Georgia Asian Times Vol 9 No 12

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com June 15-30, 2013 Vol 10 No 12

Obama defends Internet snooping program

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

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GAT Calendar of Events (For latest & updated events, visit www.gasiantimes.com)

Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photography: Ben Hioe

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Copyright Georgia Asian Times 2004-2013

GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events.

Please email event, date, venue, and time to gat@gasiantimes.com.

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“Real Possibilities� A Panel for Asian/Pacific Islander Affinity Groups Date: Thursday, June 20, 2013 Time: 5:00 pm Venue: UPS HQ, 55 Glenlake Parkway NE 2013 Spring Career & Job Fair

By Gwinnett Village Community Alliance Date: Friday, June 21, 2013 Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Venue: Victory World Church, 5905 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross 18th Annual Savannah Asian Festival Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013 Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Venue: Savannah Civic Center MLK Arena For more info: www.savannahga. gov

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia - Awards Dinner Date: Thursday, July 18, 2013 Time: 6:30 pm Venue: Happy Valley Restaurant For sponsorship and reservation: contact GAT 678-971-9388

18th Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival - Atlanta Date: Saturday Sept 14, 2013 Time: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Venue: Clarks Bridge, Lake Lanier Olympic Rowing Facility For more info: www.dragonboatatlanta.com

Peachtree City Dragon Boat Festival Date: Sept 28, 2013 Time: 8:00 am Venue: Peachtree City For more info: ptcdragonboats@ gmail.com 9th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: Oct 12-25, 2013 Venues: Cinefest-GSU, GPC Dunwoody, University of West Georgia 9th AAFF Premiere Night Gala Date: Friday Oct 11, 2013 Venue: Plaza Theatre, Ponce De Leon Avenue, Atlanta For more info: www.atlaff.org

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

Delta To Offer Direct Non-Stop Seattle to Shanghai Flight Seattle, June 17, 2013 - Delta Airlines launched a new non-stop direct flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Shanghai Pu Dong International Airport.

“Delta’s new Shanghai service is the latest step toward building Seattle into a world-class Asian gateway,” said Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer in a press statement.

Like all of Delta’s trans-Pacific flights, the new Shanghai service features full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite as well as Economy Comfort seating and in-flight entertainment in every seat throughout the aircraft. The flight will operate using a 208-seat Boeing

767-300ER aircraft with 36 full flatbed seats in BusinessElite, 29 seats in Economy Comfort and 143 Economy class seats.

Shanghai service is Delta’s second route between Seattle and China, following Beijing service which began in 2010.

Delta has enhanced its facility in Seattle including a new Delta Sky Club, new power ports, expanded ticket counters and lobby renovations as part of its ongoing $3 billion investment to improve products, services and facilities.

Asian Cultural Experience Cancelled Atlanta, June 15, 2013 - The Asian Cultural Experience (ACE) will not commenced its annual event in July 2013.

Although no official explanation was given for the event cancellation, many in the community speculated that lack of audience support and creativity have caused the decline of the event over the years.

“The festival will be back in 2014,” said Varinee Sangmalee, the lead organizer of the event.

ACE was the leading festival showcasing Asian American culture and heritage in the metro Atlanta area. It was a successful festival held annually at the Atlanta’s Botanical Garden until it relocates to the Gwinnett Center in 2009.

Filipino American Celebrates Kalayaan 2013 Atlanta, June 12, 2013 - Members of the Filipino American community in metro Atlanta and Georgia celebrated the Kalayaan 2013 Filipino Independence Day at Georgia International Convention Center.

Guest of honor for the evening is former President of Philippines Fidel V.Ramos. President Ramos is a frequent visitor to the city as he has family members living in the metro Atlanta area.

Willy Blanco was awarded the Consular Award by Honorary Consul General Ray Donato for his contribution his service and community leadership.

Mr. Blanco is actively involved with the Filipino American and Asian community in metro Atlanta.

Earlier in the day, President Fidel V. Ramos paid a courtesy call on Governor Nathan Deal with executive committee members of Filipino American Community of Greater Atlanta.

Celebrate Savannah Asian Festival The Savannah Civic Center presents the 18th Annual Asian Festival 2013, sponsored by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs and the Savannah Asian Festival Committee.

Visitors will enjoy live performances, demonstrations and workshops, cultural exhibits and arts and crafts in the Cultural Marketplace. The event will also feature an area with activities for children along with authentic Polynesian, Chinese, Japanese, Philippine, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine from local restaurants.

Venue: The Savannah Civic Center, 301 West Oglethorpe Avenue Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013 Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Georgia Asian Times

June 15-30, 2013

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FEATURE

Obama defends Internet snooping program WASHINGTON, June 17, 2013 - President Barack Obama sought Monday to allay fears about secret US intelligence programs, rejecting comparisons with the policies of his predecessors George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

The Obama administration has been on the defensive since last week’s dramatic leak of details of two huge operations by the National Security Agency to track US citizens’ phone calls and intercept global Internet traffic.

One poll had the president’s approval rating falling by eight points, and some of his progressive allies have joined attacks against him by his usual conservative and libertarian opponents.

Responding on the “Charlie Rose” show on PBS television to the charge that he had merely continued with the surveillance policies that ex-president George W. Bush and former vice president Dick Cheney had brought in after the 9/11 attacks, Obama pushed back.

He defended the NSA data-gathering programs, insisting that they were carried out with “systems of checks and balances” adding: “Congress is overseeing it, federal courts are overseeing it.”

“The whole point of my concern, before I was president -- because some people say, ‘Well, you know, Obama was this raving liberal before. Now he’s, you know, Dick Cheney,’” Obama said.

“Dick Cheney sometimes says ‘Yeah, you know? He took it all lock, stock and barrel.’ My concern has always been not that we shouldn’t do intelligence gathering to prevent terrorism, but rather are we setting up a system of checks and balances?”

But the president also said he recognized the “legitimate concern” raised by news reports, and that he had ordered intelligence officials to declassify as much as possible “without further compromising the program.”

And he promised that an independent advisory board would review the programs.

“I’ve stood up a privacy and civil liberties oversight board, made up of independent citizens, including some fierce civil libertarians,” he said.

“I’ll be meeting with them. And what I want to do is to set up and structure a national conversation, not only about these two programs, but also the general problem of data, big data sets,

because this is not going to be restricted to government entities.”

getting an individualized court order.

That’s the existing rule,” he said.

