VOL 34 NO 4 | JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

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VOL 34 NO 4

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

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BLOG A year of insanity » P. 10

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Lan Pham

Connecting the dots with the Office for Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault

Mona Locke’s new appointment

Photo by Laura Ohata/NWAW

By Laura Ohata Northwest Asian Weekly Lan Pham was only nine-years-old when she left Vietnam. “The refugee experience really defined my passion and what I would like to do as a kid and as an adult,” says Pham. “I witnessed violence, not only experienced through war, but the violence women refugees experience as part of their escape, or transition to America.

Lan Pham oversees a $4.9 million-dollar budget as newly appointed manager of the mayor’s Office for Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Prevention. Her team brings together different governmental and nongovernmental agencies to provide wraparound services for each victim, providing housing, healthcare, education, jobs, and treatment for chemical dependency.

“This position is very important,”

Intellectual Ventures has hired Mona Locke, a former journalist best known as Washington State’s former first lady, as its new senior vice president of corporate communications and marketing.

The hire was announced by the controversial patent holding and technology firm, based in Bellevue, Wash., and led by former Microsoft chief technology officer Nathan Myhrvold. Locke’s appointment promises to improve the company’s political savvy as its large patent holdings

{see PHAM cont’d on page 12}

{see LOCKE cont’d on page 14}

Mona Locke

Lan Pham

Bellevue man arrested in Portland homicide

Ousted Thai premier rejects charges at impeachment hearing

Questions of sex trafficking

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

Tae Bum (“Chris”) Yoon

A Bellevue man has been arrested in the murder of a woman at a hotel in Portland, Oregon. Tae Bum (“Chris”) Yoon, 27, is accused of killing 24-year-old Ashley Benson on December 26th at a hotel in Portland.

Detectives from Portland’s homicide unit arrested Yoon on Wednesday, January 7th as he arrived in Portland by train. Although nothing has surfaced as

to the reasons for targeting Yoon as the suspect in the murder, Portland police immediately identified the native of South Korea. Portland investigators requested assistance from Bellevue police in locating Yoon. After his arrest in Portland, Bellevue police obtained a search warrant to search Yoon’s downtown Bellevue apartment.

Benson’s body was found dead in the hotel stairwell of a DoubleTree Inn in Portland the day after Christmas. Her death was ruled a homicide. The Multnomah County State Medical Examiner declined to say how Benson was killed.

Portland police indicate that Benson was a victim of sex trafficking although they have not publicly tied this to her death and Yoon’s arrest.

According to a report, Benson grew up in Portland and lived in Vancouver, Washington. She had a son. Her relatives, including her father, attended Yoon’s arraignment hearing on Friday. {see SEX TRAFFICKING cont’d on page 15}

By Thanyarat Doksone Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra defended her role in a money-losing rice subsidy scheme Friday at the start of an impeachment hearing that analysts say is aimed at ensuring the ousted leader stays out of politics for the foreseeable future.

The charges against Yingluck have been dismissed by her supporters, who say they are politically motivated and part of a broader campaign that led to the overthrow of her government in an army coup last year.

Military-appointed lawmakers are expected to issue on a verdict by the end of the month. If impeached, Yingluck could be banned from politics for five years.

Yingluck was forced from office in early May by a court verdict that declared she had illegally transferred the nation’s security chief. That decision came after months of street protests and one day before Thailand’s anti-graft commission indicted her on charges of dereliction of duty in overseeing a widely criticized rice subsidy program, which accumulated losses of at least $4 billion and temporarily cost Thailand its

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

position as the world’s leading rice exporter.

On Friday, Yingluck defended the rice scheme and said it was “worthwhile” and was designed to support farmers.

“I guarantee that I ran the country with {see THAILAND cont’d on page 12}

The Inside Story NAMES People in the news » P. 2

■

WORLD Pope visits Sri Lanka & the Phillipines » P. 4

ARTS Young family robes at the Wing Luke » P. 7

SPORTS Bae keeps it close » P. 9

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

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JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ names in the news Hong appointed Director of VFA

Yu sworn in

James Hong has been appointed as Executive Director of the Vietnamese Friendship Association. Hong has been with VFA for five years. In his recognition letter, he stated: “As an organization committed to social justice and equity, our work focuses on guarding our most James Hong priceless treasure – our culture, language and heritage – so that current and future generations can enjoy its riches. Worth it.” 

Sherpa performs for Goodwill

President of MultiCare Care Connected Care, MultiCare Health System’s new Accountable Care Organization. In this role, Dr. Kodama is responsible for further improving access, quality and affordability of health care for the communities of the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Christopher Kodama Prior to his current role, he served as the Medical Vice President of Clinical Operations for MultiCare Health System since 2011. In that capacity, he was responsible for physician-related operational and business activities at all six of the MultiCare hospitals and acute care facilities. 

Mary Yu

Mary I. Yu was sworn in the Washington Supreme Court ceremony for the administration of oath of office as a Justice on January 12. The ceremony took place at the Temple of Justice Courtroom, Olympia. She is serving as State Supreme Court Justice. 

New work from Bob Kim

Abji appointed to Board of Trustees of Bellevue College

From left: Debadutta Dash, founder of SAMPARC and co chair of WASITRAC, Diane Nrasaki, executive director of ACRS, Karma Sherpa and Mohan Gurung, founder and current president of Nepal Seattle Society

Karma Sherpa, the popular singing star of Indian TV show SaReGaMaPa, performed at the Sadbhavna Samaroh (Goodwill Gathering concert) in Bellevue. With an objective of providing a common platform for the local nonprofits serving various ethnic groups within the local South Asian community the event was sponsored by the Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS). The Executive Director for the ACRS, Diane Narasaki welcomed Karma to Seattle and recognized him with a plaque from the organization for his performance. 

Shelmina Babai Abji

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has named Shelmina Babai Abji, of Bellevue, to the Board of Trustees of Bellevue College.

In this role, Abji will participate in the six-member board, whose duties include setting the college’s strategic direction, establishing policy for the college, and approving budgets. 

Kodoma President of new Accountable Care Organization Dr. Christopher Kodama has been appointed

From Kim’s new series

Photographer Bob Kim has a new series: “It was tough hiking into some of the remote locations like Subway and Virgin River Narrow, but well worth the effort!” Kim is from Seoul, Korea, and moved to the United States with his family in 1975. He studied fine arts and photography at the Maryland Institute of College of Art in Maryland, graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts in 1983. Kim lives in Federal Way, Washington U.S.A. with his wife, Ock and two children, Solomon and Linz. 

the

Women in Male-Dominated Careers

Making a Difference

Friday, February 6, 2015 • 11:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m. • China Harbor Restaurant • 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle

Honorees

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Sponsors Kathleen O’Toole Chief of Police Seattle Police Department

Gita Bangera Dean of Undergraduate Research Bellevue College

Linda Deboldt Director of Public Works City of Redmond

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Kim Pastega Vice President 787 Production System Operations of Boeing

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Joyce Yen Program/Research Manager UW ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change

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Shira Broschat Professor WSU School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ community news

King County Civil Rights Commission to honor student essay contest winners Three students from Open Window School take top marks in 16th annual contest

Three 8th grade students from Open Window School in Bellevue will be honored Thursday at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle for their winning submissions to the King County Civil Rights Commission’s 16th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Writing Contest. The students were invited to reflect on Dr. King’s pioneering civil rights work, especially as it related to the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act. Contest winners are: • Colin Cameron, first prize • Audrey Witmer, second prize • Emma Wineland, third prize.

“The commissioners were impressed by the diversity of essay submissions received this year,” said Justin Walsh, chair of the King County Civil Rights Commission.”Incidents of racial injustice continue to occur even today, including through stringent voter identification laws and redistricting. Dr. King recognized the power of voting rights for all, and these students’ essays show that they are also well aware of the importance of this vital right.”

Sponsored by the King County Civil Rights Commission, this year’s contest was based on a theme from Dr. King:”So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind - it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact - I can only submit to the edict of others.”

The essay contest was open to all 8th grade students in public and private schools in King County. The contest encourages students to think critically about Dr. King’s legacy of peace and justice. All essays were judged on the author’s knowledge of Dr. King and his work in the civil rights movement, originality of ideas, insight, clarity of expression, organization, and grammar.

The public is invited to attend the celebration Thursday at the Paramount Theatre, which will feature Maria Gitin, author of the book “This Bright Light of Ours,” an oral history of the voting rights movement in 1965. The celebration will also include musical performances by the duo of Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons. 

After pioneering $15 wage, SeaTac sees few business, tax effects The Associated Press KING-TV reports an estimated 1,500 total workers saw their minimum wage increase under the new law, including 400 who live in the city limits.

City manager Todd Cutts says there has been no impact on sales tax or property tax, and no change in the number of business licenses issued.

The law requires hoteliers with more than 100 rooms to pay workers $15 an hour. Scott Ostrander, former general manager of the Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac, said before the law was passed he would close several rooms in his hotel to avoid having to comply. However Cedarbrook Lodge is now moving forward with a 63-room expansion and recently started paying the $15 per hour minimum wage.

Paul Guppy, researcher at the Washington Policy Center, said some employers are removing benefits like free meals to make up for the wage increase.

“We’re not seeing the big benefits that proponents said we would because so few people are affected,” said Guppy. “And at the same time, it’s not having a ripple effect through the economy. It just affects so few jobs, it’s not having much impact.”

The state Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether Port of Seattle workers at Sea-Tac Airport will be included in the wage increase.

That would increase the number of people affected by the $15 per hour minimum wage to around 6,500. 

“Voting defines what it means to be a citizen and to have one's voice heard.

The right to vote for all citizens is the heart and soul of a democracy.”

— Colin Cameron first prize winner

“Because of what [Dr. King] did, America now truly earns the title of ‘Land of the Free.’”

— Audrey Witmer second prize winner

“Martin Luther King, Jr. sought to make democracy fair – allowing people without votes to have a say in their government.”

— Emma Wineland third prize winner

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asianweekly northwest

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JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ world news Pope’s trip to Sri Lanka and Philippines: 5 things to know

By Nicole Winfield Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis embarks on his second Asian pilgrimage this coming week, visiting Sri Lanka and the Philippines exactly 20 years after St. John Paul II’s record-making visit to two countries with wildly disparate Catholic populations. Francis will make headlines of his own, drawing millions of faithful in the Philippines and treading uncharted political waters following Sri Lanka’s remarkable electoral upset this past week.

New Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who capitalized on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s unpopularity among the island nation’s ethnic and religious minorities, will be on hand to welcome Francis when he arrives in the capital, Colombo, on Tuesday.

Francis will be bringing a message of reconciliation between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority and interfaith harmony after Sri Lanka’s quarter-century civil war ended in 2009 with the army’s violent crushing of the Tamil Tiger rebels.

It isn’t known whether Francis will weigh in on Sri Lanka’s refusal to cooperate with a U.N. investigation into alleged war crimes in the final stages of the war. A 2011 U.N. report said up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians may have been killed during the offensive, and accused both sides of committing serious human rights violations.

Here are five things to look for during Francis’ trip, split between two days in Sri Lanka and three in the Philippines.

TAMIL TRAVELS Significantly, Francis will travel to the Tamil region of northern Sri Lanka to pray at a Christian shrine and meet with Tamil faithful. The Our Lady of Madhu shrine is revered by both Sinhalese and Tamil Catholics, providing the perfect backdrop for the pope to encourage reconciliation in a part of Sri Lanka that was devastated

Pope Francis

by the war.

“It’s a very strong gesture,” said the Rev. Bernardo Cervellera, whose Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency AsiaNews covers the Catholic Church in Asia closely. “He is going to this area where John Paul couldn’t go because of the war.”

The Catholic Church considers itself uniquely poised to be a force for unity in Sri Lanka because it counts both Sinhalese and Tamils as members. They worship together, with liturgies often alternating between the two languages, said the Rev. Prasad Harshan, a Sri Lankan doctoral student at Rome’s Pontifical Holy Cross University.

“He’s making an extra effort to go to these areas, and to see these victims,” he said. “That will be a wonderful sign of solidarity.”

Francis’ canonization Wednesday of Sri Lanka’s first saint, the Rev. Giuseppe Vaz, is another sign of unity: The 17th century missionary is credited with having revived the Catholic faith in the country amid persecution by Dutch colonial rulers, ministering to both Sinhalese and Tamil faithful.

BUDDHIST FUNDAMENTALISM When John Paul visited Sri Lanka in 1995, he too tried to bring a message of tolerance, but was met with a boycott by the island nation’s Buddhist leaders, who constitute 70 percent of the population. (Hindus represent some 13 percent, Muslims 10 percent and Catholics about 7 percent, according to Vatican figures).

Buddhist representatives had been expected to attend an interfaith meeting, but none showed up to protest John Paul’s criticism of the Buddhist doctrine of salvation.

Buddhist fundamentalism has only grown in the ensuing 20 years, with hard-line Buddhists waging a violent campaign against Muslims.

But two moderate Buddhist representatives are scheduled to greet Francis during an interfaith meeting on the first day of his visit.

“I don’t know if during other occasions or places there might be discordant voices from fundamentalists,” said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. “We’ll have to see.”

Francis has denounced the rise of religious fundamentalism in Sri Lanka and the extremists who promote a “false sense of national unity based on a single religious identity.”

During a meeting with visiting Sri Lankan bishops last May, Francis said the local church must continue to seek “partners in peace and interlocutors in dialogue” despite violence and intimidation from religious extremists.

SECURITY CONCERNS As with any papal trip, security will be tight in both Sri Lanka and the Philippines, even for a pope who relishes plunging into crowds and driving around in open-topped cars rather than bullet-proof popemobiles. {see POPE FRANCIS cont’d on page 14}

Below are three more cases of interviews with Mr. Choy’s patients. From patients’ reaction, we can see Mr. Choy’s superb medical skill that patients trust.

Mr. Choy believes that Chinese medicine treatment not only focus on internal functioning, specific symptoms or affected organs, but also our bodies’ overall conditions: yin yang reconciling, and blood circulation, etc. Treatments are based on the patient’s body condition to reconcile its balance; body excesses will be excreted-in order to retain yin yang balance and symptoms will go away

Case 1: A 7-year old boy suffered from frequent hands and legs cramping with his eyes often staring absently, in a daze.

There was numbness and twitches in parts of the body and trismus. His doctor diagnosed him with epilepsy. His parents visited Mr. Choy and Mr. Choy believed that his epilepsy was caused by obstruction in the blood and nerve of aged nerve sputum. The boy was prescribed with medicine to diminish inflammation and resolved phlegm effects. A week later, his symptoms were reduced; his hands and legs were no longer cramped and trismus was no more. After his aged sputum was cleared, he remained conscious.

Family members said the boy’s epilepsy has been under control after one month of treatment and the frequency of his symptoms had reduced after two months.

Case 2: 30 year-old Chinese women, Mrs. Chan, was diagnosed with thyroid disease and scheduled a surgery 10 days later. She worried about the side effects of the surgery, of symptoms reoccurring, of body malfunctions, and of even losing her voice, getting hypocalcaemia if her vocal cord nerve or parathyroid gland were damaged.

Her friends introduced Mr. Choy to her. Mr. Choy prescribed her with medicine that helped to relax her liver and nourish her blood. She felt relaxed after the treatment. Her symptoms of hypertension, nervous feeling, talkativeness, sleepless, and confusion had been reduced.

“Mr. Choy saved my life” “When I first entered Mr. Choy’s herb shop, I was in a wheel chair, too weak to walk. I was very shaky from a terrible imbalance. I carried an oxygen tank to keep me going. I coughed up phlegm continuously. My lung was damaged.

“I was diagnosed with ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome.) I spent five weeks in intensive care and was not expected to live. I was told try a dangerous experimental drug and a lung transplant. Those op-

tions scared me. I looked for other solutions.

“Mr. Choy, you gave me hope, telling me that my condition can be cured. Your herb tea, though startling to me and my doctors, eliminated my recurring pleurisy pain and also reduced much of my coughing. Your herbal antibiotic replaced prescription antibiotics and kept me infection free. Another tea you gave me healed my ulcers and other problems. Now, I am no longer dependent on a wheel chair. I can walk short distances

Choy’s Herb Inc.

Special example of an older woman gave birth to a healthy baby. She wrote to Dr. Choy and thanked him.

My breathing is deeper and stronger; and the coughing spasms are much reduced. I sleep better and eat well.

Although I still experience some fatigue, low energy, and occasional fits of coughing, the improvement shown makes me believe that if I stay the course of this herbal treatment I will one day be completely healed … the natural way.”

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

China says 6 attackers killed in latest Xinjiang violence AP Wire Service

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese police shot and killed six would-be bombers Monday in the latest violence to strike the restive far northwestern region of Xinjiang, a local government spokesman and official website said.

Police were called to a business district in the town of Shule in the morning to investigate a suspicious man carrying what appeared to be an explosive device, according to TS News, which specializes in news about Xinjiang.

It said the man was shot and killed after he charged police with an axe and attempted to detonate the device.

Another five suspects with bombs were also shot and killed as police conducted a cleanup operation, the site said, without elaborating. It said no officers or onlookers were injured.

An official with the Shule county propaganda department, who gave only his surname, Yu, confirmed the report but declined to offer further details.

Chinese authorities tightly control

information from the Xinjiang region, and independent accounts of events there are not available.

No word was given on the identity of the suspects.

At least 400 people have been killed in and outside the region over the past two years in violence China blames on radicals among Xinjiang’s native Uighur ethnic group.

Homemade explosive devices have often featured in the violence, which has ranged from assaults on police stations to knife attacks on train travelers.

Critics and human rights advocates say Uighurs have chafed under the repressive rule of the Han Chinese-dominated government and complain of economic disenfranchisement with the inflow of Han Chinese to their homeland.

Authorities have responded to militants’ attacks by launching a one-year crackdown on violence in Xinjiang, where security was already tight following riots in the regional capital in Urumqi in 2009 that left nearly 200 people dead. 

Key US military command’s Twitter, YouTube sites hacked

By Lolita C. Baldor Associated Press

— Hackers WASHINGTON (AP) claiming to work on behalf of Islamic State militants seized control of the Twitter and YouTube sites of the military’s U.S. Central Command on Monday. The Pentagon swiftly suspended the sites and said it appears that no classified material was breached.

The hacker group, which calls itself CyberCaliphate, appears to be the same

one that is under FBI investigation for hijacking the websites or Twitter feeds of media outlets in the last month, including a Maryland television station and a New Mexico newspaper.

Defense officials said Monday that they have been in contact with the FBI, and that the previous breaches by the group raises questions about whether the hackers have any real connection to the Islamic State militants that are under U.S. and coalition {see YOUTUBE cont’d on page 15}

Top Malaysia court sentences 2 to death for Mongolian murder AP Wire Service KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s top court on Tuesday sentenced two police officers to death by hanging, after overturning their acquittal by a lower court over the killing of a Mongolian woman who had an affair with a friend of the prime minister.

The verdict ended an eight-year saga surrounding the high-profile case that the opposition has repeatedly sought to link to Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The officers were the only suspects found

guilty of shooting Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006 and blowing up her body with military explosives. Opposition leaders have repeatedly said that Najib must have had a role in approving the killing, but the prime minister has denied any links.

A High Court judge in 2009 sentenced the officers to be hanged, but the Court of Appeals acquitted them in 2013.

Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah said a five-member Federal Court {see MONGOLIAN MURDER cont’d on page 16}

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THU 1/15

WHAT: Rise and fall of an American journalist in Asia with Mahlon David Meyer WHERE: Han’s Garden, 3020 78th Avenue Southeast, Mercer Island WHEN: 11:30 a.m.1:30p.m.

INFO: luncheon@ seattlechinesechamber.org, 206-552-0818 WHAT: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at Paramount Theatre WHEN: 12 – 1 p.m.

WHERE: Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, Seattle INFO: 206-263-2444 WHAT: Info session on Sierra Charter School WHERE: Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way S.W., Seattle WHEN: 6-7:15 p.m.

FRI 1/16 WHAT: Racial Equity Workshop with Dr. Shakti Butler WHERE: Seattle Public Library, Central Branch Washington Mutual Room, Level 4, Room 1, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle WHEN: 2-5 p.m.

REGISTER: brownpapertickets.com/ event/1143449

MON 1/19 WHAT: MLK Day Rally & March, “Fight for Your Rights in 2015” WHERE: Garfield High School, 23rd & E. Jefferson, Seattle WHEN: 12 p.m.

