Teymoor Nabili looks at how the Thai government is butting heads with the multinational pharmaceutical giants.
101 East looks at Japan's indigeneous people and their fight for cultural survival and acceptance. Over the last century, they have seen their traditions and their language stripped away, along with their ancestral lands. But after generations of oppression, racism and forced assimilation, change is in the air for the Ainu.
On this edition of 101 East, we look at how a plan to help one of the world's poorest countries went horribly wrong.
An ancient indigenous tribe is on the verge of extinction in India's Andaman Islands. Habitat loss, disease and exploitation could wipe out the 400-strong Jarawa tribe, who still hunt using bows and arrows. Lapses in policing and continued activity by tour operators, who encourage 'human safaris' where Jarawa women and children have in the past performed for tourists, are partly to blame for jeopardising the tribe's existence. Many activists want to close the main road into the tribal reserve to protect the tribe from further interaction with the outside world, but it is a lifeline providing food and work for the island's 600,000 inhabitants. To include or isolate? 101 East's Kathy Hearn reports on an Indian tribe on the edge of extinction.
The Yakuza in Japan has links that extend as far back as 400 years to Edo era. But their days of protecting the weak against the strong are long gone. Today, the Yakuza is a mighty and entrenched criminal network with nearly 80,000 members operating in 22 crime syndicates, and raking in billions of dollars a year. And Japan's law enforcement wants to wipe them out once and for all.
Mongolia is opening one of the world's biggest copper mines, the Oyu Tolgoi. But the deal with Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is highly controversial. 101 East examines if mining will change Mongolia for the better, or worse.
Some of the world's largest energy giants are moving into eastern Australia and investing billions of dollars to exploit coal seam gas reserves so vast they could rewrite the world's energy map. Despite generating massive amounts of revenue and creating thousands of new jobs, they are being met by a groundswell of public protest and a rising chorus of concern about the long-term impacts of coal seam gas extraction on the nation's health, environment and land. Coal seam gas has the potential to make Australia an energy superpower, but at what price?
The Philippines is emerging as a great outsourcing nation for cost efficiency, but are there limits to its success?
In remote parts of India, illness, poor harvest and bad luck can sometimes mean only one thing - a curse in the family. 101 East unveils a volatile world of land conflicts and abuse of power in India where women and their families fall prey to false accusations and are driven off their land.
Australia is one of the richest nations in the world. Yet there is a growing poverty gap which can be seen in suburbs like Claymore. The New South Wales government built this public housing estate in the 1970s and filled it with people from Sydney's poorest families, creating a welfare ghetto. Today, Claymore is one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Australia with the highest proportion of young children anywhere in the country. But poverty in wealthy Australia is not limited to Claymore. According to surveys and reports, 2.2 million Australians live below the poverty line, while more than 600,000 children under 15 live in households where no one has a job. 101 East hears the heart-wrenching stories of the economically disadvantaged children from modern Australia and asks why the cycle of poverty has not been cracked in this rich nation.
Jakarta, Indonesia, is one of Asia's most flood-prone cities. Every year hundreds of thousands of citizens living in the capital of Southeast Asia's largest economy brace for the loss of business, shelter and livelihoods. Each year, as the rainy season approaches, the authorities insist they are ready to counter the tides of brown murky water, trash, and even animals, surging downstream. But the annual city-wide submergence continues.
Participants in Indonesia Mengajar, a programme funded by private corporations and run by prominent university educator Anies Baswedan, are given army survival training before being deployed. But they are not soldiers; they are educated professionals sent to remote corners of the archipelago to teach as volunteers in some of Indonesia's most impoverished schools. 101 East investigates the world's fourth largest education system and asks what can be done to improve schooling in one of the fastest-growing economies where a third of the population is school-aged.
Can the Easter Island's indigenous Rapa Nui win the battle for independence from Chile to protect their land and culture?
101 East travels to Cambodia, a country representing some of the highest levels of rape in the region to speak with men themselves about why they commit these crimes and to find out if the perpetrators can trigger new ideas for prevention.
Blasphemy charges have fatal consequences in Pakistan but a determined few are risking their lives to protect the accused and press for reform.
We explore how the demand for manta gill plates is threatening the existence of one of the most graceful marine species.
In late 2012, Australia was rocked by fresh allegations of Catholic clergy child sex abuse by whistleblower, New South Wales Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox.
Facing a raft of domestic issues, can Malaysia’s government weather a growing opposition onslaught to win the elections?
With the rising cost of living, locals are starting to struggle to keep up, so is the party set to end?
Environmentalists race to save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef as port expansions threaten its World Heritage status.
Is Australia’s moral compass being called into question as opinions change about euthanasia?
101 East takes a rare peek inside Yangon’s most famous building, as Myanmar’s colonial architecture is under threat.
Marking the first ascent of Everest, we celebrate the victories and explore the real costs of climbing this deadly peak.
Is war looming as Japan strengthens its military power and tensions escalate over disputed East China Sea islands?
Is the Japan Self-Defense Force preparing to step into the limelight and assume a more prominent military role?
Coffee drinkers love East Timor’s green beans but farming remains a life and death struggle in Asia’s poorest nation.
What will it take to end fighting between the government and insurgents in Thailand’s deep south?
Seasonal migration from Tajikistan to Russia is destroying families and leaving thousands to grow up without fathers.
As foreign troops withdraw and the Taliban return, we explore the lives of Afghanistan’s ruby miners.
Wrestling is a national sport in Mongolia, but now fighters are taking their skills abroad and dominating Japanese sumo.
Indian doctors believe they have identified a mutant strain of incurable TB, raising alarms of a new health hazard.
Despite having the passion to succeed, corruption and mismanagement have turned Indonesia into football’s failed state.
101 East returns to Myanmar to investigate the religious hatred plaguing the country.
We explore the daily battles of India’s widows as they face restrictions on inheritance, remarriage and social welfare.
Can the young girls forced to work in middle class homes across the country break the bonds of slavery?
A look at continuing discrimination and failure of justice three years after deadly ethnic clashes in south Kyrgyzstan.
Myanmar’s timber elephants and their handlers have survived wars and dictatorships, but will they survive democracy?
How can Pakistan’s authorities protect its minority Shia community?
Why does New Zealand have one of the highest rates of incarceration in the developed world?
101 East explores the impact of a lost generation of leaders in Kandahar, an Afghan city known for its lawlessness.
101 East asks if Chinese cinema is about to enter a golden age that will make it too lucrative for Hollywood to ignore.
101 East travels to Tanauan, a town in the Philippines hit by Typhoon Haiyan, whose plight has gone largely unreported.
As air pollution hits toxic levels, China counts the human cost of its rapid economic growth.
Despite government claims of peace, torture and abductions continue to be used to stifle ethnic and political dissent.
China’s youth are driving a booming trade in recreational drugs, turning neighbouring Myanmar into a meth lab.
The naked woman is tied to a stake and burnt alive, tortured to death before an entire village. Her alleged crime: Witchcraft. This is not a scene from the 16th century. Such violence is taking place today in Papua New Guinea, where sorcery killings are spreading with a frequency and brutality that has drawn global condemnation. In this disturbing investigation, 101 East exposes several unreported killings and the attacks on those who dare to help victims. With police often unwilling to investigate attacks, witch-hunts are increasing, and survivors are forced to confront their own attackers.
While the government and the opposition trade statistics about the true extent of crime in Malaysia, the perception among locals is that the country has undoubtedly become a more dangerous place in recent years.
