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Access Asia

24 Episodes

13 minutes | Jun 2, 2023
South Korean victims of bullying take to social media to shame abusers
In South Korea, a new kind of #MeToo movement is taking hold on social media; that of people who suffered abuse at school. A growing number of victims have been publicly naming and shaming their former bullies. Inspired in part by a popular Netflix series, it has ensnared everyone from K-pop stars to baseball players. 
12 minutes | May 26, 2023
Controversial Indian film 'The Kerala Story' blurs boundaries between fact and fiction
In India, a low-budget film has sparked huge controversy. "The Kerala Story" tells the fictional tale of three Hindu and Christian women from the southern Indian state, who are lured into the Islamic State group after converting to Islam. Indian PM Narendra Modi praised the film, saying it "exposed the consequences of terrorism in a society", while critics call it an attempt to spread hate and Islamophobia. We take a closer look and speak to journalist and author Debasish Roy Chowdhury.
12 minutes | May 19, 2023
Is Thailand at a turning point after Move Forward party's election win?
Driven by young voters, the progressive Move Forward party came out on top in Sunday's elections as Thais delivered a stunning rebuke to the military-backed government that has been in power for nearly a decade. But Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat now faces a difficult path to becoming prime minister. Are Thailand's military rulers ready to let go of power? Yuka Royer speaks to Virot Ali, a lecturer at Thammasat University. 
13 minutes | May 12, 2023
A week of turmoil in Pakistan: Breaking down the Imran Khan case
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been released on bail after his arrest earlier this week was ruled unlawful. For months, Khan had managed to avoid arrest, but when he was finally taken into detention while in court this past Tuesday, chaos ensued outside. Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested for violence and at least eight have been killed. Khan faces corruption charges, though his supporters say the case against him is politically motivated. We get analysis from FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry.
12 minutes | May 5, 2023
The dark side of J-pop: Former idol speaks out about music mogul Johnny Kitagawa
Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at the age of 87, was the architect of Japan's vastly successful boyband empire and his company, Johnny and Associates, still dominates the lucrative J-pop market. Yet allegations of child abuse and sexual exploitation surrounded the music mogul for decades. Yuka Royer speaks to former idol Kauan Okamato, who says he was sexually abused as a teen.
12 minutes | Apr 29, 2023
Alarm over multiple industrial accidents in India
Industrial accidents kill thousands of people and disable thousands of others every year in India. According to the government, at least 6,500 workers died on the job between 2017 and 2021. Labour activists say the figure could be higher. With the aim of becoming an industrial power, India focuses on encouraging investment and innovation, but work-related tragedies keep making the news in the country. Our correspondents Léa Delfolie, Deepika Singh and Akash Bisht report.
12 minutes | Apr 21, 2023
India's top court hears landmark case on same-sex marriage
In this week's show we head to Afghanistan, where women are struggling more than ever to access healthcare, amid tight restrictions under Sharia law imposed by the Taliban. We have a special report from our correspondents. Next, India's top court hears a landmark case brought by same-sex couples seeking a right to legally marry their partners. One gay couple joins us to tell their touching story. Finally, we take a look at a growing trend in drug abuse among young people in South Korea, where the subject remains taboo but public awareness is starting to change.
12 minutes | Apr 14, 2023
Challenges ahead as India overtakes China as world's most populous nation
India is overtaking China this Friday as the world's most populous country. With 1.4 billion people and counting, India's population is not expected to peak for decades. We take a look at what life is like in the country and what lessons India can learn from neighbouring China. The challenges ahead are numerous: from education to democracy, but also as basic as having enough to eat. For more, we speak to Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India.
12 minutes | Apr 7, 2023
India rejects China's attempt to rename disputed places
In this week's show we see how Indian officials are furious after China renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh. It is a disputed Himalayan border region under Indian control, which Beijing considers part of southern Tibet. Next, we head to Nepal, which is home to the "most dangerous runway in the world". We get a bird's-eye view of a tiny airfield in the mountains, where tricky landings are a risky but vital part of everyday life. Finally, we head to Thailand, where a cannabis pipe dream is going up in smoke. A year after decriminalisation, marijuana remains a politically divisive issue in the country ahead of elections.
12 minutes | Mar 31, 2023
Taiwanese president in the US: Tsai Ing-wen says China 'deliberately raises tensions'
This week, former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou was on a trip through China as a private citizen, at the same time that Taiwan's current president, Tsai Ing-wen, was in the United States. Tsai's unofficial visit sparked diplomatic anger from Beijing, which considers the self-ruled, democratic island as part of its territory. We take a closer look.
