Flood waters several metres high swamped major cities in Sichuan, as the most powerful rainstorms in 50 years hit the region.

- Sichuan swamped by floods and rains

- Sichuan quake victims shocked by housing costs

- Land seizures spark Suzhou protests

- Calls of support during July 20th anniversary

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Sichuan swamped by floods and rains

The deadliest floods in a decade have inundated large swathes of Sichuan Province. Towns in Guangan, Tongjiang and Dazhou are on the verge of being swept away. The highest recorded water level was over 2.8 metres according to the Office of State Flood Control.

The Office stated this is the biggest flood in Guangan City in nearly 200 years. A staff member spoke to SOH (recording):
“59,600 people have been evacuated, and 3000 homes have toppled, not including the old city district, which includes 1,200 homes. 14 acres of farmland have been destroyed. They’ve been twenty-eight landslides and 5.9 billion Yuan worth of losses.”

That’s equivalent to 867 million US dollars.

Meanwhile, the biggest rainstorm in fifty years has been pounding Tongjiang County since July 16th. Average rainfall is 363mm, almost submerging Tongjiang. The rainstorm has cut off communications, and caused landslides along all highways and roads. Traffic in the county is at a standstill.

Power stations along rivers have also been damaged, cutting off electricity to most of the county. A power station near Jiuyu Creek in Tongjiang was shut down. Its four main generators failed, while four 35 thousand volt circuits and 11 smaller generators short-circuited. Power has been cut to the city district and to over 30 townships.

A staff member of Tongjiang’s Civil Affairs Bureau said the rain has paralysed the county (recording):
“Traffic is cut off, the township’s roads haven’t recovered, and after the 17th, everything has stopped. The roads have been cut off due to landslides. Houses have collapsed, but the most serious damage is to the crops, corn and paddy fields.”

A resident of Tongjiang said low-lying towns have been flooded with water levels one meter deep. Three people are missing. Shops are submerged and goods have been lost. The resident told SOH (recording):
“The properties of every family are flooded. The flood was more vicious in the east side of the county, where all the retailers couldn’t open their doors. The heavy rain went on for more than ten hours non-stop. Traffic to Bazhong has been cut off for two days. Communications and traffic have been on and off for the past two days.”

At 7:30pm on July 18th, flood levels reached a staggering 2.8 meters in Dazhou City. One third of Dazhou City’s surface area was covered in water. Large areas of the city don’t have access to drinking water, and over 5000 retail shops have been moving their goods. Dazhou City’s airport is also flooded.

The Bureau of Meteorology in Dazhou reported the following (recording):
“From 8pm yesterday to 8am today, the maximum rainfall in Wanyuan’s suburbs was 510 mm. 460 mm of rain fell on Wanyuan’s city district. The flood is in every district and county and will reach Guangan at 3pm today.”

According to the Office of State Flood Control the storms have already flooded seven counties and 263 townships. Over 3.7 million people have been affected. 700 people have been killed in floods in China this year. In Sichuan Province 350,000 people have already been evacuated.

46,000 properties have been damaged. 95,000 acres of crops are ruined, 328 km of road are damaged, and 804,000 cubic meters of earth have been shifted in landslides. 210 national highways have been cut off, and the roads around Wanyuan County have been damaged severely. The estimated damage cost in Sichuan is 40.3 billion Yuan (5.9 billion US Dollars).

Tian Xi of the SOH Radio Network.

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Homeless victims of the Sichuan Earthquake are furious at the high cost of relief accomodation.

Sichuan quake victims shocked by housing costs

Anger is brewing over a decision to charge victims of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake for housing. A “move-in fee” has been implemented by the local Party branch of Hanwang, Mianzhu in Sichuan Province.

The fee is much higher than most can afford, as those affected by the quake don’t have stable incomes. They believe the Communist Party has used the relief funds to endorse “image projects” while ignoring the real needs of the people.

One family continues to struggle with a debt after their newly purchased home was reduced to ruins in the quake. Mrs He said her family survived the quake but without employment they cannot afford the move-in fee.

Ms He told SOH (recording):
“Quake victims are financially strapped. We tried negotiating with local government, telling officials that many of us are unemployed. The move-in fee has been lowered to 1066 Yuan ($158 USD). Before the earthquake, my husband and I borrowed money from friends and relatives and bought an apartment. One year later, the quake reduced our home to ruins. We owe 25,000 Yuan ($3687 USD) to friends and family. Now I have no job. Though my husband is working for the Coal mining corporation we cannot afford another apartment. Housing units in the Hanwang area have construction quality problems. Even if we could afford to, we dare not live in unsafe housing. During the quake my daughter jumped from the second floor, leaving her afraid, now she only wants to live in a ground floor unit. Some apartment buildings built have even collapsed. Everyone is very worried.”

Another resident said (recording):
“The housing price is not that high, its people’s incomes that are low. The relief funds collected do not benefit the victims. So far, not one family has moved into the quake-relief housing. Before the quake, incomes ranged between 500 Yuan ($74 USD) and 1000 Yuan ($147 USD) per month. We know the houses have construction problems as do the local government.”

Local residents claim that Party officials are wealthy and have moved into larger houses, showing no concern for the livelihood of private citizens still living in destitution following the quake two years ago.

Another resident said (recording): “In terms of the infrastructure, the roads and stadium are relatively good. I think the government should place the quake-relief housing as the first priority. They should not continue to spend money on infrastructure.”

Yang Zheng and Wang Zhen of SOH Radio Network

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Riot police were called in to disperse a crowd of over 10,000 protestors in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

Land seizure sparks Suzhou protests

Tensions in Suzhou City are still simmering following several days of large scale protests. From July 14th – 18th, tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets in Gaoxin District of Jiangsu Province. Local residents claim land seizures, the embezzlement of compensation funds, and demolitions are what sparked the riots. Attempts to silence public outcry has heightened tension between residents and the police.

Twenty to thirty thousand Gaoxin District residents have been victim to widespread government sponsored evictions and land seizures. The protest began when thousands of local villagers from Tongan Township in Gaoxin gathered at the township government building. The size of the gathering grew from there. On July 17th authorities dispatched thousands of armed police to quell the protests. Many participants were beaten and arrested.

Mr Yu a protestor said every time demolitions were carried out, clashes would follow (recording):
“It’s common to use force in demolitions. It’s safe to say no single demolition is without conflict, no area is demolished without a conflict. In June in Fengqiao one man was badly beaten.”

Protests over land rights have become more common and have escalated. Mr Chen a resident of Suzhou spoke of a previous incident (recording):
“The road was blocked last time, about five or six years ago. These kinds of things have happened before but gatherings of nearly ten thousand weren’t seen a few years back.”

Mr Chen believes embezzlement of land compensation and media censorship has added to the problem. He told SOH of the difficulties residents face trying to find relief (recording):
“Because land isn’t compensated, especially farms and leased land, the interests of villagers are affected. For each family a single farm costs tens of thousands. There is the murky issue of embezzlement. The problem is this hasn’t been resolved for many years. On the one hand, the courts block these cases on three counts: they refuse to accept, to investigate or to re-examine these cases. They refuse no matter what. Otherwise, we’ve tried appealing in Beijing ten or even twenty times, but to no avail. Some even tried self-immolation at Tiananmen Square or jumping off buildings. Nothing helped. They may even risk being sent to labour camps. No resolutions, only barriers. Therefore I feel with the deliberate blockades, the escalation of these protests is inevitable.”

Over the course of the protest, local media did not report the incident. Internet blog postings by eyewitnesses were quickly deleted. At present there’s no sign the protests are truly over. Its possible protests may be spreading to other areas.

Fu Ming and Li Ming of the SOH Radio Network.

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July 20th marks the anniversary of the beginning of the persecution of Falun Gong. Every year July 20th is commemorated all over the world. Pictured here is a major rally in Hong Kong featuring the Celestial Band.

Calls of support during July 20th anniversary

The spiritual practice Falun Gong has endured 11 years of brutal persecution by the Chinese Communist regime. The atrocities inflicted on practitioners of Falun Gong in China are reportedly some of the worst in human history. Though major media networks barely pay attention to their plight, the persecution of Falun Gong has increased not decreased over the last 11 years.

During this time the number of supporters of Falun Gong has steadily grown. Today, more and more people from all walks of life are speaking up for Falun Gong; condemning the illegal persecution, and the Communist regime that ordered it.

In Hong Kong’s Cheung Sha Wan, a rally took place marking the 11th year of Falun Gong’s activism. Many well-known Chinese human rights activists voiced their support through recorded messages played over speakers at the rally. Unable to be there in person, they wanted to convey their support of Falun Gong’s rational and peaceful efforts to end the persecution.

Bao Tong is a political secretary of former Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang. He has this to say at the rally, (recording):
“It is outrageous that Falun Gong is being persecuted. I support Falun Gong, and the persecution of Falun Gong in China is against the Chinese Constitution.”

Zheng Enchong, a human rights attorney in Shanghai said (recording):
“I am a lawyer, and I will use my power to push and to have the truth of Falun Gong revealed. I believe history will tell a clean and clear answer to the issue of Falun Gong. The history is written by the people, not by the few in power.”

Attorneys and writers from mainland China had messages of praise for Falun Gong practitioners who steadfastly adhered to their belief despite the intense pressure to denounce it. They say Falun Gong brings welfare and hope for the people of China.

Wen Haibo, a human rights attorney in Beijing said (recording):
“Falun Gong as a group is not crushed; I think they are still in solidarity. They still maintain true to their belief, and this is very gratifying.”

Lu Xuesong, an author from Jilin Province, said (recording):
“If we can all have a heart of sincerity and support the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and do something for China’s future and humanity, we will then definitely be blessed with happiness and the joys of compassion in the new world that is not too far from us.”

Following the rally Falun Gong practitioners held a grand parade, marching to Tsim Sha Tsui, an urbanised area in southern Hong Kong. The parade attracted and astounded many tourists from mainland China who would not be used to seeing Falun Gong being celebrated at all, least of all so openly and without fear of a brutal crackdown.

A tourist from Jiangsu Province in mainland China said (recording):
“[The Falun Gong] parade is great in scale and formality; it’s grandeur. It is not allowed in China, so we want to take a look.”

Many mainland Chinese tourists took the opportunity to visit the local service booth to withdraw their membership from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations; believing that only the disintegration of the CCP will bring an end to the persecution.

Liang Zhen of the SOH Radio Network.

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Environmentalist Li Li highlights the devastation wrought by unregulated manufacturing industries along China's major rivers.

- Villagers scramble for water as pollution worsens

- Nanping hit by torrential rain, authorities cover up

- Land rights protest leaves one villager crushed

- Teachers stage kneel-down protest

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Villagers scramble for water as pollution worsens

Pollution continues to plague China’s water sources. Waste from manufacturers is a major contributor to the problem. To avoid polluted water, villagers have funded drilling operations for cleaner underground sources. They’ve been seeking cost effective methods of locating water sources but have surprisingly met with resistance from authorities.

Polluted rivers are filled with manufactured waste, which contain heavy metals, blue algae, and lead. The problem is widespread covering several provinces, including Guangzhou, Jiangsu, and Hunan. The worst affected source is the Yellow River, which flows through the Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia provinces.

Environmentalist Li Li spoke extensively to SOH about China’s pollution problems. One of the major contributors was a lack of proper waste disposal mechanisms. Often manufacturers lack water purification systems, farmers overuse chemical fertilizers, and garbage disposal systems are ineffective.