The leaks indicated that the NSA and FBI get vast amounts of data from US Internet companies, to allow for round-the-clock monitoring of emails, documents, video, social media posts and photos online.

“We’re going to have to find ways where the public has an assurance that there are checks and balances in place, that they have enough information about how we operate that they know that their phone calls aren’t being listened into, their text messages aren’t being monitored, their emails are not being read by some Big Brother somewhere.”

Another program gathers mountains of call data from major telecom operators.

Obama said he hoped some transparency would help set the record straight on the programs.

“If you’re a US person, then NSA is not listening to your phone calls and it’s not targeting your emails unless it’s

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS India’s trade deficit widens in May

NEW DELHI, June 17, 2013 (AFP) - India’s trade deficit hit a seven-month high in May as gold imports surged, raising fresh concerns about Asia’s third largest economy, data showed on Monday.

The figures serve as another warning light for the Indian economy, which grew at its slowest pace in a decade last year due to high inflation and borrowing costs as well as low business confidence.

The deficit stretched to $20.1 billion from $17.8 billion a month earlier, mainly because of an almost 90 percent jump in gold and silver imports from a year earlier, the data showed.

The embattled government has announced measures, including hiking import duty, to try to curb buying of the metal, one of the main contributors to the widening deficit in the current account, the broadest measure of trade.

India is the world’s largest buyer of gold, and April through June saw frenzied buying of the precious metal, including for gifts, thanks to an annual wedding season and a slide in global prices.

“As far as trade deficit is concerned, it is very worrisome... It is largely contributed by heavy imports of gold and silver,” Commerce Secretary S.R. Rao said after releasing the figures.

Imports rose 7 percent in May from a year earlier to $44.65 billion, while merchandise exports fell 1.1 percent year-on-year to $24.51 billion in May.

The Reserve Bank of India left lending rates unchanged on Monday, warning of inflation due to a weakening rupee, and pointing to the need to curb the current account deficit which hit a record 6.7 percent of GDP in the last quarter.

The Congress-led government has been trying to kickstart the economy but promised pro-market reforms have halted in parliament in part because of corruption scandals.

Sri Lanka allows foreigners to take out capital COLOMBO, June 12, 2013 (AFP) - Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced the easing of foreign exchange controls to allow foreigners to repatriate capital as well as profits from real estate transactions.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said it was making it easier for both foreigners and locals to take money in and out of the country as part of measures to spur greater economic activity.

Sri Lanka’s economic growth slowed to 6.4 percent in calendar year 2012, from 8.2 percent the previous year.

The exchange controls were eased because “the domestic financial sector has become stronger and more resilient”, the Bank said in a statement.

Sri Lanka has over two million of citizens employed abroad, especially in the Middle East, who sent home $5.9 billion last year, making remittances the biggest single source of hard currency for the country.

Sri Lanka sharply raised import taxes in 2011 to avoid a repeat of a 2009 balance of payments crisis.

A three percent depreciation in 2011 followed by a free float of the local currency saw the value of the rupee fall sharply and made imports more expensive while reducing pressure on the trade balance.

It said Sri Lankan commercial banks will also be allowed to lend in foreign currency for the first time to locals who earn abroad.

The gap was $16.9 billion in May last year, data from the ministry of commerce and industry shows.

Hundreds of strikers fired from Nike factory: union PHNOM PENH, June 11, 2013 (AFP) - Hundreds of workers have been fired from a Cambodian factory making sportswear for US giant Nike following a series of protests over pay, unionists said on Tuesday, denouncing the move as “unacceptable” and illegal.

“They have been forced to resign from their jobs without any compensation. This act is illegal,” said Mann Seng Hak, a leader of the Free Trade Union.

He said nearly 300 workers had been sacked.

“This is a kind of punishment to threaten workers not to hold more protests or strikes. It’s unacceptable,” he said, adding that his group would complain to the government.

June 3 when police broke up a demonstration at the Sabrina Cambodia Garment Manufacturing in the southern province of Kampong Speu making goods for Nike, according to unionists.

There was no immediate comment from the factory owner.

A week earlier riot police allegedly used stun batons against the strikers.

Protesters said a pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage in that crackdown, and have accused the security personnel of using excessive force to quell the rallies.

Cambodian workers have staged a series of shows of discontent at low wages and tough conditions in the multibillion-dollar textile industry, which produces goods for top western brands.

At least 10 workers were injured on

Cambodia holds elections on July 28, with strongman premier Hun Sen

-- who has led the country since 1985 -- looking to extend his hold on power.

The textile industry, which employs about 650,000 people and produces clothes for top western brands, is a key source of foreign income for the country.

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

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BUSINESS

Airbus leads Boeing in opening battle of giants at air show

LE BOURGET, June 17, 2013 (AFP) - The world’s biggest air show began with a huge order for the Airbus super jumbo, deals for Boeing’s troubled Dreamliner, and a bang from thunder and lightning on Monday.

The two rivals announced a slew of orders at the Paris Air Show, where they traditionally battle for supremacy in the booming market for airliners, but Airbus came out on top on day one with at least $18.3 billion in orders compared to $6.1 billion for Boeing.

The aviation giants are fighting to get an edge in the market for long-haul wide-body planes at this year’s show, which started north of Paris under black skies, thunder, lightning and torrential rain.

Airbus took centre stage with big deals, including a mammoth provisional order for 20 A380 double-decker superjumbos by aircraft financing group Doric with a catalogue price of about $8.0 billion (6.0 billion euros).

The European manufacturer also said US aircraft leasing group ILFC had ordered an extra 50 of its new A320neo airliners -- which are not yet in service -- at a catalogue price of $5.0 billion.

German airline Lufthansa said it had completed an order, announced in March, for 100 medium-range Airbus A320 aircraft, worth 10 billion euros at list prices.

This took its total firms orders so far to $18.3 billion. If the A380 deal is

firmed up -- as both companies said it would be -- total orders come to $26.3 billion.

The head of Boeing’s commercial aviation division Ray Conner said the show was going to be a “great competition” and added that airlines would “benefit from the fact that both companies are going to have a good widebody product line.”

“I think we have the better products and at the end of the day, hopefully the better product wins,” Conner told reporters on Sunday, and on Monday Boeing announced several orders for its next-generation 787 Dreamliner, its new 737 MAX and its existing longhaul 777 plane.

Boeing’s strategy At last year’s Farnborough show in Britain, which alternates with the Paris event, Boeing came out on top, securing orders worth around $35.5 billion, more than double the Airbus haul of $16.9 billion.