With more than six million drug users and rising, can Pakistan win its fight against the billion-dollar narcotics trade?
As scandals involving misbehaving monks rock the nation, 101 East examines if Thailand can save its moral soul.
Almost every fresh produce that Australians buy will have passed through the hands of workers who have been fundamentally exploited, according to one union official. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers toil in food factories and farms. Some of theses enterprises boast billion dollar revenues, but the profits aren’t being felt by the workers. Instead, food is picked and packed by exploited labour. Through working holiday visas and sometimes using false documents, Asian workers are grossly underpaid, forced to work punishing hours, and face abuse, harassment and assault. 101 East exposes the dirty secrets behind Australia’s fresh food produce. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101eastAbout 101 East:
Sumiko hops into a coffin and lies down, testing it for size. For her, it’s a chance to 'try before you die'. The 40-year-old woman is among a growing number of Japanese taking a proactive approach to planning their funeral, sparking a booming death industry. In 2014, approximately 1.26 million people died in Japan. And with an ageing population, that number is estimated to continue rising until 2042. Japan is running out of space to bury the dead, and traditional funerals have become expensive as a result. The death industry and temples are trying to get creative by finding innovative, affordable ways to send their clients into the afterlife. We take a look at how Japan says its final goodbyes.Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101eastAbout 101 East:101 East is Al Jazeera’s award-winning Asia-Pacific current affairs and documentary programme, presenting bold, untold stories from the world’s most diverse region every week.
'I was inspired by Pacquiao because our stories are the same.' Motivated by the rags-to-riches story of national hero Manny Pacquiao, many Filipinos see boxing as a ticket out of poverty. But success stories are rare. 101 East follows a group of young fighters as they try to survive a brutal boxing industry. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
With just minutes to spare, Filipina Mary Jane Veloso escaped death by an Indonesian firing squad that executed eight other foreigners found guilty of drug trafficking. Her lawyers argue Mary Jane is not a criminal but a victim of human trafficking. Like so many other Filipino workers forced to leave home to find work, they say she was poor, vulnerable and deceived. And if they can save her, they may be able to save others like her facing death row. 101 East investigates the case of Mary Jane as her family and supporters fight to bring her home.
Japan’s government believes it has found a cure for its faltering economy: Women. Long overlooked during more than two decades of economic stagnation, Japanese women are considered among the most highly educated but underutilised resource in the developed world. In what’s been dubbed ‘Womenomics’, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has put the country’s women at the heart of a strategy to revive Japan’s ailing economy. But with an endemic chauvinistic society, 101 East asks if women can conquer the gender gap to save Japan’s economy. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Hundreds of people in remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia will be forced to abandon the land their families have lived on for generations.The state government is reviewing plans to cut services to up to 150 towns.The government says it's not about saving costs, but concern over reports that some communities are dysfunctional, plagued by substance abuse, alcoholism and widespread child sex abuse.Critics accuse the government of racism and failing to understand the importance of indigenous people living on ancestral land. 101 East meets residents who say they're facing the biggest threat to their way of life in decades, and examine whether their communities should be sustained.Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Shot, then blown to smithereens with military grade explosives, the 2006 killing of Altantuya Shaariibuu was one of Malaysia’s most sensational murder cases. Even though years have passed since the young Mongolian woman’s death, it is one case that has refused to disappear. If anything, the mystery has deepened. 101 East investigates those who were involved in the case and asks whether the two men convicted of her murder are 'fall guys' for others who ordered the killing of Shaariibuu.
China’s love of ivory is helping to fuel an illicit global trade. The supply chain is complicated and often hard to trace, but it begins in the bush in Africa, where poachers kill an estimated 30,000 elephants each year. Tusks taken from slaughtered animals are then shipped through a complex web of middlemen before reaching Chinese buyers. A key conduit: the city of Hong Kong, where an undercover investigation reveals that legitimate operations are used to mask a far more sinister, more lucrative business. 101 East investigates the shadowy trade in illegal ivory. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Meet South Korea’s unlikeliest superstar – BJ Fitness Fairy.Each night, she eats enough for three people in front of a webcam watched by thousands of viewers. Critics say this bizarre trend is a symptom of widespread unhappiness and a rise of one-person households in South Korea. They believe it’s also a consequence of the government’s fanatic push to use food as a band aid after decades of conflict and colonisation. But the country’s love of food is also changing gender stereotypes. Cooking shows are inspiring men to enter the kitchen.
To outsiders, China can seem large, impenetrable and supremely powerful.It can smash world markets if it stops buying. It builds islands in waters claimed by not only China but other countries - with critics calling such actions belligerent and militant.But what do China's own people think about where their country is goingWhat do they make of their leader Xi Jinping and his economic reforms, his quashing of dissent and his drive against corruption101 East takes the pulse of the world's most populous nation through the lives of seven people in a single city - the old capital Nanjing.
Five years ago, Kennedy Kembo arrived home to find his daughter missing. His wife had secretly taken her to Indonesia. But Indonesia hasn’t signed the Hague Convention meaning there’s little Australian authorities can do to bring them home. Australia has the highest rate per capita of international parental child abductions in the world, averaging two a week. But for Kennedy and many other parents, there’s hope. He’s hired private investigators that specialise in retrieving kidnapped children. After months of surveillance, they could be close to making a recovery. 101 East investigates the cost of divided families. Follow 101 East here: Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
All eyes are on Nov Sreyleak as she launches onto centre stage with acrobatic stunts at the Phare Cambodian Circus big top. The crowd erupts. She is on her way to stardom. It is a big leap from selling rice snacks on the streets to feed her family. One in five Cambodians live below the poverty line, even more in rural villages. Back in Sreyleak's hometown, children still scavenge dumpsites to help their families survive. Phare Circus is on a mission to train destitute children to become top class circus performers of risky stunts. Can they succeedFollow 101 East here: Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101eastAbout 101 East: 101 East is Al Jazeera’s award-winning Asia-Pacific current affairs and documentary programme, presenting bold, untold stories from the world’s most diverse region every week
In Pakistan, making music can have deadly consequences. For religious hardliners, secular music is seen as un-Islamic and they have silenced musicians’ voices. Some have been killed while others have fled the country. Those left behind face constant fear, death threats and poverty. It’s a far cry from the golden era of the ‘60s where tunes of all genres offered Pakistanis relief from military repression and political uncertainty. But now, some younger musicians are fighting to reclaim their stage.101 East asks, can Pakistan’s artists mend an already crippled industry Follow 101 East here: Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Papua New Guinea is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth. In the Pacific Island nation, the risk of women dying during childbirth is one in 30 deliveries. In neighbouring Australia, the risk is one in 10,000.But a simple idea is helping turn the tide. By providing a bundle of gifts for a new baby and mother, women arebeing encouraged to leave their homes and come to local medical clinics to deliver their baby in safety. 101 East joins the doctor behind the idea on his medicalrounds in Papua New Guinea’s spectacular remote islands. Follow 101 East here: Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Just four years ago Myanmar released hundreds of political prisoners and promised to embrace democratic reforms. But once again the number of students, activists and journalists jailed is rising. Reporter Pailin Wedel follows two women activists faced with persecution even as Myanmar prepares for the polls.
