Episodes
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Journey into the darkest corners of the internet, where a deadly connection was forged in 140 characters or less.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. This is the sixth and final episode of True Crimes Of Asia, a special edition podcast series that started on April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. This episode specifically covers themes of suicide and details of death and traumatic sexual acts. Listener discretion is advised, and helplines for mental well-being are provided further below.
Nine heads and 240 bones were found in a tiny apartment just outside Tokyo on Halloween in 2017, in one of Japan's most shocking crimes in history.
Takahiro Shiraishi baited suicidal victims on Twitter who wanted to die but lacked the courage to end their own lives.
He posed as an expert in hanging but his real motives were sex and money.
Shiraishi has been sentenced to death – by hanging – and is now in a maximum-security prison. The case had sparked conversations about social media scrutiny and suicide in Japan.
ST's Japan correspondent Walter Sim narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:16 Shiraishi's motives and modus operandi
5:47 What led Shiraishi down this path
9:28 Shiraishi meets his first victim
16:43 Justice catches up with Shiraishi
22:19 Social implications of Shiraishi's crimes, and how not much has changed since then
Interviews & narration by: Walter Sim
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Podcast Producers: Eden Soh and Fa’izah Sani
Voiceovers: Paxton Pang, Li Yi, Aqil Hamzah, Hadyu Rahim, David Sun, Edeh Soh, Mubin Saadat
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Reference for research: “Report: Nine Murders in Zama - Why were victims drawn to it?” by Tetsuya Shibui (『ルポ 座間９人殺害事件～被害者はなぜ引き寄せられたのか～』)
MENTAL WELL-BEING
Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 (24 hours) /1-767 (24 hours)Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1COUNSELLING
TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers): 6804-6555Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366ONLINE RESOURCES
mindline.sgeC2.sgtinklefriend.sgchat.mentalhealth.sgcarey.carecorner.org.sg (for those aged 13 to 25)limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)Aware’s Sexual Assault Care Centre: 6779-0282 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/ws6J
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Even the perpetrator's own parents asked for their son to be put to death.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
A random stabbing spree in a Taipei metro in 2014 resulted in four dead and 24 injured. There was no apparent motive for the shocking killing, and the assailant Cheng Chieh displayed no remorse.
Cheng’s childhood, which was fraught with isolation, his public threats against classmates and plans to kill detailed on his blog, also ignited debate about troubled youth and gaps in mental health care. This case also restarted conversations about capital punishment in Taiwan.
ST’s Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee interviews and narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:49 Cheng's mental state the subject of intense legal dispute
6:28 How Cheng planned his stabbing spree
11:23 He would not have spared anyone, even if his parents had been on board the metro train
14:40 Cheng executed on May 10, 2016; political motivations behind the extraordinary speediness of his execution?
21:51 Why Taiwanese often choose to ignore social problems; health ministry establishes new department dedicated to mental health programmes in May 2022
Interviews & narration by: Yip Wai Yee
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Podcast Producers: Eden Soh & Fa'izah Sani
Voiceovers: Fa'izah Sani, Eden Soh, Ang Qing, Samuel Devaraj, Jeremy Au Yong, Jean Iau, Teo Tong Kai, Lee Hup Kheng, Clara Chong, Lee Su Shyan
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Yip Wai Yee's articles: https://str.sg/i5yX---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Missing episodes?
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How the gruesome 1998 incidents paved the way for black magic to be criminalised last year in 2022, in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
Sorcery is against Islamic teachings, but today, many in Indonesia still consult black magic practitioners for advice. In 1998, a series of killings by unknown masked 'ninjas', targeting suspected sorcerers in East Java, launched the community into a period of mass hysteria, violence and retaliation-attacks.
The killings triggered discussions on the need and ways to regulate sorcery, to prevent similar instances and to stop people from taking the law into their own hands. The legal gap was finally plugged last year in 2022, when laws on sorcery were included in the revised Criminal Code passed by the Parliament.
The government is also seeking to settle the case, along with 11 other human rights abuses, by non-judicial means.
ST’s Indonesia Bureau Chief Arlina Arshad narrates this podcast. The reporting and scripting for this episode was done by ST’s Indonesia Correspondent Linda Yulisman.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:20 Why sorcery has long been part of Indonesia’s life and culture, even among the nation's notable figures
10:05 From 1998 till 1999, a ferocious wave of hysteria spreads against purported black magic practitioners
20:15 Larger motives behind attacks? Understanding Banyuwangi region's history and Indonesia’s period of political transition
28:40 Were attacks likely carried out by trained assassins with links to the military?