This year, Airbus staged a show of its own three days before the event at Le Bourget, stealing the limelight from Boeing and other plane manufacturers with the successful maiden flight of its new A350 long-haul plane on Friday.

Airbus is pinning its hopes on the fuel-efficient A350 to compete in the long-haul sector where it is still lagging behind Boeing.

Japan’s Skymark Airlines said it had put down firm orders for four 737 MAX aircraft, becoming the first Japanese airline to set its sights on Boeing’s new medium-haul plane, in a deal worth $402 million at catalogue prices.

It has positioned the plane for the market between the popular 777 and the 787, hoping to steal share away from both planes, arguing that its craft will consume six percent less fuel than the 787 and a quarter less than the 777.

Leasing firm GECAS, meanwhile, ordered 10 787 Dreamliners worth $2.9 billion at list prices, while Qatar Airways announced orders for nine 777s -- two firm, and seven options, worth $2.8 billion.

The A350 is expected to conduct a fly-by of the air show towards the end of the week, hoping to woo potential customers.

Boeing and Airbus traditionally vie for the highest number of orders at the Paris Air Show. However, deals are usually concluded at less than the list prices, depending on discounts and tough negotiations over made-to-measure features.

Boeing is also entering the show in bullish mood as it seeks to move on from its difficulties with the troubleprone Dreamliner.

Technical problems with overheating batteries forced the worldwide grounding of the Dreamliner fleet in a major setback for the Seattle-based manufacturer.

Boeing’s strategy is to offer its clients a wider choice of long-haul airliners, but Tom Enders, boss of Airbus parent company EADS, said “the jury was still out” in terms of the firms’ respective market situation.

“It’s premature to draw any conclusion and it’s not necessarily the one who has more products who is also better positioned on the market,” said Enders.

This year’s event will also see Canada’s Bombardier hoping to win orders in the medium-haul segment with its CSeries, a plane with 110 to 130 seats.

But the Paris air show, in its 50th edition this year, is not just about commercial battles and the long-awaited A400M military transport plane will also likely provide a highlight as it takes to the skies.

The market in unmanned surveillance drones will also be in focus after three top European defense companies urged the creation of a European program to manufacture the craft, currently available only from Israel or the United States.

The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23. It is expected to welcome some 350,000 visitors through its cavernous show halls.

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

TRAVEL

EAT OUT

Tourism imperils way of life for Thai sea gypsies PHUKET, June 6, 2013 - They roamed the seas off the Andaman Coast for generations, but Thailand’s sea gypsies say their traditional way of life is under threat and their homes at risk from a tourism boom.

The plight of the once-nomadic hunter-gatherers highlights the growing pressures on marginalised indigenous people in a country seeing a surge in foreign visitors to a record 22 million people last year.

Korean Comfort Food on BuHi Located at the former 1st China Restaurant and next door to Mozart Bakery on Buford Highway, Korea Garden is slowly winning customers to its premise.

The menu at this restaurant is comprehensive and covers all the usual Korean mainstream dishes.

Prices are reasonable compared to other competitors in the area.

Side dishes (banchan) are fresh and abundant. It comes with different variety and of good quality.

Recommended starter is the house omelette pancake consist of spring onions, shrimp and mushroom. A small order will usually be enough to satisfy a hungry stomach.

Grilled meat dishes here are of good quality cuts and decent portion.

Soups at this place tends to be lighter and thinner in flavor. You

may need to ask the waiter to spiced it up to your taste.

The ambient and atmosphere is spacious compared to the nearest competitor across the street.

Service is friendly and attentive.

Waitress attempts to satisfy your request if you would explain to her of your requirement.

A good place to bring the family as it is clean and has a comfortable feel.

Korea Garden Tofu House & Korean Cuisine 5295 Buford Highway Doraville GA 30340 Tel (770) 588-2282

was seized and sold on to the current owner.

In a major blow to the community, a Phuket court in February ordered seven households to vacate their homes. They plan to appeal, and face a long legal battle.

In the meantime, their lack of official ownership means many villagers live in slum-like conditions, denied access to running water and electricity.

‘Whatever we do is wrong’

The creation of protected marine parks, the depletion of fish stocks and a construction frenzy are all making it increasingly hard for the kingdom’s “Chao Lay” sea people to maintain their age-old lifestyles.

In the past the sea gypsies led a nomadic existence, trading fish, sea cucumbers and other bounties of the ocean for the little they needed.

Although they often spent time away at sea, Nang Miden says his ancestors have lived on the island of Phuket since long before it was transformed from a sleepy tropical backwater into one of the kingdom’s top tourist destinations.

In recent decades they have become more sedentary, and face the threat of arrest and seizure of their boats if they hunt in national parks. Scuba divers sometimes sabotage their fish traps to protect marine life.

Nowadays prime beachfront on the crowded island is scarce, and Nang is threatened with eviction by a property developer who bought the land from under his feet and wants to move him to a new site further inland.

“After the Phuket boom, our places to work have been fewer and more limited. Whatever we do is wrong. Fellow villagers are often arrested,” said Nirun Hyangpan, a 37-year-old representative of the Rawai sea gypsies.

“I have lived here since this area was jungle,” said the 78-year-old , sitting outside his simple home in the Rawai village of roughly 2,000 sea gypsies, where he sells fruit and shredded coconut.

Experts say that despite their increasing exposure to the modern world, the Chao Lay’s affinity with the sea remains as strong as ever.

“My ancestors lived here before me. I have nowhere else to go. We have lived here for hundreds of years already.”

Some cannot sleep unless they hear the sound of the waves, and they struggle to find jobs on dry land so remain heavily reliant on fishing.

Many older Chao Lay cannot read or write and were unaware they could register land as their own. Ownership is also an alien culture to them, so many lack land title deeds.

“These people need a beachfront area where they can moor their boat and forage. It’s not only spiritual -- it’s their way of life,” said Narumon Arunotai, an anthropologist at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

In Nang’s case, a local businessman obtained title deeds for the land several decades ago. When he failed to keep up the payments on a bank loan, the plot

“Traditional fishing is impossible these days because the sea is almost depleted so if you use fish spears or small fish traps then you won’t be able

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

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TRAVEL

to get any fish,” she said.

“But they still feel that they’re children of the sea.”

There is a glimmer of hope for the Rawai community, as the government is analysing old aerial photographs and other evidence such as bone discoveries to establish if they arrived before the property developer.

“If it’s true they lived there longer, they should have more rights to the ownership deeds,” said Prawut Wongseenin, head of the bureau of consumer protection and environmental crime at the Department of Special Investigation.