12 minutes | Mar 24, 2023
Death penalty and high conviction rates: A deep dive into Japan's criminal justice system
At 87 years old, Iwao Hakamada is on the verge of finding true freedom, more than 50 years after being sentenced to death for murders he says he did not commit. Tokyo's high court ordered a retrial this month, acknowledging that key evidence that led to his conviction had likely been fabricated by investigators. Along with the US, Japan is one of the few developed countries that maintain capital punishment. For more, we speak to Chiara Sangiorgio, death penalty advisor at Amnesty International. 
12 minutes | Mar 17, 2023
AUKUS deal: China condemns 'Cold War mentality'
A massive defence deal unveiled this week in San Diego saw Australia, the UK and the US strengthen their alliance and revealed that the multi-decade military partnership is chiefly concerned about China. Under the so-called AUKUS defence pact, Australia will acquire up to eight nuclear-powered submarines costing up to $368 billion between now and the 2050s. Analysts say this next phase of the AUKUS pact is a direct response to growing assertiveness by Beijing. FRANCE 24's Nicholas Rushworth tells us more.
13 minutes | Mar 10, 2023
Man jailed for two years in Thailand for selling rubber duck calendars
A Thai court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to two years in jail for selling satirical calendars featuring rubber ducks, which authorities said insulted the king. Inflatable yellow ducks were used as a symbol during pro-democracy protests in 2020. The sentencing comes as two women were rushed to hospital after staging a weeks-long hunger strike demanding the release of those arrested under Thailand's draconian lèse majesté law. For more, we talk to Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.  
12 minutes | Mar 3, 2023
Applicata non grata: TikTok banned from official devices in several countries
The Chinese-owned video-based app TikTok faces bans from several Western governments, who say the platform poses a national security risk. FRANCE 24's Technology Editor Peter O'Brien tells us what this could mean for the future of TikTok, which has more than one billion users worldwide.
12 minutes | Feb 24, 2023
China-Russia ties: What's behind Beijing's peace proposal for Ukraine?
A year after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the conflict continues with no end in sight. China claims to have a neutral stance, but has so far refused to call the war Russia's invasion, and has declared unlimited friendship with Moscow. One year into the war, the Beijing government has now announced a 12-point document stating its position and called for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia to achieve a "comprehensive ceasefire". For more on what Beijing is trying to do, we speak to Anna Ashton, the director of China Corporate Affairs and US-China at the US think tank Eurasia Group.
13 minutes | Feb 20, 2023
Media freedom under attack in Cambodia: PM shuts down independent radio station
Cambodia's strongman leader has ordered the shutdown of one of the country's few remaining local independent media outlets. One of the world's longest-serving leaders, Prime Minister Hun Sen has increasingly cracked down on any opposition as he prepares for elections later this year. We take a closer look.
12 minutes | Feb 10, 2023
Cracking down on dissent: National security law trial begins in Hong Kong
They’ve come to be known as the Hong Kong 47. A group of prominent activists, former lawmakers and student leaders went on trial this week, accused of trying to topple the pro-Beijing government. Most of them, including Benny Tai and Joshua Wong, have been detained since their arrests two years ago. They have pleaded guilty in pre-trial proceedings to avoid long prison sentences that could carry up to life in jail. We take a closer look.
11 minutes | Feb 3, 2023
Adani debacle threatens fallout on India's wider economy
This week, a major upheaval hit one of India’s top business empires. Adani Group has operations in everything from coal mining to telecoms. Its seven main units were recently worth an estimated $220 billion. But a blistering report by an American investor research firm accusing the conglomerate of massive fraud and market manipulation has sent its stock price plummeting, along with the personal fortune of billionaire founder Gautam Adani. Bryan Quinn, from FRANCE 24's business desk, explains.
13 minutes | Jan 27, 2023
Japan's demographic time bomb: Labour shortage opens doors to foreign workers
Japan faces an existential threat with its birth rate at an all-time low, yet the island nation has still to fully embrace immigration as a solution to the population decline. To tackle the problem, the government has slowly turned to bringing in foreign workers. We take a closer look.
10 minutes | Jan 20, 2023
Lunar New Year: A festival celebrated by more than a billion people
The Lunar New Year is a huge holiday in China, but also in other Asian countries like Korea and Vietnam. More than one billion people will be celebrating the event, which begins on January 22. For most, it's the Year of the Rabbit but in Vietnam, people will mark the Year of the Cat. Celebrations this year are particularly welcome, as Covid restrictions have finally been eased in China. But there are fears that another wave of infections is approaching. We take a closer look in this special edition.
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