33:35 Why it took decades to criminalise witchcraft and sorcery in Indonesia
Interviews by: Linda Yulisman ([email protected])
Narrated by: Arlina Arshad ([email protected])
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani
Voiceovers: Hairianto Diman, Deepanraj Ganesan, Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Dominic Nathan, Lee Nian Tjoe, Colin Tan, Eddino Abdul Hadi, Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Linda Yulisman's articles: https://str.sg/iif5Read Arlina Arshad's articles: https://str.sg/iifS
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Since Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s death in 2016, a slew of measures have been introduced to stem domestic worker abuse.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
In 2016, the abuse and eventual death of a young Myanmar domestic worker led to shock and an outpouring of grief in Singapore.
Ms Piang Ngaih Don left her hometown in Chin State, Myanmar, to work for Gaiyathiri Murugayan and her then-husband and suspended police officer Kevin Chelvam in 2015.
The details and extent of her torture, at the hands of Gaiyathiri and her mother Prema S. Naraynasamy, brought about heightened checks and health screenings for domestic workers in Singapore. Yet activists say more can be done.
ST's Singapore journalist Jean Iau interviews and narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:23 "Their attitude is like animal attitude", says Mr Tin Maung Win who runs an NGO for migrant workers
6:35 Verbal abuse turns physical: CCTV footage captures the assaults on Ms Piang Ngaih Don over the last 35 days of her life
9:05 Chilling events the night before she died; Gaiyathiri and Prema now serving sentences
15:25 Reactions from Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s family; hundreds take to the streets in Yangon to mourn her
21:06 Revisiting the scene: A young neighbour recalls hearing shouting from Gaiyathiri's flat and avoiding her
22:48 In February 2021, then-Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said Singapore "must do better"; Manpower Ministry spells out some measures introduced since 2021
28:10 Should foreign domestic workers be given option to "live out", regardless of higher costs to employers? Ms Jaya Anil Kumar, senior research and advocacy manager at Human Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) believes so
Interviews & narration by: Jean Iau ([email protected])
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani
Voiceovers: Leonie Teo, Vimalaraj Rajaratnam
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Audio clip of Ms Piang Ngaih Don's sister reproduced with permission from Al Jazeera (see full documentary - https://str.sg/iUQz)
Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Jean Iau's articles: https://str.sg/iUAz---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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This is the 2010 case that became a turning point in Thailand's debate over abortion.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
Be transported back to the events of 2010, when the discovery of thousands of rotting foetuses, hidden in a Bangkok temple - led to more awareness and debate over illegal abortions in Buddhist-majority Thailand.
The grisly remains at Wat Phai Ngern were traced to a network of clinics. The case uncovered the scale of the illegal abortion industry at a time when the procedure was still largely illegal and heavily stigmatised.
ST's Thailand correspondent Tan Tam Mei interviews and narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:03 A dog chews on something in the middle of a Bangkok temple; long-time temple worker Supote Leangbamrong recalls the stench and discovery by authorities in 2010
5:52 Shockwaves throughout Thailand; abortion hardly discussed and was largely illegal and taboo back then
08:57 Nursing assistant Lanchakorn Janthamanas's underground operation; roping in two temple undertakers to dispose of the bodies11:40 Abortion activist Supeecha Baotip on how voices of women were missing in the discussion on abortion, her own story and how much has changed since the crime case
17:44 Restrictions against abortion relaxed in 2021, sweeping legal changes in Thailand
20:00 Cultural beliefs: Why some doctors don't perform abortions because they are afraid of karma
23:09 Expanding availability of legal abortions and to change mindsets; abortion offered as a tele-health service in Thailand25:05 Rumours about the souls of the aborted foetuses haunting the temple still linger, even more than a decade later
Interviews & narration by: Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei
Podcast Producers: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani
Voiceovers: Raul Dancel, Shahrena Hassan, Lee Nian Tjoe, Joel ChngCopy editor: Choo Li Meng
Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Tan Tam Mei's articles: https://str.sg/iJxJ---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Find out about the insidious 'Nth room' crimes in one of Asia's most highly-wired countries.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
Digital sex crimes have become so common in highly-wired South Korea, leading to several copycat versions of what have become known as the 'Nth room' crimes.
Why does this keep happening, and what are the underlying causes of these cases? Despite government efforts to crack down on these cases, they return again and again.
This is the side of South Korean society that the world may not know as well, away from the global appeal of its K-drama series and glamour of its K-pop music.