On the overall state of pollution Mr Li had this to say (recording):
“The pollution is very bad. We’ve received many phone calls. One was made by a farmer, who lives near the Wei River, who saw many small manufacturers dumping waste into the river. Everyone knows global warming can be slowed if we care for our environment. We have performed tests from Beijing to Tianjin, and to the Grand Canal. It was an awful experience. The surface of the rivers was covered with filthy, stinking garbage. The floating trash is drifting down from upstream.”

Mr Li told SOH about a village in Henan province where residents appear to have succumbed to poisoning from pollution, developing into a so-called ‘cancer village’. Mr Li said (recording):
“A tenth grade student, from Shangqiu village in Henan, suspects people in his village have been getting cancer from the water. He took water from a well to Beijing for tests and found the water exceeded standard contamination levels in many indexes. That is their drinking water! No doubt they’re getting sick. So many people get cancer…liver, stomach, gullet and intestinal cancer. We really want to return to the village and help change the water.”

In desperation, villagers have begun searching for purer sources of water; Mr Li described this process (recording):
“The water on the surface is more polluted, and the polluted water goes deep underground. In this situation, the wells have to be dug deeper. But it’s expensive to dig deep wells, and the underground water will dry up if it’s over used. They’re trying to develop a cheaper method but can’t get any support from the government.”

Mr Li continued (recording):
“With the pollution by dirty water, the wells have to be deepened, from scores of metres to thousands of metres. With all the underground water being used up, won’t it run out? Now we have a method, building a water tower with biological screening. The water from it meets the standard for drinking water while the expense is cheaper. The cost to dig a deep well is enough to build two or three of our facilities. But we only get support from non-government organisations; the government doesn’t give financial support.”

There is a lot of funding for scientific research into pollution; however research results are often ignored. Mr Li spoke of the extensive efforts made by non-government organisations (recording):
“Scientists working for the government just think about how to get research funds. Many of them put the results aside after they’ve finished their research. They are not put into practice at all. But experts who work in non-government sectors are in very difficult financial situations. I know they are very good experts. They have to do a lot of research. Sometimes they have to investigate in person. They have to spend a lot of money. I have been working here on this field. The centre we built is called ‘The Theatre for Popularising Science’. We put the knowledge of environmental protection on the stage in a simple way, so that people can understand it easily.”

Yu Xin and Hui Hong of the SOH Radio Network

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Li Dun Village has been completely buried by mudslides caused by torrential rain in Fujian Province.

Nanping hit by torrential rain, authorities cover up

There one day, gone the next. The village of Li Dun is now completely buried under tons of mud after a devastating mudslide in China’s southern Fujian Province on June 18th. Locals say everywhere you look houses are collapsing, unable to withstand the constant battering of the floods. And villagers say authorities have kept the real death toll from the public.

Torrential rain and floods have devastated China’s southern regions for nearly two weeks now. Among the worst affected areas is Nanping City. At least half of all counties in Nanping province have been severely affected by the heavy rain. Just less than two weeks ago the water levels in Nanping’s Guangzhe county were 2 meters high.

And now local residents tell tales of horror scenes often only seen in disaster movies. Mr Chen, a local of Yanping district, tells reporters about the horrific mudslide that swallowed Li Dun village, saying at least 20 were killed.

He said, (recording):
“Many people died. The mountain slope fell into the river, and twenty some people died because of this. The head of Health and Disease Prevention [Centre] in our area is also dead. Thousands of houses haves collapsed and only 4,000 people from a township of 10,000 were allocated temporary shelters. Only three or four out of ten villages see their roads open. There is water stoppages and electricity blackouts. The collapse is so severe that one collapse happens every kilometer. Mountain slopes as wide as 100 meters are collapsed, in huge volumes.”

Mrs. Gong from Siqian village told reporters she witnessed a child being washed away in the river, but the authorities blocked the news. She said Siqian village is among the banks of Futun River, whose banks collapsed in recent years. She says the government embezzled the money reserved for repairmen.

Mrs. Gong tells reporters (recording):
“The source area from which Futun river runs was hit the most. Many houses were [falling] down following the flood on the 19th [of June]. Mudslides swallowed all the houses. My aunt’s family suffered losses [amounting to] tens of thousands of Yuan because of that. Mudslides also left many people homeless and at least 5-6 people are dead, as far as I know. In the county seat, three old people, including kids, were washed away by the water. But the thing is, the government leaders lie about the damage. If there were 10 deaths, they would say only 2 died.”

Torrential rains have caused severe damage and loss of life all across the region. According to Mr Wang of Wangtai township of Yanping district, Nanping, (recording):
“The local government leased the mountains with trees to someone. Many of the trees were cut and sold, so there is no soil preservation. When heavy rain falls, the damage has got to be severe. There are still dead bodies over in our village. All the roads are collapsed; it’s muddy everywhere. We have had no water and electricity for almost a week. We have to use candles; the villagers have not received any disaster relief aids.”
Torrential rain led to floods in many parts of Fujian province. A huge number of houses collapsed, infrastructure was destroyed, and farmlands submerged, causing more than 6 billion dollars in economic losses.

As of 4 pm on the 21st of June, the cities of Nanping, Sanming, Longyan, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Ningde, Fuzhou, and Putian have seen a total 664 villages and 2.6 million people affected. In addition, 44,200 houses have collapsed, 76 officially reported deaths have occurred, and 79 are missing.

Lin Li and Meng Mei of the SOH Radio Network

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Taobu villagers have seized 22 government vehicles and will use them as bargaining chips against the authorities trying to demolish their village.

Land rights protest leaves one villager crushed

300 villagers have clashed with police and demolition crews in Shandong Province. One villager was crushed by a government vehicle during the clash in Taobu Village of Weifang City. Villagers retaliated by destroying the vehicle. They also seized 22 government cars while demanding officials stay away from the village.

Taobu Village first came under target for demolition on April 23rd. Villagers received notice from the Weizi Town government that the 206 National Road was to be rerouted. It meant however that Taobu Village needed to be demolished. Local authorities failed to issue any legal documentation for appropriating the land. On May 26th, the Weizi Town government hired a large construction team to raze the village.

At 9am on June 21st, a massive demolition crew arrived. 60 vehicles were dispatched to carry out the demolition. Villagers came out in protest to block the crew. Song Weiyi was hit and knocked to the ground; he was then run over.

Mr Huang, a Taobu villager described the scene (recording):
“The Town Government, village cadres, public, inspection and legal personnel, came with unregistered vehicles to suppress us. There were 60 vehicles and about 2 – 300 people. Villagers put up the banners at the entrance to defend their village. Some saw how many people we had; so they turn and ran. Villagers stood in front of the trucks. One villager, Mr Song stood in front of a vehicle, but it didn’t stop. It first knocked him to the ground and the vehicle was switched off, afterwards it started up again, and it just crushed him.

A female resident of Taobu Villager also spoke to SOH: (recording)
“That day some vehicles crushed people; the farmers blocked their way and a fight erupted. They crushed Mr. Song and he was taken to hospital at once. Four of his ribs were broken, and pierced his lung, his leg is broken, the bone in his arm is also broken, and he is still unconscious.”

Villagers destroyed the vehicle (pictured) which ran over Song Weiyi.

Song Weiyi’s accident infuriated villagers to the point where they beat the driver of the truck. The vehicle was destroyed. They took control of 22 other vehicles, and deflated the tires. Later that evening the local government arranged to have the vehicles taken back. Several trucks waited in the neighbouring Beitao Village. Villagers took turns keeping a lookout.

Mr Huang, a villager said: (recording)
“We don’t let them take the vehicles, if the vehicle which crushed (Song) is driven away, we’ll have no evidence. Right now, we’re taking turns on duty night and day. The vehicles are protected and nothing is damaged. We are not cunning, not wicked, and the inner quality of these people is quite high.”

Local media have been censored from reporting the incident. The Weizi Town government has tried to distance itself from the incident. The license plates of the vehicles have been swapped so any connection with the authorities is removed.

Mr Huang said villagers were now concerned of possible reprisals from the authorities (recording):
“Villagers are afraid the offending vehicle will be taken away. There are still many government vehicles detained here. The villagers are worried of criminal charges. The government will take revenge, it’s not a simple matter of a crowd of villagers creating a disturbance and then letting the matter rest. Indeed, most regular people feel no security; many have their internet monitored.”

Yu Shan and Gu Qinger of the SOH Radio Network.

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Teachers stage kneel-down protest

Police arrested and detained a group of teachers last week in China’s Hubei Province. The crackdown was intended as a warning against large scale appeals, like the Gongan County appeal in April, when over one thousand teachers got down on their knees at the gates to the local county government building, seeking redress for stolen benefits.

Getting on your knees in protest seems like a bold statement, however one teacher explains the cultural significance behind it, saying (recording):
“According to locals, kneeling down is admitting to the need of financial help. Government officials said the teachers disrupted social order. As a result of this incident, most of the teachers have decided to appeal in Beijing.”

A representative for the teacher’s said (recording):
“Right now state managed teachers aren’t afraid of incarceration or death. If the Central Party Committee has policy arrangements, they pay no attention to appeals. They will turn away those who go to Beijing or provincial governments and arrest those who gather in public places. In 2008, a state-managed teacher attempted suicide by eating poison at a district court. County government spent an estimated 200,000 Yuan ($29,500 USD) on treatment for the teacher.”

Teachers’ representative Yang Huanqing was arrested and detained for ten days on the evening of June 23rd. Hu Pukun and Wan Shenggang, who held banners during the appeal, were each detained for five days.

A teacher’s representative said (recording):
“We must see the Central Party leaders. If this issue remains unresolved we will continue to appeal until justice is served.”

Fu Ming and He Wen of the SOH Radio Network.

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Hong Kong businesses along the Pearl River are nervous of the repercussions following wage increases at Foxconn and Honda in China. (Payton Chung/Flickr)

- Chinese wage hikes cause headaches in Hong Kong

- Greedy companies send pharmaceutical costs soaring

- Mudslides in southern China kill hundreds

- Renowned doctor pursues justice at Supreme Court along with petitioners

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Chinese wage hikes cause headaches in Hong Kong

Unease sweeps through mainland China as Hong Kong businesses along the Pearl River Delta are impacted by workers strikes over pay rise issues at Foxconn and Honda.

According to the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association (HKSME), it’s estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 Hong Kong businesses will go bust by the end of 2010. The global financial crisis of 2008, has seen close to 10,000 Hong Kong firms declare bankruptcy, leaving 40 to 50,000 businesses to bunker down and ride out the pay rise storms; more closures may indeed occur.

President of HKSME, Mr Liu Dabang, said that since May this year, Guangzhou increased the minimum wage by 20% to 920 Yuan. Foxconn’s increase raised the minimum wage to 2,000 Yuan. Hong Kong businesses around the district will be greatly affected.

Mr Liu said (recording):
“If we had 5% net profit and increased salaries by 100%, we would have no profit, leaving a 5% loss. The impact is huge. I estimate between 1,000 to 2,000 companies will be out of business by the end of the year. Even though the Chinese Communist regime banned reports on these strikes for fear of withdrawal of foreign investments; it is inevitable that Hong Kong and other overseas investors will leave the mainland.”

Mr Liu also said (recording):
“As salaries increase, so do the land prices. Comparatively speaking, the benefits become smaller and smaller. When it gets to a point where there is no profit left, factories will return to their hometown or seek out other affordable premises.”

Liang Zhen in Hong Kong of the SOH Radio Network.

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Collusion, price-fixing and complicated government regulation has driven up the cost of medicine in China. (oceanaris/Flickr)

Greedy companies send pharmaceutical costs soaring

The release last year of China’s National Health Insurance catalogue revealed an increase in the price and number of new Chinese drugs. Some prices have reached exorbitant levels. Many medical professionals believe China’s pharmaceutical industry has been monopolized by interest groups, officials and businessmen. Collusion and price-fixing have caused major headaches for those struggling to afford medical expenses.