“To win their appeal, they need scientific evidence,” he said.

There are an estimated 12,000 Chao Lay in Thailand, comprising three different ethnic groups -- the Moken, the Moklen and the Urak Lawoi.

Their plight gained attention after a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 put the spotlight on afflicted coastal communities.

The Moken attracted international interest for reading the signs of the impending tsunami, fleeing to higher ground before the killer wave struck.

They are also skilled free-divers and, unlike other humans, can focus underwater without masks.

Risking death or disability to earn a living These days, however, even their time

underwater can be dangerous.

Unscrupulous businessmen sometimes pay them to go dynamite fishing, while the air compressors and hoses they use to spend longer on the seabed leave them at risk of permanent injury or even death from decompression sickness.

Some also lack citizenship, which hinders their access to healthcare and other public services.

In 2010, the Thai cabinet passed a resolution setting out a policy to protect their way of life, but the sea gypsies say that in reality it has made little difference.

While there is no official policy to assimilate the Chao Lay into mainstream Thai culture, at school they are taught

the Thai language and history, not about their own roots or Austronesian language.

“Institutions act to socialize these people to become Thai and to forget -- and in many cases become ashamed -- of who they really are,” said Narumon, the anthropologist.

With Thailand welcoming ever more tourists -- almost nine million in the first quarter of 2013 alone -- the Chao Lay fear for their future.

“If tourism keeps on booming with more beachside hotels, spas and resorts, the sea gypsies’ way of live will continue to disappear,” Nirun said.

“It’s like killing us alive.”

- AFP

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

SOCIAL

Japan fears losing diplomatic buffet battle to China TOKYO, June 17, 2013 - Belt-tightening in Japan’s diplomatic service is cutting the quality of canapes on offer abroad, the foreign ministry has said, leading to fears Tokyo is losing the battle of the buffets to Beijing.

Diplomats in Tokyo say China appears to be ramping up its spending on its missions while Japanese diplomats are being forced to scrimp, the ministry said.

Allowances for embassy bashes have dropped 40 percent over the last decade, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary committee earlier this month.

Foreign guests invited to mark occasions such as the Emperor’s birthday have noted the second-rate sake and substandard snacks, Kishida said.

One diplomat reportedly complained the Middle East mission where he worked had been unable to afford to serve the popular shrimp tempura, and this had turned off invitees.

In contrast, Chinese missions appear to be hosting ever-more lavish receptions.

One senior Japanese ministry official lamented “the gap in momentum” between the two countries, which are locked in a tense territorial dispute, Jiji reported.

Another diplomat said that a Japanese embassy in a western African country “is located in a multi-tenant building, and when you go down from your floor, shoe-shiners approach you”.

“There is no private electric generator inside the building so blackouts happen frequently,” he said.

“In contrast, China has nice premises... and when I was there a few years ago it was constructing a brand new building,” he added.

An official from the governing Liberal Democratic Party said party food was sometimes paltry.

“There are some cases where the contents of meals are so poor that holding a reception just has no meaning,” he said.

However, a senior official at a government agency handling economic affairs dismissed the complaints.

“The quality of food or wine does not dictate the quality of diplomacy,” the official told Jiji Press.

China overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest economy in 2010 and has embarked on a diplomatic charm offensive in many parts of the world as it looks to open up markets for its goods.

Thai police discover 14 white lions at Bangkok home BANGKOK, June 10, 2013 - Thai police said Monday they had discovered more than 200 live wild animals including monkeys, tortoises and 14 white lions during a raid on a house in the capital Bangkok.

Two Thai men, including the owner of a pet shop at the city’s popular Chatuchak market, were charged with illegal wildlife trading. If convicted they face up to four years in jail and a 40,000 baht ($1,300) fine.

“We received a complaint about the smell from the neighbors and after investigating we discovered the animals hidden there,” said Police Colonel Ek Ekasart.

He said the lions were believed to have been brought into the country

Japan’s presence on the world stage has diminished since the heady days of its 1980s bubble economy, when the cash-rich government spent heavily on promoting the country abroad.

Despite the downsizing, Japan remains one of the world’s largest donors of foreign aid and prides itself on having a positive reputation abroad.

- AFP

using permits for sales to zoos, but instead offered to private buyers.

The two suspects deny involvement in illegal wildlife trade. One was found guilty of the same charge four years ago.

Once the legal process is completed, some of the animals could be released into the wild and others sent to zoos, police said.

Thailand has a reputation as a hub of international wildlife smuggling to feed strong demand in Asia for unusual pets and traditional medicines made from animal parts.

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

Page 11

FOCUS

‘Soft darts’ hits bullseye in Asia HONG KONG, June 17, 2013 (AFP) Picture your stereotypical darts player.

Middle-aged and overweight, with a gut spilling over a waistband, cultivated through years of swilling beer during tense matches.

But a radical transformation is taking place and the game that was once the preserve of grown-ups in dimly lit pubs has been reborn in the 21st century, with teenagers and young adults eagerly flocking to dedicated darts bars.

A new breed of dynamic young player has emerged, playing a hightech version of the game complete with flashing lights, electronic bleeps and a computer that does all the troublesome maths for you.

Welcome to the world of soft darts, which has been big in Japan for some years but is now hitting the bullseye as it sweeps across Asia, with a rapidly swelling fanbase and its own high-profile tournaments, the most lucrative of which is this year offering a prize pot of HK$5 million ($650,000).

One of the game’s top players, Singapore’s Paul Lim, describes the differences between the traditional game and soft darts -- where the arrows’ steel tips are replaced with plastic points and the electronic board calculates your scores -- as similar to those between snooker and pool.

“If you look at snooker and pool, how many more people play pool? It’s a lot

easier. People get a lot more enjoyment because it’s a far simpler game,” said Lim, who was the first ever darts player to throw a perfect nine-dart finish during a world championship, in 1990.

“I’ve been playing steel-tip for 38 years and I’ve been involved in softtip for about 15 years. Soft-tip is much faster and simpler. This is made for people not to think, just to have fun.”

While soft-tip darts have been around for decades -- darts manufacturer Harrows says the electronic game was developed in the United States in 1977 -- one company in particular is blazing a trail around the world.

Dartslive, which both manufactures and distributes soft tip boards, is linking up all the machines they provide to venues worldwide electronically, allowing players on opposite sides of the planet to step up to the oche and take each other on in real time.

game and have the opportunity to swipe their own membership card, which then records all their scores for the various games that can be played.

