robbery at a luxury watch store in Ginza on Monday evening.

Several masked assailants stormed the store. They threatened to kill the sales clerks with a knife, smashed a showcase and got away with merchandize.

There were five clerks and no customers at the time. No one was hurt. The shop is located along a main street lined with restaurants and designer brand stores.

Police believe the robbery was committed by three people. Investigators say they fled in a rented van that likely had replacement license plates.

Police arrested the four teenagers on Monday night on suspicion of trespassing at a condominium in Akasaka, not far from Ginza. The van was found nearby.

Police say the suspects are aged 16 to 19, and that all are from Yokohama, outside Tokyo.

Investigators suspect more people were involved in the robbery and have received an eyewitness report that two people were waiting in the getaway van.