In 2009, China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued the latest edition of its ‘National Health Catalogue of Medical, Workplace and Birth Insurance’. Comparisons between the current and 2004 edition reveal a startling increase of 260 drugs on the market. There was a sharp jump in the price of many drugs.

In Dalian, Mr Liu from the sales department of Jingang Medical Pty told reporters about one of the company’s products, an olive alkene product used to treat tumours. Five days before the release of the insurance catalogue, the price rose from 93.50 Yuan to 140 Yuan. Currently it costs 170 Yuan ($25 US Dollars) doubling in price in just six months.

Mr Liu told SOH (recording):
“The price set by the National Development and Reform Commission hasn’t changed for four years. The price set by the commission is 93.50 Yuan. Early in 2007, we proposed to raise the prices in line with the provinces. Afterwards raw material costs kept going up, operations and wages also went up. In October 2009, the product was included in the National Health Insurance catalogue so it was changed to 140 Yuan.”

The report highlights the problems with the pricing mechanism for drugs. Suppose the sale price of a single drug at a hospital is 115 Yuan ($17 US Dollars). Then the wholesale price from an agent would be close to 90 Yuan. The agent however, may have purchased the drugs from the manufacturer at just 18 Yuan ($2.60 US Dollars). The extra 72 Yuan ($10 US dollars) is supposed to cover clinical costs, taxes, packaging, postage, and percentages for medical and public relations representatives. Mr Liu said the pricing regulations in China were overly complicated.

He told SOH (recording):
“The price of drugs is set by the government, enterprises or the National Development and Reform Commission. These three contribute to high prices. Manufacturers do not sell medicine directly to patients. Instead prices rely on tenders from distribution companies, the State in turn, regulates the price which they sell to hospitals.

Mr Zhu, a medical professional believes China’s pharmaceuticals have been monopolized by interest groups who can fix prices at will.

He told SOH (recording):
“The cost of medicine has doubled; I feel there must be manipulation on a national scale. Honestly, it may be collusion between officials and businessmen. The merchants sell at an expensive price and make more profits. It’s not so expensive from the manufacturer, however between the medical and marketing companies, then into hospitals and again into pharmacies, after this the price is doubled. All sectors in between make a profit.”

Mr Zhang from Changzhou in Jiangsu Province said health insurance policies often cheat people, some medical expenses can’t be claimed.

He spoke to SOH (recording):
“Health insurance cheats people. Even if we want insurance, they won’t insure us. We do have insurance for farmers, but it is limited. It only covers visits to county level hospitals, we can only go there. They only give you medicine and don’t end up getting better. They won’t treat your illnesses. Last time we spent over ten thousand Yuan and that would only delay small illnesses. The Communist Party’s health insurance is a scam.

In May this year, there was extensive media coverage in Sichuan of the ‘asparagus’ drug, a kind of supplement to treat cancer. The manufacturer sold the ‘asparagus’ drug at 15.5 Yuan. But hospitals sold the drug at 213 Yuan, a 1300% price jump.

Lin Li and Yi Fan of the SOH Radio Network.

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Severe rains have caused flooding in many parts of southern China.

Mudslides in southern China kill hundreds

180,000 people have been trapped by flood waters in China’s Jiangxi Province since Sunday, June 20th. Heavy rainfall has caused severe floods, and deadly mudslides have killed several people in China’s southern regions. Jiangxi, Hunan and Fujian Provinces have been hit the hardest.

The floods have caused disruption in many cities who are without transportation, communication or fresh water supplies. In Jiangxi Provine, the counties of Fuzhou and Yintan have suffered the worst of the flood.

Roads, communication and the water supply have been cut off in Zixi and Yujiang counties. A resident of Zixi county, Mr. Fu Zhifeng, told SOH reporters of the severity of the situation.

He said (recording):
“There are [building] collapses over there. In our county and in the village, there are 4-6 deaths reported. The bridges are broken down, and many of the villages are flooded.”

In Yunnan Province thunderstorms have caused major damages in Guixi, Yujiang, Yuehu, and Dragon and Tiger counties. On Saturday morning, locals reported seeing leeks in the wall of the Yuehu county reservoir, as well as mudslides going on for several hundred meters.
Mr. Wu of Dragon and Tiger County says the flood damage to the province is enormous.

He tells SOH (recording):
“There are floods in many parts of the province; the situation is very terrible. With the flooding, there are many places with mudslides and broken bridges. Many [people] died, but the numbers have not yet been confirmed. Crops are underwater and there is no [drinking] water or electricity. It’s terrible. The flood wave is almost 10 meters high and even the reservoir is damaged. There are villages where the water level reaches the third floor. Some of the roofs are submerged and some have shifted.”

Two residents of Yujiang County told reporters of their situation.

Mrs. Zhu says (recording):
“The rain was heavy in our village, quite heavy; over 100 millimeters a day. The whole county seat is submerged. There’s no electricity and no water; it’s really bad.”

Mr. Feng says (recording):
“There was very heavy rain. Our county seat and roads are flooded and no vehicles can run. Schools are closed these last two days. There is still no electricity and water, and the crops and roads are all submerged. We went to the countryside to help. Dozens of houses may collapse.”

According to online sources, the entire Liaojiadi village of Sanming county in Fujian province is submerged, with 4-5 deaths reported by locals. The villagers evacuated to the neighboring Changjia village.

Mr. Chen of Sanming County told reporters his county sits in low terrain and often floods. He said (recording):
“The rain is heavy and there are also mudslides, of which about 12 people died. We suffer from this every year. We are at the lower end of the reservoir and when the gate is opened, we will have a flood as high as the second floor [of a house]. I heard the floods in other places are as high as 3 meters.”

A resident of Zhaowu city tells SOH of the flooding in Fujian province. He says (recording):
“Mudslides caused a couple of deaths, as those who lived in the countryside could not evacuate. Houses are down and schools are closed. Crops and many old bridges are certainly damaged.”

It is the 14th time Fujian, Jiangxi, and Henan province has been hit by heavy thunderstorms. As of 8pm on Sunday June 20th, 10 million people have been affected.

Damaged crops account for a total of 5.3 million square metres, while the official death toll is at 132, with 86 people missing. 68,000 houses have collapsed, resulting in an economic loss of 14.5 billion Yuan (approximately 2.5 billion Australian dollars).

Lu Fang and Yu Xing of the SOH Radio Network.

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Renowned medical specialist Jiao Donghai (pictured) is pursuing justice at the Supreme People's Court against Chief of Medicine of Xiangshan Hospital. The chief has escaped punishment for serious medical malpractice.

Renowned doctor pursues justice at Supreme Court along with petitioners

The Supreme People’s Court of China has begun a review of several past cases, some involving petitioners. In response, renowned doctor Jiao Donghai and over 80 petitioners hurried to Beijing to raise awareness of their cases. On June 18th they visited Peking University to get advice from legal scholars on civil procedure. The scholars voiced their support saying their actions were legally sound.

Dr Jiao Donghai is an expert in traditional Chinese medicine and is famous for his remarkable dietary treatments. He once helped a patient lose over 50 kilograms in 11 months. Dr Jiao worked at Shanghai’s Xiangshan Hospital. Rampant corruption and unsafe medical practices prompted him to file a lawsuit against the hospital chief, Kang Zhengxiang. Kang was initially found guilty and sentenced by a court, but the medical chief was shielded from punishment by officials.

Dr Jiao spoke to SOH about their visit to Peking University (recording):
“They support us suing the officials. One of them said when civilians sue officials; the chances of winning are small. Because I have the court judgements, I have the evidence. I want to sue the officials of the District Department of Health, who helped cover up the crimes committed by the Chief of Xiangshan Hospital.”

Dr Jiao spoke of the problems at Xiangshan Hospital (recording):
“The hospital chief was selling fake drugs and caused the death of several employees. He is still the hospital chief. He still bullies civilians. He even created fake documents to cover up the death of the son of the Deputy General Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee. He also caused the death of a farmer, Zhang Yongcai. He hasn’t been punished. The court handed a judgement and sentence against him, but the Secretary General of the Luwan District Committee is protecting him.”

Another petitioner who made her way to Beijing was Mao Hengfeng. She was sentenced to a yearlong forced labour camp term because of the World Expo. Mao and her husband Wu Xuewei also came to Beijing seeking legal help.

Wu Xuewei said (recording):
“As long as labour camp systems exist, there is little hope of achieving justice. In reality, the camp system restricts people’s personal freedom, and forces detainees to perform labour without compensation. Mao Hengfeng told me of a saying in the camps: “Start work at the crack of dawn, non-stop, until the ghosts come out at night.” Detainees are forced to do labour-intensive, manual production work. The labour camp system not only violates the constitution, it is notorious for its cruelty and viciousness. The fact is guards in the camp are crueller and harsher to detainees than regulations permit.”

Mao Hengfeng had been arrested, detained and sentenced by Shanghai authorities numerous times for her protests against the ‘one-child policy.’ On February 24th, 2010, police arrested Mao. Ten days later, she was sentenced to one and half years of forced labour.

Tian Xi of the SOH Radio Network.

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A bullying official is trapped in the white car as 10,000 angry residents respond to his assault of a schoolgirl.

- Official assaults student, 10,000 clash in Anhui

- Government silence spurs on epidemic

- Internet restored in Xinjiang, albeit with restrictions

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Official assaults student, 10,000 clash in Anhui

Over 10,000 Chinese citizens clashed with local forces in China’s eastern Anhui province last week. What started as an ordinary Friday night quickly turned ugly when the local deputy chief of tourism assaulted a 13-year-old girl in the parking lot of a local market in Maanshan City.

Witnesses immediately surrounded the car of the official and prevented him from leaving the scene. They angrily demanded he apologise. The small crowd quickly grew to over 10,000, with the crowd becoming increasingly agitated.

Wang Guoqing is the deputy Chief of Tourism for Huashan district in Ma’anshan City.

One local told SOH that after bumping the high school student with his car, his wife then encouraged him to slap her. Wang Guoqing then boasted he knew the Mayor and made sinister threats alluding to underworld connections. Angry bystanders demanded he make amends and apologise.

The local described the scene, saying (recording):

“That night, Wang Guoqing hit a 13 year old girl. This little girl does not have a father. After she was hit, he struck her, causing a bloody nose and swelling to her face. After the attack, he angrily said the Mayor has people in the underworld and who were legitimate. His wife in the car also said something rude, and this aroused public anger. After the incident, so many people surrounded his car.”

Wang Guoqing wanted rush away from the scene in his car but the crowd blocked the road. Wang immediately called for help and soon ten police came to escort him from the scene. However the crowd formed a human wall, blocking the police car. Both sides were deadlocked for two hours.

The bystander told SOH that Wang was fortunate the police had arrived to protect him.

The bystander said, (Recording):

“The traffic police protected him or else he’d be beaten to death. With so many people over there, they would beat him up for sure. It wasn’t until 10pm that an official of the municipal committee heard of the news and hurried here. He stood on top of the police car and started to shout out to the people.”

The bystander continued (recording):

“After gathering, he said he is the leader. By now the people were in revolt, and the crowd soon grew to over ten thousand people. Then, the Mayor came and shouted into the loudspeaker that this person (Wang) will be sacked on the spot and the issue will be dealt with if we return home. However this didn’t work, so many armed police came. People threw rocks and other objects at the armed police; it was chaos.”

The scene was so loud that many people could not hear what he said. Some rioters expressed disbelief at the Mayor’s words, believing it to be an empty promise. He still refused to leave, due to the large crowd.