They may be small, but the world needs bees.They pollinate one-third of the food we eat - fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and food for livestock. But recently, bee colonies around the world have been collapsing, with bees dying at alarming rates.While the scientists try to find a solution, there is a buzz about Niue, a tiny South Pacific island.Here, abandoned hives of disease-free bees have been discovered deep in the jungle. Could they be the answer to one of the biggest problems facing global agriculture101 East travels to a speck in the ocean to find out.-
Blogging is a dangerous business in Bangladesh. Four prominent secular bloggers have been brutally murdered this year and a publisher linked to one of them was recently slashed to death. Police blame religious hardliners for the killings, and there are fears more attacks could follow. But it’s not just hardliners who are causing concern. The government too, appears to be cracking down on free speech. Some bloggers are now leaving Bangladesh while others have gone into hiding. In this edition of 101 East, we meet people whose lives are in peril because of the opinions they share online. Are the attacks on bloggers a sign of a deeper problem in Bangladesh Follow 101 East here: Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
China is one of the world’s largest auction markets, generating billions of dollars each year. And its ultra-wealthy are cashing into the world of quick returns.But not everyone's a winner.The insatiable appetite for ancient ceramics is feeding a dark underbelly. More than ever before, counterfeits are flooding in, fooling even the best experts.From the rolling hills of China's last archaeological site, to the kilns of forgery masters and the private museums of the country's super rich, 101 East explores the world of Chinese antiques and asks, will human greed destroy this centuries old historyJoin the conversation @AJ101EastFollow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Alcohol is a big part of the Australian culture across every region, and every social class. But for Australian mothers this could be a disaster. The latest research shows there is no safe limit for drinking when pregnant. All it takes is a few drinks at the wrong stage of the pregnancy for mother’s unborn babies to suffer permanent brain damage. 101 East meets families who are now living with the tragic consequences, guilt and fear from fetal alcohol exposure. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
As world leaders meet in Paris to discuss a new climate change agreement, Indonesia has unleashed an emissions catastrophe on a global scale.Toxic haze from fires swept across Southeast Asia, resulting in 21 deaths and the release of more greenhouse gases each day than the United States.400 pulpwood and palm oil companies are under investigation by the Indonesian Government.101 East follows the trail of evidence that leads from the smoke-filled plantations directly to major global brands. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Across Australia, the fear of ISIS-inspired violence has created a growing intolerance towards the nation’s Muslim community. It is fuelling a rise of ultra-nationalist groups determined to defend what they say is the Australian way of life. But how representative is this hatred in a country known for its multiculturalism101 East meets those driving the hatred, and those fighting back against the abuse. Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101eastAbout 101 East:101 East is Al Jazeera’s award-winning Asia-Pacific current affairs and documentary programme, presenting bold, untold stories from the world’s most diverse region every week.
Two of the Philippines' most wanted men were recently arrested after being on the run since 2012, thanks to a tip-off from an informant.The bounty for their capture was $90,000.Brothers Joel and Mario Reyes - both former politicians - allegedly masterminded the murder of a journalist.The Philippines is the only country outside the US that permits bounty hunting. Tracking down dangerous fugitives, bounty hunters pride themselves as informal law enforcers in a country where corrupt officials cover up crime.101 East investigates the inner workings of a bounty hunter on the scent of his next target.Join the conversation @AJ101East.
101 East travels to Bangladesh to find out why young girls are often forced to marry men twice their age.
In August 2015, seven indigenous children mysteriously disappeared from their remote boarding school in Malaysia.After almost 50 days only two were found alive in the jungle. Their friends had already died from injury and starvation.The tragedy devastated the close-knit Orang Asli community and many families blamed the boarding school for their children's deaths.Allegations of mistreatment were levelled against teachers as the tribe galvanised to stand up against what they say is generations of neglect and abuse by authorities.101 East enters the world of Malaysia's indigenous Orang Asli tribe to learn about their decades-long struggle for survival.
'A national disgrace' is how Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull describes the domestic violence epidemic racking the country.In the past year, more than 60 women have been killed, and a staggering one in four women has experienced domestic violence from an intimate partner.The government has pledged $100m to stop violence against women, but is it enough and will it go anywhere near what is needed to repair a massively overloaded and broken system101 East examines why domestic violence touches so many Australian women - talking to victims, perpetrators and those on the frontline of the crisis.
You might be surprised to know that the biggest alcohol consumers are not drinking in sub-zero Siberia; they are in South Korea.South Koreans drink twice as much liquor as Russians and they consume more alcohol than any other nation. Soju, a fermented-rice spirit, is king, with more than 550 billion litres drunk each year. Drinking is treated as the social lubricant to build workplace camaraderie, secure business deals and to earn trust.But with an estimated 1.6 million alcoholics, and the social costs to health reaching $20bn a year, 101 East asks whether the cap can be put back on the Soju bottle.Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
The Jacobs family is just about to sit down to Christmas lunch when they notice the smoke. The blue skies above their home are turning orange.'When we saw the smoke directly overhead, then it was pretty apparent that we were going to get hit by the fire,' says Tom Jacobs.In Australia, summers bring bushfires - and the loss of lives and homes every year.The question for those in the line of fire is whether to fight or flee.As 101 East discovers, it can be a life-changing choice.
Once only a transit point for drugs, Indonesia has become one of the key narcotics markets in the region. The country has some of the strictest narcotics laws in the world, including capital punishment for drug traffickers.The government argues that tough laws are needed because it claims that four million Indonesians are drug users and more than 30 addicts die from an overdose every day. But critics say the country is failing to address the issue.Users and dealers are subject to the same harsh penalties - filling an overcrowded corrupt prison system that is also awash with drugs.Now, the country wants to rehabilitate 100,000 addicts a year using forced therapy, but can it work101 East investigates Indonesia's war on drugs.
India's national ice hockey team is fighting to win hearts and matches in their quest for international sporting glory.India is a country where cricket is a religion and the players are seen as Gods.But it's also a place where a ragtag team of 22 men are fighting to put their sport - ice hockey - on the map. Based in Ladakh, in India's picturesque snowy north, India's little-known national ice hockey team may not have fame, fortune or even much of a following, but what they do have is passion.The players all dream of representing their country internationally - and winning. But can their passion survive the overwhelming obstacles in their path to sporting glory
He never finished medical school, but for the villagers of Rael in Cambodia's remote countryside, Chek Cheoum is a lifesaver. He only charges what his patients can afford, and is always nearby.With 0.2 doctors for every 1,000 people, Cambodia has one of the world's lowest ratios, forcing many to rely on unlicensed physicians like Cheoum.But when a village suffered a widespread HIV outbreak after contaminated needles were used on patients, the government banned all unlicensed medics.101 East uncovers Cambodia's failed healthcare system and its reliance on doctors with no licence to heal.
They call him the 'orangutan whisperer'.Leif Cocks is a former zookeeper from Australia who has dedicated his life to reintroducing endangered orangutans into the wild, something previously thought impossible.At a jungle school in Sumatra, Indonesia, rescued orangutans practice climbing, foraging and fending for themselves in the forests.Cocks has successfully reintroduced 180 of these unique animals and plans to save 8,000 more over the next decade.'My goal is to save enough habitat that we can have 8,000 orangutans protected in reserves that we are looking after. And that will secure the species. That's my goal. That's at least a decent way of spending one's life.'So can Leif Cocks and his jungle schools help save the endangered species from extinction101 East treks deep into the Sumatran jungle with the 'orangutan whisperer' and meets those he is desperately trying to save.
