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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2015)
Page 2 TH E A S IAN R EPOR T ER AS IA / PAC IF IC Feb rua r y 16 , 2015 1 ,114 b i rd spec ie s ta l l ied , 20 p re v iou s ly un reco rded YANGON , Myanma r (AP ) — Myanma r b i rd en thu s ia s t s hav e c oun t ed 1 ,114 b i rd sp e c ie s in c lud ing 20 und o cum en t ed sp e c i e s b e tw e en 2010 and 2014 in Myanma r (a l so known a s Bu rma ) , s ev en o f wh i ch a r e end em i c t o th e c oun t ry . On e o f the su rveyo r s , Th e t Zaw Na ing , sa id th e G r ea t F r iga t e and th e P i ed Fa l c on e t a re among 20 p r ev i ou s ly un r e c o rd ed b i rd s sp o t t ed du r ing th e f ou r -y ea r f i e ld su rvey by the B i rd and Na tu r e S o c i e ty , th e W i ld l i f e C on s e rva t i on S o c i e ty , F l o ra and Fauna In te rna t i ona l , and s ev e ra l o th e r b i rd - en thu s ia s t a s s o c ia t i on s . Myanma r i s seen a s one o f A s ia ’ s la s t ba s t i on s o f b i od iv e r s i ty in pa r t b e cau s e d e cad e s o f i so la t ion und e r ha r sh m i l i ta ry ru l e a l l ow ed th e c oun t ry t o av o id th e o f t en rampan t deve lopm en t exp e r i en c ed in o th e r pa r t s o f th e r eg i on . Env i r onmen ta l i s t s , howev e r , w o r ry tha t c ou ld chang e a s e c on om i c d ev e l opm en t BARR IER TO FREEDOM .S o e N y u n t , t h e c u r r e n t ow n e r o f t h e i r o n g a t e t h a t s t o o d i n f r o n t o f t h e h om e o f M y a n - expand s in to ag r i cu l tu ra l land and r e su l t s in th e d e s t ru c t i on o f g ra s s land s . m a r ’ s f o rm e r l y im p r i s o n e d d em o c r a c y i c o n , A u n g S a n S u u K y i , s e p a r a t i n g h e r f r om t h r o n g s o f c h e e r i n g s u p p o r t e r s a s s h e V ie tnam bu r ie s thou sand s o f ca t s smugg led fo r re s tau ran t s made speeches cha l l e n g i n g t h e c o u n t r y ’ s t h e n -m i l i t a r y r u l e r s , p o s e s f o r a p i c t u r e i n Y a n g o n , M y a nm a r . S o e N y u n t p l a n s t o u c t i o n t h e g a t e w i t h a s t a r t i n g b i d o f $ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ( A P P h o t o /G em u n u Am a r a s i n g h e ) HANO I , V ie tnam (AP ) — V i e tnam e s e au th o r i t i e s hav e bu r i ed th ou sand s o f a ca t s , many appa ren t ly s t i l l a l iv e , tha t w e r e s e i z ed a f t e r b e ing smugg l ed in a t ru ck f r om Ch ina fo r re s tau ran t s , a c c o rd ing t o a p o l i c e o f f i c e r . Ca t m ea t i s ea s i ly ava i lab l e in some re s tau ran t s in V i e tnam , e sp e c ia l ly in th e n o r th n ea r th e Ch in e s e bo rde r , even though th e g ov e rnm en t in 1998 o rd e r ed su ch r e s tau ran t s c l o s ed and banned the t rad e o f ca t s b e cau s e th ey a r e a p r eda t o r t o ra t s , wh i ch d e s t r oy c rop s . The bu r i ed ca t s w e r e d ea l t w i th in a c c o rdan c e w i th th e law h e r h ead in a sh ow o f r e sp e c t and th en wav ing . y A y e A y e W in b e cau s e they po sed an env i r onm en ta l and h ea l th r i sk , sa id th e p o l i c e o f f i c e r , B T h e A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s W h e n f i n a l l y r e l e a s e d i n 2 0 1 0 , s o o n a f t e r wh o sp oke on cond i t ion o f an onym i ty b e cau s e h e wa s n o t au th o r i z ed t o sp eak t o e l e c t i on s tha t w e r e w id e ly s e en a s n e i th e r f r e e th e m ed ia . He con f i rmed tha t l iv e ca t s w e r e bu r i ed bu t wa s un c e r ta in h ow many . ANGON , Myanma r — Th e i r on ga t e n o r f a i r , t h o u s a n d s o f