ST's South Korea correspondent Chang May Choon interviews and narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 The year was 2019; blackmail and even making victims engrave their names or IDs on their bodies, using knives
5:15 Student journalist Park Ji-hyun and college friend aiming to "pull out the roots of evil", expose published in September 2019; hear the actual voice of the ringleader Cho Ju-bin
10:00 Activist Summer Cha (her voice in Korean is digitally altered to protect her identity) on why digital sex crimes are trending upwards
13:38 Lewd and disgusting reactions in male-only sites towards victims in the recent Itaewon crush incident
14:38 Big cities such as Seoul, Busan and Incheon have now set up their own digital sex crime centres to provide support for victims; Seoul centre director Lee Eun-jeong explains SOPs
17:22 New 'anti-Nth Room Bill' was passed in Korean parliament and went into effect in December 2021; why encrypted messaging app Telegram has slipped through the net
22:17 Park Ji-hyun now a young politician; more Nth room copycats still emerging
25:18 ST correspondent Chang May Choon wraps up, having lived and worked as a Singaporean woman in South Korea for the past eight years
Interviews & narration by: Chang May Choon ([email protected])
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Podcast Producers: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani
Voiceovers: Fa’izah Sani, Friday Farzanah, Joyce Teo, Jean Iau, Kim Jin-ha, Samuel Devaraj and Paxton Pang
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Follow ST's True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Chang May Choon's articles: https://str.sg/ioon
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Headphones are recommended for this series.
Synopsis: A 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
From April till September 2023, listen to the events surrounding a spine-chilling find in a Bangkok temple. Or the gruesome death of a domestic helper in Singapore.
But for the first episode dropping on April 25, you will discover a 21st-century crime that could well happen in more countries in an increasingly interconnected world.
This was the insidious cybersex underbelly in South Korean society that trapped girls in a digital prison in 2019.
We at The Straits Times, investigate how these tragedies left their mark on victims and communities, and also exposed the dark side of societies.
Get notifications of new episodes on your favourite audio apps - Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts - when you follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia.
Executive producers: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) and Tan Tam Mei ([email protected])
Edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Follow ST's True Crimes Of Asia every month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/i44T
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q
Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/i4Y5
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#truecrimes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
In this episode, we revisit the spate of mass hysteria in Malaysia's north-eastern state of Kelantan to find out why the disorder is more prevalent among schoolgirls.
ST regional correspondent Jia Ning Tan speaks to Ustaz Abd Rashid Ahmad, faith healer and spokesman of an Islamic medical facility called Darussyifa, and Mr Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist and co-author of Mass Hysteria in Schools: A Worldwide History Since 1566.
She also interviews a woman who had a brush with mass hysteria as a schoolgirl and wants to be identified only as Nur.Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)
1:53 The Ketereh Secondary School in Kelantan gripped by a fast-spreading screaming plague in July 2018
3:31 Students say they saw a tall, dark figure in the school compound
4:57 Ustaz Abdul Rashid Ahmad says the tall, dark figure is an evil spirit that possesses the weak-minded
9:29 Scientists conduct an experiment to prove that people could be tricked into perceiving ghosts
11:52 Mr Bartholomew describes Kelantan’s screaming schoolgirl occurrences as a collective stress reaction
15:08 Girls and women are more likely to experience mass hysteria than men
19:17 Nur says the mass hysteria episode that happened to her has left a permanent markProduced by: Tan Jia Ning ([email protected]), Magdalene Fung ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Penelope Lee and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:
Channel: https://str.sg/wuZ2
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3W
Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJ9
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7i
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Jia Ning Tan's articles: https://str.sg/wEq4
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#unsolved
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Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
In this episode, we investigate the source of the red and orange fireballs that emerge from the Mekong River once every year.
ST Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee speaks to Dr San Sunthornthanakul, mayor of Phon Phisai municipality, and biologist from Chulalongkorn University Dr Jessada Denduangboripant.
She also interviews Mr Thanavorakit Kounthawatphinyo, a Laotian filmmaker based in Bangkok, Mr Sompop Khamsawat, a civil servant who is convinced that Naga Fireballs are a hoax.
Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)
01:53 The annual Naga Fireball festival draws large crowd
05:20 The Naga is seen as a celestial guardian, a symbol of abundance and a patron of water
06:30 Dr Jessada dismisses the theory of chemical reaction giving rise to the fireballs
09:00 Mr Thanavorakit traces the fireballs to Laotian soldiers firing bullets into the sky
13:36 Mr Sompop petitioned the authorities for an investigation into the phenomenon
15:45 Dr San says the term “Naga Fireball” is a modern creation17:38 The health of the Mekong River is failing
Produced by: Tan Jia Ning ([email protected]), Tan Hui Yee ([email protected]), Magdalene Fung ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Eden Soh and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:
Channel: https://str.sg/wuZ2
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3W
Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJ9
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7i
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Tan Hui Yee's articles: https://str.sg/wuNL
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#unsolved
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
In this episode, we find out what might have happened to 'Ourang Medan' a distressed vessel sailing the Strait of Malacca in the 1930s - 1940s and the gruesome but mysterious death of its crew.