For thousands of asylum seekers, Australia represents the country of their dreams. But the government has declared that anyone who comes to Australia by boat will not be allowed to stay.Instead, they are sent to detention centres on the island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru.Unable to remain there indefinitely, refugees have been offered the chance to start a new life in Cambodia. But critics say the country is plagued by poverty and corruption. To date, only five refugees have taken up the offer.101 East follows Cambodia's resettled refugees and investigates the repercussions of this multimillion-dollar refugee transfer deal.
Filipinos love an action man, not just in the movies but in politics too. And you can't get more of an action man than politician Rodrigo Duterte.His hometown, Davao City, was once a violent no-go area overrun by criminals. But he turned it around when he became mayor, wielding brutal tactics including, allegedly, death squads.Now the hard man of city hall wants to take on the presidency and despite - or maybe because of - his fearsome approach, this outspoken statesman has a real chance of winning the top seat.101 East joins him on the road as he campaigns for the Philippines' presidency.
The trembling began just before noon. Suddenly, violent jolts reduced buildings to smithereens, burying residents under the rubble.The devastation caused by the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in 80 years was catastrophic - more than 8,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands left homeless.One year on, many of those who survived still live in makeshift shelters. Some have gone into debt to pay for medical care. Many are demanding to know why the government is not doing more to help.101 East returns to Nepal to find out how the earthquake is still taking a toll on this fragile nation.More from 101 East on:YouTube - http://aje.io/101eastYTFacebook - http://facebook.com/101east Twitter - http://twitter.com/aj101east Instagram - http://instagram.com/aj101east Website - http://aljazeera.com/101east
Since October last year, five men linked to a Hong Kong bookstore have disappeared one after another.China-born Swedish national Gui Minhai was allegedly taken from Thailand. Lui Por, Cheung Chi Ping and Lam Wing Kee disappeared in mainland China, and British citizen Lee Bo was last seen at his Hong Kong warehouse.The bookstore in question deals in publications critical of Chinese leaders, and before his disappearance, Gui was apparently preparing to publish a new book. Could this be the reason why he went missing All five men have since resurfaced in mainland China. But how did they get there Outraged Hong Kongers and the international community are demanding answers.
Office workers rush past, oblivious to the army of grey-haired residents toiling in the shadows of Hong Kong's soaring skyscrapers.Dragging trolleys laden with waste, they sell whatever they can collect for just a few dollars.Hong Kong is home to 64 billionaires and has the highest number of Rolls-Royces per capita in the world.But one in three elderly people lives in poverty - one of the highest senior poverty rates in the developed world.And with a rapidly ageing population, Hong Kong could soon face a 'silver tsunami'.101 East asks why so many elderly residents are struggling to survive in one of the world's richest cities.
Rajani Pandit will stop at nothing to find out the truth, and as a lady private detective in India, she is highly sought after. Her clients are mainly parents, worried that their children are making bad choices when it comes to love.This young generation is challenging India's tradition of arranged marriages, where the young brides and grooms are known and approved of by all the family. But where love can evolve over social media, are those they choose to love really who they say they are 101 East follows the lady love detectives as they investigate modern love in India.
It's one of our greatest fears - the stuff of horror movies and ocean folklore. But for many Australians, the prospect of being eaten by a shark has become all too real.A spate of shark attacks - some fatal - has left Australians' love affair with the ocean in tatters. Some argue nets are vital to keep these predators at bay, but others say those who enter the sharks' natural domain must accept the risk.As debate rages over how best to protect swimmers, 101 East asks, how safe is it for Australians to go back into the water.
They work in one of the most dangerous and conservative areas of Pakistan.'Where I come from, women are not usually allowed to get an education,' says Khalida Niaz, who went on a hunger strike to convince her father to let her finish school.Now, she is a radio newsreader for the Tribal News Network, which broadcasts across Pakistan's troubled border region with Afghanistan.Reporting the news here can be deadly - threats by armed groups have shut down most media outlets. But Khalida and her colleagues know there are some stories that only women can tell.101 East meets the team making women's voices heard in Pakistan's tribal region.
Flashy, materialistic, with more money than they can spend - these are the privileged children of China's top one percent.From crashing sports cars to setting bank notes alight, their antics are notorious.As they splurge on multimillion-dollar properties, luxury yachts and endless shopping sprees, in cities such as Vancouver, Canada, one group of girls is playing out their exploits on a reality TV show.101 East is invited into the girls' inner circle and finds out what goes on in a world where money is no object.Follow 101 East here:Facebook: http://facebook.com/101eastTwitter: http://twitter.com/aj101eastInstagram: http://instagram.com/aj101eastHomepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
Fields of poppies are in full bloom as far as the eye can see.It's harvest time for the 200,000 families who make a living from poppy cultivation in Myanmar.Production has more than doubled in recent years. For decades, opium money has underpinned much of Myanmar's economy.But with the country's townships flooded with pure, cheap heroin, the cost of being the world’s second biggest opium producer is proving deadly.101 East explores Myanmar's dangerous addiction.
It's an unlikely ski resort in the middle of wartorn Afghanistan.There's no ski lift, no apres ski bars - in fact there are few skis - but it is a symbol of the hope and resilience of the Hazara people.The Taliban persecuted the Hazara when they were in control of Bamiyan, infamously destroying the magnificent giant Buddhas that dated back to the 6th century.Today, a resurgent Taliban is seizing huge swaths of the country.But instead of fleeing, the Hazara are aiming high - from encouraging international tourism to rebuilding the sacred Buddhas of Bamiyan.So will this enterprise in the remote alps of Afghanistan - and the Hazara people - survive a resurgent.
101 East investigates if Asia's budget airlines are sacrificing safety as competition for passengers heats up.
We investigate the dangers facing medics on the frontline in the wake of a fatal attack on a hospital in Afghanistan.
Thailand has long been a sanctuary for Chinese dissidents fleeing persecution at home.But Beijing's long reach is catching up with exiles in this Southeast Asian country, with disturbing results.Reports that the Thai military government is deporting Chinese refugees at Beijing's request are instilling fear among dissidents.Asylum seekers say they are constantly harassed by Chinese agents who will stop at nothing to silence Beijing's critics.As suspicion and paranoia grow, 101 East meets the Chinese dissidents living in fear in Thailand and investigates the menacing threats that lurk.
From setting fire to curtains inside an aeroplane cabin and hurling scalding noodles over a flight attendant to urinating in public places, Chinese tourists have gained a bad reputation.One in 10 travellers world-wide is from China.Outside of Asia, their destination of choice is France, where their museum visits and shopping for luxury labels account for a sizeable chunk of tourism profits.Despite complaints from locals, officials in Paris want to double the number of Chinese visitors to five million a year.101 East asks what it will take to turn the plane loads of first-time travellers from China into well behaved sightseers.
In India's neonatal hospital wards they struggle for life - sick infants battling untreatable 'superbugs' . Tens of thousands of them lose their lives every year. This is the frontline in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, one of the most serious threats to global health of our time, according to the World Health Organization. India consumes more antibiotics than any other country. Coupled with poor sanitation and overcrowding, the nation is the perfect breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 101 East investigates how India is becoming a hotbed for superbugs and how it is leading the fight to curb this global menace.