At about 11pm, authorities sent firefighters and men to take Wang Guoqing away from the scene. However, the police cars remained out of reach among the crowd. The firefighters and men had no alternative but to withdraw. Shortly, the authorities then deployed riot squad and armed police. The squad, armed with police truncheons and shields, rushed to the police cars, separating the crowd into two and cleared the way for the police cars.

The city residents still tried to stop them by risking their lives. Many people were injured in their attempts. However the police car was eventually able to escort the chief from the chaotic scene.

A bystander told SOH (recording):

“The armed police did not come with many people; they released a type of toxic gas – tear gas, and this was very difficult for people to bear, so they dispersed.”

According to a local citizen, the young girl who had been assaulted was already very deprived and did not deserve the harsh treatment by anyone, let an a district official.

The citizen told reporters (recording):

“Beating children causes anger to people and so they refuse to comply. You’re an official who’s slapping people’s kids. This infuriates people. The ordinary citizens called on the Mayor and asked the Mayor to sack him. This little kid is a student, and this student is very pitiful; her parents are divorced.”

Tian Xi of the SOH Radio Network.

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Government silence spurs on epidemic

The Chinese government’s failure to expose the severity of hand, foot and mouth disease has resulted in an epidemic surge. The Chinese Ministry of Health says over 350,000 cases of the disease were reported in May with 186 cases of death. Many peasant families are unable to afford the hefty medical expenses resulting in a higher death toll than official statistics say.

Mr Gao of Shan County, Hezhe in Shandong Province said the disease is widespread in his village, his three year old son was infected by hand-foot and mouth disease. There are several accounts of death in just one small village, possibly more than 100 cases of death in just one county.

Mr Gao told SOH (recording):

“Hand-foot-mouth disease is spreading in numerous villages, including in western and south-western parts of Shandong Province. With no preventive measure put in place by the authorities, the outcome is quite severe. Some families don’t pay attention when a child is mildly sick; when the illness becomes serious they go to hospital and find out its hand-foot-mouth disease, finding they are unable to afford the hospital costs.”

Ms Tan from the Dragon and Tiger Village of Yongqing County in Hebei Province, whose nephew of 11 months and niece of one month both contracted the disease, claims the local government didn’t publicly announce the breakout and believes hand, foot and mouth disease is due to the poor standards of hygiene by health clinics in the countryside.

Ms Tan told reporters (recording):

“There are not enough beds in the hospitals and no isolation for treatment. I saw so many children in the hallways; hygiene is a worry. The protein shot costs 665 Yuan, which is way too high for a peasant family. My sister had to pay a 5000 Yuan deposit on June 7th, until her daughter was transferred to an intensive care unit from the 8th to the 10th. This came to in 15,000 Yuan of medical treatment costs, a huge pressure for her.”

15,000 Yuan is equivalent to about 2000 US dollars.

Mr Xie of Luohe, Henan Province lost his child to the disease. He said the hospital is full of hand-foot-mouth disease patients. His child became sick on May 30th, and died one and half days after being taken to the hospital.

Mr Xie told SOH (recording):

“There are many hand-foot-mouth disease patients, and not enough hospital beds. We were left in the hallway. At 11 pm that night, my child went into a coma, and was taken to the intensive care unit. He could only breathe via a machine; he did not have much hope. In the morning hours of June 1st, we were asked to pay for the expenses. We don’t have a fixed income, so we had to take out a loan. Those one and a half days cost 6500 Yuan.”

So far this year, the death toll for hand, foot and mouth has surpassed 260 with 420,000 known cases. The disease is mostly found in the five provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Henan, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

Lin Li and Wan Qing of the SOH Radio Network

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Internet access in Xinjiang has been restored but is still subject to heavy internet controls and censorship.

Internet restored in Xinjiang, albeit with restrictions

Internet access has been restored in Xinjiang, albeit with greater censorship. After last year’s July 5th Urumqi riots in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, internet access was blocked for nearly a year. Shortly before the Human Rights Dialogue between China and the US, China officially announced an all-round restoration of internet business. Internet users however have revealed online that personal communication in Xinjiang is still heavily restricted.

According to human rights activist Hu Jun, Chinese authorities blocked internet access for 302 days in order to cover the extent of the Urumqi riots, which caused severe damage to local businesses and people’s lives.

On July 5th last year, ethnic Uyghur’s in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi held a protest against the improper handling of a rape case involving Uyghur suspects. The Uyghur are one of the 56 ethnic minorities in China.

Chinese authorities dispatched military police to suppress the protest. Many people died or were injured during the conflict. Chinese state-run media reported 140 deaths, and over 800 injuries. According to civilian accounts however, over 1,000 people died during the suppression.

Recently, online users in Xinjiang took to the internet complain, saying although internet usage was restored, messaging services such as QQ, remained blocked. Companies which developed this software have ignored user complaints, implying a degree of cooperation with the Chinese authorities. In addition, some email functions have been disabled. College students and internet café business owners complained the Internet blocks and restrictions have inconvenienced personal life and severely harmed their business.

A college student said (recording):

“The internet shut down was most likely caused by the incident on July 5th. The shut-down was intended to block the flow of information.”

An internet café owner in Urumqi said (recording):

“To handle the July 5th Incident, the government demanded the shutdown of the internet. The repercussions are huge.”

Hu Jun, a human rights activist in Xinjiang said (recording):

“The damage is severe, really severe. Almost all internet cafés are shut down; many business activities, such as domestic and international online trading, online banking, couldn’t be conducted. For many factories, the capital flow, sale of products, and contract signings are done over the internet. When the internet is shut down, the damage is immeasurable. Now the U.S. wants to conduct human rights dialogue with China, Chinese authorities re-opened the internet the day before the dialogue. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right. If people do not have the right to communicate, the right to speech, are they still human beings? Aren’t they treated like animals? It was because of the July 5th incident.”

Hu continued (recording):

“The details have not been made public. Chinese civilians do not know the truth. The authorities have done things that they do not want others to know about. Therefore they blocked the internet to prevent the flow of information. It is just like the June 4th massacre on Tiananmen Square. The authorities want to cover it up. We have seen some e-photos sent to us by witnesses. We have seen soldiers beating people. When the police and civilians confronted each other, there were women, children, there were both Han nationalities and Uyghur. Both Uyghur and Han people were extremely angry with the government. They were protesting the government and venting their anger.”

Lu Fang of SOH Radio Network

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Sun Baoqiang, one of many outspoken critics of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre facing heavy police monitoring.

- Disgruntled villager runs down demolition team

- Anguished author’s outcry

- Dissidents ushered away during June 4th anniversary

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Disgruntled villager runs down demolition team

A protest in Henan Province has taken a turn for the worst as a disgruntled villager drove a truck into a demolition crew. On June 1st, Liu Danao drove his truck into demolition workers in protest against forced housing demolitions. The crash caused five deaths and over thirty injuries. Liu, who was accompanied by four other villagers, went to a local police station to turn himself in. Police subsequently detained several other villagers. Some have been released.

According to witnesses, a team of over 500 people, including police, riot police, fire fighters, government officials and demolition crews, went to Liuzhuang Village at around 6 am on June 1st. They were to demolish the homes of villages. In protest, Liu Danao first drove his truck, stopping in front of demolition machinery. Police began smashing his truck, in anger Liu proceeded to drive into the demolition crew.

China’s state-run media have run contradicting reports on the incident. They reported just four deaths and fifteen injuries, and also that police apprehended Mr Liu. Yu Guofu, a human rights activist in Henan has blasted official media for the incorrect reports.

He said (recording):
“The official reports certainly deviated from the truth. If it weren’t for the forced demolition, why would he drive his truck into these people? Now the officials bully civilians to such an extent that civilians have to protest. Four people died on the spot, another one died during emergency rescue. So five people died. The number of injuries is over thirty however, media reports said it was over ten. On May 27th, a demolition crew member fell when working and killed another person. All official media stay silent on this issue. They are hiding the truth.”

Yu Guofu told SOH reporters that Liu Danao is over sixty years old, he’s simple and well-behaved. He told us what happened at the police station (recording):
“Liu Danao went to turn himself in at around 5 p.m. Four villagers went with him. Those four villagers were detained as well. They were not released until June 3rd. Liu was about to be sentenced. His family and relatives, that is, his wife and two daughters, his younger brother Liu Sannao and sister-in-law, his sister and brother-in-law, were all taken away by the police. The villagers who went to police to appeal the next day were also arrested. Until now, only some of the villagers have been released.”

Starting from November last year, the Yutong Corporation of Zhengzhou City has planned to demolish South Liuzhuang Village to develop an industrial park. Local authorities did not reach any agreement with the villagers, nor did the demolition team follow any legal procedures. On May 31st, someone posted a notice in the village in the afternoon, it read:

“Water and electricity will be shut off on June 1 for the entire village, and the all-round demolition will get started.”

Yu Guofu said he received complaints from villagers as early as May, and the villagers have been appealing since April this year. However, the related departments simply ignored their appeals.

Yu said (recording):
“They came up with this “overlord agreement”, where 300 out of the 400 households in the village had to move out. Only eighteen households could stay. Villagers have been going to Beijing to appeal numerous times. The Henan Provincial Office stationed in Beijing intercepted these appellants immediately and sent them back. Due to corruption, they simply ignored their appeals. Now that Liu Danao has protested in such a drastic way, they have stopped the demolition temporarily, and are asking for the villagers’ opinions. Liu has protected the personal interests of all villagers. He can be said to be a hero fighting against corruption. However, based on the legal system in this society, he certainly will be mistreated.”

Wang Qian and Hui Hong of the SOH Radio Network

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Anguished author’s outcry

A Chinese woman faces ongoing pressure from authorities in the lead up to the release of her book titled: “Female Prisoner of the Red Mansion”. The book is a memorandum of her time spent in prison for leading a protest following the mass shooting of protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

On the day following the June 4th massacre, Sun made a public speech at Tiantong Road in Shanghai. She led a group of people in moving the barricades from one side of the street to the center of the road to protest, before she was arrested.

Sun Baoqiang was sentenced to three years in prison for “spreading rumors, incitement, and interfering with public transportation”. After being released from prison, Ms Baoqiang lost her job, apartment, and 21 years of work benefits.

Recently, when interviewed by SOH Radio she said (recording):
“Ever since I began writing this memoir, police from State security and the local precinct kept asking for my manuscript and threatening me. Four years ago I created a blog including this information. First they disabled the message board and then they deactivated the blog all together. I am being ‘silenced’ and don’t have a voice.”

Sun revealed that the Party has been monitoring her and her family in order to prevent the book from being published. According to Sun, (recording):
“All my mail was intercepted and all phone conversations were tapped. They not only kept calling my boss, but also called my landlord to evict me. My husband and son are scared and terrified, their suffering, hardship, humiliation, and depression are indescribable.”

Sun said (recording):
“‘Female Prisoner of the Red Mansion’ is a book that does not involve any state or any big secrets. The Party is afraid; they have no interest in serious crime but spend their time on us, the so-called dissidents. This is a real pity.”

Sun felt the reason the Communist government kept suppressing and persecuting her is because of her refusal to remain silent following the June 4th massacre.
She said (recording):
“Even though my outcry is so weak and feeble, as long as my heart is beating I will continue to write with my pen. Even though most of my writing is not published, this book has to be published.”

Sun was a typist at Shanghai Petro Refinery, and often published articles about contemporary issues. On June 4th, 1989, the Communist government used hundreds of thousands of troops and opened fire on peacefully appealing citizens and students in Beijing.