There are even mobile phone apps that allow players to meet in cyberspace after they have played.

Dartslive International’s Hong Kongbased CEO Steve Ngu said the firm’s aim was to bring the traditional game into the electronic age.

Launched in 2003 in Japan, the company expanded its operation overseas in 2009 when it opened a venue in Hong Kong. Since then it has spread rapidly to 14 countries.

“Dartslive is a company combination of real and virtual world. You can physically play each other and then you can come and chat online,” he explained.

“When we started in Hong Kong, every month I would say we would have about 500 new players. It’s a cool atmosphere, almost like clubbing.

People come in for a few drinks. It’s entertainment. It’s fun,” said Lim, an early proponent of the game.

“Our aim is to be a network platform.

We are trying to attract people across the digital world. People who watch TV and use Facebook, people who play sports -- we are trying to draw them into the platform, to group them together and let them have fun.

Players each pay a small fee per

“It’s like a small kingdom. We keep inviting people to come and stay.”

The strategy, it would seem, is paying dividends, with the business turning over $100 million a year, according to Ngu, in a growing industry he estimates to be worth $200 million worldwide.

Major darts manufacturers, including Harrows, Unicorn and Target, have also seen the potential for profit and a wide selection of branded soft-tip accessories are now sold alongside traditional steel-tip darts.

In an effort to further dominate the soft-tip market, Dartslive organises the Soft Darts World Championship.

The 2013 competition kicked off in Hong Kong in April and, after legs around the world, the final will be played in the city in December where the winner will pocket HK$1 million ($130,000) of a total HK$5 million prize pot.

Impressively, Ngu believes that the sport is growing at such a clip that its total prize pot will eclipse that of traditional darts tournaments within just three years.

Indeed, many big names in the traditional game are seeing there’s money to be made through prizes and sponsorship and are travelling to Asia to take on Japan’s best, such as Takehiro Suzuki -- winner of the Soft Darts World Championship 2012 -- and Mitsumasa Hoshino.

Britain’s Colin Lloyd and Mark Webster were among players from all over the world who gathered in Hong Kong in April for a showcase tournament eventually won by US player Scott Kirchner.

But for the average player, not quite accustomed to top-flight matches, the draw of soft darts is the ease of the game and its hip image, according to Eric Chu, CEO of the iDarts Group, which runs a dedicated soft darts bar in Hong Kong.

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

TECH

Robot that runs like a cat springs to life in Switzerland

China supercomputer world’s fastest BEIJING, June 17, 2013 (AFP) - A Chinese supercomputer is the fastest in the world, according to survey results announced Monday, comfortably overtaking a US machine which now ranks second.

Tianhe-2, a supercomputer developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology, achieved processing speeds of 33.86 petaflops (1000 trillion calculations) per second on a benchmarking test, earning it the number one spot in the Top 500 survey of supercomputers.

The tests show the machine is by far the fastest computer ever constructed.

Its main rival, the US-designed Titan, had achieved a performance of 17.59 petaflops per second, the survey’s website said.

Five of the world’s 10 fastest computers are installed in the US, the survey said, with the two in China, two in Germany and one in Japan.

The recognition of Tianhe-2, meaning Milky Way-2, as the world’s fastest computer marks the return of the title to China after the machine’s

predecessor, the Tianhe-1 was ranked the world’s fastest in November 2010, only to be overtaken by a machine from the US. Unlike some of its Chinese predecessors, most of the Tianhe-2’s parts are developed in China, except for its main processors, which are designed

by US firm Intel.

“Most of the features of the system were developed in China...the interconnect, operating system, front-end processors and software are mainly Chinese,” the list’s website quoted editor Jack Dongarra as saying.

But the US still dominates the overall supercomputer rankings, with 252 systems making the top 500. The number of European machines, at 112 systems remains lower than the number of Asian machines, at 119, the list’s website said.

The supercomputers on the Top 500 list, which is produced twice a year, are rated based on speed of performance in a benchmark test by experts from Germany and the United States.

GENEVA, June 17, 2013 (AFP) - Swiss researchers said Monday they have created a small four-legged, highspeed robot that runs like a cat in a bid to create a new breed of robots for use in search and rescue operations.

The “cheetah cub” was not yet as agile as a real cat, but “still has excellent auto-stabilization characteristics when running at full speed or over a course that included disturbances such as small steps,” it stressed.

Researchers added that the “cheetahcub robot,” the size of a small house cat or cheetah cub, moves as fast as an adult human walking briskly.

To make the robot’s legs, the researchers used springs to reproduce tendons and actuators, or small motors that convert energy into movement, to replace muscles.

It is “the fastest in its category (of) small quadruped robots under 66 pounds,” the EPFL technical university in Lausanne said in a statement.

The robot recorded a maximum speed of 4.65 feet per second, corresponding to 3.1 miles per hour.

“This is a good walking speed for an adult human,” one of the researchers on the project, Alexander Sprowitz, said in an email.

The robot’s metallic frame is eight inches long and 16 centimeters high and weighs 2.42 pounds.

The robot, which was featured Monday in the International Journal of Robotics Research, has a tail but no head, yet is easily recognizable as modeled on a cat due to its gait.

“Its particularity is the design of its legs, which make it very fast and stable,” EPFL said, pointing out that the purpose of building the robot was to encourage research in biomechanics.

The robot also has the benefit of being “extremely light, compact, and robust,” EPFL said, pointing out that it “can be easily assembled from materials that are inexpensive and readily available.”

Although the research still is in the very early stages, the researchers said the long-term goal was to “develop fast, agile, ground-hugging machines for use in exploration, for example for search and rescue in natural disaster situations.”

The technology could also be used to gain a better understanding why animal legs are built the way they are, and provide “insights into the control architecture of animals,” Sprowitz said.

He pointed out that the technology could reduce the need to dissect animals, and could potentially have a “strong impact on human locomotion rehabilitation.”

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

Page 13

SPORTS

Lee wins 5th Indonesia Open title JAKARTA, June 16, 2013 (AFP) - World number one Lee Chong Wei easily defeated Germany’s Marc Zwiebler on Sunday to win the Indonesia Open for a fifth time.

Japan media accept ‘complete defeat’

by Brazil TOKYO, June 16, 2013 (AFP) - The Japanese media on Sunday slammed their team’s 3-0 drubbing at the hands of footballing powerhouse Brazil as the Asian champions came crashing back to earth following the high of World Cup qualification.

