at 18:30 (JST), July 26

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/20220726183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : execution shadow action
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220726_07/

Myanmar's pro-democracy shadow government has strongly condemned the executions of four people.

A state-run newspaper reported the executions on Monday. It said one of the four was Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a former lawmaker of the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi. He was her close aide.

Prominent pro-democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu was also reportedly among those executed. The newspaper said they were charged under the counterterrorism law and the penal code.

A spokesperson for the pro-democracy national unity government has issued a statement condemning the executions.

Dr. Sasa said, "Today is a dark day for Myanmar." He added, "The threat of death is not a valid argument against the demand for human rights, democracy, freedom, and self-determination."

He urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United Nations to take action against the junta and support the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar.

Key words : antonio myanmar
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220726_11/

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned in the strongest terms Myanmar's ruling junta's executions of four pro-democracy activists and elected leaders.

In a statement released on Monday, Blinken said, "Since the February 2021 coup, the regime has perpetuated violence against its own people, killing more than 2,100."

He called on Myanmar's military to "respect the democratic aspirations of the people who have shown they do not want to live one more day under the tyranny of military rule."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also issued a statement through a spokesperson on Monday, strongly condemning the executions.

The UN chief said that these executions "mark a further deterioration of the already dire human rights environment in Myanmar."

Guterres reiterated his call for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained prisoners, including ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Key words : local human rights 117
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220725_26/

Myanmar's military junta is being condemned over new reported executions. The state-run newspaper says four people, including democracy activists, have been put to death.

Local media say these are the country's first executions in more than 30 years.

The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Monday that Phyo Zeya Thaw was killed. He was a lawmaker for the National League for Democracy. He was a close aide of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and was also known for being a hip-hop artist.

Activist Kyaw Min Yu was also reportedly executed.

The newspaper says the four were charged under the counter-terrorism law and the penal code.

Myanmar's junta announced its plan for the executions last month, sparking international criticism.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In June, he urged the junta to reconsider the executions in his letter to the military leader, Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar's pro-democracy shadow government condemned the killings. The spokesperson for the National Unity Government's Office of the President said they were extremely shocked and saddened. The spokesperson tweeted that the "international community must punish the murderous Myanmar military junta for their cruelty and killings."

The military is continuing its crackdown on protests. A local human rights group says the junta has killed more than 2,100 civilians since the coup in February last year.

It says the military-controlled courts have, as of Friday, sentenced 117 people to death.

Key words : health ministry first case fever
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220725_43/

Japan's first case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Tokyo.

The health ministry says a Tokyo resident in his 30s with a recent history of overseas travel tested positive on Monday.

Officials say the man visited a health care facility earlier in the day after developing rash, high fever, headache, and fatigue. The symptoms started on and after July 15.

They say he has been hospitalized in Tokyo and is in stable condition.

The ministry did not disclose his nationality.

Officials say the man traveled to Europe in late June and returned to Japan in mid-July. He reportedly came in contact with a person infected with the virus while in Europe.

The health ministry is trying to determine the infection route and find out if anybody had close contact with the man.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko confirmed the case at a news conference on Monday.

Koike said health authorities in Tokyo are well-coordinated to promptly report infections. She said there is no need to be overly worried about the virus. She called on people to disinfect their hands and to consult a doctor if infection is suspected.

Key words : another surge
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220726_02/

People in Japan are experiencing another surge in coronavirus cases. The 7th wave of infections is hitting the holiday season.

Health authorities reported over 126,000 new cases nationwide on Monday. That's down from last week's record high of more than 200,000. The dip could be due to the fact that fewer tests are processed over weekends.

Infections among medical workers are weighing on the healthcare system, especially in the southern prefecture of Okinawa. More than 100 of the 1,400 staff members at Yuuai Medical Center are unable to work due to the virus. Doctors say the shortage means they have to conduct fewer operations, including those that are urgently needed.