Despite struggling to survive over the past 21 years, she has never lost her faith. To date, Sun has written four books, and several commentaries on contemporary issues. Including her latest book, “Female Prisoner of the Red Mansion”, she has also written two novels: “Goriot the Shanghai Version”, and “The Low Life Shanghainese” series of books.

Fu Ming and Zhao Hui of the SOH Radio Network

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Dissidents ushered away during June 4th anniversary

Speaking over the phone, democratic activist Fu Shen has told SOH that police have been forcing many dissidents out of Xi’an in China’s north, for unknown reasons.

A city over 3,000 years old, Xi’an is the capital city of Shaanxi province and has been the capital, under various names, of some of the most important dynasties in Chinese history. Today, it is the home of several prominent democratic activists.

In the lead up to the June 4th anniversary of the infamous 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, several Chinese dissidents were arrested or sent away from Xi’an. In Xi’an, many were escorted by police to other provinces. Several dissidents from Guizhou in China’s south were also arrested.

Fu Shen told SOH that police told the dissidents they were being taken on a trip because they had, quote “worked so hard”.

He said (recording):
“At the moment, I am being escorted to some other place, out of Xi’an. I have no choice but to leave. Right now, almost everyone in Xi’an has been sent off. Ma Xiaoming was taken away yesterday. This morning, Ma Yuzhong, Zhang Jiankang, Yang Hai and Zhen Bao were taken away. All these heavyweights in Xi’an were taken away. This year is the last frenzy. Analysis of the situation around the country suggests that, for unknown reasons this year, everyone (would return) in three or four days, or a week. Three or four policemen or national security police acted as escorts, without any (formality), and they all had “beaming” excuses, such as ‘You’ve worked hard. Let’s go out on a trip’.”

When reporters called Guizhou dissident Chen Xi, his wife said he was already gone. Moreover, several other dissidents in Guizhou were also detained.

She told reporters (recording):
“He was taken by the police last night, without any (written notice). He did not take anything with him. It seems that Mo Jiangang was also taken away. I don’t know about others. It is (because of) 4th of June. Nothing was said (about their return), but it is possible to be after the 4th of June. He was told to take his own clothes.”

Telephone calls to Mo Jiangang and Du Heping weren’t answered. They were nowhere to be found.

Tian Xi of the SOH Radio Network.

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- Student attacks caused by social dissent

- Hu Jia’s condition worsens

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Latest employee suicide at Foxconn Technology

An employee of Foxconn Technology Group has leaped off a building to his death. What’s alarming is this is the ninth suicide at the giant electronics manufacturer this year. The suicides all occurred at Foxconn’s Shenzhen branch in China, the latest on May 14th. When interviewed, employees at Foxconn said repetitive work regimes, stress, and poor management all contributed to the suicide.

Foxconn is a multinational business group which specialises in creating electronic and computer components for a range of products, including the iPad, iPhone and Playstation. The factory complex in Shenzhen has over 400,000 employees.

According to an employee of Foxconn, the complex in Hongguanyuan District has a very high employee turnover rate. Each factory has tens of thousands of employees. Each day sees thousands of new recruits and resignations. Recruitment criteria are lax and there are many gaps in management.

The anonymous employee told SOH (recording):
“Those who jump off the buildings are lower level staff, killing themselves because of work stress. Their work is simple and repetitive. In this kind of environment, everything becomes numb, including their thoughts, aspirations, and emotions. Under such work conditions, where they repeat the same tasks each day, they tend to think of the worst if they don’t know how to adjust their emotions after work. A few university graduates committed suicide because of mental problems or romantic troubles.”

It isn’t just the repetitive work routine which is harming employees; workers apparently suffer beatings and strict security as well. In the early hours of January 23rd, 19-year-old Ma Xiangqian was found dead underneath the employee dormitories of the Guanlan Factory in Shenzhen. His body was covered in wounds. Relatives suspect he may have died from a beating, but police refused to investigate. There have apparently been many incidents where employees were beaten by security staff.

Regarding security the Foxconn employee had this to say (recording):
“Some of the security personnel are not friendly or they are bad. I’ve heard of security beating people up because their job requirement is to ‘supervise people’, in other words their role is to look for trouble.”

Five of Foxconn’s nine suicides this year occurred at Longhua Factory in Shenzhen. An employee of that factory, Mr Wu spoke to us about below-par working conditions. He said (recording):
“Comparatively speaking, working conditions are not as good. Turnover is very high. There are many employees. Not everything is well managed. If one works overtime, one earns more.”

Foxconn employees earn the minimum wage of 900 Yuan a month, that’s 131 US dollars. 72 Yuan is deducted for social security and income tax. As it stands many employees would struggle to make ends meet if they don’t work overtime.

Tian Yu and Lu Fang of the SOH Radio Network.

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Student attacks caused by social dissent

In the past two months, six cases of knife attacks have taken place in mainland China. A recent seventh case occurred at a college in Hainan Province. So far 20 children have been killed and more than 80 injured. Many parents are rightly concerned over the safety of their children, and fear has gripped Chinese society. Teachers and parents interviewed by SOH believe the root cause of the attacks is social injustice. Many attackers vent their despair and anger at students.

Mr Chen a teacher at a kindergarten in Linzhang of Hebei Province told reporters school staff is very nervous now. Schools have strengthened security in wake of the attacks. Only adults with children are allowed to enter schools. As for the attackers, Mr Chen believes they must have suffered wrongs in the past. He said (recording):
“They are probably sick and need help, and they must have been wronged in a certain way, but there is no place for them to vent their anger and suffering. They then pass the suffering to others, so as to feel they aren’t the only ones suffering, and maybe this will get the attention of society.”

The Chinese authorities have issued a media ban on covering these attacks. Mr Chen disagrees saying (recording):
“It should be truthfully reported, at least to serve as a way to protect and prepare ourselves.”

Mr Li from Wuhan, whose son is in middle school, says social conflicts aren’t being eased, instead they continue to be aggravated. He said (recording):
“On the surface, this is a bunch of insane people murdering weak children. But if you look deeper this is a society where some people are eaten alive. Under Communist tyranny, poor people have no way out. When there is a social problem, people can’t get justice from courts, and they have to find a way to vent the pressure.”

Mr Li thinks the media ban on the killings is useless, saying (recording):
“Nowadays the Internet is so effective and fast; it’s obvious you can’t block information. As soon as something happens, it will travel fast and far. There will be an immediate response on the Internet.”

Mr Li is deeply concerned about how to protect children. He states (recording):
“There is not really much we can do. The system is broken, and we simply can’t protect and prevent it from happening. I am concerned, very much concerned. There is a universal fear among people, and a sense of despair in all walks of society. This is the general feeling and perception of the masses, and living in daylight hell under the Communist Party.”

Mr Bai, whose daughter attends college, spoke of the dangers if people had no place to vent their frustrations (recording):
“These people live on the lowest rung of society, they have no other way to make ends meet, and have no place to vent their anger. There is anger and resentment among the masses, and if there is no avenue to vent, I think there will be even more severe problems waiting to happen.”

According to Mr Bai, Chinese families are gripped in terror. All elementary schools, middle schools, and kindergartens in Beijing have police officers, security personnel and police vehicles on standby. In addition, schools have adopted a policy of escorting students. Parents have to walk and hand their children over to teachers in person, and teachers must escort students to their parents.

Since March there have been school attacks in six Chinese provinces: Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and the latest on the island province of Hainan. The Ministry of Education has formed an emergency response team to deal with the threat and enhance security measures in schools and campuses nationwide.

Wen Hong of the SOH Radio Network.

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Hu Jia’s condition worsens

The health of world renowned human rights lawyer Hu Jia, deteriorates in a Chinese jail. The two time Nobel Peace Prize nominee was arrested in 2007, for allegedly “subverting state power”. This charge is used against any Chinese national who dares speak out against the wrong doings of the Chinese Communist Party.

Now, Hu’s wife and his mother have come forward to say that the man who championed the rights of Chinese AIDs victims is suffering, as his cirrhosis of the liver deteriorates.
Hu’s wife, Zeng Jinyan told SOH, (recording):
“He is skinny, and he can’t eat much. His mental state is fine. He said his mental state is fine.”

Hu was already afflicted with liver disease when he was arrested in 2007. Since then the condition has deteriorated daily. His most recent exam results revealed a glomus tumor in his liver. The family’s requests for medical parole and a physical exam have so far been ignored. So has their request to read Hu’s medical record.

Hu’s family said (recording):
“We have never seen an exam report. They mentioned the results to us verbally; for example, the liver transaminase levels. His medical file is currently in the prison hospital.”
Hu’s family said that they are only permitted to see him once at the end of every month, but in May were permitted to visit him on May 13. His family said it was “unusual”.

Living conditions in the prison are very poor. Hu is not allowed to go outdoors, and as a result he does not get exposure to the sun or any exercise at all.

The world’s media has been paying attention to the condition of Hu Jia’s health. The Beijing Prison Hospital issued a notice to Hu’s family on March 30th, indicating Hu needed further examination to confirm whether his illness was liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Later, the prison authority denied that Hu might have contracted liver cancer, but as of today, Hu Jia and his family have been denied access to the examination reports.

Hu’s family is appealing to the international society to continue to show their concern for his situation, and to press the Beijing authorities for improvement.

Hu has been a human rights activist in many areas. He is mostly known for his efforts in defending the rights of AIDs patients. He was arrested at the end of 2007, and was sentenced to three and half years in prison by Beijing authorities on April 3, 2008.

Tian Xi of SOH International Radio Network

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An interview with a former prison guard reveals the frightening extent of corruption and brutality in China's prisons (Prince Roy/flickr)

- Former prison officer reveals disturbing prison system

- More on lawyers Tang Jitian and Liu Wei

- Farmers take to railroad track in protest of land grabs

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Former prison officer reveals disturbing prison system

Mr Hu use to be a prison officer. He also served the CCP as a teacher and Party cadre. Once he became disenchanted with the shady and corrupt practices of China’s prison system, he resigned from all CCP affiliated organisations.

On May 8th Mr Hu spoke to SOH radio, giving us a glimpse into the dark side of China’s prison system. What he told us revealed systematic corruption and the flagrant abuse of human rights in many of China’s prisons. When he first joined the CCP, Hu developed an immediate dislike of the organisation. He spoke to us about this (recording):
“When I was in college studying a degree, my father suggested I join the CCP. I didn’t take his advice. Back then the Party propaganda went like this: ‘The majority of Party members are good. Only a small number, a handful of Party members are not good.’ However, I noticed that in places where I studied and lived bad cadres outnumbered good ones. It was quite disappointing. I wasn’t going to apply for Party membership. Afterwards, when I worked in the prison system, I often heard sarcastic comments from prisoners, like: “From what we can tell, police officers are even worse than us prisoners!””

Mr Hu told SOH that anyone with a hint of humanity would struggle to work in China’s penal system. He said (recording):
“All I saw was bribery, corruption, and beatings. It was outrageous. I don’t think this is a place where humans can stay. I need freedom. I don’t want to spend all my time trying to figure out the subtle hints in the body language of officials. One of my former colleagues still works at the propaganda department, putting a favourable spin on everything to police trainees. The last time I called him, I asked if he was pleased with his work. He said he was going crazy. He knows it’s all a blatant lie, and everyone else knows it’s a lie. Yet, he has to gloss over contradictions and make speeches to police officers. In other words, they fool themselves and lie to each other. So, I’m fed up with it, and don’t want to be a part of it. I decided to quit.”

Prison officers actually have the power to reduce prison terms. But some officers take advantage of this power; Mr Hu described one case (recording):
“They go out to deceive inmates’ families. For example, someone is in a labour camp. The officer tells his wife that he wants her ‘to understand the situation,’ a not so subtle hint that she should sleep with the officer in exchange for her husband’s reduced labour term.”

