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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2015)
ASIA / PACIFIC Page 4 n THE ASIAN REPORTER March 2, 2015 Polina Edmunds rallies to win Four Continents championship By Foster Klug The Associated Press S “Running police” keep the peace at Tokyo Marathon TOKYO (AP) — The running police made sure the Tokyo Marathon went off without a hitch. More than 60 of the officers were deployed during the race in response to concerns about terrorism threats. They wore white vests bearing the word “POLICE” and each member ran about 10 kilometers while carrying anti-terrorism gear in small backpacks. Tokyo has been on edge following the slaying of two Japanese hostages by the Islamic State group. Islamist militants threatened Japanese people everywhere after the slayings. More than 36,000 runners took part in the race as organizers were eager to show that Tokyo remains a safe place to hold major sporting events. The Boston Marathon in 2013 was the target of a terrorist attack that killed three people. Endeshaw Negesse won the Tokyo Marathon, leading an Ethiopian sweep of the men’s and women’s titles. The Tokyo race was the first event of the World Marathon Majors series. Other races are held in Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, and New York. q Hong Kong leader calls on residents to be like Sheep By Kelvin Chan The Associated Press H ONG KONG — Hong Kong’s unpopular Beijing- backed leader last month called on residents of the southern Chinese city, rocked last year by months of pro-democracy protests, to be more like “mild and gentle” Sheep. Chief executive Leung Chun-ying made the appeal in his Lunar New Year message to welcome in the Year of the Sheep, which began February 19. The message reflects how tensions continue to simmer after the protests ended in December without Leung offering any concessions to the student-led demonstrators. “Sheep are widely seen to be mild and gentle animals living peacefully in groups,” said Leung, who’s been nicknamed the Wolf by critics who deride him as being cunning and untrustworthy. “Last year was no easy ride for Hong Kong. Our society was rife with differences and conflicts. In the coming year, I hope that all people in Hong Kong will take inspiration from the Sheep’s character and pull together in an accommodating manner to work for Hong Kong’s future,” Leung said in a statement. Thousands of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters occupied streets across the Asian financial hub for 11 weeks this past fall in what came to be known as the Umbrella Movement, punctuated by violent tear-gas- and pepper-spray-fuelled scuffles with police. The activists protested Beijing’s proposed curbs on planned 2017 elections for Leung’s replacement. Let me help you with your next home loan. Nattaya Wells Sr. Mortgage Advisor | MLO 484350 Licensed in Oregon & Washington OR CELL: (503) 705-1886 WA CELL: (360) 836-7398 nwells@pcmloan.com www.pcmloan.com/nattayawells 14945 S.W. Sequoia Parkway, Suite 150A, Portland, OR 97224 Equal Housing Lender | NMLS 81395 | WA CL-81395 | AZ BK-910890 Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act Regulated by the Division of Real Estate Colorado Death sentence given to 1971 war collaborator DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A special tribunal dealing with war crimes in- volving Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war has convicted and sentenced a leading war collaborator to death for crimes including mass killing, arson, and looting. The head judge of a three-member panel, Obaidul Hasan, delivered the verdict in a packed courtroom in the nation’s capital, Dhaka, against 79-year-old Abdus Subhan of the Jamaat-e-Islami political party. Subhan is the ninth senior leader of the party convicted of such crimes after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina initiated the long-stalled war crimes trials in 2010. Subhan faced nine charges that included the killing of 400 people in several villages in northern Bangladesh. Bangladesh says Paki- stani soldiers and their collaborators killed 3 million people and raped 200,000 women during the nine-month war. FOUR CONTINENTS FINISHERS. Satoko Miyahara (top photo) and Rika Hongo (bottom photo) of Japan perform during the women’s program at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea. American Polina Edmunds rallied to win the champi- onship, finishing ahead of Miyahara and Hongo, despite a few stumbles. (AP Photos/Lee Jin-man) gold at Sochi in February 2014, in a victory that caused heated debate over the judging. Kim has retired, but reminders of still-fresh South Korean outrage at her loss were everywhere in the arena. “ISU out,” said one sign, a reference to the International Skating Union that governs the sport. Another said “Robbers Sochi,” and one, also directed at ISU, read: “I know what you did last winter in Sochi.” Other skating highlights at the championships at Seoul’s Mokdong Ice Arena included Olympic bronze medallist Denis Ten’s commanding win at the men’s event. The Kazakh skater finished well ahead of Joshua Farris of the United States, who finished in second place. 