ST's Indonesia correspondent Linda Yulisman speaks with Mr Sayed Fauzan Riyadi, maritime researcher from the Raja Ali Haji Maritime University in Riau, Indonesia, and former commander of Indonesian Navy Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh.
She also interviewed Mr Siswanto Rusdi, executive director of Indonesia’s National Maritime Institute, and Dr Eric Frecon, adjunct fellow at the French Naval Academy who has written a book on piracy in Indonesian waters titled Chez les Pirates d’Indonésie.
Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)3:30 A bizarre SOS message being traced to S.S. Ourang Medan
9:43 Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh says the crew could have inhaled poisonous gases leaked from its cargo.
14:12 Mr Sayed Fauzan believes it was likely an attack by Indonesian freedom fighters against a Dutch-owned asset.
17:45 Mr Siswanto says the Strait of Malacca has been a perennially piracy hotspot for more than a millennium.
20:00 Dr Frecon describes the more ambitious sea robbers as town pirates who aren't afraid to steal a cargo ship to sell it again.
20:50 Even with improved safety measures, seafarers in the Strait of Malacca remain vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and other dangers.
Produced by: Tan Jia Ning ([email protected]), Linda Yulisman ([email protected]), Magdalene Fung ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:
Channel: https://str.sg/wuZ2
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3W
Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJ9
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7i
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Linda Yulisman's articles: https://str.sg/wBeC
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#unsolved
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
In this episode, we follow the trail of fabled treasure stashed in tunnels and caves by retreating Japanese soldiers who found themselves with nowhere else to go as World War II drew to a close.
ST correspondent Raul Dancel speaks to Mr Arnel Cruz, spokesman of the Treasure Hunters Association of the Philippines, and archaeologist Jose Eleazar Bersales.
He also interviewed political analyst Lucio Pitlo III and retired US Navy officer Manny Paez, who was with a team of experts commissioned by the History Channel for a series on the mysterious buried treasure.
Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)
02:21 General Tomoyuki Yamashita's capture and conviction
04:58 Mr Rogelio Roxas, a common locksmith, discovers a golden Buddha in a network of tunnels
06:19 Word of Mr Roxas’ find reaches the ears of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos
08:59 Mr Manny Paez believes the missing golden Buddha is sitting inside a luxury apartment in New York
13:19 Mr Lucio Pitlo says it might be difficult to recover the dictator's plundered wealth if his son becomes the president
15:25 Mr Arnel Cruz claims there are 17 more golden Buddhas still waiting to be found
16:14 Filipinos' indiscriminate treasure hunting is hurting the country, says Professor Jose Eleazar BersalesProduced by: Tan Jia Ning ([email protected]), Raul Dancel ([email protected]), Magdalene Fung ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:
Channel: https://str.sg/wuZ2
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3W
Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJ9
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7i
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Raul Dancel's articles: https://str.sg/w7CR
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#unsolved
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
In this episode, we revisit the mystery of Malaysian flight MH370, the plane that vanished into thin air on 8 March, 2014.
ST's Malaysia correspondent Hazlin Hassan narrates and also speaks with the following guests - French journalist Florence De Changy, who has written her book called The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh.
She also interviews the husband of a passenger on board MH370 - management consultant K.S. Narendran and Dr Joel Low, a clinical psychologist.
Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)
02:05 Recap on what happened to flight MH370 eight years on05:55 Crash location: What data and debris washing ashore in six different countries point to
07:55 Theory #1: British retiree Richard Godfrey predicts where the plane crashed
08:43 Theory #2: French journalist Florence De Changy believes that the plane was shot down from above the South China Sea
15:45 ST Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh explains how the information gap has dogged investigations from the very start
20:07 One family member of a MH370 passenger finds catharsis writing about his personal ordeal
22:40 Why alternative theories and wild speculation still proliferate as people struggle to find ways to cope in the aftermath of disasterCheck out ST's interactive special on MH370 at str.sg/mh370
Produced by: Tan Jia Ning ([email protected]), Hazlin Hassan ([email protected]), Magdalene Fung ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:
Channel: https://str.sg/wuZ2
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3W
Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJ9
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7i
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Hazlin Hassan's articles: https://str.sg/wsys
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#unsolved
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