The path to true love is never easy but in Japan, finding 'the one' has never been harder. Only a third of the nation's youth have been in a relationship. Many consider a romantic partner bothersome in a country famous for maid cafes, herbivore men and pop idol shows. For the government, playing cupid is now in the national interest. As the country's population rapidly declines, it's funding matchmaking events to help encourage marriage - and babies. Such events are also being embraced by reality shows, small towns and even monks who need a partner for their temple to survive. 101 East asks, can love find a way in desperate and dateless Japan Join the conversation @AJ101East More from 101 East on: YouTube - http://aje.io/101eastYouTube Facebook - http://facebook.com/101east Twitter - http://twitter.com/aj101east Instagram - http://instagram.com/aj101east Website - http://aljazeera.com/101east
Bubbling streams, lush forests, cherry blossoms in full bloom – Japan’s north is stunningly picturesque. But nature’s beauty hides a lethal secret – dangerous levels of radiation contaminate this area, fall-out from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Five years after the twin catastrophes of the tsunami and nuclear meltdown, villages sit silent and empty. Thousands of workers still toil to clean up the radioactive material but it could be decades before their work is finished. As Japan continues to suffer the toxic aftermath of one of its worst ever disasters, 101 East reveals that the countryside may never again be safe.
In India, hundreds of women in their 60s and 70s are defying age and having children. Elderly couples are turning to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to have babies and avoid the stigma associated with being childless in India. India is now home to the oldest mothers in the world, and a fierce debate is raging over age limits for IVF. 101 East explores the ethics of this growing phenomenon of elderly new mothers and asks, how old is too old to give birth Are doctors exploiting vulnerable women and misusing science, or fulfilling the right of every woman to bear a child
In rural Nepal, an entire village shares a secret. Every family here has at least one member who has sold their kidney to traffickers. Each year, international organ trafficking gangs convince 10,000 mostly poor people to give up a kidney. Sometimes the donors get paid for it, sometimes they don't. But the cost to their health can be devastating. Most of their kidneys end up in India, often in Calcutta, which has been nicknamed 'The Great Kidney Bazaar'. 101 East travels the kidney trafficking route, talking to the donors, police, brokers and doctors involved in this bloody black market.
There's a magic formula to becoming a millionaire in China - borrow big to earn big. For years, individuals, state-owned companies and municipalities have taken massive loans to chase the Chinese dream. Now it's payback time, but a severe economic slowdown means many are struggling to pay their debts. Entire neighbourhoods have become "ghost towns", industrial companies sit idle and the unemployed are growing desperate. Government economists claim China has enough in its coffers to cover the bad loans, but defaulting on it could send the world's economy into a tailspin. 101 East asks, is this the end of China Inc?
There are more than 200,000 foreign domestic workers in Singapore. Under the law, they have to be at least 23 years old. But one NGO says it is seeing more and more minors at its shelter for abused maids. Most of these girls come from Myanmar, where investigations reveal a web of deceit and corruption in the recruitment process, and immigration officials are regularly bribed to doctor birthdates on travel documents. Because of their youth, the girls are often easy targets for abusive employers and sexual predators. But just how bad is the problem and what is being done to remedy it 101 East investigates.
Japan is famous for having one of the safest societies in the world, with exceptionally low levels of crime. But does this clean image hide a darker side The country's criminal courts have almost a 100 percent conviction rate. But justice in Japan relies on confessions, and police and prosecutors have been accused of abusing their authority. With advances in forensic and DNA technology, an increasing number of wrongful convictions are coming to light, proving that innocent people have been imprisoned, sometimes for life. 101 East asks: Is justice being served in Japan
We investigate how the Australian town of Bourke is trying to save their indigenous youth from a life of crime.
101 East investigates how every year, tens of thousands of girls and women in India are trafficked into slave marriages.
The Philippine president has been accused of ordering extrajudicial killings, but who is the man behind the headlines?
101 East investigates the sinister world of baby selling in Malaysia, where infants are sold to the highest bidder.
Millions of China's children are growing up without their parents. We look at the struggles of a generation left behind.
101 East travels into Ghana's tropical rainforest where 30,000 Chinese miners hunt for gold.
Young skilled South Koreans throw away their careers for manual jobs overseas to flee the pressures of life at home.
Conservationists are in a desperate and uphill battle to save India’s tigers from extinction.
101 East explores the tradition of confinement for new mothers in modern China and the growing industry behind it.
101 East investigates the suspicious murder of a political activist in Cambodia.
Vietnam's young tech entrepreneurs are transforming the country into Southeast Asia's Silicon Valley.
We join Afghan forces on the frontlines in Helmand, as they try to keep the Taliban from seizing a crucial capital.
Is India's crackdown on Kashmiri protesters creating new generation of young fighters?
101 East investigates sexual misconduct inside the most powerful institution in the Philippines - the Catholic Church.
101 East goes inside the Dalit protest movement threatening to end centuries of repression and shake the foundations of India’s social structure.
101 East investigates the fate of four young girls in Pakistan, where honour killings are endemic and modern technology is challenging old beliefs.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, hundreds of school students fight in street brawls, some to their death.
101 East reports from the frontlines in the fight to take back the city of Mosul from the Islamic State.
China is spending up big to save its pandas but does it want to see them live free in the wild or breed them as cute, valuable national symbols?
In Korea, the murder of a young woman in the affluent Gangnam district has ignited a vicious public debate about the country's entrenched misogyny. Feminists blamed Korea's gender inequality and took to the streets which sparked counter protests from men's rights defenders who felt men were unfairly attacked. This debate intensified online where feminists mirror the name-calling men direct at them. But these tactics only made the men angrier. And for some, this online conflict has painful real-life consequences. 101 East explores misogyny and murder in South Korea as a vicious gender war erupts
101 East investigates a murder mystery that has captivated the world: the killing of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korea's volatile leader.
101 East meets India's 'Love Commandos' - the men risking their own lives to help protect young lovers from being killed in the name of honour.
One year since the government of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi took power, 101 East explores why high hopes for Myanmar have been dashed.
As Europe deports tens of thousands of Afghans, they are returning home to a country besieged by poverty and an intensifying war.
Five million children in India have genius-level IQ's but remain undiscovered. 101 East follows two children fighting for the chance to shine.
101 East reveals how China plans to conquer world soccer, spending billions on star foreign players, coaches, and training academies.
101 East investigates dowry-related murders and suicides among women in Australia's Indian community.
India's construction boom is feeding a vicious illegal sand mining industry where crime gangs stop at nothing - even murder - to profit from the trade.
A look into the forces that profit from recruiting migrant labourers, many of whom work illegally and are underpaid.
We go inside Bangladesh's biggest brothel, a town where 1,500 women work as prostitutes, some as young as 10 years old.
Seventy years after the partition of India, we examine the troubled legacy of the event that shaped the subcontinent.
In Mongolia, child jockeys are dying and suffering painful injuries in some of the world's longest horse races.
Behind the razor wire of Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison, we find out how inmates serving life sentences survive.
101 East meets the child reporters behind a newspaper that tells the stories of India's two million street kids and the injustices they endure.
Meet the South East Asian women saving the population of the remote Faroe Islands, one marriage at a time.
101 East explores how the US continues to deport Cambodian Americans who have committed a crime and served their time.
It will be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the biggest in the world - if it goes ahead.
ISIL captured the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines to turn it into a new caliphate of the so-called Islamic State.
What does the future hold for the Rohingya in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries?
We go behind the screens with China's online stars and the nation's love affair with online streaming sites.