Mr Hu believes the flawed training system actually breeds unfit and violent cadets. Training regimes are lax and many underqualified and unfit cadets become officers (recording):
“Some graduated from high school and didn’t enrol in college [after failing the entrance exams]. Some finished military service and returned to their hometowns. Those with connections first became workers. After two or three years, he’s qualified to take exams to become a police officer. I once supervised the exams. It was completely out of control. Some students had parents who worked in law enforcement and never spent time studying. They copied each other’s answers during the exam. We didn’t dare stop them, because their parents were chiefs of departments. Officers who supervised the exam had to leave and smoke in the hallway. When I taught at such a school the students even dared to fight with me. After they passed the exam and became prison guards [while in China they still belong to the police system and wear police uniforms], they are most vicious when beating inmates. So vicious, that some inmates were beaten to death. Some inmates had mental breakdowns.”

Some prison guards were actually former soldiers. After returning from the military they bring unprecedented brutality to the prisons (recording):
“If you want to find anyone more vicious, it has to be soldiers. Sometimes, prison guards are angry at inmates, but even they don’t go too far with the beatings. Often soldiers are called in. These young soldiers, only 17, 18, or maybe 19 years old, don’t have any sympathy. They treat it like a boxing exercise. They simply lift the inmate off the ground and tie them to a tree using thick metal wire, and start rounds and rounds of punching.”

Mr Hu believes it was worth giving up his secure job in the prison system in exchange for freedom and human decency.

Fu Ming and Li Ming of the SOH Radio Network

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More on lawyers Tang Jitian and Liu Wei

The case of two Beijing lawyers facing the suspension of their practicing certificates continues to unfold in China. The case is receiving world-wide attention, and many foreign news agencies are closely following what unfolds in Beijing.

Tang Jitian and Liu Wei were notified by phone that a formal decision had been made about the cancellation of their certificates. The phone call was made by Chen Yinghai of the Law and Politics Branch at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice on May 7th.

When interviewed over the telephone, Ms. Liu confirmed (recording):
“A decision has been handed down, but I was not formally notified. He asked me to go get the notice.”

Ms. Liu said, instead of handing her the decision at the Municipal Bureau of Justice, she was asked to collect it from a law firm. She said it was peculiar and “unacceptable” that normal protocol was ignored.
Ms Liu said, (recording):
“In fact, I do not have any legal connection with that practice any more. For mysterious motives, they told me to go to that practice to receive the decision, which I could not accept. Therefore I do not know the outcome yet.”

Ms. Liu believes the authorities’ were trying to avoid certain issues.
She said, (recording):
“According to the standard, I should fetch it from the [Municipal Bureau of Justice]. But today the convention was not followed. They wanted to avoid something.”
As for Tang Jitian, sources say his mobile phone has not been able to receive signals from overseas since his license was cancelled.

Calls to Chen Yinghui at the Law and Politics Branch of the Beijing Bureau of Justice, and Xiao Lizhu, the head of the Lawyer Control Department, were not answered.

On the 27th of April 2009, two Beijing lawyers Tang Jitian and Liu Wei, acted as the legal defense of Falun Gong practitioner Yang Ming, from Luzhou City, Sichuan Province. During the court proceedings, the presiding judge prevented Yang Ming from making his defense. Yang’s lawyers’ arguments were interrupted more than ten times. After their right to defend their client was deprived several times, the two lawyers withdrew from the courtroom in protest of the court’s illegal hearing. As a result, the Justice Bureau cancelled their practicing certificates for “disturbing the order of the court’

Falun Dafa is a spiritual practice, deeply rooted in Chinese history and traditions, whose adherents live by the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance. It has been banned in China since July 20, 1999. Since then, adherents have been persecuted and illegally sent to detention centres, brainwashing camps, and forced labour camps. According to Amnesty International, torture and ill-treatment of Falun Gong adherents is prevalent during high profile political campaigns… Reports continue of deaths of detained practitioners following torture and extreme ill-treatment.”

Li Yifei and Xin Yi of SOH Radio Network.

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Farmers take to railroad track in protest of land grabs

400 farmers have taken to lying on a railroad track in protest of government land grabs. On April 29th, farmers from Changchun Village of Fujin in Heilongjiang Province lay on a stretch of railway for nine and a half hours. Dozens of tractors were also used to block a major highway. Armed police later arrived at the scene and dispersed the protestors with tear gas. A dozen farmers suffered injuries with two severely injured.

Locals’ estimate over 2000 armed police were dispatched to Fujin City. Central avenue and Oriental Plaza were held under tight control. One local told reporters (recording):
“There are traffic police on patrol every day, and there are also police and official vehicles from the Public Security Bureau on patrol. We don’t know if they carry guns, but there are many of them.”

The head of Changchun village, Ms Ling told reporters the farmers began blocking the railroads on the 29th. They managed to stop the number 4133 train from Jiamusi to Qianjin at 3pm.

Ling told us (recording):
“It’s been blocked for nine and a half hours. There were over 400 villagers and the police used tear gas on the crowd. About ten farmers were injured, two of them severely, and another two hospitalized. They had injuries all over their bodies. Some police were injured as well, but we don’t know how many.”

Ling said the authorities had seized over 40 square kilometres of land for state projects. For the next 14 years, the original owners of the land will only have the right to lease the land from the new owners. She told reporters about their demands (recording):
“Many people have come from the province, and some from the city. We just negotiated with them, telling them they must give the land back, as that’s what we want. The 40 square kilometres of land we have title to weren’t clearly appropriated. We did not mention money, what we want is land, not money.”

The farmers now reportedly own just 13 square kilometres of land, and the rest ‘belongs’ to the Fujin Agricultural Development Company. Farmers can only lease the land on an annual basis. It now appears they’re being forced to lease their own land, and that the company has become the landlord.

This situation actually stretches back to 2007, where government officials actually admitted the 40 square kilometres of land was acquired illegally through land seizures. Despite this, the authorities are still refusing to return the land to the farmers. The current protest is a result of this dispute. The protest itself has proven quite effective in achieving its aim. It seems even the Chinese Communist regime has been disturbed by the successful blocking of a train.

Tian Xi and Xin Yi of SOH Radio Network

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Onlookers gather following the most recent kindergarten knife attacks on April 29th.

- CCP covers up kindergarten attacks

- Petitioners speak of World Expo detention

- A hundred miners terminally ill from poor conditions

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CCP covers up kindergarten attacks

April 29th was a day which shocked China as a knife-wielding man went on a rampage in a Chinese kindergarten. Initial Xinhua news reports stated children were killed in the attack. However to the surprise of many, official reports said there were no deaths and just severe injuries.

The attack occurred at the Central Kindergarten in Taixing Town of Jiangsu Province. Local police sealed off the kindergarten immediately after the incident, and parents were forbidden from entering to see their injured children. On April 30th, the day after, over ten thousand people gathered on the streets protesting the inhumane decision, demanding a stop to the cover-up of the truth.

On May 1st, Shanghai began the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Expo. Major Chinese media outlet Sina began circulating an internal notice to media outlets asking them to withdraw the initial report by Xinhua. The notice read: ‘In light of the World Expo’s opening ceremony, this news cannot be displayed on the home page for now.’

Ling Feng, a renowned commentator on China, told SOH the Chinese Communist Party bears great responsibility for the incident. By covering up the truth the regime has shown a lack of humanity.

Ling Feng told reporters (recording):
“We’ve seen from news reports that over ten young children were slashed, and hospitalised. Unexpectedly, parents were forbidden from seeing them. When young children are injured, their mind is most vulnerable and fragile. Their biggest wish is to have their parents by their side. However, their parents weren’t allowed to see them! Is it because they [the CCP] are afraid to let people know the real number of injured children? What is it they’re afraid of? As a result, over 10,000 people took to the streets to protest instantly. Why are parents forbidden to see their injured children? The CCP is just inhumane to such an extent. Don’t they say the CCP can represent the parents? The government can represent the parents? Their conduct is very offensive. It’s all politically oriented. They completely disregard humanity.”

More surprisingly, before being allowed to see their children, most parents were required to sign an agreement sparing the hospital from any liability, in the event the children died during emergency treatment procedures.

Ling Feng had more to say about the situation (recording):
“It’s been over 30 years since the [CCP] adopted the reform and open-door policy. However, today’s situation is no different from Mao’s time. The authorities completely disregard humanity and suppress it. Where do you say we’ve made progress? Such conduct is outrageous and can easily incur people’s protest. That’s why over 10,000 people gathered to protest. There were a few dozen children injured; their family and relatives probably add up to a few hundred. However, over 10,000 people came out onto the streets, because they couldn’t bear the sight of such outrages. When the government fails to resolve the problem properly, the conduct is further intensified. If there are more such incidents, these people know they’ll be in the same situation – they will not be allowed to see their loved ones. At the very least, the incident reveals the government is incapable of protecting these young children.”

Renowned race car driver, and writer and blogger Han Han publishes regular articles in his blog about China’s social issues. He published a recent article titled, ‘Children, You Have Dampened the High Spirits of the Grandpas.’ Han Han wrote the following quote:
“Our pitiful kids, you are the ones poisoned by the tainted milk; affected by the vaccines; buried to death in the earthquakes, burned to death in fires. Even when the rules of adult society cause problems, you are the victims of the adult avengers who stabbed you with knives. I hope what the Taizhou government announced was true; that all of you simply suffered injuries and none of you died in the incident. These adults and the elderly have failed to fulfil their obligations. I hope when you grow up, you will not only take extra care of your own children; I hope you will make this society care about all people’s children.”

Incidents of large-scale killings in schools and kindergartens in China have occurred frequently in recent months. It has left parents in fear and has shocked the Chinese people.

Jing Ru of the SOH Radio Network

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Petitioners speak of World Expo detention

As expected, the opening of the World Expo has coincided with the police arrest and detention of petitioners. On May 1st and 2nd, 17 petitioners visiting the World Expo were detained and are being sent back to where they came. The petitioners claim they’re fully entitled to visit the Expo but have endured harassment the moment they arrived. We hear from some petitioners, who despite being arrested, managed to contact reporters.

Song Yujie, a petitioner from Liaoning Province, was forced into a car by police from Beijing. Ms Song managed to make a phone call to reporters while she was waiting in the police car, she told us (recording):
“I’m in a car, escorted by special Beijing police. I am with Liu Chunbao. Jiang Jiawen is not in the car yet. We have to go. We were chased down by the Directors of the Liaoning Provincial government, Feng and Duan.”

Song further told us (recording),
“I did not come here to attend the World Expo or to appeal. Feng promised to stop at Shenyang. If I am forced to go back to Dandong instead of Shenyang, I will commit suicide.”

Song is Taiwanese and began petitioning when her property was seized by the Dandong authorities. She sought help from the Straits Exchange Foundation, an organisation responsible for interests between China and Taiwan. The Exchange however falsely claimed she was not Taiwanese.

She had one last thing to say to us before her call was cut off (recording),
“I am now in a special police car not knowing where we will go or what will happen.”
After this statement police confiscated the mobile phones and ID cards of the petitioners.

Wang Xiuzhi a petitioner from Langfang City of Hebei Province was taken at 4pm on May 1st. incidentally; she still had her mobile phone and managed to speak to reporters (recording):
“At 4pm, 11 people from Langfang City forced me onto a car. They were awfully rough, showing no willingness to resolve my issues.”

Wang began petitioning when her partner was murdered. Ever since then she has been seeking justice for his death, she spoke of her experiences (recording):
“I have been detained over 100 times, kidnapped to mental hospitals or drug rehabilitation institutes on numerous occasions, and sent to labour camps three times.”