INFO: www.mlkseattle. org, 253-883-9548, 206786-2763

WED 1/21 WHAT: Seattle’s 15th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair WHERE: Seattle Center Pavilion, 305 Harrison St., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: citycareerfair.com

SAT 1/24 WHAT: New Year’s Celebration, Coming of Age Ceremony WHERE: Everett Community College, Nippon Business Institute, 905 Wetmore Ave., Everett WHEN: 2-4 p.m.

RSVP: by Jan. 15, mnsmith@everettcc.edu,

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kkoss@everettcc.edu, 425388-9195 WHAT: Cheers to the New Year 2015 with Vietnamese singers: Nguyen Hong Nhung, Lynda & Tommy Ngo, Diem Suong, Randy, Kieu Oanh & Hoang Nhut WHERE: Muckleshoot Casino, 2402 Auburn Way S., Auburn WHEN: 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

INFO: muckleshootcasino. com

TUE 1/27 WHAT: Economic Outlook for Asia WHERE: Asia Business Forum WHEN: 6:30-8 p.m.

COST: $15 INFO: facebook.com/ seattleabf

SUN 2/1 WHAT: Sponge to host Chinese New Year Celebration WHERE: Mt. Baker, 3107 S. Day St., Seattle WHEN: 10 a.m.

RSVP: events@ spongeschool.com, 206227-7138 INFO: spongeschool.com

asianweekly northwest

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JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ WORLD NEWS

South Korea deports American over positive N. Korea comments

By Hyung-Jin Kim Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A KoreanAmerican woman accused of praising rival North Korea in a recent lecture was deported from South Korea on Saturday, in the latest in a series of cases that critics say infringe on the country’s freedom of speech.

The Korea Immigration Service decided to deport Shin Eun-mi, a California resident, after prosecutors determined that her comments violated South Korea’s National Security Law, agency official Kim Du-yeol said.

Shin departed the country on a flight to the U.S. on Saturday evening, another

Shin Eun-mi

immigration official said on condition of anonymity, citing department rules.

“Frankly speaking, I feel like I’m betrayed by someone who I have a crush on,” Shin

China travelers open emergency exits to protest flight delay AP Wire Service BEIJING (AP) — Upset by a delayed flight, two Chinese passengers decided to open emergency exit doors in protest as the plane was taxiing, forcing it to abort takeoff and landing them in jail instead, police said Sunday.

The latest in a growing number of air rage cases involving Chinese travelers happened in the early hours of Saturday morning in the southwestern city of Chengdu, after the China Eastern flight was delayed by a snow storm.

Angry passengers complained about the delay and a lack of ventilation, and a man surnamed Zhou opened two emergency exits to prevent the plane from taking off,

forcing it to return to the gate. A total of 25 passengers were held for questioning while the rest continued on to Beijing aboard a separate flight.

Kunming police said in an online statement that Zhou and a tour guide named Li have been placed under 15-day “administrative detention’’ for opening the doors and inciting passengers with false information.

China’s fast growing air travel market is the world’s second biggest, but heavy traffic and tight military control of airspace have given it the world’s worst record for flight delays. {see FLIGHT DELAY cont’d on page 14}

China bans private drivers on ride-hailing apps

By Joe McDonald AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China has banned drivers of private cars from offering services through ride-hailing apps, throwing up a new hurdle to Uber Technologies Ltd.’s global expansion.

Only licensed taxis may use ride-hailing apps, the Ministry of Transport announced Friday. Such apps are hugely popular in China, and the ministry said it needed to protect users.

The ruling could be a setback for Uber, which faces legal challenges in South Korea, India, Europe, California and other markets for using drivers who lack taxi licenses.

told reporters before her departure.

She said she hopes to be able to return to both Koreas.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war, split along the world’s most heavily fortified border, because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. In South Korea, praising North Korea can be punished by up to seven years in prison under the National Security Law. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Shin had been barred from exiting South Korea for three weeks, and the U.S. has seen reports indicating the prosecution has asked for her to be deported and banned from the country for five years.

In a rare note of criticism of a key ally, Psaki said that despite South Korea’s generally strong record on human rights, the security law limits freedom of expression and restricts access to the Internet.

Supporters argue that the law is needed because of continuing threats from North Korea. But critics want it scrapped. Past authoritarian leaders in South Korea frequently used the law to suppress political rivals.

Shin posted stories about her trips to North Korea on OhmyNews, a popular South Korean online news site. Her book on her trips was included in a governmentdesignated reading list in 2013, but the {see EUN-MI cont’d on page 13}

Shanghai nixes famed lantern festival after deadly stampede AP Wire Service BEIJING (AP) — China’s financial hub of Shanghai said Sunday it was canceling its famed Lunar New Year lantern festival in the wake of a stampede that left 36 people dead.

The announcement illustrates the spreading effects of the Jan. 1 disaster, in which surging crowds trampled people along the city’s legendary Bund riverfront walkway.

Events as far away as in BFijing have been canceled and security tightened in subway stations and other crowded public spaces.

The upcoming three-day festival in the city’s Yuyuan Garden, a warren of narrow

alleys and ancient buildings in the heart of the ancient walled Chinese city, drew more than 1.3 million people in 2013. The lantern festival comes on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year marking the close of the annual festivities.

The festivities typically draw massive, sometimes unruly crowds and in 2004, 37 people were killed in a stampede in the Beijing suburb of Miyun.

The company that runs the Yuyan Garden and the Shanghai city government said in separate statements that the event was being canceled out of Csafety concerns.”

Neither directly mentioned the stampede, {see LANTERN FESTIVAL cont’d on page 14}

Assunta Ng

Account Executives

Peggy Chapman

rebecca@nwasianweekly.com

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kelly@nwasianweekly.com

Publisher assunta@nwasianweekly.com Editor editor@nwasianweekly.com Layout Editor/Webmaster han@nwasianweekly.com

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Stacy Nguyen Editorial Consultant

The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

“While we encourage innovation, we prohibit private cars from using platforms to participate in the `hired car’ business,’’ said a ministry announcement. It said companies that operate ride-hailing apps will be required to make sure no unlicensed {see UBER cont’d on page 14}

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article.

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ arts & entertainment

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

7

Qing Dynasty Robes find new home at Wing Luke

By Irene Lu Northwest Asian Weekly

Chinese Americans built railroads, they fought for civil rights, and they brought the Chinese heritage over the Pacific Ocean.

The Young family, among the first generation of Chinese immigrants to the U.S. States in the 1850s, participated in all of these and is now sharing its Chinese art with the Wing Luke Museum.

The Young Family collection of Chinese art and garments, which was first donated to the Tacoma Arts Museum in 1970s, is now stored and presented to the general public at the Wing Luke Museum, starting this Friday, Jan 16.

“They are the early Chinese pioneers and they take leadership roles in our own Chinatown that reflects our heritage and history here in the Pacific Northwest,” said Cassie Chinn, the deputy executive director of Wing Luke Museum. “It allows us to be able to connect our communities here in the U.S. with our rich heritage in our homeland.”

As a partner with the Tacoma

Al Young’s parents, the donors

Great grandmother Lee

Chinese Reconciliation Project, which promotes the civic harmony of Chinese Americans in Tacoma, the Wing Luke Museum is exhibiting nine Chinese garments from the Qing Dynasty, courtesy

■ at the movies

of the Young Family collection.

Al Young, the son of donors Col. John C. Young and Mary Lee Young, said they picked nine of the best out of the entire collection of 158 items. The rest of the

“The Taking of Tiger Mountain”

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly Tsui Hark’s latest mega-action film, “The Taking Of Tiger Mountain,” calls, roughly halfway through, for a man to wrestle a tiger. Actually, the tiger comes out of nowhere in a snowy landscape, chases the man up a tree, chases him up and down and all around for a few minutes, then gets down to wrestling.

The tiger, like several other things onscreen, looks stiltedly fake. If you tilt your head and blink your eyes rapidly a few times, it might start to look like a real tiger. But taken straight, it never quite meshes with the man or the snowscape.

Hark’s special effects crew lets him down on this count, as with an exploding truck, other explosions, and Hark’s trademark studies of bullets, knives, and grenades in flight. He likes to roll back and forth chronologically before and after a big boom. And this new movie is in 3-D, to boot.

Back home, Hark’s big boom was selling “Tiger Mountain,” based on a best-selling

novel by the late Qu Bo. It took in $51.9 million within six days of opening in China. The home-crowd audience doesn’t mind the state of these effects, apparently.

With or without CGI accuracy, Hark’s been making weapons and their damage his trademark since 1979.

Too bad, because the boom drowns out {see MOVIES cont’d on page 13}

goods were auctioned off in 2013 in San Francisco by the Tacoma Arts Museum, because the museum did not have enough space to store them. The Young family did not own these items because they were already donated to the museum and the family could not get all of them back, and most items were acquired by merchants from China.

“We have a culture, and my parents got these things to remind us, that we did come from a great culture, and they could add to this

culture, and we have,” Young said.

Robes, aprons, pants, and skirts in the exhibits show the richness of the Qing Dynasty.

One of the items that will be exhibited that Young described as priceless, was a robe for the emperor made of gold-gilt thread, which took six months and twenty women in the villages to make.

At that time, men in the village would take the imperial exam to gain respect from the village, and the only thing to prove a woman’s worthiness was sewing. The value of the robe not only represented the beauty of embroidery, but also added Chinese women to the historical record.

“These are done by our people, you know?” Young said, with a sense of pride.

The Young family’s arrival in the United States dates back to the 1850s, when Al Young’s great grandfather came over to build railroads.

Young’s grandfather was a revolutionary and and loyal follower {see THE YOUNG FAMILY cont’d on page 15}

asianweekly northwest

8

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ community news ■ FASHION Understanding Fashion forward immigration reform and its local impact

Non-profit helps artists bring their talents to the runway

Since this is the time of the New Year, people may want to set their affairs in order. For some people and their loved ones, immigration status can weigh heavy on the heart.

Obama’s executive order on immigration was released on Nov. 20, 2014. This order creates new policies changing how Homeland Security handles residency and deportation for immigrants. As a result, it is important for noncitizens and their loved ones to understand how they are affected by these changes and understand how to navigate through the new red tape.

Seattle immigration attorneys, through the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Washington Chapter have been presenting roundtables to help media and community members understand the recent executive action on immigration. In their efforts to lend transparency to these new policies, AILA urges that people seek the help of reliable counsel such as immigration attorneys or contact community agencies such as the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, www.nwirp.org.