101 East ventures into the freezing wilderness to meet the traditional eagle hunters of Mongolia.
101 East goes inside the world of India's billionaires, where money is no object.
101 East meets the residents of Manila's cemeteries who have built lives and communities among the city's dead.
101 East meets the Chinese men seeking to find a bride anyway they can in a country with a severe lack of women.
They are the children of criminals. Their parents are doing time in Chinese prisons, some serving life sentences for horrific crimes. With no one to care for them and nowhere to go, Sun Village, a shelter in Beijing, takes them in. Run by a former prison officer, Sun Village is helping raise China's most vulnerable young people - teaching them to cook and clean, and helping them deal with their trauma. On this episode, 101 East meets the children growing up with their parents behind bars. Follow 101 East here: Facebook: http://facebook.com/101east Twitter: http://twitter.com/aj101east Instagram: http://instagram.com/aj101east Homepage: http://aljazeera.com/programmes/101east
101 East reveals the shadowy underworld offering help to the rising numbers of teenage mothers in the Philippines.
How a world-renowned Australian surgeon returned to his birthplace in Iraq, to help amputees to walk again.
The Pacific paradise of Enewtak Atoll harbours a devastating secret - the toxic legacy of American nuclear testing. Between 1946 and 1958, the US military tested 43 nuclear bombs in the Pacific. Now a concrete dome - 46cm thick - seals 80,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste on the deserted island of Runit. But the dome is not working. Rising sea levels threaten to flush a vast stash of highly radioactive plutonium into the Pacific Ocean. This is not the only fallout - the soldiers who cleaned up the mess and the Marshallese islanders are abandoned by a government refusing any responsibility.
101 East asks if North Korean missile attacks are stoking fear and hatred in Japan.
Thousands of children go missing or are abandoned each year in Pakistan. But one charity is determined to save them.
101 East investigates the human cost of one of the world's most polluted rivers, the Citarum in Indonesia.
Thousands of Rohingya girls continue to face sexual exploitation, forced marriage and trafficking in refugee camps.
101 East investigates the corrupt forces profiting from sending young girls from Myanmar to Singapore to work as maids.
Once a weapon of war, abductions are still happening in Sri Lanka. Is there justice for the nation's disappeared?
101 East investigates why more Australian indigenous children are being removed from their families than ever before.
Will Anwar Ibrahim finally rise to lead his country? 101 East talks to Malaysia's leader-in-waiting.
How China controls its citizens inside and outside the country where no criticism or dissent is allowed.
How hackers got away with one of the biggest thefts in history, robbing Bangladesh's central bank of more than $80m.
A rape crisis at Australian universities threatens the country's $18bn international student industry.
Mass evictions and demolitions in the Chinese capital have forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Why are so few Afghan girls in school, despite the international community investing billions into girls' education?
China's Bama region is home to an astonishing number of people aged over 100. But are they really as old as they claim?
Investigating how antiquities stolen from the Himalayas end up in museums and private collections around the world.
A look at alleged corruption by Cambodia's elite as the ruling party cracks down on critics leading up to elections.
The extraordinary inside story of the rescue of a young Thai football team from Tham Luang cave in Thailand.
A look at the slums of Yangon and how families are crippled by high-interest loans as others profit from their despair.
101 East investigates the corporations that profit from the chaos and misery of disaster-prone Philippines.
101 East investigates the rise and fall of India's most powerful swamis.
101 East exposes how companies and the government are turning a blind eye to the human cost of palm oil production.
101 East exposes the foreign fraudsters in the Philippines stealing millions through global financial scams.
A year-long operation by law enforcers in five countries to bring down the world's most wanted money launderer.
We investigate the devastating cost of China's expanding ocean theme parks on the world's largest marine mammals.
China needs to modernise trash management. Does this mean edging out small-time scavengers? 101 East investigates.
101 East boards the hospital train travelling across India, delivering medical care to those who need it the most.
101 East interviews Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak.
In South Korea, dog meat has been on the menu for centuries, with about 2 million dogs believed to be eaten every year. But strict government regulations and a growing animal rights movement are cracking down on the industry. Today, consumption is declining, especially among younger generations who see dogs as pets, not food. But dog farmers argue there's no difference between raising dogs and raising cows, pigs or chickens. And that the ancient cultural practice has health benefits. 101 East travels to South Korea to investigate the fight between those who love dogs, and those who love to eat them.
Examining how the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games is shining light on Japan's mistreatment of people considered imperfect.
Investigating China's Social Credit system which seeks to reward good behaviour and punish what is considered bad.
Investigating rising fears that Nepal has become a target for paedophiles acting under the cover of aid work.
How the war on drugs is pushing Filipino jails to breaking point as they operate at 600 percent their capacity.
We meet aspiring African footballers as they try to make it in Thailand's big league. But competition is fierce.
101 East follows Chinese Uighurs as they flee what they call repression and detainment in their homeland.
101 East investigates Malaysia's 1MDB scandal and speaks with the accidental hero who blew the whistle.
A group of Chinese scientists embarks on a daring deep-sea mission in the hunt for rare resources and unique creatures.
Activists accuse Chinese state media of human rights violations, for televising confessions they allege were forced.
101 East meets Thailand's artists who are fighting back against censorship and military rule.
We follow the journey of two refugees from a detention centre on Manus Island to their new homes in the US and Canada.
After 68 years of separation, an elderly South Korean mother has the chance to reunite with her North Korean son.
101 East follows Indonesia’s die-hard football fans as violence threatens to shut down an entire league.
Investigating why Myanmar has become the world's biggest meth producer, driving a meth explosion in the region.
Investigating why more Australian women are behind bars than ever before and the challenges they face once released.
Investigating how Pakistan's degree mill profits from selling fake qualifications to people around the world.
We investigate corruption in Malaysia and the 1MDB scandal that saw billions of dollars siphoned out of the country.
The wombat is under threat from an agonising disease. 101 East meets the woman trying to save them.
We investigate why people are risking their lives in an illegal gold industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
101 East investigates New Zealand's worst mass shooting that killed dozens of innocent people.
As war continues to cripple Afghanistan, health workers are restoring the limbs, and lives, of their patients.
101 East investigates what led to Sri Lanka’s Easter attacks and whether they could have been prevented.
101 East investigates why plans to abolish the death penalty in Malaysia are causing controversy.
101 East follows Australia's animal rights activists as they go head-to-head with the country's farmers.
101 East investigates how illegal loggers are plundering some of Cambodia's last remaining forests.
After famine comes obesity. 101 East explores China's unconventional methods for getting its citizens fit and healthy.
101 East shows how space technology is helping uncover modern slavery and free bonded workers.
As the Taliban and US negotiate a peace deal, Afghan women fear their rights and freedoms will be traded for stability.
We meet the South Korean grandmothers going back to school, keeping classroom doors open in struggling rural towns.
Rare monkeys, butterflies, bats, snakes and a dazzling assortment of birds - the forests on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are known as the 'Galapagos of Asia'. But for how much longer? Humanity's impact is now endangering the survival of Sulawesi's creatures, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. "80 to 90 percent of the wildlife in Sulawesi is facing extinction. We are sleepwalking into ecological disaster," says Billy, who works at the Tasikoki Wildlife Refuge. A range of animals, from orangutans, sun bears and birds to crocodiles, can be found at the refuge. All of them have been taken from traffickers or people who kept them illegally as pets. But Billy says the demand for "bushmeat" poses the biggest threat to animals. "Mostly they are being caught from the wild, from the forest, for bushmeat … to be served on a plate as food," he says. At the Tomohon market, just about every kind of animal is for sale. "We sell all sorts of things, like bats, wild boar, snakes. We have wild rats, dog," says David, one of the sellers. He's been selling bush meat here for eight years, mostly to indigenous locals. "It's a custom that people have," he says. But that custom, along with the trend of keeping wild animals as pets and the illegal wildlife trafficking that serves that, is proving a lethal combination. 101 East investigates how people's insatiable demand for rare wildlife is pushing Sulawesi towards ecological catastrophe.