Wang said her mobile phone could be snatched from her at any time, leaving her with no access to the outside world. She hopes her efforts will bring attention to her situation and her safety.

Feng Yongji, a petitioner from Xinjiang Province, was illegally detained in Shanghai at an office respresenting Shihezi City of Xinjiang. She said (recording),
“I’d rather stay at the assistance centre than come here, but they forced me into the car.”

Feng couldn’t understand why the authorities were dealing out such heavy security (recording):
“The Prime Minister said let justice be sunnier, let ordinary Chinese citizens have more dignity. Does sunny mean arresting people at will? Is this dignity?”

Feng began appealing because her husband was wrongly sentenced to nine years imprisonment. Her husband was later set free and she began petitioning for compensation. For that she was detained and sent to labour camps many times.

Ma Yongtian from Jilin Province who was also detained told reporters (recording),
“We are still at the assistance centre. There are four of us left.”

Ma said local authorities from Jilin were getting ready to take her away.

Peng Jingmei from Datong, Shanxi Province was the last petitioner to be released from the assistance centre.

Fu Ming and Li Ming of the SOH Radio Network.

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A miner from 460 goldmine debilitated by pneumoconiosis, also known as 'black lung disease'.

A hundred miners terminally ill from poor conditions

Nearly one hundred miners in Gansu Province have contracted ‘black lung disease’, also known as pneumoconiosis, a condition prevalent among miners. The case occurred at the number 460 goldmine on Mazhong Mountain in Jiuquan City. Families of victims spoke to SOH reporters saying there was no proper protection against dust inhalation in the mine. Many families have incurred major debts paying for treatment. Victims now are unable to work and many are terminal.

The number 460 goldmine on Mazhong Mountain was a fresh opportunity for many impoverished villagers. Villagers gathered from surrounding towns like Heisongyi Town, Shuigou, Xuanma River, and Xizhuanzi. They all found however poor conditions and corrupt management. The mine itself is devoid of effective dust prevention measures, protective equipment or ventilation. For six years one miner after another developed pneumoconiosis or what’s more commonly known as black lung disease.

Yu Tianyue from Shuigou village said his father, Yu Qinghai worked many years in the 460 goldmine. Last year he found out he had pneumoconiosis. Apparently the disease has no effective cure.

Yu Tianyue described his father’s condition (recording):
“It doesn’t work with medicine and becomes more serious every day, it’s getting very serious and the expense is huge. He has difficulty breathing after walking a few steps and breathes heavily afterwards, he can hardly breathe and coughs terribly. The minimal insurance cover only covers a few hundred dollars, it basically isn’t enough. He’s worked many years in the Mazhong mine, the powder from rocks is particularly dusty, and it’s the reason behind the disease. There is no dust prevention equipment as the owner wants to save money.”

Yu Tianyue revealed to us that victims often can’t continue working due to their condition. Consequently they struggle to support their families or send their children to school. It is now commonplace seeing teenagers leave to work in other cities to support the family.

Yu Tianyue told us (recording):
“Many people in the village go there for work, and they only breathe pure air a few days at a time. There is now medical aid. There are no contracts and they reject our pleas, there is nowhere to appeal. There are thirty to forty year older fellows suffering from the disease in our village. Many cannot go to work but they are the main breadwinners for the family, many children go to school but there is no financial source.”

Mr Li from Miaotai village, a worker of the mine, said his father Li Fayu and six of his uncles all suffered pneumoconiosis, one of them passed away last year. He said the goldmine was located in a remote area and there were little water supplies. The management often provide very poor meals, and water is often of very bad quality.

Mr Li spoke to our reporter (recording):
“The condition of this mine is extremely bad; in order to conserve production costs the owner avoids implementing protective measures. The masks provided are of inferior quality. We breathe in dust from the rocks into our lungs. Because we don’t understand contracts, we are exhausted from working in that place. We can’t even earn a few hundred dollars a month and can’t support our families. Further the owner often deducts fees from our wages. They go up the mountain for six month stretches, we are migrant workers and don’t know how to defend our rights.”

Mr Li also said his family has supported his treatment. Now they are in debt, and many families become penniless and incur debt.

He said (recording):
“There is no machinery for the farm work on the mountain, they all use bulls to plough fields. We can’t work using our own strength; we even need our relatives and friends to help. This is very difficult for the family… we also have to spend money on medicine and families are falling apart, just like our family. My uncle’s family is the same; the people who work in the mines all face this problem. Firstly spend the money earned on the disease, then borrow money from friends and relatives after all the money is gone, and then wait to die after all the money is spent.”

There are over five hundred mining corporations in the Jiuquan region of Gansu. Illegal mining is commonplace. The owner of the 460 goldmine, Pan Zhanlin, also happens to be a representative of Suzhou in the National People’s Congress. Originally the company was approved to mine an area of 0.5 square km. The mine has currently exploited over 50 square km. At present three people have died from pneumoconiosis in Miaotai village, and there’s one death in the neighbouring Shuigou village.

Wang Zhen and Lu Fang of the SOH Radio Network.

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Amidst the extravaganza of the Shanghai World Expo lies housing demolitions, surveillance and heavy security (pictured: Jackie Chan). (proyitno/flickr)

- World Expo nestled in by heavy security

- Hand, foot and mouth disease ravages Guangdong

- Tang Jitian: “…the Justice Bureau is standing on truly wrong foundations”

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World Expo nestled in by heavy security

The world may be looking forward to Shanghai’s World Expo officially opening this coming Saturday, May 1st, but local residents are fed up with paying the high price for Shanghai to show off. Public resentment is on the rise in Shanghai with locals calling the World Expo “disastrous”. They say it goes against the will of the people.

Fuelling their resentment is the increased taxes put in place to help pay for the extravaganza, which officials say will be the most expensive in World Expo history. Security for the venue has ramped up and some residents have been put under surveillance.

SOH spoke to a Shanghai local who has visited the venue and this is what they had to say (recording):
“I went to the entrance to the expo, there are three lines of defense. The first one is barbed wire, the second one is a human wall, with one guard every three steps away, and the third one is an electrical wire, strong enough to kill animals. The defense is quite tight.”

Shanghai’s World Expo will cost about 400 billion Chinese yuan. For those not so familiar with Chinese currency, that’s a staggering 63.7 billion Australian dollars approximately.
Chinese officials are using this expo to showcase the rise and prosperity of China to a worldwide audience. Its theme is “Better City, Better Life”, which draws attention to the problems of urban growth and development. It has earned high praise from participants, but Shanghai citizens tell another story.

Jeanette Elsworth, Public Information Officer for UN-HABITAT, said that, as the UN agency on urban issues, her group welcomes the theme as an overdue recognition of the importance of urbanization to human development and the environment.

However, according to Shanghai citizens this show is simply costing too much. The investment is taken from the pockets of citizens, and the taxes, fees and inflation have all begun before the expo opens its doors to the world. In addition, the construction of the Expo led to some 18,000 families being displaced when their homes were demolished to build the 5.28km square venue. Many people who have appealed against the demolition after the fact have been threatened, detained, monitored, or thrown in to forced labor camp (recording):
“We can’t go anywhere, we are constantly monitored. There are hired people watching us all the time, and we can’t step out of the door. There are more than twenty people monitoring us 24 hours a day. We did not use any violence, only stated our appeal. We were told we couldn’t go to the Expo with appealing words on our clothes, we can’t hold sit-ins, can’t talk to media, and can’t get in touch with foreigners.”

The Expo does not seem to be able to bring joy and happiness to the citizens of Shanghai, and even family members of the police, who have special privileges, said they would never go back after seeing it (recording):
“Those who have been there said that a meal costs about 40-50 Yuan over there. One is not allowed to bring in bottled water, snack food or bags. Once a girl had a bag with her, and the police insisted on searching it. She refused, saying that this was her human right. But the police insisted on searching it, and found nothing in it. The girl was put in a detention centre for 4-5 days. There are many, many policemen at the Expo (300,000-400,000 of them), and they got in for free. But it’s a mess there, the subway system is interrupted, the touch screens are broken, most of the high tech stuff was not functioning.”

While many countries have come together to showcase their growth and development at the World Expo, it appears China has decided to say one thing and do another.

Tian Xi of SOH Radio Network

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Hand, foot and mouth disease is ravaging major cities in Guangdong Province, hospitals are struggling to cope.

Hand, foot and mouth disease ravages Guangdong

30,000 people have suffered hand, foot and mouth disease in Guangdong Province this year. Statistics from the Health Department reveal Guangdong has the highest infection rate nationally. Forecasts for next month see a surge in the outbreak. Doctors and nurses have said the number of patients has increased dramatically and the symptoms are often serious. According to the Disease Control Center in Dongguan City, the outbreak’s severity may be due to the number of migrant workers forced to live in poor conditions.

The Children’s Hospital in Guangdong’s capital Guangzhou has already begun its ‘Second Level Prevention’ campaign to combat the disease. Many infected children are sent to this hospital for treatment. Doctors working in the contagious ward have been too busy to answer phone calls.

A nurse revealed to SOH that child patients sent to the hospital often have serious symptoms and illnesses has developed quickly. She said (recording):
“The illness and symptoms change very quickly. There is a severe shortage of hospital beds. As a matter of fact, the room is huge, but the patients are numerous. Even if we have over 100 beds, there are more than 100 hand, foot and mouth disease patients, right? All child patients in Guangdong are sent to our hospital. Just imagine how many there will be!”

The situation in Dongguan City is among the worst in Guangdong. According to the Disease Control Center, in early April all 32 townships in the city had cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. From January to March they’ve been over 5000 victims, a stark contrast to the nine infections at the same time last year. Among the 5000, there have been four deaths and 45 are in a serious condition.

A nurse from the Women and Children’s Hospital in Dongguan told us (recording):
“This year’s outbreak is more severe than previous years. The symptoms change swiftly. Although there are few deaths, the number of critical cases is much higher than previous years!”

A nurse from the monitoring room for critical patients at Taiping Hospital said (recording): “The number of patients is huge; however, only severely ill patients are sent to our place. I am currently taking care of 12 patients. Children developed symptoms relatively quickly, and the situation worsens very quickly.”

Mr Huang at the Disease Control Center said there were more patients this year than in previous years. He told us (recording):
“We have seen both Coxsackie A16 and EV71. They were seen in previous years as well. As far as I know, many seriously ill patients went to small medical practices for their first treatment. The parents didn’t pay much attention to it. As a result, children miss the best time for treatment. Right now there is no vaccine, or any effective medicine. There are more patients this year than previous years.”

Another staff member at the Disease Control Center believes the outbreak of the disease is caused by the huge number of migrant workers. He said (recording):
“There are many migrant workers and they keep moving from one place to another. Most of the patients are migrants, especially contract workers. Their living conditions and hygiene are poor. The disease therefore spreads quickly.”

Now the disease is still spreading. The number of patients is 40% higher than last year. Deng Haihua, Director of the News Office in the Department of Public Health, pointed out in early April that the outbreak of the disease had hit earlier this year. The hardest hit are rural areas.

Wu Jiaqi and Wang Zhen of the SOH Radio Network

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Suspended lawyer Tang Jitian predicts disaster for the Chinese authorities if they continue corrupt practices.

Tang Jitian: “…the Justice Bureau is standing on truly wrong foundations”

The Beijing Justice Bureau has suspended the practicing certificates of lawyers Tang Jitian and Liu Wei. Following the April 22nd hearing, Tang Jitian spoke to reporters outside saying this was just another method by the authorities to suppress lawyers. He warned however the authorities risked their moral and legal standing with the Chinese people.