There are currently more undocumented people in the U.S. than the government has the funds with which to take or enforce deportation action. The immigration order is meant to help with this problem, one that is a burden on the taxpayer and a source of anxiety for the immigrant whose rights and status are uncertain.

Of the current undocumented people, the government (congressional authority, in this case) only provides enough funding to deport a small percentage of persons each year. Not only does President Obama have the authority to invoke this reprieve, he has the responsibility, because of “prosecutorial discretion,” to find a way to fix an immigration system that is understood to be broken across party lines.

Congress is responsible for the budget, while the President and Homeland Security decide whom to deport.

“Congress only appropriates sufficient funds for deporting 400,000 out of 11 + million [undocumented immigrants],” according to AILA. This means millions of people remain in limbo. This executive order is meant to provide these people and their families some relief from the stress or fear that can arise regarding proper documentation.

IMPACT ON WASHINGTON STATE Washington State endorses the executive action on immigration. Early in December, Seattle mayor Ed Murray signed along with other mayors the petition sponsored

by Cities United for Immigration Action whose mission is “to strengthen our cities by keeping families together, further growing our economies, and fostering additional community trust in law enforcement and government” and to “work with cities nationwide to implement the president’s executive action.”

January 13, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a court brief in support of the president’s policy. The brief

Photos by Michael Krogemann

By Minal Singh Northwest Asian Weekly

Like a Rock Star

Pwala Intimates

Chance, put on their ongoing monthly fashion event at Macy’s last Friday night, Jan. 9. This was an awards show celebrating Seattle design artists. Chance is an organization sponsored by Active Entertainment, a non-profit, that seeks to provide social justice to the community as well as foster an inclusive creative environment where

people can showcase their talent. If one is interested in fashion design, modeling, photography, styling hair or doing makeup, Chance can help provide the forum and the training to support one’s interest.

“The more involved you get, the more {see FASHION cont’d on page 16}

■ NATIONAL NEWS Infographic from Nov. 22 Washington Post article “Flow chart: Who qualifies for Obama’s immigration offer?”

claims that states in general will benefit from the action and shows how Washington specifically will benefit.

“Allowing immigrants to work legally and increase their wages has farreaching, positive impacts on state and local economies. In Washington, for example, approximately 105,000 people are anticipated to be eligible for deferred immigration action. Assuming that even a portion of the eligible undocumented immigrants register, request a reprieve from deportation, and obtain a temporary work permit, it is estimated that Washington’s tax revenues will grow by $57 million over the next five years” the brief stated.

WHAT THE ORDER DOES The order helps provide a roadmap that makes transparent how the government decides which people will be deported and which people are safe from deportation.

The order changes older policies and provides a pathway to more secure documentation through “deferred action.”

According to AILA, deferred action provides a noncitizen a period of time where he or she will not be removed or {see IMMIGRATION cont’d on page 15}

Driver in Toyota case says he’s still haunted by crash

By Steve Karnowski Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who spent 21/2 years in prison for a deadly 2006 car accident involving his Toyota before he was released amid reports of a sudden acceleration problem affecting the automaker’s cars told jurors Thursday in his lawsuit against Toyota that he is still haunted by the accident.

With his voice shaking, Koua Fong Lee testified that his heart races, his hands get cold and his body shakes whenever he thinks about the accident, in which his 1996 Camry slammed into the back of a family’s Oldsmobile at high speed, killing two people instantly, paralyzing a young girl who died 16 months later and permanently injuring two other people.

Lee, the leadoff witness in the lawsuit, has always maintained that his car accelerated on its own as he was exiting Interstate 94.

He is among several plaintiffs seeking damages from Toyota Motor Corp. over the crash. He told jurors he feels “scared that if I think about this one day maybe I might die because of all these memories that I have to have here for the rest of my life.”

Lee’s attorney, Robert Hilliard, said during his opening statement that the crash

was caused by a design defect involving a plastic pulley in the Camry’s mechanical accelerator control system that the Japanese automaker failed to identify. He said that flaw prevented Lee from stopping.

Toyota attorney Bard Borkon said the brakes and throttle system were working properly and that Lee’s car had gone 177,000 miles without any serious problems. He said experts will testify that there was no way the car could have accelerated to 75 mph if Lee had been pumping the brakes as he claimed, even with the throttle wide open.

Borkon said Lee must have mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brakes and panicked.

He said Lee, a Hmong immigrant who settled in St. Paul in 2004 after living most of his life in a refugee camp in Thailand, was an inexperienced driver and usually drove a Chevrolet pickup truck rather than the Camry, which was mostly his wife’s car.

“That is the only thing that explains this tragedy, given the distances and speed involved,” Borkon said.

U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery told the jury to disregard anything they might know about Lee’s criminal case. {see TOYOTA cont’d on page 15}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ sports

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

9

Bae keeps his mind on golf and is 1 shot behind at Kapalua

By Doug Ferguson AP Golf Writer

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Bae Sang-Moon doesn’t get enough credit for his sense of humor, which he served up when he arrived at Kapalua for the Hyundai Tournament of Championship.

Upon spotting a familiar face in the media, Bae broke into a big smile and said, “I made big news, huh?”

On Friday, he made news for his golf.

Facing uncertainty at home, the 28-year-old from South Korea showed a clear mind on the Plantation Course at Kapalua. He opened with six birdies in eight holes and at one point was four shots clear of the field until he slowed on the back nine. Bae had to settle for a 7-under 66, one shot behind Russell Henley after the opening round of the first PGA Tour event of the year.

“A little bit hard to focus on my game because I got a little trouble,” Bae said. “But I try to split things. But I don’t want to think about it, the other things on the course. So yeah, I think I did

Bae Sang-Moon

really good today. I really want to the next three days, also.”

The trouble — the “big news” to which Bae referred was his two-year mandatory military service. Bae received a deferment and was granted an overseas travel permit to play golf around the world, mainly in America.

But there is debate over how much time he spent at home, and the government has denied an extension of the travel permit.

Bae has hired a legal firm to help sort this out, though it didn’t help earlier in the week when his comments didn’t translate clearly.

He said he was not going back to Korea, which caused a stir back home. What he meant was that he not required to be in Korea while the law firm deals with the matter.

He kept his comments to a minimum on Friday, laughing when someone suggested everyone else seemed more concerned about his future than he did. And when asked if he felt a sense of urgency to play well in case his travel permit is taken away, he hedged before saying, “I don’t know. Just play.”

Bae did that beautifully on

Friday, and he had company.

The putter might be the best club in Henley’s bag, and it feels even better when he knows where the rest of his shots are going. Henley sought the help of swing coach Scott Hamilton over the summer as he tried to build a swing that was more on plane, more shallow than steep and a lot simpler. The changes are starting to take — he was runner-up at the Deutsche Bank Championship and tied for fourth at the McGladrey Classic — and when the putter warms up, his confidence only grows.

Henley played bogey-free and made eight birdies, with four of those birdies from 20 feet or longer.

“I kept the ball in front of me pretty decent today, and didn’t scare too many chances at bogey,” Henley said. “But my main thing was obviously I putted great and was seeing the lines today. If I can putt like that every day, I would probably have a few more wins.”

Ben Crane and Kevin Stadler were the only players not to break par. They each shot 74. {see BAE cont’d on page 14}

Defending champion Japan, Iraq open with Asian Cup wins

By John Pye AP Sports Writer

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa helped engineer Japan’s 4-0 rout of tournament newcomer Palestine and Iraq edged Jordan 1-0 on Monday as the last two winners of the Asian Cup won their Group D openers.

There’ll be little time for celebration, though, with Japan and Iraq meeting Friday in a match that will likely determine which team tops the group.

Defending champion Japan took a 3-0 lead in the first half with goals from Yasuhito Endo, Shinji Okazaki and Honda’s penalty in wet and windy Newcastle. Maya Yoshida scored after the break from Kagawa’s cross.

“In modern football it’s not easy to win by four goals,” Japan coach Javier Aguirre said. “So as for tonight’s result I am happy by winning by four goals.”

Japan has won four of the last six Asian Cups, and is seeking an unprecedented fifth title. Iraq was a surprise champion in 2007, when the tournament was co-hosted in four Southeast Asian countries.

Younis Mahmoud, the star of that tournament, returned to lead Iraq in Brisbane, but lacked match fitness and was replaced just a few minutes before Swindon midfielder Yaser Kasim scored the winner with a deflected shot in the 77th.

“We treated this game like a final,” Kasim said. “It was very important to get the win. The boys are very happy, we just have to calm down and look forward to the second game.”

Iraq’s last group match is against Palestine, giving Iraq the seemingly easier run after the big match against Japan.

“Japan is one of the top teams of Asia (but) we go into

Yasuhito Endo

it with a plan ... to win,” Kasim said. “We can’t think of the game after Japan. We can’t take anyone lightly, and we can’t respect anyone too much, even though we know how good Japan is. The most important thing is we play our game.”

The Palestinians, who qualified by winning the AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives last year, got an early taste of competition in Asia’s top flight.

Japan needed only eight minutes to score its first goal as Endo’s long-range strike beat Palestine captain and goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh’s dive.

“Endo’s early goal was great,” said Okazaki, was voted player of the match. “It gave the team great momentum. We played well, however, we could have been better.

We are not satisfied with four goals we should have scored more.”

The best chance for the Palestinians came in the 81st, when they were a man down, but Abdallatif Albahdari sent his header narrowly wide.

A small group of Palestinian fans in the crowd of 15,497

waved flags, beat drums and sang throughout the match.

“The feeling has touched our emotions,” Palestine coach Ahmad Alhasan said. “This is the only national team that plays in this tournament that is still under occupation.

“To see the Palestinian people everywhere in the world can be gathered to support Palestine.”

Palestine will next play Friday in Melbourne against Jordan, which also finished with 10 men after Anas Bani Yaseen’s rough challenge on Iraqi midfielder Saad Abdulameer in the 84th resulted in a second yellow card.

Iraq had a chance to go further ahead two minutes later but Abdul Zahra’s powerful strike from Dhurgham Ismail’s cross was tipped away by Shafi.

Jordan had three shots on target, including two tame longrange strikes in the first half that were both easily handled

by Jalal Hassan, but squandered a series of opportunities around the hour mark with a glut of possession in the attacking third.

Jordan coach Ray Wilkins said he was disappointed not to at least get a draw.

