Double digits have been reached as Eugene and Amy kick off the 10th episode of RFA Insider, talking about marriage, soccer and missing monks.
Podcast Free Asia
The previous pride episode (catch up with 9a and 9b) drew two comments from listeners. The first, from Nay Lin, praises panelist Phoe Khwar, who shared his path to becoming Myanmar’s first openly gay journalist. Nay Lin writes, “…Proud of myself to know him.” Eugene and Amy concur.
The second comment comes from YouTube, where user @ThunderFarter asks why we “need to hear and propagate [Pride] 24/24.” Amy notes that the point of the pride movement is to combat societal shame and suppression by celebrating LGBTQIA+ identities loudly and proudly, while Eugene adds that change isn’t something that can be accomplished through a singular acknowledgement of an issue, but rather, through an ongoing conversation.
The Rundown
The first story in the Rundown comes from China, where marriage rates have dropped nearly 56% in less than a decade. Amy outlines some of the causes, starting with policy. China's one-child policy created a massive imbalance of men to women, complicating the work of pairing up. Moreover, policy changes that essentially strip divorced women of their rights to marital property and require couples to wait 30 days before divorcing have only made women hesitate more about entering into a legal union. On top of all this, marriage is becoming unaffordable due to China's struggling economy, record unemployment and cutthroat competition. Thus, those who get married do so later in life – the average age a woman in China marries currently sits at 30, roughly the same as in Washington, D.C.
Next, Eugene gives a briefing on North Korea's prospects as the world's football (or soccer) teams compete to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Last week, North Korea received a stroke of small luck after being drawn into Group A alongside Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan for the third round of Asian qualifiers. Though the North Korean team has the lowest world ranking among the six, only one country in the group (Iran) is ranked among the world's top 30 teams. Moreover, in drawing Group A, North Korea avoids a showdown with South Korea as well as the "Group of Death" comprised of Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. Now, North Korea needs to finish in second place or higher in its group, or finish in third or fourth place and do well in the fourth round of qualifiers to secure a spot at the upcoming World Cup. We'll also keep an eye on China, though as a group of death member, qualification for them much less likely.
How It’s Made
Vietnamese Service journalist Truong Son calls in from Taiwan to discuss the case of Thich Minh Tue, a man whose barefoot pilgrimage across Vietnam has gone viral online. Tue’s adherence to a humble and low-key Buddhist lifestyle has attracted supporters critical of the corruption and elite lifestyles associated with state-backed clergy. However, Tue and several of his followers were detained following a violent raid by police in early June, and the “unofficial monk” has not been heard from since June 12.