s u p p o r t e r s g r e e t e d h e r P o l i c e s topped the t ru ck , wh i ch wa s ca r ry ing 3 t on s o f ca t s in c ramp ed bamb o o tha t s t o od in f r on t o f th e h om e o f w i th ga r land s and b ouqu e t s o f f l ow e r s . ba sk e t s , ea r l ie r th i s mon th . Th e t ru ck d r iv e r , t o wh om th e ca rg o b e l ong ed , wa s Myanma r ’ s f o rm e r ly imp r i s on ed A b um p y t r a n s i t i o n f r om d i c t a t o r sh ip t o f in ed $360 fo r smugg l ing an ima l s . An ima l - r igh t s adv o ca t e s had s ough t t o s t op d em o c ra cy i c on , s epa ra t ing h e r f r om th r ong s d em o c r a c y f o l l o w e d . S u u K y i i s n o w l e a d e r o f th e ca t s f rom be ing k i l l ed . o f ch e e r ing supp o r t e r s a s sh e mad e sp e e ch e s th e opp o s i t i on in th e c oun t ry ’ s y oung , cha l l eng ing th e c oun t ry ’ s th en -m i l i ta ry ru l e r s , m Fou r th g ian t panda d ie s f rom can ine d i s tempe r v i ru s i l i ta ry -d om ina t ed pa r l iam en t , bu t sh e ha s s g o ing on th e au c t i on b l o ck . BE IJ ING (AP ) — Ch in e s e s ta t e m ed ia hav e r ep o r t ed tha t a f ou r th g ian t i sa id many o f th e r e f o rm s imp l em en t ed s in c e S o e N y u n t , t h e c u r r e n t own e r , sa id th e 2011 hav panda ha s d ied f rom can in e d i s t emp e r v i ru s in th e sam e r e s cu e c en t e r in e e i th e r s ta l l ed o r b e en r o l l ed ba ck . ta r t ing b id w ou ld b e $200 ,000 . n o r thw e s te rn Ch ina wh e r e th r e e o th e r panda s d i ed ov e r th e pa s t tw o m on th s . s S o e Nyun t sa id h e saw th e ga t e — and th e H e s a i d t h e p r o c e e d s w o u l d g o t owa rd h Th e o f f i c ia l X inhua New s Ag en cy r ep o r t ed tha t th e s ix -y ea r - o ld panda , nam ed ou s e numb e r , 54 , pa in t ed on a s epa ra t e e lp ing Aung San Suu Ky i bu i ld a n ew la F eng F eng , d ied a f te r fa l l ing in t o a c oma on Janua ry 8 . I t d id n o t say wh en th e h cqu e r ed p la t e — wh i l e land s cap ing th e t i ona l L eagu e f o r D em o c ra cy (NLD ) pa r ty ga d ea th o c cu r red . X inhua sa id an add i t i ona l f ou r panda s w e r e d iagn o s ed w i th Na rd en . H e sa id i t wa s ly ing und e r a mang o eadqua r t e r s . can in e d i s tempe r bu t r e c ov e r ed . Th e c en t e r s en t i t s h ea l thy panda s t o o th e r h t r e e wa i t ing t o b e p i ck ed up by a junk c o l l e c t o r . T h e 6 9 - y e a r o ld N ob e l lau r ea t e — and R e c ogn i z ing i t s s ign i f i can c e , h e a sk ed i f h e r e s e rv e s . Abou t 1 ,600 g ian t panda s l iv e in th e w i ld , m o s t ly in th e Ch in e s e t e r o f th e c oun t ry ’ s fam ou s ind ep en - c ou ld hav e i t , g iv ing a f ew hund r ed d o l la r s in p r ov in c e o f S i chuan , wh i l e m o r e than 300 l iv e in cap t iv i ty . Can in e d i s t emp e r daugh d e n c e l e a d e r , G e n . A u n g S a n — b e c am e a n ex chang e . a f f e c t s a w ide va r ie ty o f an ima l s and i s th e l ead ing cau s e o f d ea th f o r d og s . in t e rna t i ona l symb o l o f p ea c e fu l r e s i s tan c e in “Th i s ga t e t e l l s th e h i s t o ry o f th e c oun t ry ’ s Japan , Mongo l ia in k f ree t rade pac t th e fa c e o f opp r e s s i on du r ing h e r 15 y ea r s o f d em o c ra t i c s t rugg l e , ” S o e Nyun t t o ld Th e TOKYO (AP ) — Japan and M ong o l ia hav e s ign ed a f r e e t rad e ag r e em en t on -aga in - o f f -aga in h ou s e a r r e s t . A s s o c ia t ed P r e s s , add ing tha t i t sh ou ld b e exp e c t ed to open the land l o ck ed f r on t i e r ma rk e t t o m o r e Japan e s