“I felt during the game we were more than equal, more than worthy of earning a point,” Wilkins said. “My team at the moment are very disappointed and down. It’s my job to pick them up and get started again.”

Wilkins knows he needs to work on the finishing.

“That’s the slight problem we’ve been having, is the last third of the pitch,” he said. “We’ve put teams under difficulty when we’ve attacked, but we need a little bit of luck to go our way. We need it to go off someone’s backside and fly in the net. That will kick-start I’m sure a good period for us.”

Group A is back in action on Tuesday, with 2011 finalist Australia against Oman and two-time champion South Korea playing Kuwait. 

asianweekly northwest

10

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

OPINION

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

2014: A year of insanity

Next week will be Northwest Asian Weekly’s 33rd anniversary.

So how did 2014 fare for the newspaper?

“Insanity” might be the proper description.

Never have I experienced so much madness in a year during my 32 years as publisher of the Northwest Asian Weekly and the Seattle Chinese Post. Here’s an abbreviated rundown: 1. Seahawks madness There was massive uproar at the Seahawks Super Bowl parade on Feb. 5. The parade started at Seattle Center and continued on to CenturyLink Field. The Chinatown/ International District is right next to the stadium. It happened on a Wednesday, right before we went to press.

I had never seen so much madness in the city before. In fact, I couldn’t move my body once I was on 4th Avenue with the crowd on the sidewalk. I pushed through the stairway going to the stadium. It was estimated that more than 700,000 people were attending the parade. My staff gave up getting into the stadium. I tried to push my way into the stadium with my media credentials.

However, as soon as I got in, I wanted out quickly, as if I was in a hot frying pan. The fans’ famous noise, which can shake the area like an earthquake, just battered my eardrums and I felt as if they could burst in any second.

I couldn’t take it despite my enthusiasm for the team.

Many ID restaurants reported ceaseless

a real estate agent who placed a classified ad in the Seattle Chinese Post and other Chinese papers. A couple approached me and said he took the deposit money and didn’t do what he promised. We asked him to refund the deposit to the couple. He didn’t. Since then, we have rejected his ads in the Chinese Post. Our papers reserve the right to refuse advertisements if it deems inappropriate. He was furious.

I filed a police report regarding the letter.

How can you tell if it’s fake? Capt. Mark Siano said, “Court letters have signatures from judges. This one doesn’t have one.”

Also, there are several (at least 14) grammatical errors in the letter. The copy was poorly typed with strange spacing.

It didn’t even have the right envelope and letterhead or name of our newspaper.

A jerk is a jerk and always a jerk.

customers in one day. But the parade created nightmares for stores like Uwajimaya. After

All sale lasts from Friday 1/16 to Thursday 1/22

1221 S. King St., Seattle ∙ 206-720-0969 Monday—Sunday: 8:30 a.m.—8 p.m. lamsseafood.com

PRODUCE

FEATURE ITEMS Fragrant Pear $1.99 lb $

1.79 lb

$

SEAFOOD

0.49 lb

$

Bonita Fish $2.99 lb $ lb

0.21 lb

$

Golden Pompano $3.99 lb $ lb

2.49

1.29 lb

Lee Kum Kee Oyster Flavored Sauce 32oz $3.99

Roma Tomato $1.39 lb

Yellow Onion $0.29 lb

1.19 lb

$

Yellow Tailscad $3.49 lb $ lb

3.69

3.49

Charoen Pokphand Shrimp Wonton Soup With Noodle 3.41 lbs $15.99/6 bowls

2.99

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12.99 6 bowls

Fz Idiot Fish $3.99 lb

Giant Seaperch $3.49 lb $

MEAT

$

1.99 bag

Kabocha $

Thai Banana

Halo California Mandarin (3lbs) $2.49 bag

Beef Shank $4.89 lb $

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3.19 lb

4.69 lb

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Pork Country Style (Spareribs) $2.99 lb $

2.79 lb

White Shrimp 41-50 $7.49 lb $26.99 4lbs. box $ lb $ 4lbs. bx

Offer only good while supplies last.

We reserve the right to correct all printed errors.

6.99 25.99

Pork Leg Skin On $2.69 lb $

2.49 lb

Chicken Leg Quarter Southern Fry $1.39 lb $

1.19 lb

the event, people tried to get out and some went into stores not so much to shop, but to use the restroom and shoplift. There was not enough staff to control the people streaming in continuously, packing every inch of the store.

2. Dirty old man “A cop posing as a prostitute in Chinatown is trying to set up my husband,” explained a Chinese immigrant in her 30s. “He doesn’t speak English.” She told me that the prostitute waved at him and he just waved back.

“He didn’t know what was going on.

That’s discrimination. This is so wrong.” She brought in her 80-year-old husband to my office last summer.

She even showed me the court papers. I was eager to help. So when I saw Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole at an event, I told her about the incident. Her aides immediately checked out the facts.

Holy cow, the husband was actually a dirty old man.

“He speaks English,” said the aide. “When the [sting] cop told him that it costs $80 to have sex, he said $40.”

If he knows how to bargain for sex, and came to my office to ask for help, he’s just a sly and foolish dog who thinks he could absolve his crime by playing the race card.

Shame on you old man for cheating on your wife and lying to us.

3. The great pretender Last September, there was a document left at the Weekly’s reception desk asking me to pay so-and-so $16,570. My first reaction was, “What? This is crazy!”

After a few seconds, I realized it was a fake court document asking for compensation for not running an ad. The signature belonged to

4. Check, one, two, three…Is this thing on?

Have you ever organized an event and the most important person didn’t show up?

It happened to us with our Women of Color Empowered lunch on Sept.19.

The sound man didn’t show up.

We didn’t detect any sign of trouble at first because all the equipment was there.

I felt so bad for the first three speakers because they didn’t have a microphone. But the master of ceremonies, Jean Hernandez, held her reins.

“I’ll just handle it,” she said. And she did with calm, poise, and voice like thunder.

After several calls, the sound man came.

He couldn’t get up in the morning since all his work is usually done at night. He was worrying that he couldn’t get up, so he moved in all his sound system the night before the event.

What do you do with man who is not a morning person?

5. Obsessive customers’ awards Goes to my son! Since Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot Restaurant’s opening on Oct. 18, my son has dined there with friends as many as 15 times. He explains that the $5 off coupon makes for a delicious cheap meal and it’s usually his friends who want to go.

But I don’t believe him!

Oh, and one of my staff shops so much at Macy’s that she has more than a full closet of Macy’s merchandise at home. Macy’s sales and coupons in the Asian Weekly often appeal to her. One time, she bought so much underwear that she resold them to me and other staff. I wish Macy’s can give her an award for being the best customer!

6. Disastrous review When I heard someone reviewed our event’s food and not the event itself, something went terribly wrong.

The Asian Weekly organizes nine events a year, including three lunches and three dinners. We never expected anybody to come for our events’ food! I thought people come for our honorees and the purpose of the event.

I was too naïve.

There was a nasty review on Yelp and it was bad enough to make the restaurant {see BLOG cont’d on page 16}

Want to get the inside scoop on the latest happenings of Seattle’s Asian American community? Follow Publisher Assunta Ng’s blog at nwasianweekly.com under the Opinion section.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

11

OPINION

■ commentaries RE: The Filipino Community Center

By Alma Kern For Northwest Asian Weekly

We are at a pivotal juncture in the history of our beloved Filipino Community of Seattle. Whatever happens this year will determine the future of the organization. Our manongs and manangs, and all the past leaders and longtime members of the FCS have left us a significant and memorable legacy: the Filipino Community Center. We have to continue that legacy and also leave our own lasting footprint in the history of our FCS, so that the future generations of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the State of Washington can be proud of their community and their heritage. For the past five years, the FCS has been planning to build a $20 million facility in the back of the Filipino Community Center. It will be a four-story building with more than 70 units of affordable housing for seniors and small families. It will contain amenities for residents such as parking, a commercial kitchen, a dining room, a rooftop garden, and a reception area. On the first floor will be a state-of-the-art Innovation Learning Center for our robotics and computer literacy classes for our youth and seniors. This is a huge project, one that will require that WE ALL STAY UNITED AND SUPPORT THE PROJECT. It was the same unity and the same support that the administration of FCS President Major Urbano Quijance and FCS Vice-President Ricardo Farinas were able to purchase the old bowling alley in 1965 which then became

the now famous Filipino Community Center. It is the same level of commitment, trust, and involvement that the then members of the FCS donated, raised funds, and participated in the activities so that the monthly mortgage could be paid.As I wind up my administration, which ends on December 31, 2014, I want you all to stay committed to the vision and mission of the FCS. The FCS has changed since its founding in 1935. Its focus is no longer a social club, but a vibrant nonprofit organization that is capable of providing services to the seniors, recent immigrants, and youth. It is no longer an internally-focused Filipino organization, but an outward-looking organization that has established close ties with several government and private entities. The FCS now has a seat at the table of power. We receive long-deserved funding, which is due us as loyal taxpayers. Our programs and activities have attracted a new and young cohort of participants. For example, a group of young, second generation Filipino professionals, who are lawyers, city employees, nonprofit managers and executive directors, have offered their time and energy to FCS outreach efforts. Our Kalahi dance troupe is also composed of kids and their parents who enjoy learning about the culture of their ancestors, especially, the art of dancing. It is apparent that as the demographics and needs of the Filipino Community of Seattle are changing, FCS’s internal organizational structure, financial system, and leadership succession protocol, also change. For this reason, the Board this year, amended the FCS bylaws. The method for selecting the FCS officers will rest on the FCS

Board. The reasons are varied, as follows: To make smooth the transition from one administration to another; To show the world that the FCS is a sustainable nonprofit, service-oriented organization composed of board members and officers who are truly qualified and not just “popular”; To instill a mindset in the community that the FCS is service-oriented, not politically motivated; To minimize chaos, name-calling, and all the bad behavior that comes with FCS elections; To give a chance to young, emerging leaders who will not or cannot participate as candidates in a general election, to be community leaders through a less political process; To ensure continuity, stability, and predictability in the selection of FCS officers; To assure our funders that we are serious when we establish a funding relationship with them.

We cannot turn back the clock. We have to trust that the FCS Board will make important decisions based on what is best for the Filipino community and not based on self-serving purposes of individuals. We shall continue the values which we hold dear to our Filipino hearts- community service and helping each other out.

