Inside China Today – Sunday 28th August
Lawyer Tang Jitian was involved in a discussion forum on the major criminal trials in Chongqing.
Discussion forum on organised crime in Chongqing
Calls for awareness of Falun Gong persecution
Knife restrictions during Asian Games
Earthquake disaster relief needs attention
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Discussion forum on organised crime in Chongqing
40 prominent Beijing lawyers and scholars have held a second discussion forum on the crackdown on organised crime in Chongqing. The forum was held on August 22nd at the busy neighbourhood of Wudaokou in Haidian District. The forum found the crackdown has evolved into a purely political movement and has separated itself from the law. Torture and human rights issues were a focal point of the discussion.
Since October 2009, Chongqing Municipality has undergone a massive crackdown on organised crime, led by Communist Party chief Bo Xilai. Over 1,500 suspects have been rounded up, amongst them gang leaders, gang members, corrupt police and officials. Amidst the crackdown have been reports of police coercion and torture to extract confessions from suspects.
Tang Jitian, a Beijing lawyer spoke to SOH and gave us an overview of their discussion (recording):
“We found one major problem that ‘fighting organized crime’ had become a political movement, and has already separated itself from the ambit of the law. In that case, this policy is actually being swept along by public opinion. In other words, they’re making use of so-called public opinion to violate the human rights of those so-called gangsters.” Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Saturday 21st August
The head of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, Chang Ching-hsi (1L) and renowned lawyer Theresa Chu (2R) filing court documents to have Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua arrested during his trip to Taiwan.
Huang Huahua sued in Taiwan
Sichuan floods claim lives in Yingxiu
Corruption leads to disruption of village election
Parents of children injected with faulty vaccines continue protest
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Huang Huahua sued in Taiwan
The infamous Governor of Guangdong, Huang Huahua has arrived in Taiwan. On August 16th, Falun Gong practitioners quickly filed a lawsuit against Huang at Taiwan’s High Court. The suit alleges Huang is in breach of two United Nations Conventions. Huang is said to have violated the ‘Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide’ and the ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’. The Taiwanese government became a signatory in 2009.
SOH interviewed the Chairman of the Falun Dafa Association of Taiwan, Professor Chang Ching-Hsi. And prominent lawyer Theresa Chu, who is the spokesperson for the ‘Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice’ a group aiming to bring former Chinese President Jiang Zemin to trial.
At 2:55 pm on the 16th, Professor Chang Ching-His, Theresa Chu and two lawyers from a human rights group arrived at the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office and rang the doorbell. A staff member met with Professor Chang and the group. The staff listened carefully to Chang’s prepared indictment and heard the lawyers’ statements. Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 15th August
Rampant land development has been a major contributor to the severity of the Gansu mudslides.
- Gansu mudslide due to over development
- Regime diverts relief funds into its own coffers
- Huang Huahua to visit Taiwan, offers no help to Taiwanese investors
- No place for petitioners in Beijing
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Gansu mudslide due to over development
Over 1100 people have been killed and more than 2,000 are missing after a mudslide in China’s Zhouqu County, in the north-western Gansu Province. The mudslide occurred in the early morning hours on the 8th of August.
Climate and geological experts say the mudslide was both a natural and manmade disaster. Abnormal weather conditions and over development have contributed.
Guo Yonggang is a researcher at the Mountain Disaster and Climate Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Science. He said that (recording):
“Mudslides take place everywhere in the country. This time, the rainfall was 77 mm, which takes place one out of 100 years in this area. The rain was very strong, and mud and rocks flowed out of the mountain in large scale. This happened in south-western mountain areas including Sichuan. We will go and investigate. Mountainous regions all over China saw development by special interest groups, and this has an impact on Zhouqu area, part of the regions hit by Wenchuan earthquake.” Continue reading »
Sound of Hope executive detained by Singapore authorities
SOH Executive Liaw Shuhuey has been detained by Singaporean authorities on her way to Indonesia.
Just 24 hours ago, an executive of Chinese Sound of Hope was detained by Singaporean authorities. Liaw Shuhuey is the General Manager of the North and Southeast Asian division of Sound of Hope. She was stopped and detained by customs officers in Singapore. She’s now being prepared for deportation back to Taiwan.
Liaw Shuhuey was visiting Singapore and planned to go to Indonesia. She was due to visit the Radio Erabaru Station in the city of Batam located on the Riau Islands Province. The station’s broadcast covers a wide area including most of the Riau Islands, Singapore and vessels passing through the high-traffic shipping routes. Ms Liaw planned to meet colleagues in Batam and was going contact the Indonesian government over recent licensing issues with Radio Erabaru.
Liaw Shuhuey arrived in Singapore at 8:45pm on August 11th. At 9:00pm customs officers and ground crew escorted her to a small office. They were unable to give Ms Liao a proper reason for restraining her.
Liaw Shuhuey managed to call our reporters and spoke briefly about what happened (recording):
“He said two words ‘immigration guidelines’, and then he said to one of the ground crew I was to be sent back on a plane tomorrow. No one in the Immigration Department has said anything to me, because they have no reason to. Finally, when I ask a police officer escorting me, he claimed I didn’t have proper ‘approval letters’.” Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 8th August
7000 barrels of toxic chemical have been swept into the Songhua River by flash floods.
- Jilin floods cause chemical spill
- Swept away, massive flash flood destroys bridge
- Explosion shakes Nanjing
- Special police on high alert, hundreds arrested
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Jilin floods cause chemical spill
Storms have caused severe flash flooding along the Songhua River. Houses have been swamped and several reservoirs damaged. To make things worse, on July 27th, over 7,000 barrels of toxic chemical was swept into the river. Many of the barrels were damaged and spilled their chemical contents. The New Yaqiang Chemical Corporation in Yongji County are the owners of the barrels. The barrels contain trimethylsilyl chloride which is toxic.
Several towns in Yongji County have had electricity, telecommunications, transport and water supplies cut due to the floods and chemical spill. The towns of Kouqian, Wangqi and Jinjia have all been affected. Ms Zhang a resident of Kouqian told SOH (recording):
“The flood in Jilin Province is flooding the first floors. The barrels were washed into the river. The chemical is toxic and it’s running downstream. We’re drinking bottled mineral water now.” Continue reading »