e au t o exp o r t s Sh e p e rman en t ly m ov ed f r om L ond on t o th e p la c ed in a mu s eum f o r fu tu r e g en e ra t i on s . and s t r eng then Tokyo ’ s l ev e rag e w i th a k ey pa r tn e r in i t s d ea l ing s w i th N o r th lak e s id e h ou s e o f h e r m o th e r a lm o s t 27 y ea r s Bu t h e d e c id ed on th e au c t i on , t o b e h e ld K o r ea . P r ime M in i s te r Sh in z o Ab e and h i s M ong o l ian c oun t e rpa r t , Ch im ed ag o , wh e r e wh i l e und e r in ca r c e ra t i on sh e s o on , a f t e r s e e ing tha t th e ca sh - s t rapp ed NLD Sa ikhanb i leg , s igned the ag r e em en t a t a r e c en t summ i t . F r e e t rad e ta lk s b egan o f t en m oun t ed a tab l e b eh ind i t s f r on t ga t e and bad ly n e ed ed a n ew pa r ty h eadqua r t e r s . in 2012 and the two c oun t r i e s r ea ch ed a ba s i c a c c o rd la s t Ju ly . M ong o l ia ’ s h e ld th e p o in t ed i r on sp ik e s a s sh e sp ok e t o H e sa id h e h op ed s om e o f th e m on ey w ou ld imp o r t s f rom Japan , mo s t ly v eh i c l e s , a r e r ough ly 16 t im e s th e s i z e o f i t s exp o r t s c r owd s th r ough a l oud sp eak e r ab ou t g o t owa rd up c om ing c en t enn ia l c e l eb ra t i on s t o t o Japan . Mongo l ia ha s s e rv ed a s a c ondu i t f o r Japan ’ s ta lk s w i th th e N o r th ev e ry th ing f r om c o r rup t i on t o th e aby sma l h on o r Suu Ky i ’ s fa th e r . K o r ean s on abdu c t ion s o f Japan e s e d e cad e s ag o . s ta t e o f edu ca t i on . Th i s i s n o t th e f i r s t t im e i t em s a s s o c ia t ed In 1996 , th e th en -m i l i ta ry r eg im e had w i th Suu Ky i hav e b e en au c t i on ed . Suu Ky i ’ s Pa r t ly pa ra ly zed , ja i led b logge r a l lowed to go home e n o u g h , b l o c k i n g p u b l i c a c c e s s t o t h e h o u s e . h a n dm a d e s w e a t e r s w e r e a u c t i o n e d a t a p a r t y HANO I , V ie tnam (AP ) — A p r om in en t V i e tnam e s e b l ogg e r wh o i s pa r t ia l ly B u t i n 2 0 0 7 , m o r e t h a n 5 0 0 c h a n t i n g B u d d h i s t f u n d r a i s e r i n 2 0 1 2 , f e t c h i n g $ 1 2 3 , 0 0 0 . T h e pa ra ly z ed and wa s ja i led tw o m on th s ag o f o r p o s t ing a r t i c l e s tha t opp o s e th e m o n k s b r a z e n l y w a l k e d p a s t t h e b a r r i c a d e s . p r o c e e d s w e n t t o h e r e d u c a t i o n a n d h e a l t h C ommun i s t Pa r ty sa id h e ha s b e en r e l ea s ed f r om p r i s on on m ed i ca l pa r o l e . i m e t th em in f r on t o f th e ga t e , b ow ing p r o j e c t s . B l ogg e r and w r i te r Nguy en Quang Lap , 58 , sa id h e wa s s t i l l b e ing inv e s t iga t ed Suu Ky Ga te tha t Suu Ky i spo ke f rom go ing up fo r auc t ion Y f o r a l l eged ly sp read ing p r opaganda aga in s t th e C ommun i s t g ov e rnm en t , th ough . Lap o f ten repo s t s o th e r b l ogg e r s ’ p o l i t i ca l and s o c ia l w r i t ing s c r i t i ca l o f th e g ov e rnmen t . In 2001 , Lap su f f e r ed b ra in in ju r i e s in a t ra f f i c a c c id en t tha t pa ra ly z ed the le f t s ide o f h i s b ody . H e n e ed s a can e t o wa lk and r e l i e s on fam i ly m emb e r s to he lp w i th h i s da i ly n e ed s , h i s w i f e , H o Th i H ong , sa id in a l e t t e r t o p o l i c e a f te r h i s De cemb e r 6 d e t en t i on tha t r equ e s t ed m ed i ca l pa r o l e f o r h e r hu sband . Lap sa id he wa s r e l ea s ed and a l l ow ed t o r e tu rn t o h i s h om e in H o Ch i M inh C i ty . “ In p r i son , I can ’ t h e lp my s e l f w i th da i ly n e ed s , I ’m gu e s s ing tha t i s why th ey re lea sed me on ba i l , bu t I ’m s t