Im melissa chan welcome to news asia thank you for joining us we start with china where often weve looked at how beijing polices its own citizens online activities but the country has growing Digital Power beyond its borders we saw that recently when pro china bots and users campaigned against american basketball executive who tweeted his support to hong kong protesters we know china is actively trying to influence the Upcoming Elections in taiwan and a few weeks ago facebook and twitter announced they took down thousands of state coordinated china backed pages accounts meant to influence Public OpinionFacebooks Mark Zuckerberg pledged to be vigilant this week he said we face increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation states like russia iran and china but im confident were more prepared. Beijing was asked about these accusations including whether china might be influencing the u. S. Elections the Foreign Ministry deny doing anything wrong but would you that you know that i think this is absurd and lovable china has never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries and we have never had any interest in meddling in the elections of other countries including the us election i mean if someone says china is interfering in the elections than present the evidence and you know we have match traitor with the alliance for securing democracy part of the German Marshall Fund for more matt so we just heard that china says that they do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries sticking to the Digital Space what do we know about that. China says it doesnt hurt europe internal affairs other countries a lot of the truth is usually somewhat different from. Some of the Digital Space youve already mentioned a little bit i want and thats a really interesting example because we have some evidence. From the elections. Chinese state backed actors may have actually done a lot on stage spoken online other social media platforms to help boost the chances. Of a very very croatia and some of the tactics that they use theyre actually looks a lot like what we saw in the United States in which russian actors now weve seen some pretty dramatic examples over the last few weeks of china flexing its online muscle lets talk about tech talk weve been hearing a lot about tick tock what is it and what are people worried about. How this is the question is. So its a social me out that you install on your phone and it shows you enlist series of short videos to trains to seconds at about met and if its mostly popular among people of high school and college age right now the important thing about this app is that an algorithm decides what you see next so you dont actually issues whats the next that youre going to see as you do it. And this app is owned by a Company Based in china has actually already run into problems with the chinese authorities and respond to that by swearing loyalty so its using things political agenda saying were going to do a better job and lamenting the communist partys ideological agenda so theres obvious problems with a company thats already supported the communist party that already helped censoring information inside of china right now having control out that is its actually the most popular social media app outside of any apps owned by facebook so you know that because whats happened is its own messaging app and is the most the most popular out. What do we know about china and the u. S. Elections does beijing really benefit from a specific outcome of the elections. This one of this really really hard to answer you know as somebody whos been washing prognostications in the states for a number of years now there or there are all kinds of process prognostications about whether was going to be good for the u. S. China relationship for 26. 00. Really seemed like the chinese themselves didnt have any idea whether that was going to be a case so i think its its hard to say right now whether china really wants to enter security killer way. Traitor thank you. As president joko widodo starts his 2nd term this week many people in indonesia wonder just what direction he will try to take the country students have protested a proposed criminal code they say discriminates against minorities including transgender people just how is that group seen and treated we have the story of one Transgender Group and its attempts to build its own community. Washing before prayer is a daily ritual force into cinta was called santa when she was born she changed her name but the faith remained being muslim and transgender force into this is not a contradiction she says she finds peace and security in islam and feels that spirituality is important for everyone no matter what they believe in. Book and my prayer isnt about whether youre a man or a woman we are just people who seek an encounter with god of creation meets creator completely independent of gender thats how i see it in the year in 2008 cinta founded a koran school for transgender people its a sanctuary where they can read sewers together far away from insults and unwanted attention and yet even here cinta is not completely free in 2016 she had to close down the school for several months because extremists threatened her and those radical voices are getting louder. That. Many are easily influenced and manipulated we as transgender people are easy targets many work as street performers sometimes people throw bottles or landlords just keep you out of your apartment. For centuries some of the countries regions have recognized more than just 2 genders but the highest Islamic Council in indonesia issued a fatwa in 2015 a