RFA Unplugged

Archive for March, 2007

Bao Tong: Of Kings and Bandits

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-m0b5I0zKc] Many bloggers around the region have been covering the “nail house” phenomenon which has been sweeping through Chinese cyberspace, and which the official media are now forbidden to cover, although bloggers are filling the gap. Essentially, nail houses are property holders who refuse to sell out to developers, and in the above video clip, [...]

Newsdesk: Two tried for Thandar Shwe wedding video

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsbZnW5h3So] Remember the Burmese wedding video that shocked the world?

China's "real name registration system" to extend to pre-paid mobile phones

A China Unicom spokeswoman told RFA’s Cantonese service recently that a real-name registration system requiring people to give their ID cards to buy a pre-paid mobile phonecard(ZH) probably wasn’t far off. The government has been trying to introduce real-name registration in a number of areas, including Internet discussion forums, blogs, and even bicycle registration. But [...]

RFA Video: The Yongzhou Unrest

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raprcA6glak] RFA’s Cantonese service has been given some video of the Yongzhou bus riots. The introductory screen says that 20,000 residents of the city, in Hunan province, took to the streets in protest about a hike in bus fares, in what turned into four days’ rioting.

Vietnam: Lawyer Held in Psychiatric Hospital

VIETNAMESE: One More Victim Confined to Bien Hoa (01/19/07) Length: 5:43 Female MC: While the United Nations is holding talks about the treatment of women, rumors from overseas and in the country are very concerned about Ms. Bui Kim Thanh, a female lawyer whose specialty is fighting against injustice. She has been held in Ward [...]

Interviews with Sim Sorya

KHMER: Interview with Sim Sorya about KR and Toul Sleng Prison (8/05)   Chivita: On July 13, Cambodian Daily quoted Mr. Noun Chea as saying that he “doesn’t believe that Toul Sleng prison had been in existence when he was in power.” However, at the same time, he acknowledged that there was S-21 (Sor 21 [...]

Interviews: Cambodia remembers the Killing Fields

Here are some interviews translated from RFA’s Khmer service broadcasts recently, which formed the basis for this English-language item on the RFA Web site: KHMER: Khmer Rouge Victims Length: 6:47   Reporter (SRS): In a democratic society, where law is highly imposed, seeking evidence to press charge against a suspect or a defendant of a [...]

Gao Yaojie: Interview with RFA

Here are some extracts of interviews with Chinese AIDS activist and retired gynecologist Gao Yaojie, broadcast last week on RFA’s Mandarin service “I am very concerned that the authorities will find new ways to keep me down, when I return. I am particularly worried about my family. Both mine and my son’s e-mail accounts have [...]

"China Has Come Full Circle" — Bao Tong on the "Enlightenment" ushered in by China's new Property Law

UPDATE: Bao Tong has written a second essay on the Property Law, which you can read in English here. This essay was broadcast Friday March 16 by RFA’s Mandarin service. The Property Law of the People’s Republic of China was passed by a majority of 97% in the National People’s Congress. What does this mean? [...]

Jayavarman VII controversy shows need for historical study

King Jayavarman VII emphasizes a need for the Cambodian people to do more research on the topic, said one listener in a Feb.6 e-mail to RFA’s Khmer Service. “I am strongly interested in your interview with Professor Keng Vannsak relating to his research of King Jayavarman VII. I have noted there are many reactions against [...]