Asia News Weekly - Japan increasingly stepping further away from its pacifist constitution and all the news from the region

North Korea tells the South to watch out, Japan continues increasing its presence on the world stage, and the recovery of Nepal. These stories and more are on the May 15th edition of Asia News Weekly.

North Korea (1:04)

Last weekend, North Korea rattled its sabers once more. The KCNA said North Korea would attack any South Korean naval vessel if it crossed the Northern Limit Line. The DPRK also launched three submarine-based ballistic missiles. Putting everything into context is Daniel Pinkston, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst and North East Asia deputy project director.

Japan’s Emergence (7:25)

South Korea and China may not like it, but Japan is continuing to emerge as a major player on the world stage, increasingly stepping further away from its pacifist constitution. Host Steve Miller runs down the latest efforts of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Nepal Updates (11:05)

Another massive earthquake struck Nepal this week. It was a magnitude 7.4 and rocked not only Nepal, but parts of Bangadesh. The USGS pegged the epicenter 22km southeast of Zham, China. Reuters reports that the quake struck near the base camp for Mount Everest and was measured at a shallow depth of about 10 km. Recovery efforts continue from the initial quake, where over 8,000 have died, and this latest jolt isn’t helping, as more deaths have been reported. But the waves of destruction are only part of the problem relief workers are facing.

Hong Kong’s Pursuit of Democracy (13:52)

For two months, pro-democracy advocates took to the streets of Hong Kong. They rallied for true universal suffrage. It was a measure Beijing didn’t support and ultimately clamped down on protesters. Before Hong Kong’s legislature is a plan, supported by Beijing, to allow Hong Kong Citizens the opportunity to vote, but some are calling the measure a “Fake Democracy.”

The Weekly Brief (16:41)

Rounding out the podcast are additional stories from the region. First, Miller shares some alarming news published by Human Rights Watch regarding China’s use of torture to secure convictions. Also, the United States Department of Defense notes China may be speeding up its land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea. Stories from Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Thailand round out the segment.

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