legal text claiming same sex relations are an attack on indonesias dignity hardliners demand the Death Penalty cinta calls this a political game saying when you get that i understand being transgender is my destiny god decided it for me it is gods will according to my understanding islam accept transgender people because they already existed here in the times of the prophet so it is compatible with islam to be transgender however the front jihad islam sees being transgender as a sickness that can and must be healed through prayer. To start on things everyone should stick to their birth gender he says god did not investigate people to be half man half woman. And his men are collecting money for their own religious school. They see themselves as a civil patrol against sin. In indonesia many people claim to be muslims but what sort of muslims are they they do not know much about our religion we see it as our task to explain the true islam and its rules to the people who are. Asked them whizzing calls for evening prayer while people in many countries around the world are becoming increasingly open to same sex relationships and various gender identities indonesia seems to be taking the opposite path. Cinta observes this very closely but hopes its only a phase. I still believe the. Indonesia can maintain a balance between democratic and conservative forces the pendulum sometimes swings more to one side sometimes more to the other but in their hearts indonesians are people who respect and accept others. A festival for minorities in yogyakarta. Performing are hindus christians and transgender people. It has become politically opportune to be against transgender people yet they feel that they are just as good muslims as many other indonesians. Joining us this need of Amnesty International indonesia is one we have seen a rise in violence and discrimination against the Transgender Community havent we. Yeah we did a thing with seeing a rise in recent years in the specially in 20152016 i think the report written by local Transgender Community has noted at least 100 cases taking place in the 1015. 00 in 2016 they also have done a Research Document thing at least a 172 percent has been criminalization against Transgender Community in indonesia for the last 8 years and the worst one i think in amnesty or poor is taking place in 2018 it started in june. And then it moved to other provinces in in sumatra where many transgender women transgender people have been. Facing. Jail treatment torture and also closure of their hair its asylums so indeed we have seen a rise in violence and discrimination against the Transgender Community now which laws apply in indonesia i think a lot of viewers outside the country that dont necessarily understand the laws would want to get clarification to report mentioned a fatwa but are there secular laws in the secular government in place to protect minority. Well the fact was this and have any legal weight i think its issued by indonesian lama council or of the muslim organizations but they do not form as a part of indonesia so free show law and only in where there is the bible which is actually a Regional Government regulation based on the sharia with basic provision on or discriminatory to today as you can see i think there are at least 4 to 5 local by little that are deemed to be discriminatory against the Transgender Community however in the nations constitution i think. The national law basically protects every individual including minorities and indonesian consideration including indonesian law on human rights prohibits discrimination against Transgender Community although arent fortunately theres not enough you know implementation or Law Enforcement to prevent crackdowns against the beauty and Transgender Community. Meat of Amnesty International indonesia thank you. Thats a show for today you can find more on our website www dot com ford slash asia and on facebook and twitter as well thanks for watching see you next time and i. Take it personally. With all the wonderful people and stories that make the game so special. For all true fans. Pick up more than football online take a trip on us go Christmas Market hopping with v. W. And cologne and. Airfare and hotel are included for you and a guest. Just tell us which german state is your favorite. Whats the most beautiful place in germany. What would you like to explore most to enter check in at g. W. Dot com slash travel good luck and enjoy some more. Dont leave africa to china russia is pushing for close of business ties with african countries and more geo political sway. Is hosting the 1st russian africa summit as he sees fraser influence on the continent where the western china already have a firm foothold. Chocolate lovers start saving and Indian Company has launched the worlds most expensive. Welcome to business as. Its a premier making a big impact hosted by russian president Vladimir PutinAfrican Leaders are gathering in the russian resort town of tsotsi this week for the 1st ever russia africa some as russias attempt to jumpstart relations with the continent 3 decades after the fall of the soviet union when which then was a major player in africa. But russia does not want to stand aside while other powers like the huge china and india strategically to increase their influence and investment on the continent has big plans for africa especially with its rich Mineral Resources thats a quick look at selected activities of Russian Companies on the continent thats energy a multinational corps which is involved in a Natural Gas Development project in the republic of congo in sudan and the Central African republic