A Nation at Risk: China's Fake Food Scandal

China Dissidents | Investigate Asia From harassing relatives back home to disrupting protests and spying on critics in other countries, China is one of the most aggressive governments in targeting dissidents abroad. We follow three dissidents in America as they continue their fight for democracy. Juntao Wang, a primary organiser of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and one of the world’s most renowned Chinese dissidents, has led the Democratic Party of China for more than a decade from its New York headquarters. But, wherever he goes, pro-Beijing mobs often follow. While showing support for Taiwan’s democracy, his group is violently attacked. Artist Weiming Chen, who criticises the Chinese government through his sculptures, has been spied on and had his work burned down. Meanwhile, asylum seeker Chunyan Wang, forced into exile after her house was appropriated by the Chinese government, is constantly surveilled. She takes her protest directly to the Chinese Vice Premier during US-China trade talks. But her attempts to hand him a petition lead to her being arrested and tried for a criminal conviction, facing ten years in prison

Tricked into Surgery: India’s Hysterectomy Scandal | Investigate Asia In India, the average age of women having a hysterectomy is just 34. Many are a lot younger. Thousands of women are being tricked into expensive and unnecessary operations to remove their wombs by unscrupulous private doctors. As well as leaving their families burdened with heavy debt, the operations push the women into early menopause, often leaving them weak and unable to work. In the sugar growing region of Beed, one in three women have had their wombs removed. Many of them, like Prabarvati, went to the doctor with period pain, backaches or bladder infections and were told they had cancer and the only solution was an urgent hysterectomy. She was 26 when she had the operation. Years later, she suffers from crippling pain and appears decades older. Her daughter had to stop going to school and start working the cane plantations to help the family survive. Other women were pushed into having the operation by cane cutting contractors, who are reluctant to hire women who menstruate. There is a belief

Istanbul: The Two Faces of Turkey | Investigate Asia Is Istanbul still Turkey’s most European city? The only city in the world to straddle two continents, sometimes conservative, sometimes ultra-modern, the city of a thousand faces has thousands of stories to tell. In his 20 years in power, President Erdogan has changed the culture of the country. He has financed dozens of historical TV series, which glorify the Ottoman Empire and are a hit on public television. In the country’s cultural capital, bars and nightclubs are gradually being replaced by oriental pastry stores, shopping malls dedicated to Islamic fashions have emerged and provocative artists are closely monitored. The authorities are focusing on tourism from the Middle East rather than European visitors. But many people refuse to be silenced. Singer Aisu, who is so provocative she has trouble finding radio stations willing to play her songs, now reaches her audience via social media. Meanwhile satirical cartoonist, Tunay, who has seen his friends imprisoned, continues to depict Erdogan as an old sultan. This documentary first aired in July 2024. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

India under Modi: The New Hindu Superpower | Investigate Asia What if the next world superpower was India, not China? With its 1.4 billion inhabitants, India is already the most populous country in the world. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, India has embraced both ultra-productivity and ultra-nationalism. Everything that happens in the world happens in India on a much larger scale. In the past decade, Modi has transformed and reshaped the country: for the better according to his supporters, for the worse according to his opponents. India is now the fifth largest economy in the world and has democratized access to technology. No one can deny the scale of the country’s social, political and cultural transformation. Slowly but surely, Modi is positioning India as a counter- balance to the West. He has silenced his opponents, rewritten the national narrative to the point of erasing whole swathes of its own history and created a new apartheid. But India, which often seems so distant and far removed from our preoccupations, has also become the magnifying glass of global challenges. The strategic

Giant Pop-Up Constructions: Ice Festival | Investigate Asia Structures 15 meters high and 25 meters wide - made out of snow. For 70 years now, every winter, Sapporo, Japan, has hosted one of the largest snow festivals in the world: Sapporo Snow Festival. Each team has three weeks to create works of art the size of an apartment building from a few hundred tons of loose snow. Even a small mistake or a rise in temperature of 1°C - 2° C can cause an entire structure to collapse. Failure is not an option. Perfectionism is a national trait. There’s a lot at stake: circa two million visitors from all over the world are expected. The Japanese military traditionally build the largest and most elaborate sculpture at the festival. In over fifteen thousand man-hours, Major Ling and 80 soldiers are rebuilding the royal palace in Warsaw. They need 300 tons of snow. But there is a problem: in the event’s 70 year history, snowfall has been at its lowest this year. And this despite the fact that Sapporo is one of

Asia Exposed: Child Sex Exploitation | Investigate Asia The illegal child sex exploitation trade in Cambodia is seen through the eyes and lenses of a family photographer. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Welcome to Investigate Asia - Explore the diverse landscapes of Asia through in-depth documentaries that delve into the region's politics, economy, culture, and history. From ancient traditions to modern innovations, our content offers a unique perspective on the forces shaping Asia today. Join us on a journey to better understand one of the world’s most dynamic and influential regions. Whether you're a history enthusiast or curious about global affairs, this channel is your gateway to discovering Asia.