101 East

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.

Millions of pilgrims from across India flock to one of the country's most sacred Hindu shrines every year. But Sabarimala Temple has long been off-limits to almost half the world's population. Women aged between 10 and 50 are considered impure by the hardline Hindu men who come to the temple to worship. "Women cannot follow the rituals," says Aswani Dev, an ardent devotee. "A woman is an object that jeopardises the mind of a man." But now some female devotees have had enough. Emboldened by a recent court decision to revoke the ban on women, law professor Bindu Ammini, and her friend Kanaka Durga became the first women to enter the forbidden temple since the Supreme Court ruling. "My fight is for gender justice … against the fact that women face discrimination just because of menstruation," Bindu tells 101 East. "And against the society which believes in such regressive customs. That is why I entered the temple." But Bindu's actions enraged Hindu hardliners. Violent demonstrations ended in thousands of arrests and the death of a protester. Death threats forced Bindu to leave her family and go into hiding. She now has 24-hour police protection. Yet she remains as determined as ever. "I'm not somebody who runs away out of fear … There are many who support me now. Now I am stronger than ever before." 101 East meets the brave women challenging tradition in the name of equality and the men determined to stop them.

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”.