Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Monday, October 17, 2011 11:15 am TWN, By Chow Yin Hon, Reuters

Sponsors
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.

Singapore leads Asia in 'Occupy' rally reluctance

“The organizers hid behind their Facebook and Twitter accounts, posting messages such as 'we should try this again on Monday' and 'where is everyone right now?'” the newspaper said.

In Malaysia, the movement drew a modest 200 in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Organizers blamed the poor turnout on a lack of communication and fears of a police crackdown.

“Partly it's because a lot of people are still not aware we are here, because our publicity has been limited to social media,” said Fahmi Reza, 34, of the Kuala Lumpur People's Assembly, a social action group which organized the gathering.

Some of the protesters held up placards bearing the slogan “Occupy Dataran” (occupy the square), then broke into smaller groups after police instructed them to disperse.

“Anti-capitalism is not my cause but anti-authoritarianism is definitely my cause and as citizens ... we came here to stand up for our rights,” said lecturer Wong Chin Huat, 38.

Large public protests are rare in Malaysia but more than 10,000 people took to the streets in July in anger over the slow pace of political reforms.

Rain curbed protests in South Korea and there was only a small turnout in the southern Chinese city of Hong Kong.

“Many Hong Kong people didn't (take part in) these actions because the economic crisis hasn't reached Hong Kong yet,” said left-wing activist Napo Wong Weng-chi.

“The whole economic situation of Hong Kong is not as bad as in the U.S. or Europe.”

Hundreds marched in Tokyo, where many had gathered to complain about radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear power plant seven months after an earthquake triggered the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.

The English-language Japan Times asked why people weren't protesting, pointing to 2.04 million Japanese on welfare, the highest number since 1951.

“The answer is, they are, a little,” it said. “The anti-nuclear sentiment may well spill over to other issues. Mass movements are not always correct, but those that last have good reasons for lasting.”

1|2