It was an honor to serve you all and I will continue supporting the FCS in other ways. I want to continue building a community.  Alma Kern is the former president of the Filipino Community of Seattle

Jackie Chan’s son sentenced to 6 months prison for pot possession

By Reid Mukai For Northwest Asian Weekly On Friday January 9, Jaycee Chan, son of legendary martial artist Jackie Chan, was sentenced to six months in prison and fined $320 for pot possession. Jaycee was arrested in August at his Beijing apartment along with fellow celebrity Ko Chentung and others. Jaycee and Ko admitted smoking pot, tested positive and had about 3.5 ounces of cannabis confiscated.

The high-profile arrest was part of a recent escalation of China’s Drug War announced in June when President Xi Jinping declared that illegal drugs should be wiped out and that offenders should be severely punished. Jaycee and Ko were among nine celebrities arrested on drug charges within a week’s time. A total of about 8,000 drug arrests by Chinese police were made last summer and 40 agencies publicly pledged to boycott actors who use drugs.

Shortly after Jaycee’s arrest, Jackie Chan (who served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the China Anti-Drug Committee in 2009) made the following statement on social media: “First, I want to thank everyone for their support. For my son, Fang Zuming (Jaycee), to get into such trouble, I’m very angry and astonished. As a public figure, I’m ashamed, as a father, I’m heartbroken, I can’t begin to describe his mother’s pain.

I hope young people will take a lesson from Zuming [Jaycee] and stay away from drugs... I failed to be a good father and I deserve the blame. I will take the responsibility and apologize to public on behalf of Jaycee!”

As a fan of Jackie Chan as well as Jaycee (to a lesser degree) and an advocate for cannabis legalization, this recent chain of events was disheartening on many levels.

While it’s fortunate that Jaycee is only serving six months in prison and not the maximum of three years he could have been sentenced, in a saner system he and all other cannabis users should be serving zero time. It’s truly a shame that the Chinese government (like many governments) can’t seem to be able to objectively analyze the effects of cannabis in relation to alcohol and other legal or illegal drugs.

The notion that cannabis is “evil” is a relatively recent development since it has been used for a variety of purposes in many regions of the world for most of its history.

Some of the tombs of noble people buried in Xinjiang region of China from around 2500 B.C. have included large quantities of psychoactive cannabis. Both hemp and psychoactive cannabis were widely used in China as a medicinal herb as early as 4000 B.C. It was sometimes used as an anesthetic during surgery and was reportedly used by Emperor Shen Nung (aka Shennong, often regarded as the father of Chinese herbal medicine) in 2737 B.C. One can’t blame Jackie Chan for wishing to preserve his family-friendly image and defend his son in the court of public opinion, but it’s unfortunate that he did not do so by calling out the absurdity of the criminalization of cannabis. Then again, he might not have been in a position to do so given an embarrassing incident involving public drunkenness a few years ago and his subsequent regret of having glamorized drinking with his popular Drunken Master role. Regardless of past or present use of cannabis or alcohol, let’s hope Jaycee and Jackie stay healthy and happy and can continue to delight us with their film roles for years to come.  Reid Mukai is a Seattle-based blogger and owner of Cascadia Vape.

asianweekly northwest

12

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

{PHAM cont’d from page 1} says Pham. “Even when I was in college, domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking were issues that people really rarely talked about. It is usually talked about when victims experience violence and they come forward. I feel like a lot of communities, even today, are still maybe uncomfortable in addressing the issue, because when it comes to interpersonal violence that a lot of it has to do with personal relationships, and sometimes people feel like it is not an issue that others should intervene [in.]”

Attitudes are changing in light of new data gathered by law enforcement agencies. City Attorney Peter S. Holmes published a newsletter called “Rewriting the Prostitution Narrative,” in which he stated, “For the first time, we are actively focusing on investigating and prosecuting the buyers of sex, whom we believe are the real offenders…Information gathered by SPD shows that sellers of sex are predominantly poor women with few alternatives; they are lured or forced into “the life” by a history of sexual abuse, substance addiction, and severe poverty. Further, statistics gathered by the SPD between 2006 and 2010 estimate that 90 percent of the prostituted people on Seattle streets are controlled by a pimp. These pimps exert control through violence and threats of force.”

Similarly, Craig Sims, Criminal Division Chief, published a memorandum dated October 23rd, 2013, entitled “Updated Prostitution Policy,” stating that criminal charges against prostitutes would be dropped if they attend and complete a Sex Industry Worker’s Class; take an HIV test; work with social support contacts; among other requirements. Charges would be filed, however, in the case of a repeat offense.

When police officers work with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, they send them to Pham’s office for help. “Since 2009 we have been investing in contracts with non-profit organizations to provide victim advocacy,” says Pham. “They go through an assessment process and then, based on what their needs are, they would work with an advocate to assist them, whether it is employment, addressing their chemical dependency needs, or getting housing.”

Phan grew up in north New Jersey in an environment of high poverty and high crime and saw how race, class, gender, and neighborhood determined outcomes. “I think being a child, and being raised by a single mom with five

kids, that a lot of what I was really doing was social work without identifying it,” says Pham. I was the youngest so it was very natural for me to be the interpreter of a lot of her meetings with DSHS [Department of Social and Health Services] getting all of her paperwork done with helping her find work.”

Pham was still in high school when her mother moved the family to Washington State. Phan attended The University of Washington, where she earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in social work. “I really started work in ending violence against women in college. I joined the committee organizing rape education, which was an on-campus peer-to-peer education on sexual assault. I think that really springboarded my career; now it’s been 20 years.”

In 2014, Pham’s office ran a pilot program called the Coordinated Effort Against Sexual Exploitation, or CEASE. The resulting partnership between the City of Seattle Systems and nonprofit agencies provided a suite of services for people involved in prostitution. “We have been lucky enough to have help from programs that we don’t fund, but due to their commitment, have been part of that,” says Pham. “So, agencies like YouthCare, YWCA, have been two of our main partners.” Other organizations on the team include Seattle Human Services Department, Seattle Police Department, Seattle Municipal Court, and the City Attorney’s Office.

In 2015 Pham’s office will launch the Domestic Violence Response Center, a partnership between the City of Seattle, King County, and members of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Pham says, “Part of that is to really elevate the issue by not only enhancing criminal justice response by having this co-location of criminal justice agencies, but also to make that connection with agencies and programs that are community based that we are already funding and have relationships with.”

Pham says, “…I have had personal interactions with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking. And, I think that once you have made that connection, and know of people who have experienced violence, that it affects you for a lifetime. You can’t really walk away from that … without doing something about it.”  Laura Ohata can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

{THAILAND cont’d from page 1} honesty, fully under the given authority, with transparency and justice.”

Yingluck also questioned the legitimacy of the impeachment process and said it was “unnecessary” since she was no longer premier.

She had insisted for months last year that the Southeast Asian nation’s fragile democracy was being dismantled by protesters, the judiciary that removed her and finally the army, which staged a May 22 coup that wiped out the remnants of her administration.

Yingluck’s swift ascension was largely due to the popularity of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives in self-exile in Dubai.

Analysts say Friday’s hearing is more about the curbing the power of the Shinawatra family and keeping them out of politics. The junta has spoken of holding elections in 2015, but no date has been set.

“The impeachment is geared to keep Yingluck at bay. If she’s allowed to run in the next election, there’s a good chance that she might win,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, the director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

If Yingluck is prosecuted, however, the government “could risk incurring the wrath of the pro-Thaksin camp. At the same time, it would also deepen the polarization and divisions that we have seen in Thailand.”

The National Legislative Assembly, hand-picked by the junta and dominated by active and retired military officers, is deliberating on whether Yingluck neglected her duties by allowing the failed subsidy program to continue.

The scheme, under which the government paid farmers double the market price, was a flagship policy that helped Yingluck’s government win votes in the 2011 general election.

On Thursday, the legislature began separate impeachment hearings against a former House speaker and a former Senate president for allegedly trying to amend the constitution, which the army suspended when it seized power. 

Thank you for recycling this newspaper!

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

{MOVIES cont’d from page 7} his decent work with characters and actors. “The Taking of Tiger Mountain,” loosely based on real events, gives us a wild set of wilderness bandits, running wild in the wild, 1946. Against them, a division of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), sent to hunt and destroy.

The rugged men on both sides (plus a few women and one memorable young boy) not only have to survive in a {EUN-MI cont’d from page 6} Culture Ministry removed it this week. Ministry officials said they will seek to retrieve 1,200 copies that were distributed to libraries across South Korea.

During a November lecture in Seoul, Shin said many North Korean defectors living in South Korea had told her they want to go back home and that North Koreans hope new leader Kim Jong Un will bring change. She also praised the taste of North Korean beer and the cleanliness of North Korea’s rivers.

Shin has said she had no intention of praising the country and was only expressing what she felt during her travels there.

Conservatives have sided with government moves to

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

13

frozen climate, they must fight to the death. And some of them must infiltrate the other side, using their wits, their confidence, and their stone faces. Hark’s close-ups often wait for one slight change on a face—a haughty warlord betraying one moment of sentiment, for example, or a spy struggling to project what he needs for survival.

Hark could make what are sometimes called “small” movies, in a big way, if he chose. But he’s got a winning formula and he’ll stick with it. Too bad. Cherish the

intimate moments of this one if you care to. Of course, you might be fond of tigers and explosions as well… 

expel Shin, accusing her of ignoring North Korea’s abysmal human rights conditions. But her impending deportation drew sharp criticism from liberals who say the conservative government of President Park Geun-hye is clamping down on freedom of speech.

“The decision to deport her is a clear violation of human rights,” the Hankyoreh newspaper said in an editorial Friday. “The government is taking the lead in trampling on human rights.”

At the United Nations, the deputy spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Farhan Haq, told reporters: “The secretary-general’s position on freedom of expression and freedom of opinion is well known. ... That would apply here as well.” Ban is South Korean.

In October, prosecutors indicted a Japanese journalist

on charges he defamed Park by reporting rumors that she was absent for seven hours on the day of a ferry disaster last April because she was with a man. Last month, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of a small leftist party that officials say advocated a North Koreanstyle socialist system.

In December, a high school student threw a homemade explosive device toward a podium where Shin was speaking, injuring two people. Shin was not injured. The student was sent to a juvenile detention center and is awaiting trial. 

“The Taking of Tiger Mountain” opens Friday, January 9th, at the AMC Pacific Place Theater, 600 Pine Street.