Yamauchi Sunao, a doctor at the hospital, says, "Here in Okinawa, we're unable to provide adequate medical care to those in need. We can't save lives that we could normally save. We feel miserable."

The doctor also says the holiday rush is increasing the strain on the prefecture's healthcare system. He says some tourists are calling emergency services for non-COVID reasons, such as over-drinking and heatstroke.
He urges potential visitors to think carefully before making the trip.

Throughout the country, the surge is hitting public transportation ahead of the peak of the vacation season.
A railway operator in southwestern Japan says staff shortages have forced it to cancel 120 express trains over the next 10 days starting Wednesday.

Officials with JR Kyushu say dozens of workers have been forced to stay home after testing positive for the coronavirus, or having close contacts. The railway says it may extend the cancellation period, if COVID-19 continues to impact staffing.

Key words : taiwan annual evacuation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220725_37/

Taiwan's annual evacuation drills have begun. The exercises are to prepare citizens in the event of a missile attack by China.

Taipei City made the sessions more active than usual to raise awareness amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This year's drills are being held separately in four regions from Monday through Thursday. Northern Taiwan held the training on Monday.

In the exercises, air raid sirens signal the requirement for citizens to stay indoors until the alert is lifted in 30 minutes. Police officers guided pedestrians into nearby buildings and underground facilities.

People operating cars or buses are usually instructed to pull over to the curb.

This year, Taipei City authorities had drivers and passengers exit their vehicles to evacuate.

Subway stations were crowded with people who had come off the streets and passengers who had exited trains.

A woman in her 60s said she came down to the subway station after receiving the alert through her smartphone. She said the drill is a little inconvenient, but is necessary for everyone's safety.

Taiwan is also holding large annual military exercises this week.

Key words : defense ministry chinese military
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220725_40/

Japan's Defense Ministry says a Chinese military drone flew near Taiwan on Monday.

The ministry said the TB-001 reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle travelled over the sea between Okinawa's main island and Miyakojima Island, southwestern Japan.

Officials said the drone then flew to an area east of Taiwan.

They say it is the first time that a Chinese drone has made a solo flight over the area between the two Japanese islands. The Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter aircraft in response. The officials said the drone did not enter Japan's airspace.

Ministry sources say China may have flown the drone to gather information about Taiwan's annual large-scale military drills that started on Monday. They say Beijing may also have wanted to give a warning to Taiwan.

Key words : philippines dialogue
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220726_01/

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed his determination to resolve issues with foreign powers through dialogue. But he did not name China over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Marcos delivered his first State of the Nation Address to the Congress on Monday. He took office late last month.

Marcos said, "I will not preside over any process that will abandon even a square inch of territory" of the Philippines to any foreign power.

Marcos has previously said he will protect the sovereignty of his country by invoking a 2016 arbitration tribunal ruling that dismissed most of China's claims in the waters.

He said the Philippines "will be a good neighbor -- always looking for ways to collaborate and cooperate with the end goal of mutually beneficial outcomes."

The president also said that, if the Philippines disagrees with neighbors, the country will talk with them until consensus emerges.

Key words : yamagami
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220725_20/

Japanese prosecutors have sent the suspect in the shooting death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo to a detention house in Osaka City for psychiatric evaluation.

Yamagami Tetsuya arrived at the Osaka Detention House on Monday morning about one hour after leaving a police station in Nara City.

The 41-year-old was arrested on July 8 after fatally shooting Abe during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city.

Yamagami is to undergo testing by psychiatric experts at the detention house to determine whether he can be held criminally responsible.

He will be held for psychiatric evaluation for about four months through November 29. Public prosecutors in Nara are to decide whether to indict him based on the results.

Investigations have revealed that Yamagami resented the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, previously known as the Unification Church.

He reportedly told police that his mother made large donations to the group, which ruined his family.

Yamagami was quoted as saying that he initially targeted the head of the group, but did not have a chance to go through with it. He reportedly said he targeted Abe instead as he believed the former prime minister was close to the group.