Inside China Today

Inside China Today – Sunday 4th October

Freegate software, which allows users to bypass Internet censorship, has proven resilient against CCP efforts to block it.

- Internet censors unable to defeat Freegate;

- Suspicious liver transplants in Fuzhou;

- Speaking to U.N. Commissioner lands petitioner in hot water.

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Internet censors unable to defeat Freegate

Since the lead up of Chinas National day on October 1st, 2009, the Chinese communist regime has initiated an extensive internet blockage and most of the popular anti-internet censorship software has become useless. Many mainland internet users say they could not browse any overseas websites. U.S-based Dynamic Internet Technology (DIT) released an updated version of the Freegate software on September 21 to help users break through the blockage. Bill Xia, CEO of DIT, told SOH that it is impossible for the Chinese communist regime to block the dynamic Freegate software.

Bill told us the breakthroughs in internet technology have helped mainland netizens obtain information that the Communist regime does not want them to know, and has helped them read news from independent overseas media. Out of fear over the security of its power, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been continuously reinforcing internet blockages. Before China’s national day on October 1st, the regime used all possible methods for a comprehensive internet blockade, attempting to strengthen its control over the flow of information.

[recording]: It’s not just October the 1st. Several months ago, the news of Green Dam attracted much attention. As a matter of fact, the CCP has been continuously reinforcing internet blockages. Recently, through proxy software we can see the blockage against different types of anti-censorship software is very comprehensive. Even servers such as Tor and VPN which are rarely used by internet users have been blocked.”

Bill said, from the perspective of technology, the Chinese communist regime has no way to completely uncover the secret of some anti-censorship software such as Freegate and Ultrasurf.

[recording]: Our software is very secretive. If one is to study the software, one may know, to a certain degree, a few details of the software design. However, thanks to the technological development of encryption, the person who studies it may know what mathematical function is used and know that this function is encrypted, but he or she does not know the essence of its content. The encryption we use, and some of the detailed measures we adopt, theoretically are impossible to be truly uncovered (by outsiders.)”

Bill also said Freegate and Ultrasurf are the most convenient and trustworthy software for netizens to break through the internet blockade.

[recording]: “Currently, the methods that are most suited for the general public are still Freegate and UltraSurf. So recently, we kept updating the newly released Freegate 6.89U, to make it more stable, and more convenient to use.”

Human rights defender Mr. Xie of Wuxi City told an SOH reporter that it is relatively difficult to overcome the blockage using Freegate, but it is impossible for the CCP to completely block it, because Freegate keeps releasing new versions. If one keeps trying different versions, at lease one of them will be able to work.

[recording]: “It is difficult for mainland Chinese netizens to browse overseas websites, but we have our own ways. Basically, we rely on dynamic internet technology. It was very smooth before and not affected much, but in the past month, it has become difficult to overcome the blockage using dynamic internet technology; however, if we use the older versions, we are able to read overseas websites.”

Chris Thomas; Fu Ming; and Yu Yin of the SOH Radio Network

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Suspicious liver transplants in Fuzhou

A press statement released from the Fuzhou General Hospital has aroused concerns from foreign human rights groups. The hospital claims its Hepato-biliary Surgical Unit, or liver surgery unit, has broken several records involving liver transplants. It says it has performed the most liver transplants; has been the fastest to find suitable organs, and has carried out the fastest liver transplant in Fujian Province.

‘Vision China’ conducted a report on 84 year old Mr Yin. His liver was examined two months ago at the Fuzhou General Hospital. He was diagnosed with a tumor in his liver (known as type IV Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma). Without surgery he was expected to live only three to six months.

Liver transplants are expected to be subject to a series of checks. They include tests to match the blood and tissue of donors and recipients. Usually, only patients with all kinds of gene samples are able to find a match.

Dr Jiang Yi, the Director of the liver transplant unit along with other experts decided to carry out a liver transplant for Yin as soon as possible. The next day, on September 17th, Yin was admitted for surgery. In contrast to foreign countries, it usually takes six to twelve months for an organ to be available; even then it might not be a match. Yin found an organ in less than 24 hours. An internet user commented, saying that such efficiency is truly a world record that no other country can break.

Internet users have said that with such a large number of organs, there should be a donor database available for reference. As soon as the recipient’s test results come out, you should be able to find the donor. Recently, the subject of organ transplants in China has been heavily scrutinized globally. Falun Gong supporters and practitioners in the international community have called for an independent investigation into the large unknown source of organs in mainland China. The secret behind this source remains to be seen.

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Speaking to U.N. Commissioner lands petitioner in hot water

The housing removal project in Hangzhou has seen the local government remove residents’ and farmers’ from their houses and land by force, leaving many victimized.

Ms. Liang Liwan a human rights worker had been trying to resolve this issue. In August, during international budgeting conferences in Asia and Europe, Ms. Liwan reflected the facts of the evictions to visiting UN commissioners. Her involvement drew attention from authorities and recently she was arrested in Hangzhou.

Local authorities had previously tried to pay off Ms. Liwan by offering her a position at the eviction department with a payment of several hundred thousand Yuan per year. She firmly refused. In December 2007, her husband Fan Yongsheng was beaten by a group of unknown people in front of his house.

According to local petitioners against the eviction, October 1st or National Day was approaching, and many petitioners had mysteriously disappeared while others were arrested.

A human rights activist Zou Wei told a SOH reporter, the eviction project of the local authorities in Hangzhou is actually to exploit real estate and that shortly after the evictions two pieces of land were auctioned at one billion Yuan respectively.

Zou Wei said, [Recording]:”Local farmers and residents have protested very strongly against this eviction. Ms. Liang Liwan is one of them. Probably local authorities hate her bitterly! From what I know, on the 22nd, government officials from Hangzhou have found her and taken her away.

Zou Wei said, [Recording]:”The city of Hangzhou started monitoring around September 10, gradually. On September 15, tracking appeared. Around September 20, some people disappeared. Continuously there have been some people being arrested. These days in Hangzhou, many petitioners have disappeared and been arrested without reason.”

Matthew Ytsma; Fu Ming; and An Xin of the SOH Radio Network

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