- Title: Asia reacts to death of Cuban former leader Castro
- Date: 26th November 2016
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (NOVEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 62-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE BUSINESSMAN, KEIICHI SASAKI, SAYING: "I remember him as a figure related to the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Kennedy era. I didn't know he was still alive." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 57-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE, SHIN TAKAYANAGI, SAYING: "He's a living witness of the history, and his death comes to me as the end of the chapter." PEOPLE WALKING ON STREETS HANOI, VIETNAM (NOVEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN THE CENTRE OF HANOI 26-YEAR-OLD TEACHER NGUYEN NGOC MINH TALKING TO A FRIEND SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese) 26-YEAR-OLD TEACHER, NGUYEN NGOC MINH, SAYING: "This morning when I heard that he had passed away, I feel the same sadness when I learnt that Vietnam's General Vo Nguyen Giap had died. I am very sad and I have a great sympathy for the people of Cuba and their great loss." 58-YEAR-OLD RETIREE PHAM VAN TUAT WALKING SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese) 58-YEAR-OLD RETIREE, PHAM VAN TUAT, SAYING: "I can tell you this - even though he is the leader of a friendly country, I feel that he is very familiar to us. I will always remember his actions, his help to our country. I will miss him. His death has made me emotional' CUBAN FLAG VARIOUS OF THE VIETNAM-CUBA FRIENDSHIP HOSPITAL IN HANOI VARIOUS OF THE VIETNAM-CUBA HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI
- Embargoed: 11th December 2016 10:42
- Keywords: Fidel Castro Castro Cuba death revolutionary communist
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA/SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA/TOKYO, JAPAN/HANOI, VIETNAM
- City: BEIJING, CHINA/SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA/TOKYO, JAPAN/HANOI, VIETNAM
- Country: China
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0035A2XE87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Television broadcasts across Asia on Saturday (November 26) are reporting the death of Cuban former leader Fidel Castro, who built a communist state on the doorstep of the United States and for five decades defied U.S. efforts to topple him.
He died at the age of 90 on Friday (November 25).
A towering figure of the second half of the 20th Century, Castro stuck to his ideology beyond the collapse of Soviet communism and remained widely respected in parts of the world that had struggled against colonial rule.
He had been in poor health since an intestinal ailment nearly killed him in 2006. He formally ceded power to his younger brother Raul Castro two years later.
Wearing a green military uniform, a sombre Raul Castro, 85, appeared on Cuban state television on Friday (November 25) night, local time, to announce his brother's death.
As the world's biggest communist country and Cuba's traditional friend, China announced the death on a news bulletin of its state broadcaster CCTV, along with a lengthy programme of the profile of his life.
Sky News in Australia also aired the news of Castro's death.
"Former Cuban leader and revolutionary figure Fidel Castro has died at the age of 90. Castro was leader of the country for five decades. He was the world's third longest serving head of state. His death was announced on Cuban state television by his brother, Raul," said presenter Susanne Latimore.
Tributes came in from allies, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who said "revolutionaries of the world must follow his legacy."
However, many people on the streets of Tokyo didn't remember much about the former leader of the communist country on the other side of the planet.
Castro's death did remind 62-year-old Japanese businessman Keiichi Sasaki of Cold War confrontation.
"I remember him as a figure related to the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Kennedy era. I didn't know he was still alive," Sasaki said referring to the armed faceoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the presidency of John F. Kennedy.
Another Japanese man said he felt a chapter in history had just ended.
"He's a living witness of the history and his death comes to me as the end of the chapter," 57-year-old architect Shin Takayanagi said.
Vietnamese expressed their sadness after learning of Castro's death.
English teacher Nguyen Ngoc Minh said he was born after the Vietnam war, but had heard tales of a heroic Castro, as well as Vietnam's own hero Vo Nguyen Giap, in school and from his parents.
"This morning when I heard that he had passed away, I feel the same sadness when I learned that Vietnam's General Vo Nguyen Giap had died. I am very sad and I have a great sympathy for the people of Cuba and their great loss", Minh said.
Many Vietnamese remember Castro by his famous saying during the Vietnam war: "For Vietnam, Cuba is ready to sacrifice her blood".
"I can tell you this - even though he is the leader of a friendly country, I feel that he is very familiar to us. I will always remember his actions, his help to our country. I will miss him. His death has made me emotional", said 58-year-old Pham Van Tuat.
For many years, the Vietnamese people have considered Fidel Castro a symbol of revolutionary heroism, the spirit undaunted, and aspirations to freedom. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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