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Andrew Hamlin can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, Cara Anna at the United Nations and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.

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asianweekly northwest

14

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

■ astrology

For the week of January 17–January 23, 2015

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Adjusting to a new routine can be challenging at first, but you will soon find that the change is indeed a welcome one.

Dragon — Do you feel as though you and your partner are on a parallel journey? Comparing your experiences can help you both.

Monkey — Are you having misgivings about moving ahead with your current plan? It’s worth asking yourself where the doubts are originating from.

Ox — Are you less than pleased with what is currently going on? It is in your power to do something about it.

Snake — While there are some decisions that can be made on a whim, be wary of those choices that may set you back from where you started.

Rooster — Though you appear strong, there is a part of you that is afraid. Real bravery is willingness to act in the face of fear.

Horse — Is there something that you have been meaning to do, but have been putting off? Today is the day to finally remove it from your list.

Dog — As much as you would like to push for a certain outcome, it is better to be patient and wait for what happens naturally.

Goat — Good friends are hard to come by, so let them know just how much they mean to you regularly and often.

Pig — You have gained a substantial amount from your maneuvers recently; however, you should still resist from overplaying your hand.

Tiger — Hiding from the truth doesn’t make it any less real. Looking at it head on will help you to cut it down to size.

Rabbit — There are moments of clarity where you know exactly what you need to do. Take advantage of this insight while it is fresh in your mind.

What’s your animal sign?

Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

{POPE FRANCIS cont’d from page 4} But the concerns on the Philippine leg of the trip are not without merit, given current tensions with Islam and the rather checkered history of papal visits to Asia’s largest Roman Catholic country.

When Pope Paul VI arrived in Manila in 1970 for the first-ever papal visit, he was immediately rushed by a would-be assassin dressed as a priest who stabbed him in the gut and neck. The wounds were superficial and the attacker wrestled to the ground, but blood was drawn.

This past October, the two bloodstained vests Paul wore that day were selected as the relics used during his Vatican beatification ceremony.

A week before St. John Paul II visited the Philippines in January 1995, Filipino authorities said they discovered a plot by Muslim extremists to kill the pontiff after they were led by an accidental fire to a terrorist hideout in a Manila apartment building, where they found bomb-making chemicals, his picture, maps showing routes where he would pass and a tailor’s receipt for a priest cassock.

Authorities later blamed the plot on Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

CROWD CONTROL That said, John Paul’s 1995 visit was perhaps more noteworthy for having set a papal milestone that no pope has since met: An estimated 5 million people turned out for John Paul’s final Mass, filling Manila’s Rizal Park and spreading out for miles in every direction.

The boulevards were so jammed that John Paul was forced to arrive at the Mass by helicopter — over an hour late — because his motorcade simply couldn’t reach the altar.

The Philippines, with a population of 100 million, is about 81 percent Catholic.

The Rev. Gregory Gaston, rector of the Pontifical Filipino College, said he expected that the wildly popular Francis might surpass John Paul’s record, noting that local leaders have given workers time off so they can

attend his key events, which include a Mass on Jan. 18 in the same Rizal Park as John Paul’s historic finale.

“Now the concern isn’t from terrorists, but from the people — because the people love the pope so much, there’s the chance they might mob him!” Gaston said, laughing.

ENVIRONMENT Francis is expected to focus his remarks in the Philippines on issues related to families: Each day he’ll meet with families young and old, including ones separated by members who have left home to find work overseas. But another issue he’s expected to raise, at least fleetingly, is the environment.

Filipino bishops have made environmental concerns a top priority, and Francis will visit survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, which the government has held up as an example of the extreme weather patterns that may be the result of climate change.

Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said Francis doesn’t have a dedicated speech to the environment, but that “we can expect some references.”

Ever since he was installed as the first pope named for the natureloving St. Francis of Assisi, Francis has called for greater attention to caring for God’s creation.

Speculation has been mounting about how far Francis will take that call in his forthcoming encyclical on ecology: Environmentalists hope that the document, expected sometime this spring, will help jump-start stalled international efforts to curb climate change.

But those who reject scientific findings that climate change is manmade are already condemning the pope for taking up the issue at all.

Maureen Mullarkey of First Things, a conservative U.S. Catholic journal, wrote in a recent blog post that Francis is “imprudent” and “sullies his office by using demagogic formulations to bully the populace into reflexive climate action with no more substantive guide than theologized propaganda.”  Associated Press writer Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.

{FLIGHT DELAY cont’d from page 6} Flight cancelations and delays have sparked frequent incidents of air rage aboard Chinese flights and at airports. Brawls between passengers and attacks on crew have also grown more {LANTERN FESTIVAL cont’d from page 6} pointing to official worries over continuing public outrage over security lapses and a lack of government explanations.

Authorities allowed only one day of tightlycontrolled public mourning at the site, which has {UBER cont’d from page 6} drivers use them.

China’s ride-hailing market is dominated by domestic competitors Didi Dache, backed by Internet giant Tencent, and Kuaidi Dache, backed by rival Alibaba Group. A third Chinese Internet giant, search engine operator Baidu Inc., jumped into the market in December by investing in Uber.

Taxi companies in the United States, Europe and other countries have complained Uber and similar ride-hailing services have an unfair advantage because they are not covered by regulations that affect the established industry.

In December, the Shanghai city government {BAE cont’d from page 9} The first tournament of the year always shows who has been working and who needs to shake off some rust. Most players have not competed in nearly two months, except those who were at the Hero World Challenge the first week of December or played overseas.

Masters champion Bubba Watson played in Thailand to close out his best year ever, and he has been at Kapalua for the last week before his shots counted. He had a 70, a reasonable start, though he has yet to break 69 in 12 rounds on the Plantation Course.

This was the day to do it. It’s rare when the flags aren’t moving, though even a relatively calm day doesn’t make it that easy. The greens are among {LOCKE cont’d from page 1} continue to attract legislative and industry scrutiny and criticism.Locke is the wife of former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, who was the U.S. ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014. Mona Locke a former television news reporter and anchor, was most recently an executive with the Susan G. Komen Foun-

frequent, many of them filmed and posted online.

Concerns over lengthy tarmac waits prompted U.S. aviation authorities to pass regulations in 2010 requiring planes to return to the gate after three hours. 

since been fenced off on the pretext of making aesthetic improvements.

Some victims’ family members and others have reported being followed and harassed by security personnel, a typical tactic by authorities who tolerate little criticism and fear any chance of unrest coalescing around sympathy for those killed.  detained and fined 12 unlicensed drivers who received business through the Didi Dache app.

In South Korea, the chief executive of Uber’s local subsidiary was charged in December with operating an unlicensed transport company.

Police in New Delhi say they are considering similar charges. A French court has ordered Uber to remove from its app any language suggesting it was legal for its drivers to act like taxis.

As attractive as the China market could be for Uber, many Western companies have been able to thrive without it. Facebook, for example, is blocked in the country but has amassed more than 1.35 billion users worldwide. 

the largest, and the grain and slope can prove tricky even to the regulars in this winners-only event.

Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed, who joined Watson as the only multiple winners on tour last year who are at Kapalua, led a group at 67 that included Scott Stallings, Robert Streb and Ben Martin, who chipped in for eagle on the 18th with a shot that would have gone 20 feet by the hole if it hadn’t banged into the pin.

Matt Kuchar, never far from the hunt, was among those at 68.

The only thing to interrupt this working vacation was the starting time Saturday. Because of the NFL playoffs, the first group had to get up pre-dawn for a 7:15 a.m. HST tee time. But they’re in Hawaii.

There is no cut. They can manage. 

dation in Seattle and then Washington, D.C.IV says in a news release that she will be responsible for leading the company’s global communications and marketing efforts including internal and external communications, marketing and public relations.

She will also be a member of the company’s leadership team, working with other execs to set IV’s overall strategy and priorities. 

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

{TOYOTA cont’d from page 8}

{THE YOUNG FAMILY cont’d from page 7} of Sun Yat-sen ,the first president and founding father of the Republic of China. His grandfather helped overthrow the weak Chinese emperors with revolution and a belief in democracy. Young said his grandfather would collect donations of as much as ten cents a day, per person, from the Chinese workers in America, sending them back to Kuomintang, the party Sun Yat-sen founded because of the revolution.

Al Young’s father, U.S. Army Col. John C. Young, would tell him the stories as a reminder that they should never forget their country and their culture. Many years have gone by and the role of overseas Chinese has changed overtime.

But in the Young family, remembering where they come from is always important.

After his father retired from the Army, Al Young’s parents would travel all over the world, looking for Chinese goods in antique stores. Robes, for instance, are especially valuable.

“In everything, every piece of the embroidery stitch, is invented in China. And it’s representative [of Chinese culture],” Al Young said. After his father and mother passed away in 1987 and 2002, the spirit of being Chinese led Young and his sister, Connie Young Yu, to becoming active in Chinese American organizations.

Most Chinese families in America usually own one nice thing to pass down in the family, and robes are often the top choice.

It’s a symbol of ranking and class, and a symbol of home. The nine

He was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide and made headlines when he won a new trial after reports started surfacing of sudden acceleration in Toyota models that had electronic throttles, though a major reason was the ineffective defense that his original lawyer put up. Prosecutors opted against a retrial, and the same judge who sent him to prison ruled in December that he was eligible to collect under a new state law that compensates the wrongly imprisoned.

Montgomery also told jurors that Lee’s 1996 Camry LE V6 was not among the Toyota models that were involved in mass recalls because of the sudden acceleration issue.

“You should not consider the sudden acceleration recalls for any reason in this case,” the judge said.

The case instead is focusing on whether Lee’s car was defective, the severe or fatal injuries suffered by people in the Oldsmobile and the lesser injuries

Gold stitches robe

pieces of clothing in the Wing Luke exhibit are representative of China, of the invention of sophisticated embroidery stitches.

“Our population is continually changing racially and ethnically,” said Shawn Wong, a ChineseAmerican English professor at the University of Washington. “Having an object like this tell a story… each of these robes has its story on its own.”  The Young family lived the American dream, and the tragic histories and family stories will continue on with new chapters, starting here at the Wing Luke Museum. The exhibit will be open to the general public from Jan. 15 until March 29.

Irene Lu can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

{SEX TRAFFICKING cont’d from page 1} Yoon pleaded not guilty to the single count of murder. He has no prior criminal convictions and no other pending cases.

A preliminary hearing is set for Yoon in Portland on January 20th.