“They have suffered a complete defeat by the football kingdom Brazil,” the Nippon TV network said in a noon time news program hours after the Confederations Cup opener in Brasilia ended in the early morning Japan time.

The phrase was echoed by other media outlets as they reacted to the heavy loss to the five-time world champions.

Kyodo News recalled that Japan’s key players had vowed to use the tournament, which comprises the best teams of each continent, as a springboard for next year’s World Cup, also in Brazil.

“But after Brazil brought Japan crashing back down to earth on Saturday, the Asian champions might be thinking twice,” it said.

CSKA Moscow and Japan midfield dynamo Keisuke Honda agreed.

“It was a complete defeat today. We must realize where we are in terms of capability,” he told Japanese television. “But we still have two games left so we need to refocus ourselves.”

The Blue Samurai had wished to do better than a 4-0 loss to Brazil in a friendly in neutral Poland last October, but instead now have eight defeats with two draws in 10 games against the South Americans.

“There’s just too big of a gap in individual quality,” said Inter-Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo. “Look at it this way: is anyone on Japan good enough to play for Brazil? The answer is no, not one.”

“If each and every one of us doesn’t try to become the best player he can possibly be, we won’t be able to bridge the gap in the year ahead.”

Japan became the first nation to qualify for the 2014 World Cup along with hosts Brazil when they finished

The Malaysian ace hardly broke a sweat against the unseeded Zwiebler in the men’s singles final in Jakarta, winning the match 21-15, 21-14 in just 40 minutes.

Lee dominated from start to finish, with a string of smashes which proved too difficult for his left-handed opponent to return.

“As I had expected, it was a very hard match against Lee Chong Wei,” Zwiebler said.

“He was not that kind of player who will give any mercy if I made weak shots. He was always in control. I have tried everything I can.”

Lee praised his opponent: “Zwiebler played well today. He showed a lot of progress.”

The 30-year-old said he was “very happy” to win the title, which has prize money of $52,500, for the fifth time. at the top of an Asian group this month.

Coached by former AC Milan boss Alberto Zaccheroni, they hope to reach the quarter-final stage in Brazil for their best ever World Cup finish.

At the Confederations Cup group stage, the Blue Samurai will face Italy on Wednesday and London Olympic champions Mexico on June 22.

But he added he was anxious to return to Malaysia to be with his son Kingston, who was born in April and is his first child.

“I just want to go home. I am going back to Malaysia tonight. I miss my son,” he said.

The victory came on Father’s Day, the first for Lee as a father.

He said he would participate in the tournament again next year.

“I know I am not 25 years old anymore, but I’ll try to forget my age.

I’ll just have to make sure I stay away from injuries,” he said.

In the women’s singles final, world number one Li Xuerui of China beat Germany’s Juliane Schenk.

The three-set match ended 21-16, 18-21, 21-17 and lasted 63 minutes.

The Indonesia Open has prize money of $700,000 across all categories.

Japan have played Italy once in the past, in a 2001 home friendly that ended in a 1-1 draw.

“Our only option is to win the next two games. A draw won’t be good enough,” Nagatomo said. “But if we play the way we did today, there’s no way we’re going to win our next game.”

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

Taiwan’s Wang joins Blue Jays TAIPEI, June 9, 2013 (AFP) - ChienMing Wang, a right-handed pitcher from Taiwan who won 55 games over five years for the New York Yankees from 2005, has signed a contract with Toronto Blue Jays, media reported Sunday.

Wang opted out of his minor league contract and was granted release by Major League Baseball on Friday, Fox Sports said on its website, citing a major league source.

It said the Blue Jays are reportedly looking to have Wang start on Tuesday against the White Sox. Wang’s agent confirmed the report, carried on the front pages of Taiwan’s four leading Chinese-language newspapers.

“Wang appreciates Blue Jays for offering the chance to play in MLB again,” Wang’s agent was quoted as saying in a report in Taipei’s Apple Daily.

The Toronto team has offered Wang a $490,000 contract to reinforce a starter roster plagued by injuries, it said.

The 33-year-old scored his Yankees

contract after two strong outings for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic.

Wang was 4-4 with a 2.33 ERA in nine starts spanning 58 innings at the New York Yankees’ minor league affiliate Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.

But the records failed to impress the Yankees. “His numbers were good,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told Fox Sports. “His velocity was down a little bit. We had a lot of 87s and 88s [mph] I think, and at this time we just didn’t really have space for him.”

Having joined the Yankees in 2005, Wang won 19 games in both 2006 and 2007 before suffering a foot injury in the 2008 campaign and hip and shoulder injuries that nagged him in 2009.

He missed the 2010 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and pitched for the Washington Nationals for two years, going 6-6 with a 4.94 earned-run average in 21 games, until becoming a free agent.

In 109 games with the Yankees, Wang is 55-26 with a 4.16 earned-run average.

Formula One stalls in Bangkok as law bans car racing BANGKOK, June 7, 2013 (AFP) - Bangkok’s chances of hosting a lucrative Formula One race have faded after planners banned car racing from the city’s historic quarter, officials said Friday.

The city was touted to host a landmark F1 night race in 2015, with a track mooted for the tourist area around the Grand Palace and a number of major Buddhist temples.

But Bangkok’s Metropolitan Authority has stymied the proposal with a law banning “car racing” from the zone.

“The law came into effect on May 16 prohibiting car racing in inner Bangkok because that area is a conservation for culture and arts,” said Kriangphon Pattanarat, director general of City Planning Department.

The law has been under discussion for two or three years, he said, adding it was not specifically targeted at F1.

An F1 race would likely have brought tens of thousands of wealthy tourists to the capital as the sport looks to deepen its influence in Asia.

Opposition to the proposed race had been voiced by local residents around the potential track who said the event would have damaged their incomes and caused more traffic in the already gridlocked city.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Somsak Phurisisak confirmed the law had been enacted and car racing can no longer take place in the city’s historic zone.

“Whatever is illegal we will not do,” he said.

“I have been told yesterday on the new city planning law,” he added, voicing hopes Formula One’s governing body would consider laying on a race in another Thai province.

The move into Bangkok would have marked a new milestone in F1’s drive into Asia, where Singapore, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Japan all feature on the racing calendar this season.

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

Page 15

HEALTH Survivors of childhood cancer prone to adult illness: study WASHINGTON, June 12, 2013 (AFP) - Patients who successfully battled cancer during childhood face an extraordinarily high rate of chronic illness during their grown-up years, according to study published Tuesday.