They risk their lives, jumping from high-rise buildings, playing with fire, driving at breakneck speeds. Their dangerous antics are on the big screen for all to see but most movie viewers will never learn their real identities. India's stunt performers put their bodies on the line for the country's biggest film stars, for a meagre wage. "If action films are a hit, the main reason is the stuntman but no one knows him," says Javid Gauri, a stuntman from Saharanpur in India's north. Stunt work has given Gauri a pathway out of poverty, but he says being a stunt double for big action stars can be bittersweet. "We don't even get a credit … In a scene, when the character takes off their helmet and shows their face to the audience, the hero gets all the glory and we feel bad." Sometimes, stunt work can be a matter of life and death. Accidents are common, and some are fatal. Balaji Raghav's brother Uday jumped to his death in an incident at a lake outside Bengaluru in 2016. Uday and another stuntman had to jump 60 feet (18 metres) from a helicopter into the lake, but instead of a spectacular action scene, the camera recorded the two men drowning. "It was far from the shore. Uday tried to swim but he couldn't," says Balaji. "He was yelling for help but nobody came." 101 East explores why so many young Indian stunt performers are drawn to the bright lights of Bollywood for little reward.
Two young boys climb into a boxing ring, and the crowd erupts. Cheers crescendo as the fighters pummel and pound each other for the chance of fame and fortune in the brutal sport of Muay Thai. They’re among thousands of Thai children risking their lives in a sport that can sometimes prove fatal. A 13-year-old boy died last year after a knock-out punch in a ring on the outskirts of Bangkok. Minutes into the fight, Anucha Tasako went down from a legal blow from his 15-year-old opponent, Nitikron, and never regained consciousness. “When I heard the news, I felt sorry and I couldn’t sleep, says Nitikron, who has fought more than 100 matches. “I attended the vigil to ask for forgiveness.” At Tasako’s funeral, his uncle said he died a ‘warrior’, but critics say young Muay Thai fighters like him are being exploited. Studies show child fighters often suffer brain damage, prompting calls for the sport to be banned. Dr Jiraporn Laothamatas, who has studied the brains of hundreds of child fighters, says they usually have lower IQs than children who haven’t been in the ring. She says Tasako’s death should prompt authorities to ban young children from boxing. “These kids, they are our future. They are the future of our country. How can we let this kind of thing happen?” But with families often betting on their own children, 101 East investigates whether young boxers will continue to pay the ultimate price.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” has been blamed for thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings. Now, the president is waging another bloody war - this time against a communist rebellion. In November last year, Duterte declared a state of emergency on the island of Negros, ordering military and police reinforcements to launch operations against the New People’s Army. But many allege the victims have not just been rebel fighters. Rights organisations say they have documented more than 80 alleged extrajudicial killings of farm workers, human rights advocates and lawyers on Negros since Duterte came to power in 2016. Ben Ramos, a human rights lawyer who represented poor farmers, was shot late one night in November last year. His wife, Yesha Ramos, blames the Duterte government for his death. "I feel so mad, I feel so sad, I feel just really angry," she tells 101 East. "It was the state forces. Taking the life of a person who is very innocent, who has been very supportive of farmers, is not an answer." Major General Parlade, the spokesman for the president’s new national task force to end the communist armed conflict, pledged to help the national police investigate his killing. But when pressed about other cases where families insist innocent people were killed, Parlade maintains those who are killed must have fought back. "There will be no killing if there is no armed resistance," he says. As the death toll rises, 101 East investigates Duterte’s new war.
Dug into a Taiwanese beach, cannons and tanks open fire as fighter jets and assault helicopters launch missiles overhead. It is all part of annual military exercises, designed to prepare Taiwan for a landing by Chinese troops. For 70 years, the Taiwanese have lived under self-rule. But now China is calling on the island to reunify with the mainland, or face the consequences. "If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, our military has no choice but to fight at all costs - for national unity," a senior Chinese general warned earlier this year. But in Taiwan, many are hanging on to their independence with fierce determination. Rock star and politician Freddy Lim is famous among young people as the frontman for cult death metal band, Chthonic, but now he is pushing his message of Taiwanese independence to a broader audience. Banned from playing in Hong Kong and on the mainland, Lim's stage is his political platform. "Only if Taiwanese are united can we overcome all difficulties," Lim screamed to thousands of fans at a recent concert. He is adamant that Taiwan's sovereignty must be protected at all costs. "We have no choice. We can't give up because Taiwan is our home," he says. "We have nowhere to escape. We just have to try to protect our way of life." 101 East investigates Taiwan's resolve to remain independent in the face of China's growing determination to regain control.
With its sandy beaches and turquoise waters, the Maldives is a magnet for tourists from around the globe. But some young Maldivians say the postcard images are far removed from their daily lives. They speak about a sense of hopelessness, as they struggle to find work. Some become addicted to drugs, making them an easy target for groups like Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).
A man sits on a chair, surrounded by a group of men. One by one, they take turns to hit him. This is how the Grace Road Church drives the evil from the bodies of its followers, according to former cult members. 101 East investigates this secretive Korean doomsday cult that has lured hundreds of followers to the Pacific island of Fiji. Followers like Lee Yunzae and his wife and children. He says cult members were beaten and worked for no pay in the church's businesses. After a year, he escaped with all of his family except for his eldest son, who remains in Fiji. "Because I took my kids to church, the fact that he's still in Fiji really hurts me. That's why I want my son to wake up to reality and get out of there," he says, as he embarks on a desperate mission to rescue his son. This investigation shows how the group continues to operate, despite its founder being convicted of fraud, child abuse and assault. In Fiji, Grace Road has fostered close ties with local politicians and won lucrative government contracts. Fijians who worked for the church say they were treated like slaves and are fearful of Grace Road's powerful connections. In a leaked video, its founder, Shin Ok-ju, has been filmed preaching about the country, saying: "We will rule, govern and conquer." 101 East reveals the inner workings of the South Korean cult that is tearing families apart.
Wang JiJang scans the airport nervously as he prepares to board a flight from the Indian capital, New Delhi, to Beijing. Hidden in his bag are drugs that could send him to prison for years, but Wang is not your typical drug smuggler. He is carrying cancer medication for a friend's sick mother, one of a growing number of Chinese taking extreme risks to obtain drugs deemed illegal in their country. Driven to desperation by the high cost of many pharmaceuticals in China, some travel to India to buy generic versions. Gao Fei relocated to India in 2015 from China to set up a pharmacy after serving a year-long sentence in prison for selling Indian generic drugs. Now his company has 100,000 Chinese customers and makes a substantial profit. But to ensure his packages pass smoothly through Indian customs, Gao says he has to pay bribes. 101 East follows those smuggling to survive.