The district attorney has declined comment on the nature of the case.

Portland police indicated that more details will likely be released next week.

Benson’s friends have set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding site to help raise funds for her funeral.

At the time of this writing, it has raised $4,467 out of its $10,000 goal. On the web site, Benson’s

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

{YOUTUBE cont’d from page 5} attack in Iraq and Syria.

FBI spokesman Joshua Campbell said the bureau is investigating the Central Command Twitter and YouTube breaches and is working with the Pentagon to determine the scope of the incident.

The Central Command Twitter site was filled with threats that said “American soldiers, we are coming, watch your back. “ Other postings appeared to list names, phone numbers and personal email addresses of military personnel as well as PowerPoint slides and maps.

Most of the material was labeled “FOUO,” which means “For Official Use Only,” but none of it appeared to be classified or sensitive information, suggesting the hackers did not breach classified material. U.S. Central Command said that none of the information and documents posted on the hacked site were from the command’s Internet servers or social media sites.

The breach only affected the Twitter and YouTube sites, which reside on commercial, non-Defense Department Internet servers. U.S. Central Command said its operational and military networks were not compromised, but officials are notifying law enforcement about the possible release of personal information that was posted on the Twitter site.

One of the documents appeared to be slides developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, a federally funded research and development center focused on national security. The slides appeared to depict

15

suffered by Lee and his family. Killed instantly were the Oldsmobile driver, Javis Trice-Adams Sr., and his 9-year-old son, Javis Adams Jr., who are not subjects of this lawsuit. His 6-year-old niece, Devyn Bolton, who was paralyzed, died 16 months later. Two other passengers in Trice-Adams’ car, his father Quincy Adams and daughter Jassmine Adams, suffered permanent injuries but survived and will testify.

Bill Markovits, an attorney for Devyn’s mother and Quincy Adams, said Adams suffered a traumatic brain injury that still affects him.

Jassmine Adams’ attorney, Anne Brockland, told the jury of the fear and pain she endured while trapped in the back seat, and of her long road back from a hip injury that will require further surgery.

Hilliard acknowledged that the physical injuries suffered by Lee’s family weren’t so serious. But he said Lee still suffers from “the prison inside his mind” from knowing he was driving the car that caused such a devastating crash.  what it called “scenarios” for conflict with North Korea and China. It’s not clear where the documents came from or how long ago they might have been taken, since some of the information was as much as a year old.

“This is little more than a prank or vandalism. It’s inconvenient and it’s an annoyance. But that’s all it is,” said Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.

“It in no way compromises our operations in any way shape or form.”

Warren said Pentagon officials are in contact with Twitter and YouTube to ensure that military passwords and other security for such public websites are adequate.

The tweets came shortly after U.S. Central Command posted its own tweets about the U.S. and partner nations continuing to attack Islamic State terrorists in Iraq and Syria and one repeating a report that said France will deploy an aircraft carrier to the fight.

The hackers titled the Central Command Twitter page “CyberCaliphate” with an underline that said “i love you isis.” And the broader message referred to the ongoing airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and threatened, “We broke into your networks and personal devices and know everything about you. You’ll see no mercy infidels.

ISIS is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base.”

It added: “US soldiers! We’re watching you!”  Associated Press writers Josh Lederman and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

Ashley Benson

father, wrote, “This is a very tragic and difficult situation to deal with.

My family is finding strength in each other as well as friends while we try to navigate the coping with this…”  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

{IMMIGRATION cont’d from page 8} deported, but it does not necessarily lead to lawful status or provide a path to citizenship.

Deferred action is not permanent.

This order also provides new provisions to speed up the process of documentation, whether it is through deferred action or changes to the policy of obtaining visas, green cards or citizenship. The infographic from the Washington Post presented by AILA shows how eligibility for citizenship or immigration reprieve is different now under this order.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF APPLYING FOR THE REPRIEVE? Deportation, then, in light of the executive order will focus on people with felony backgrounds or those who pose a risk to national security.

“The deferred immigration action will be coupled with focusing enforcement efforts on deportation of persons posing the highest threat to national security and public safety—including gang members, felons, and other serious

SAVE THE DATE: Asian Pacific American Legislative Day Each year, Washington’s Asian Pacific American community convenes in Olympia to voice their concerns to state lawmakers. This year, APA Legislative Day will take place on Thursday, February 26.

criminals,” the Ferguson’s brief stated.

It is also important to be aware that since deferred action does not confer legal status, when a new administration takes over the rules of immigration can once again change.

WHAT TO DO NOW AILA suggests accessing resources because of the nature of the implementation of the new immigration policies.

Application forms are in the process of being made available. They are not available yet. Regulations change day by day because there still exists opposition from local and federal government to the executive order.

However, as more states, Washington amongst them, continue to back the authority of the order, the impact upon the status of an otherwise undocumented person may have a more certain outlook. AILA provides some important recommendation for what people can do now if they or a family member is interested in filing for documentation.

Begin collecting documents now that offer proof of residency, especially if one were a resident prior to Jan. 1, 2010 or were present in the country as of the president’s announcement on Nov. 20.

Those persons who have had interactions in the criminal justice system should collect documents relating to their case.

Begin saving money because the application process involves various application costs.

Keep up to date on the latest information, especially by visiting the official government website of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at http:// www.uscis.gov/executive-actions-immigration/executiveactions-immigration-resources. Flyers are available in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Protect yourself with information. Scams exist currently; people often charge fees and pose as notaries who do not have official authority.

Travel outside of the U.S. should be made with great consideration because such travel may affect one’s eligibility.  Minal Singh can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

asianweekly northwest

16

JANUARY 17 – JANUARY 23, 2015

Photos by Minal Singh/NWAW

{MONGOLIAN MURDER cont’d from page 5}

Carissa Destinia, owner of 11 degrees south, displays a collection of Indonesian batik scarves

Sabina Cao and Debbie Calipes backstage, prepare to walk the runway for DNAS/ Lastwear and MAC Fashion House

{FASHION cont’d from page 8}

their mission states. The fashion show cultivated an environment of diverse types of beauty, where people of all types came to celebrate the spirit of Seattle fashion. In addition to the fashion show itself, vendors were also present to sell their designs. 

people you will meet, the more you will develop your talent, and the more opportunities you can create through your participation,” {BLOG cont’d from page 10} owner shed tears. The owners did offer to meet with the reviewer to see if they could improve. They never met, but the reviewer eventually deleted his review.

7. Serious illness “I am in the hospital, going for emergency surgery,” one of my staff members said.

What? On Wednesday? Our production day? For a moment, I was lost. But then, I came to my senses fast. Deal with it, I told myself.

Talk about dedication. For 32 years, my staff and I were trained not to get sick on Wednesdays.

But on Wednesday early morning, she had sudden immense back pain.

“You need immediate surgery to take your gall bladder out,” the

doctor told her at the emergency room.

Somehow, we dealt with the crisis by calling our part-timers to come in. One brave soul came to save us.

8. Surprise trip to Hong Kong I never expected to go to Hong Kong last June for the Delta Airlines inaugural non-stop flight from Seattle to HK. Initially, I turned down the offer. Why? Because I was crazy thinking only about work and the Asian Weekly Foundation’s summer youth leadership program.

Luckily, Delta Vice President Mike Medeiros said later, “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

The rest was history. I got to fly business class and stayed in a five-star hotel.

Yes, a year of insanity. 

panel unanimously ruled Tuesday that the prosecution had proven its case and that the Court of Appeals was wrong in reversing the findings of the trial court.

“The Federal Court has sentenced them to death,” he said.

The prosecution had contended that the murder of Shaariibuu, 28, was ordered by her former lover Abdul Razak Baginda, a prominent defense analyst, after their affair ended.

The High Court in 2008 acquitted Abdul Razak, a married man and a former confidante of Prime Minister Najib, of charges of abetting the murder.

Abdul Razak has said that Shaariibuu kept pestering him for money and threatened to go public with their affair, prompting him to seek help from the two police officers, who worked for an elite unit assigned to VIP security.

The two officers acknowledged picking up Shaariibuu from outside Abdul Razak’s house. The prosecution alleged they took her to a jungle clearing and killed her.

Both officers denied murdering her. One of them, Azilah Hadri, said he handed Shaariibuu over to his colleague, Sirul Azhar Umar, and never saw her again. During the trial, Sirul said he was “just a scapegoat who has to be sacrificed to cover up the ill intentions of those who were not in court.”

Tun Abdul Majid, the prosecutor, said he had obtained a warrant of arrest for Sirul, who failed to appear in court Tuesday. He said the two men can appeal to the state sultan for a pardon to commute their death sentence to imprisonment. 

Northwest Asian Weekly / Seattle Chinese Post presents

Chinatown-International District Lunar New Year Celebration

Children’s Parade Contest | Saturday, February 21, 2015

Children’s Parade Competition Schedule: • 11:30 AM — Registration • 1 PM — Line up • 1:30 PM — Parade Begins • 2:30 PM — Parade winners announced!!!

• Start from Northwest Asian Weekly’s front door, march to main stage • Contestants must be present at the announcement of finalists (1:50 PM).

• Finalists will be lined up in numerical order.

• All contestants will receive a fortune cookie and lucky candies.

Registration/Sign-Up: • You may pre-register for the contest by filling out this application and sending it in or sign-up on the day of the contest (Saturday, February 21) at 11:30 a.m. at the registration table. Registration table will be located in front of Seattle Chinese Post/Northwest Asian Weekly – 412 Maynard Ave S. • Contestants are chosen on a first come first serve basis.

• Contestants must sign-in at the registration table 15 minutes prior to parade.

Rules/Guidelines: • Children ages 12 and under can participate in the contest • Parents are welcome to accompany their children during the Parade • Children will be given a contestant number for order of Parade lineup • Children attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration Judging: • All contestants will be judged by the provided judging criteria.

• Prizes will be awarded to First ($100), Second ($50), and Third ($25) Place Winners, plus 15 honorable mentions.

• All decisions made by competition judges are final.

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Please submit completed application through one of the following methods: Mail: Northwest Asian Weekly Children’s Parade Contest 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104

Name: ________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________________________

E-mail: ________________________________________________________ Contestants must adhere to all rules and regulations. Contest officials will remove any contestant failing to cooperate with officials or failing to comply with the rules and regulations. If you have any questions, please contact Northwest Asian Weekly at 206.223.5559 or via email at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.