2014 Exemplary Community Volunteer Award Recipient: Northwest China Council AR Photo/Jan Landis FIT TO SERVE. The “running police,” center and back left, of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police follow marathon competitors during the Tokyo Marathon in Tokyo. More than 60 of the officers were deployed during the race in response to concerns about terrorism threats. The running po- lice had wearable cameras attached to their heads, and each member ran about 10 kilometers while carrying anti-terrorism gear in small backpacks. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) EOUL, South Korea — American Polina Edmunds rallied to win the Four Continents figure skating championship, finishing ahead of two Japanese skaters, despite a few stumbles. Edmunds, who came into the free skate in fourth place, hit the wrong edge on an early combination, a triple flip-single loop-triple salchow, but landed most of her other big jumps, including a late combination. Skating to “Tinker Bell” by James Newton Howard, the 16-year-old finished with 184.02 points. The Four Continents provides an important gauge of possible competition at this month’s world championships in Shanghai, but it doesn’t include powerful European skaters. The absent Russians who swept the medals at the European championships, however, were on the minds of many. “I don’t think that the Russians are stronger than any one of us,” Edmunds, the second youngest woman to ever win the event, told reporters. “It’s going to come down to the elements. It’s going to come down to how we perform. But going into worlds I’m optimistic that, hopefully, it’s not going to be all, ‘The Russians are coming!”’ Satoko Miyahara of Japan, who’d been first after the short program, had an uneven free skate, including a fall on a triple lutz, to win silver, with 181.59 points. The 16-year-old skated to “Miss Saigon” by Claude-Michel Schoenberg. “I know the Russian girls are so strong,” Miyahara said, “but I don’t like to think about other people. I just want to focus on myself.” She blamed her shaky free skate on a lack of speed and power on her jumps. Rika Hongo, 18, of Japan received the bronze medal with 177.44 points. American Gracie Gold, the 2014 U.S. champion, finished fourth, unable to recover after missing her first two jumps. American champion Ashley Wagner, who was originally scheduled to compete, decided to sit out the event. The Russians will be a focus of worlds. They include Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who won gold at the European championships, and Elena Radionova and Anna Pogorilaya, who were second and third, respectively. Russian Olympic champion Adelina Sotnikova, who has had an ankle injury, hasn’t skated in international competition since beating South Korea’s Yuna Kim for The Northwest China Council (NWCC) was established by the Asia Society of New York in 1980 as one of 12 Regional Councils to help educate the American public about Chinese history, culture, politics, and U.S.-China relations. The organization, which is made up of approximately 250 members of both Chinese and non-Chinese ethnicities, is also a regional resource providing educational programs, information services, and foreign trade expertise in Oregon and southwest Washington. In 2013-2014, NWCC held a two-part program addressing the U.S.-China relationship and China’s food safety risks; a talk by Mel Gurtov, professor emeritus of Portland State University, on the future of U.S.-China relations; monthly business presentations and regular business networking mixers; and monthly movie nights and book club meetings. The group also offers ongoing Mandarin language instruction classes, cultural and educational presentations and activities, and programs on current events in China. Additionally, the organization leads cultural and business tours to China and sponsors various China-related events with other organizations in the area. NWCC’s annual New Year Gala is scheduled for Satur- day, March 7, 2015. To learn more, visit <www.nwchina.org>. The Asian Reporter Foundation is accepting nominations for its 2015 “Exemplary Community Volunteer” awards. The recognition banquet will be held Thursday, April 23, 2015 at northeast Portland’s TAO Event Center. Nomination forms and award guidelines are available for download at <www.ARFoundation.net>. The nomination deadline is Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 5:00pm.