i l l b e ing inv e s t iga t ed . I am n o t f r e e , ” Lap sa id by te lephone f rom h i s h om e . H e d e c l in ed t o g iv e m o r e d e ta i l s . Th e s ta t e - run Tu o i T r e( You th) new spap e r qu o t ed Ma j . G en . L e D ong Ph ong , H o Ch i M inh C i ty ’ s ch ie f se cu r i ty inve s t iga t o r , a s say ing tha t p o l i c e chang ed th e i r p r ev en t i on m ea su r e f rom de ta in ing Lap t o pu t t ing h im und e r h ou s e a r r e s t b e cau s e o f Lap ’ s “ s in c e r e con fe s s ion ” fo r hav ing c omm i t t ed a c t s tha t v i o la t e th e law . B l a c k P e a r l A c u p u n c t u r e A cupun c tu r e and H e rb a l M ed i c in e a r e g r e a t f o r : i . e . n e c k , b a c k , - A cu t e /Ch r on i c P a in ( s c i a t i c a & s h o u l d e r ) h e f l u a n d c o l d s - T r e a t in g & P r e v en t in g t - S t r e s s R e l i e f - H e ad a ch e s /M i g r a in e s www .b la c kpea r la cupun c tu re . com sea symone t tea@gma i l . com Ca l l to s chedu le an appo in tmen t : (503 ) 308 -9363 505 N .W . N in th A ve . , P o r t land , OR 97209 New Owne r s 649 m i l l ion on l ine in Ch ina , fewe r a re m ic rob logg ing BE IJ ING (AP ) — Ch ina ha s 649 m i l l i on p e op l e on l in e , bu t th ey a r e d r i f t ing away f r om m i c rob logg ing s i t e s a f t e r a g ov e rnm en t c ra ckd own on f r e e sp e e ch . Ch ina ’ s on l ine popu la t ion wa s a l r eady th e w o r ld ’ s la rg e s t . O f th o s e c oun t ed in th e g ov e rnmen t -ba cked Ch ina In t e rn e t N e tw o rk In f o rma t i on C en t e r ’ s annua l r ep o r t , 557 m i l l ion we re u s ing m ob i l e d ev i c e s . Th e numb e r o f m i c r ob l og u s e r s d r opp ed in 2014 by 32 m i l l i on t o 249 m i l l i on , a d e c l in e tha t sh ow s th e s i t e s fa i l ed t o r e c ove r f rom the 2013 c ra ckd own tha t ch i l l ed d i s cu s s i on on Ch ina ’ s Tw i t t e r - l ik e s i t e s . Meanwh i le , n ew e r p r odu c t s — e sp e c ia l ly th e in s tan t -m e s sag ing s e r - v i c e W eCha t — a re rap id ly ga in ing p opu la r i ty . Th e r ep o r t a l s o say s th e numb e r o f u s e r s o f mob i le in s tan t -m e s sag e s e rv i c e s g r ew 17 .8 p e r c en t t o 508 m i l l i on . S i ta Symone t te L i cen sed A cupun c tu r i s t New l y remode led A l l new equ ipmen t . B e lm o n t E c o L a u n d r y h a s l a r g e c a p a c i t y w a s h e r s a n d d r y e r s , p e r f e c t f o r t h o s e c om f o r t e r s , s l e e p i n g b a g s , b i g f am i l y l o a d s , w o r k c l o t h e s , a n d m o r e ! Y o u ’ l l g e t y o u r l a u n d r y d o n e i n r e c o r d t im e , l e a v i n g y o u t im e t o s p e n d w i t h f am i l y a n d f r i e n d s . V i s i t u s a t B e lm o n t e c o l a u n d r y . c om f o r m o r e d e t a i l s . 4 7 2 5 S E B e lm o n t S t . O p e n d a i l y 8 t o 1 0 A s ian Cu r rency E xchange Ra te s Un i t s pe r U .S . do l la r a s o f 2 /13 Bang lade sh Taka····77 .875 Cambod ian R ie l ····4059 .6 Ch ina Renm inb i ····6 .2405 F i j ian Do l la r······2 .0387 Hong Kong Do l la r · · · 7 .7553 Ind ian Rupee······62 .196 Indone s ian Rup iah · · · 12798 I ran ian R ia l······27497 Japane se Yen ·····119 .06 Lao s New K ip ·····8111 .5 Ma lay s ian R ingg i t · · · 3 .5795 Nepa l Rupee ······99 .231 Pak i s tan i Rupee ····101 .44 Papua N .G . K ina····2 .6072 Ph i l ipp ine Pe so·····44 .285 Ru s s ian Rub le ·····63 .37 Saud i R iya l·······3 .7519 S ingapo re Do l la r····1 .3566 Sou th Ko rean Won · · · 1096 .9 S r i Lankan Rupee · · · 132 .91 Ta iwan Do l la r ·····31 .447 Tha i Bah t ·······32 .67 V ie tnam Dong ·····21330