Asia Calling

THIS WEEK'S STORIES


	Burma’s Cyclone Brings the Military Government to Their Knees May 10th, 2008 by Ronald Aung Nai and King Kong Janoi The incredible devastation cause by Cyclone Nargis in Burma is being slowly revealed. Aid workers and the government say at least 30,000 are dead some estimate the number is in the hundreds of … more


	Sri Lankan Tsunami Baby Still Homeless May 10th, 2008 by Ponniah Manikavasagam Three and half years after the tsunami hit eastern Sri Lanka’s more than 30 thousand people still do not have homes. One of these homeless families belongs to the ‘tsunami baby’. Three month old … more


	Saga of Restoring Pakistani Judges May 10th, 2008 by Mudassar Shah The newly established Pakistan civilian government says it will restore the judges sacked by President Musharaff on the 12th of May. If you remember, Musharraf accused the chief justice of corruption and ousted … more


	Rape and Child Abuse Widespread in Afghanistan May 10th, 2008 by Zubair Babakarkhail Early this week an eight years old girl was rapped and killed by her cousin and his friends in Afghanistan. Four boys admitted to the crime and have been arrested by the police. There … more


	Cambodian School Children Drop out of School after the WFP Stops Providing Rice May 10th, 2008 by Sorn Sarath Global stocks of rice are at their lowest in two decades. As a result rice prices have more than doubled since the start of the year. The United Nations World Food Programme’s spokesperson, Paul … more


	Golf Courses, Developers Nibble at Asia’s Rice Paddies May 10th, 2008 by Rebecca Henschke and Muliarta From Bali to Vietnam, rice paddies are being replaced by golf courses, hotels and industrial parks. As Asian economies surge people are choosing less labor-intensive work than farming. This is cutting into the rice … more


	Overfished Vietnam Subsidizes More Fishing Boats May 10th, 2008 by Matt Steinglass Vietnam’s waters are badly overfished, and the government says it wants to cut the fishing fleet in half. But lately, Vietnamese fishermen are hurting from rising fuel prices. And to help them out, the … more


	Mine in a ‘Sacred’ Mountain Splits Subanen Tribe in the Philippines May 10th, 2008 by Heda Bayron The Subanens, a semi-nomadic tribe, have lived in the mountains of the Zamboanga peninsula in the Philippines for thousands of years. They live a very simple life, surviving through slash and burn farming. In … more

ON AIR THIS WEEK

Bangladesh stops rice subsidy program amidst sky-high prices: In Bangladesh there are mounting fears of a famine after the government stopped providing subsidized rice this week. Prices of all essential goods have almost doubled this year, putting staple food well out of reach of millions of people. Adding to the suffering is the fact rice storehouses are not releasing their stock in attempt to maximize their profit. As Michael Leung reports, the government wants people to eat potatoes as a solution to the crisis.

Urban and Organic farming a way out of the food shortage crisis in the Philippines: With rice prices hitting record highs, tensions are rising across the Philippines. As part of its efforts to cut wastage and consumption, the government has urged restaurants to offer their customers the option of having just half the rice they normally get. However, NGO groups say the root causes of the crisis need to be addressed. Madonna Virola meets with a group who believe returning to organic urban farming is one way out of crisis.

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