The research released by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) tracked 1,700 adult survivors of childhood cancer, and found that the vast majority were combating one or more chronic ailments.

“The percentage of survivors with one or more chronic health conditions prevalent in a young adult population was extraordinarily high,” said lead researcher Melissa Hudson and her colleagues at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis.

The study found that 80.5 percent of adults were suffering with at least one chronic ailment by the age of 45.

The subjects in the study were most likely to suffer from ailments to the lungs, heart, auditory, nervous or endocrine systems.

The research, published in the June 12 issue of JAMA, found that there is “a growing population of adults formerly treated for childhood cancer who are at risk for health problems that appear to increase with aging.”

The scientists called for additional research, noting that “the prevalence of cancer-related toxic effects... has not been well studied.”

Hudson and her colleagues said life-long monitoring is in order for those stricken with cancer in childhood.

“These data underscore the need for clinically focused monitoring, both for conditions that have significant morbidity if not detected and treated early -- such as second malignancies and heart disease -- and also for those that if remediated can improve quality of life, such as hearing loss and

vision deficits,” the researchers said.

Human DNA not patentable: US Supreme Court WASHINGTON, June 14, 2013 (AFP) - Naturally occurring human gene sequences cannot be patented but artificially created DNA can be, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday.

The verdict represented a compromise between the goals of the biotech industry, which wanted to preserve all its patents, and campaigners seeking unfettered access to genetic data for researchers and patients.

The nine justices issued the ruling after reviewing a 2012 appeals court decision that allowed biotechnology company Myriad Genetics Inc to patent two genes it found had links to breast and ovarian cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2.

US actress Angelina Jolie recently underwent a double mastectomy as a preventative measure after discovering she had a mutation in one such gene and was thus at greater risk of developing breast cancer.

“A naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated but cDNA is patent eligible because it is not naturally occurring,” the court ruled.

A coalition of associations representing some 150,000 researchers, doctors and patients, had asked the nation’s top court to overturn the 2012 decision, as it stopped them doing further work and research with the patented genes.

They hailed the new ruling as a victory for patients’ rights.

“Today, the court struck down a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation,” said Sandra Park, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.

Myriad offers testing for the two genes, whose discovery in the 1990s was the product of research that typically requires years of effort and large investments.

The company “found an important and useful gene, but separating that gene from its surrounding genetic material is not an act of invention,” said the decision written

by Justice Clarence Thomas.

The decision may save “thousands of lives,” Cedars-Sinai Cancer Institute women’s cancer program chief Beth Kar-

lan said, adding that it would accelerate scientific discoveries about how genetic defects cause the disease.

But industry sources expressed concern that the ruling could open the way to further lawsuits that would dissuade firms from pursuing valuable research.

“How long before every defendant challenges every chemical or drug patent as a natural phenomenon?” asked Matthew Siegal, an intellectual property lawyer.

“Atoms exist in nature. For example, iron is the isolation of elemental iron that exists in nature as iron ore.”

And the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America trade group cautioned that it was unclear how courts would apply the ruling in the future.

In April, during arguments before the court, the justices grappled with hypothetical examples of potential patent bids such as ones for gold from the ground or plants harvested in the Amazon for their medicinal properties.

Diet change boosts survival in men with prostate cancer WASHINGTON, June 10, 2013 (AFP) - Men who ate more healthy fats from vegetables, nuts and olive oil after a diagnosis of prostate cancer saw better survival rates than peers whose diets were unchanged, a US study said Monday.

The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine suggest that dietary improvements can be an important way to lower the death risk among men whose prostate cancer has not spread.

“Consumption of healthy oils and nuts increases plasma antioxidants and reduces insulin and inflammation, which may deter prostate cancer progression,” said lead author Erin Richman, a postdoctoral scholar in the University of California San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

The study involved 4,577 men who had been diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer between 1986 and 2010.

Researchers found that men who replaced 10 percent of their total daily calories from carbohydrates with healthy vegetable fats had a 29 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.

They also had a 26 percent lower risk of dying from all causes.

The effects were seen even in small changes: adding one tablespoon of oilbased dressing per day was associated with a 29 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and a 13 percent lower risk of death.

Adding one ounce of nuts per day was linked to an 18 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and an 11 percent lower death risk.

Healthy vegetable fats included olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados.

“The beneficial effects of unsaturated

fats and harmful effects of saturated and trans fats on cardiovascular health are well known,” Richman said.

“Now our research has shown additional potential benefits of consuming unsaturated fats among men with prostate cancer.”

About 2.5 million men are living with prostate cancer in the United States, and nearly 30,000 are expected to die from it this year.

Although one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, most do not die from it.

In the JAMA study, less than a quarter of participants -- a total of 1,064 men -- died during the research period: 31 percent from cardiovascular disease, 21 percent from prostate cancer and 21 percent from other cancers.

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June 15-30, 2013 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia Hong Kongers don’t want Snowden extradited to US: poll HONG KONG, June 16, 2013 (AFP) - Half of Hong Kongers believe the city’s government should not extradite former US spy Edward Snowden, according to a poll published on Sunday a day after hundreds protested in his support.

Shanghai opens star-packed film festival SHANGHAI, June 15, 2013 (AFP) - Shanghai on Saturday opened its annual film festival packed with star power in acknowledgement of China’s role as the second largest box office in the world.

The government-backed Shanghai International Film Festival is mainland China’s premier event of its kind, though capital Beijing has tried to steal the show with its own film festival which marked its third year in April.

American director Oliver Stone made a return appearance, after attending the first Shanghai film festival in 1993.

“You’re bigger and more exorbitant,” Stone said, referring to the changes.

Local favorites like Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat and Taiwan’s Jay Chou, who played sidekick Kato in the movie version of “The Green Hornet” made appearances on the red carpet to promote upcoming films.

“This is the only category one film festival in mainland China,” said Teng Jimeng, professor of film at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

“The rise of the Chinese film market, absolutely, is why the Shanghai Film Festival is becoming increasingly popular and important in the eyes of film makers.”

British director Tom Hooper, whose films include “Les Miserables” and “The King’s Speech” is heading the jury for the festival’s main award.

Actor Keanu Reeves is also due to attend during the nine-day festival to promote his directorial debut “Man of Tai Chi”.

China’s box office surged 36 percent annually to $2.7 billion in 2012, behind only North America with ticket sales of $10.8

billion, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

But foreign films in China come under an annual quota and face censorship by cultural authorities who excise content deemed politically sensitive or obscene.