A Chinese casino empire to rival Macau is investing big in Cambodia, transforming a once-sleepy seaside town into a hub for gangsters and shady operators. Tens of thousands of Chinese workers have moved to Sihanoukville, many working in the backrooms of hastily built casinos or labouring night and day on construction sites. As soaring skyscrapers fill the horizon, the Cambodian government is welcoming the massive cash injection with open arms. But as homes are demolished and roads collapse under the weight of construction, resentment among locals is growing. 101 East investigates the underworld figures cashing in on Cambodia’s casino boom.
We investigate why fishing ships from North Korea, discovered with dead bodies onboard, are washing up on Japan shores. A growing number of North Korean fishing boats are washing up on the shores of Japan. Sometimes there are survivors but often they carry a tragic cargo of corpses from the so-called “Hermit Kingdom”.
He has created new identities for many people. An expert at crafting fake passports, the man, known as "the Doctor", has helped drug dealers, criminals and terrorists move freely across borders. Thai police have called his forged passports the "best on the market". Now behind bars in a Thai prison, the Doctor is speaking out for the first time, revealing the secrets of his trade in this exclusive interview. "My job could fool the immigration and any agent in the airport and pass through, no problem," he boasts. For years, he operated in the shadows in Thailand. International security experts say the country is a hub for transnational crime, bringing the Doctor a steady flow of criminals who want new identities. "Even his customers didn't know who the Doctor was. He was able to hide in Thailand for 20 years," says Major-General Surajade Dhammadamrong. "Each person in his network didn't know each other, making sure they never met. Criminals operating like that are very hard to track down." But authorities eventually closed in on him as part of a crackdown on passport forgers. He may now be behind bars, but the Doctor is not yet ready to give up all his secrets - Thai authorities concede his true identity remains a mystery. 101 East traces the hunt for the master forger.
A notorious highway in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is the site of a shocking trade. Girls as young as 10 are being forced to work as prostitutes – and it’s their own families selling them to passing trucks. The girls are from the Bachara tribe, a low-caste community known as Dalits. Most of the Bachara men say discrimination stops them from getting jobs, so generations of girls have supported their families through prostitution. Filming undercover, 101 East discovers girls as young as 10 are being offered to men. While India introduced tougher child rape laws in 2018, advocates say the laws are not properly enforced.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called it the "project of the century". The new Silk Road is China's ambitious plan to boost its worldwide reach through new train and shipping lines, roads and ports. Following the old Silk Road, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) crisscrosses from Asia to Africa and Europe. China insists the massive development will benefit all countries along the route, but locals tell a different story. Along a railway that stretches from Djibouti to landlocked Ethiopia, local worker Mohamed says he feels frustrated. "The Chinese don't do anything! It's not right. They just hang around drinking water and eating ... All of the work is being done over there, and it's us, the Djiboutians, who are doing it," he says. 101 East travels to Pakistan, where China is investing $62bn over the next 15 years to transform the small fishing port of Gwadar. But local fisherman Ghani says he has not seen the benefits of this project. He lives with 36 relatives in a house that has no water or electricity. Since the deep-sea port was built, he says fishermen have been finding it increasingly difficult to find fish. "We no longer have access to certain areas at sea, where we always used to go fishing because there were lots of fish. The port has taken them over. Now we have to go much further out." 101 East examines the human cost of China's new Silk Road.
Every year, thousands of Japanese men and women vanish without a trace. They are known as the "johatsu", or evaporated people, and they engineer their own disappearances. Without warning, they leave behind loved ones who are left searching for answers.
101 East meets the first responders saving Australia’s wildlife from the country’s worst bushfires.
101 East examines why more people are withdrawing from society in Japan. Kenji Yamase spends his days in his bedroom. The 54-year-old has been a “hikikomori” all of his adult life. The term describes Japanese who rarely interact with society beyond their family.
Exclusive, secretly filmed video smuggled out of Myanmar appears to show continued persecution of Rohingya people. Myanmar’s government is on trial in the International Court of Justice, accused of orchestrating a campaign of destruction against the Rohingya people. 101 East has now obtained secretly filmed footage of killings that took place during a brutal army crackdown that led to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh.
We investigate the housing crisis sweeping across New Zealand, leaving families struggling to cope.
Hidden away in the COVID-19 pandemic are Malaysia's migrant workers. For years, they have done the country's most dangerous, dirtiest jobs. Now, undocumented foreign workers are scared for their future. Out of work and forced to live in cramped conditions, some are starving and dependent on charities to survive. The government has successfully contained the initial spread of the virus. It has also put some of the poorest areas of Kuala Lumpur behind barbed wire - testing and fingerprinting migrants, and arresting anyone without valid documents. 101 East investigates why Malaysia's migrant workers are at risk in the time of COVID-19.
They have been found everywhere - in bathrooms, subways, hotels, even schools. Thousands of tiny cameras hidden across South Korea secretly record people’s most private moments, with the footage distributed online. Arrests for “molka”, the Korean word for hidden camera, have soared in the last decade, with perpetrators coming from all corners of society - from a television anchor and a K-pop star to doctors. Even teachers have confessed to hiding cameras in school bathrooms, filming children and colleagues. 101 East investigates how one of the most connected countries in the world is waging war against digital sex crimes.
They are Australia's elite special forces. For more than 10 years, they were on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. But explosive revelations expose a series of killings by some of these highly trained soldiers. In this revealing programme, a special forces operative who was on these covert missions speaks out about what he saw. What he has to say will shock and appal. In an investigation that was months in the making, drawing upon sources in Australia and Afghanistan, 101 East exposes a culture of impunity and cover-up among members of Australia's special forces.
On March 15, 2019, the New Zealand city of Christchurch was shattered when a gunman opened fire at two mosques, killing 51 people and wounding another 40. In the following days, flowers and messages of support flowed in from around the world amid a public outpouring of grief. But two years later, the world’s media and international attention have moved on, while those at the heart of the tragedy are still finding ways to deal with the trauma. 101 East returns to Christchurch to follow the survivors on their journey of recovery from wounds both physical and emotional.
We explore the violent underbelly of Port Moresby, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is regularly ranked one of the most dangerous cities in the world. From armed robberies and car-jackings to murders, the gangs who rule the streets are known to be ruthless. They often recruit young people from the countryside, who move to the city in a desperate bid to escape poverty. The gangs target the country’s wealthy elite, many of whom have become rich thanks to PNG’s rich natural resources. With rare access to gang members and the police, 101 East explores PNG’s violent underbelly.
With the Taliban back in power, 101 East investigates the fight for justice for Afghanistan’s women.
101 East investigates one of South Korea’s worst peace-time atrocities and those allegedly behind it now living in Australia.
Two Indian restaurants are shutting down every week in the UK. Why is Britain saying toodle-oo to vindaloo?
101 East follows the Chinese mothers fighting to reunite with their children, who were abducted by their fathers.
101 East investigates human trafficking and enslavement by Chinese cyber-scam operations in Cambodia and their links to the government and elite.
On the front line of the battle to save Tasmania’s ancient forests, 101 East meets the ordinary citizens risking jail time to make a stand.
101 East meets the scientists trying to bring the Tasmanian tiger back to life and asks if it is scientifically possible or just a publicity stunt.
101 East travels to Kazakhstan, where Russians opposed to the war in Ukraine are starting new lives.
101 East investigates the global demand for monkeys for medical testing and the efforts to stop smuggling cartels.
101 East reveals how India is fighting to conserve its population of one of the world’s rarest animals.
101 East travel across the island spending time with different tribes.
