at 18:30 (JST), May 10

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/20230510183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : lower house immigration
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230510_01/

A controversial bill to amend Japan's immigration rules is one step closer to becoming law. Supporters say it will help end long detentions for asylum seekers. Others call the proposal inhumane.

Currently, foreigners cannot be deported while their refugee status applications are being processed.

The government says some are applying multiple times to remain in Japan indefinitely. The bill would allow deportation if they applied three or more times unless adequate reasons are given.

It would also allow those facing deportation to stay out of immigration detention facilities. They would be able to live elsewhere under the supervision of authorized supporters.

A majority of Japan's Lower House lawmakers, including the ruling coalition, approved the bill Tuesday.

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kumada Hiromichi said, "Of course human rights must be respected. However, we also have to set necessary rules and foreigners must abide by them."

The largest opposition party was among those who voted no. The Constitutional Democratic Party says the bill goes against what the international community expects.

CDP lawmaker Yoneyama Ryuichi said, "We must establish an immigration system that ensures fair and equal treatment to protect the human rights of foreigners and refugees. This bill is totally insufficient in that regard."

Lawmakers considered a similar bill two years ago.
It was shelved amid growing backlash over the death of Wishma Sandamali. The Sri Lankan woman died while being held at an immigration facility.

Human rights groups have protested against the bill. They call it inhumane and argue it may lead to asylum-seekers being sent to their home countries, where they could face violence and discrimination.

The bill still has to clear Japan's Upper House.

Key words : protest pakistan corruption
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230510_07/

The arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday has caused protests to erupt across the nation.

Investigators say the former prime minister was arrested on suspicion of corruption. Local media report Khan is suspected of having illegally received land from a property tycoon in exchange for a favor when he was prime minister.

Reports say Khan was detained while at a court in the capital Islamabad for a separate case.

Khan's arrest comes at a time when Pakistan is in an economic crisis due to inflation and a weakening currency caused by the Ukrainian crisis and other factors.

Khan remains popular among people who are not satisfied with current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, including the younger generation and low-income Pakistanis.

Protests are spreading in Rawalpindi near Islamabad and in Karachi, the country's most populous city. Local police say 10 people, including six police officers, have been injured in clashes between police and demonstrators in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Khan was forced to step down as leader in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote. He has since been at odds with Sharif, calling for the early dissolution of parliament and a general election.

Key words : former prime thai exile
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230509_40/

Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says he plans to come home after years of self-imposed exile. His comments come just days before the country's general election.

In a tweet, Thaksin says he will be back in July, without detailing how. He cites his advancing age, and says he has been separated from his family for 17 years.

He also says he wants to look after his grandchildren.
Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who belongs to the largest opposition party, has just given birth to a son.

In 2006, Thaksin was ousted in a military coup. He was charged with abuse of power, and fled abroad to avoid jail.

The 73-year-old still has plenty of political clout. And his daughter is the prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party, which leads opinion polls with a support rate of almost 40 percent.

Thaksin's homecoming plans are widely seen as an attempt to influence voting at the 11th hour. But some observers fear his return could cause divisions.

Key words : vietnam war return
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20230411202729941/

Returned memento brings two countries together

The Vietnam War ended nearly fifty years ago, after claiming many lives. In Vietnam, relatives of those who died often do not have the remains of their loved ones, or mementos to remember them by. Recently, however, one Vietnamese family has received the personal belongings of a relative killed in the war, and this report tells the story.