Imports of foreign films into China on a revenue-sharing basis are limited to just 34 annually, though last year the quota was raised from 20.

In a recent case of censorship, Chinese theaters mysteriously yanked director Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” in April then resumed showing the film a month later, apparently with cuts to a scene showing star Jamie Foxx nude.

In the latest James Bond spy thriller “Skyfall” -- partly shot in Shanghai -- authorities cut a scene showing prostitution in Macau, a special administrative region of China, and a line in which Bond’s nemesis mentions being tortured by Chinese security agents.

Such censorship is one of the reasons why Shanghai’s film festival lags behind others in the Asian region, which screen movies with more edgy content.

“They (Shanghai organizers) do encounter quite a lot of challenges in terms of picking the controversial, experimental stuff from the West. Hong Kong and Tokyo don’t seem to have that sort of obstacle,” said Teng of Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Shanghai’s offerings include a collection of Oliver Stone films and a tribute to the early works of Alfred Hitchcock.

Asian films include a retrospective of the films of Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung, who killed himself in 2003.

The poll in the Sunday Morning Post found 49.9 percent of respondents thought Snowden, who has dropped out of sight in the city after exposing vast US surveillance programs, should not be sent back if Washington files for extradition.

The survey, carried out by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at Chinese University, found that only 17.6 percent of 509 respondents favored the move, while 32.4 percent were undecided.

The poll results come after Hong Kong’s first major demonstration on the issue saw hundreds turn out in wet weather Saturday to rally in support of 29-year-old Snowden outside the US consulate and government headquarters.

Hong Kong, a former British colony that retained a separate legal system when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has a long-standing extradition treaty with the US, but Beijing has the potential to veto any ruling.

Analysts said public sentiment could play a role in the city’s final decision.

“Public opinion in Hong Kong seems to be against the American government because of Snowden’s revelation of possible American intrusion into the computers of some Hong Kong people,” analyst Sonny Lo said.

“This public opinion includes, at this stage, both democrats and pro-Beijing

activists,” said Lo, head of Social Sciences Department at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. “If so, the politics of preventing Snowden from being extradited back to the US has already begun.”

Following Saturday’s rally, the city’s chief executive Leung Chun-ying said his government would “follow up on any incidents related to the privacy or other rights of the institutions or people in Hong Kong being violated”.

Snowden told the South China Morning Post last week that there have been more than 61,000 NSA hacking operations globally, targeting powerful “network backbones” that can yield access to hundreds of thousands of individual computers.

There were hundreds of targets in mainland China and Hong Kong, he was quoted as saying.

Robert Mueller, director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation vowed last week to take “all necessary steps” to prosecute Snowden, who has vowed to fight any extradition attempt.

Hong Kong prides itself on its independent judiciary and rights not enjoyed on the mainland, and its public has successfully pushed back against unpopular policy in the past.

Last September, the government was forced to back down on a plan to make Chinese patriotism classes mandatory in schools, after thousands took to the streets in protest ahead of legislative polls.

Beijing has not so far commented on the Snowden affair.

Georgia Asian Times June 15-30, 2013

Page 17

Misc Asia

Thai monks rebuked over ‘ostentatious’ jet ride BANGKOK, June 18, 2013 (AFP) - The behavior of Thailand’s Buddhist clergy has been thrust under the spotlight after footage emerged of three monks flying in a private jet, wearing earphones and sunglasses and traveling with a Louis Vuitton luxury bag.

The video, which has been viewed nearly 200,000 times on YouTube, has prompted fevered debate in the Buddhist-dominated kingdom over monks’ adherence to austere principles which include living without possessions, beyond a handful of robes.

According to one of the monks, who has since been “reprimanded”, the jet was chartered by a devotee to fly them home to northeast Si Sa Ket from Bangkok after performing duties in November, said Nopparat Benjawattantnun, director of the National Office of Buddhism.

“His behavior -- wearing sunglasses and carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag -- amounts to an ostentatious display that will provoke criticism from laymen,” Nopparat said.

Virood Chaipanna, director of Si Sa Ket’s Office of Buddhism, named the monk as Luang Pu Nenkham Chattigo, 34, from Wat Pa Khantitham.

“Yesterday I went to the temple but he was not there. They said he is in France,” Virood said.

Buddhism is Thailand’s state religion and around 95 percent of the population is believed to follow it -- the highest percentage in the world.

Love and carriage: Japan railway offers train wedding

Figures last year from the National Office of Buddhism showed Thailand had more than 61,000 monks.

TOKYO, June 18, 2013 (AFP) - A rail company is offering one lucky couple the chance to get married aboard one of Tokyo’s busiest commuter trains as it encircles the Japanese capital, it said Tuesday.

Their behavior frequently falls under the spotlight with media reports uncovering cases of clergy taking drugs, drinking, gambling and visiting prostitutes.

East Japan Railway (JR East) said it wanted to find a couple who would like to tie the knot aboard the usually heaving Yamanote Line, in the company of up to 120 friends and family.

“To be in the monkhood one should be isolated and content with what one has,” said Pra Khru Vinaithorn Teerawit, of the Buddhism Protection Center of Thailand, adding complaints are most commonly made against newly ordained monks.

Referring to the video, he said the public reaction should depend on whether the monks chose to travel by private jet or if it was organized by followers.

“If monks chose to travel by jet then it’s not suitable,” he said.

The video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube. com/watch?feature=player_ embedded&v=sANFgwoJeic.

“We expect applications from couples who are somewhat attached to the Yamanote line, including those who live nearby,” said JR East spokesman Yoichi Suzuki.

“But they need not necessarily be rail fans.”

Guests will have exclusive use of the 11-car train, which normally carries around 1,000 tightly-packed commuters.

The train will take an hour to travel the around the 22-mile Yamanote line, stopping at all 29 stations but not opening its doors.

The nature of the journey will pose one possible challenge -- there is no toilet aboard.

“The guests will be warned well in advance. I think this is all the same for ordinary weddings,” said Suzuki.

The event has officially been planned to mark the 50th year that Yamanote line trains have been painted yellow-green.

The ceremony has to be held on October 14, the 141st anniversary of Japan’s railways coming into operation.

JR East is accepting applications for the next three weeks.

The winning couple can arrange the ceremony as they wish but must host and pay for the ensuing wedding reception at a hotel run by the firm.

The sight of train enthusiasts swarming platforms to take pictures of even the most regular-looking locomotives is not unusual in Japan, a country where hobbies are taken very seriously.