Despite losing his certificate, Tang stated he wasn’t disheartened, on the contrary he believes the Justice Bureau will be the true loser. Mr Tang said (recording):
“This process will be challenging to us individually, but in the long run, a government needs a good image to gain trust from the people or internationally. I believe they will be affected in the long term. As for my difficulties in making a living, or other issues, they can’t stop me from doing what I should be doing as a member of society!”

The People’s Intermediate Court in Luzhou was responsible for suspending their certificates. Tang Jitian asserts the court has never bound itself with the law. Last year on April 22nd, a hearing was held for Falun Gong practitioner Yang Ming. The trial was conducted so that Yang Ming couldn’t present an adequate defence.

Tang spoke to us about that trial (recording):
“They constantly interfere with our right to defend. There is no justice in the court, continuing the process would be conforming to illegal activity. It’s not only our interests, but those of the victim as well. Not only were we forced to withdraw from the hearing, there was an unknown person videotaping us. There has been a series of illegal issues. It actually shows the court doesn’t have any justice. He’s been struck and is serving a sentence at our suggestion. We can only say the Justice Bureau is standing on truly wrong foundations.

The suspension of Tang Jitian and Liu Wei appear to be part of a long term strategy to suppress dissidents and lawyers, Tang Jitian shared his views on the matter (recording):
“The Justice Bureau carries this out on lawbreakers and to control lawyers. They use this strategy to suppress. Through this suppression, it has the effect of killing two eagles with one arrow or killing many birds with one stone. It’s actually a warning to many others in the same profession. It doesn’t eliminate the revenge factor however, for example, in previous years we’ve demanded direct elections into the law association, or else we’ll openly publish their accounts, conduct audits and so on, it has stirred up people’s interest. “

Those who attended the hearing said the authorities were in lockdown mode and acted like they were facing a strong enemy. Security was present and roads were blocked around the front of Beijing Justice Bureau. Many people who wanted to go to the hearing were placed under house arrest and some people were arrest on site.

Fu Ming and Wu Tong of the SOH Radio Network.

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In his latest interview with AP, Gao Zhisheng is revealed to be a shadow of his former, lively self.

- Zhong Weiguang: “I believe the Communist Party…is still an evil group”

- Yunnan aid relief from regular people

- Victims protest Shanghai Mayor’s Taiwan visit

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Zhong Weiguang: “I believe the CCP…is still an evil group”

Renowned Chinese human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng reappeared recently after mysteriously disappearing a year ago. He was interviewed by the Associated Press on April 6th in the wake of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States. Zhong Weiguang a Chinese scholar living in Germany, warned the Chinese Communist Party’s nature should never be underestimated. People should be wary of the temporary ease of control by the government.

Gao was interviewed on April 6th after going missing since February 2009. Before his disappearance Gao was seen as a strong, talkative, slightly plump human rights attorney. But recent photos of Gao shows a shadow of his former self. He is thin and his face seems disfigured. Upon seeing the photo, Gao Zhisheng’s wife, Geng He was in tears, and couldn’t believe he looked so old after missing for one year. Observers believe Gao may have been injected with drugs harming his nervous system.

A healthier, more robust Gao Zhisheng prior to his detention on February 2009.

Zhong Weiguang, an expert on authoritarianism and founder of the Chinese Cultural Freedom Movement, believes Gao was severely tortured. He said (recording):
“I finally saw the news and picture of Gao. The picture showed Gao’s appearance was totally different. We can see a change after severe torture, the kind bordering on life and death that would result in such a change in a person.”

Gao was targeted by the government after taking many sensitive human rights cases, especially when he wrote open letters condemning the persecution of Falun Gong. In November 2007, Gao published a letter entitled ‘Dark Night, Dark Hood, and Kidnapping by Dark Forces’, which described his abduction by police between September and November of 2007. According to the article he was subjected to electric shocks, his eyes were burned with cigarettes, and his genitals punctured with toothpicks. These accounts shocked the international community.

Zhong believes the recent interview by AP right before Hu Jintao’s visit to the USA was a political stunt by the Chinese authorities to achieve its goals. He said (recording):
“Ever since the communists took power in China, they have launched movement after movement of suppression and persecution. After each movement, they would again pretend to show goodwill to its people and to the outside world. But all of this, from what is demonstrated in Gao’s case, serves no purpose but to uphold and maintain its grip on power and to stay in power. I believe the communist party, in the era of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, is still an evil group. The very nature of the CCP is just as it was ten years ago, nothing has changed.”

When Gao disappeared many human rights organizations and the United States and British governments repeatedly questioned the Chinese regime on his whereabouts. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Manfred Nowak also expressed concerns over the personal safety of Gao. Zhong Weiguang talked about the role the international community has on Gao’s safety (recording):
“The reason we hear about Gao on the news, is not because the CCP has repented and started respecting the rule of law, nor because it cares about human rights. It’s the concern shown by people and media all over the world. And all those good people with hearts and consciences, that make the CCP afraid. So what we learn is towards the CCP we have to keep exerting pressure.”

Tang Yin and Yu Hang of SOH Radio Network.

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Yunnan aid relief from regular people

The disastrous drought in China’s Yunnan Province still hasn’t eased. Many victims of the drought have told SOH reporters that local government efforts have been completely inadequate. Common people are now forced to provide relief. Also, a Lincang City representative publicised a plan to open a new hydroelectric dam and plant large quantities of eucalyptus plants, despite the worsening the disaster.

Li Shilong, an official representative of Aihua Town in Lincang, told reporters the local government is building a hydroelectric dam which is creating a water shortage and effecting water quality. Town folk have raised the issue with authorities many times but many were detained or sentenced to re-education through forced labour.

Li Shilong stated (recording):
“We made it known to them, but the government just ignored it. For ten years we haven’t planted rice and eucalyptus on this side. No other trees can survive where eucalyptus are planted. Some areas have perished.”

In Yunnan Province, there is a mountain village in Yulou County of Chuxiong Yi Prefecture. A reservoir which supplies water to the village sits ten kilometres away and is slated to last a further two months. Food supplies will last nine more months. The village secretary, Li Guangzhou said locals have had difficulties getting food and water; they’ve had to rely on the goodwill of people from other provinces for aid.

Li Guangzhou said (recording):
“We try getting water from anywhere; it’s very difficult to draw water. We only dare shower once a month and we use the same water to wash our legs, water vegetables and feed animals. It isn’t just water, we don’t have fodder and we need to sell it. We are 60 km from town, and too far away. We don’t have money to buy, we have difficulty getting vegetables. We people do labour and government aid is inadequate, there are people here from Jiangsu, Hubei and Hong Kong.”

In late March, students from Sapiwu Village Primary School in Nanhua County were reportedly drinking dirty water to quench their thirst. This has raised public concerns. The village committee has built two wells to ease water constraints and are still looking for other sources.

A committee member said (recording):
“We’ve built two deep wells, and now things have eased a bit. We’re still looking for water sources, if we can find a new water source, we will draw from it. The water is 65 meters groundwater, the water is fresh. There’s still no irrigation, farms must wait until the rains come. We are 40 km from the city, we still have enough vegetables to last a month.

The suddenness of the drought caught farmers by surprise and has affected crop growth and farming work. Subsequently there’s been a growth in the number of people working outside villages. In one instance, a factory village had a population of 2500. Previously, only 200 people worked outside the village. Now half the village population work elsewhere.

Lu Fang and He Wen of the SOH Radio Network.

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Shen Ting (right), Chairperson of the 'Chinese League of Victims', protesting during the Shanghai Mayor's visit.

Victims protest Shanghai Mayor’s Taiwan visit

As the Mayor of Shanghai Han Zheng, visits Taiwan to promote the World Expo. Leader of the ‘Chinese League of Victims’, Shen Ting has made a special trip from France to protest. She said behind the glory of the expo lay the tears and blood of victims whose homes were forcibly demolished.

According to Shen, about 4,000 houses were destroyed for the expo, impacting nearly 18,000 families. Some were even beaten to death on trains while they travelled to make appeals. Some were taken to labour camps or died of injections from unknown drugs. So far three deaths are accounted for. From May 2009 to March, several people have been sentenced to terms of forced labour in prison.

Shen said the league had compiled a book titled the ‘Shanghai Expo – Shame to the World’, which was delivered to the headquarters of the World Expo in France and to the Polish Government. While in Taiwan, Shen called upon the Mayor of Taipei, Hao Longbin, to pay attention to the suffering by Shanghai residents whose homes were wrecked.

She said (recording):
“Taiwanese people live in democracy and freedom. They can voice the injustices they suffer any time. If these Shanghai residents were to apply for a protest, they would be arrested immediately. Under the totalitarian rule of the communist party, there is no freedom of speech.”

She further told reporters (recording):
“Forced demolition and construction in Shanghai began in the 90s. Initially, citizens sold their homes at cheap prices for fear of government coercion. They gradually started to defend their rights. But going to Beijing to petition is tough. On paper we aren’t allowed to appeal, but in reality appellants are persecuted severely. In 2002, Shanghai won the bid to host the World Expo with the slogan, ‘Better City, Better Life’. What we see now is it has already broken its promise, going against its slogan.”

The World Expo is scheduled to run from May 1st until October 31st in Shanghai. Shen Ting is chairperson of the ‘Chinese League of Victims’. In 2003 Shen had her Chinese travelling documents annulled for suing Shanghai millionaire Zhou Zhengyi and organising the league.

Li Jingyu and Yu Han of the SOH Radio Network.

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The Global Internet Freedom Consortium's five leading anti-censorship programs puncture the 'internet blockade' (centre). The five characters (top-left) read: 'Five swords bring righteousness to the world'.

- Falun Gong anti-censorship software opens door to freedom

- ‘Tiananmen Mothers’ under watch while paying respects

- 115 survivors rescued from Wangjialing mine collapse

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Falun Gong anti-censorship software opens door to freedom

The Chinese communist regime has blocked information from China to the rest of the world since 1999. The year the suppression on the Falun Gong meditative practice began. Enormous materials and manpower have been expended on the blockade. To give Chinese people access to information, computer experts amongst overseas Falun Gong practitioners have developed various tools to penetrate the block. As of today, the ‘five musketeers’ of anti-censorship software have become indispensable tools for Chinese people longing for true freedom.

Jiao Guobiao, Associate Professor of Communications at Peking University and human rights advocate, uses the software. He spoke to reporters about its benefits saying (recording):
“I use this technology to get on the Internet; I do not browse Chinese websites. As a habit, when I go online, I cross the firewall and visit overseas websites. This is because those sites have information that we can’t see from inside China, either through television or newspapers.”

Jiao obtained the software in 2004 from his friend. He most often uses Freedom Gate, Ultrasurf, and FirePhoenix. He stated (recording), “I have nothing else to use, just these. I have all three of them on my desktop and I use them all.”

Liu Shihui, an attorney in Guangzhou of Guangdong Province, became a loyal user of the software two years ago. He found Freedom Gate by accident when browsing online. Since then, Liu has made frequent use of Freedom Gate and Ultrasurf. He told reporters (recording):
“The one I use most is Freedom Gate and occasionally I use Ultrasurf. I usually switch between the two. Recently, Freedom Gate has become more useful – very useful. Because it uses many proxy servers, as long as you get on it, websites promoting universal values and ideals all become within your reach.

“Last year when it was the Communist Party’s 60th anniversary, the blockade was very strict. This could be due to the major meetings occurring in spring. The software updates itself very fast, so we feel it is quite useful.”

Liu further told reporters (recording):
“Without any anti-censorship software, there wouldn’t be a way to visit websites such as the BBC, VOA, RFA, and Reuters. Also, when one has a problem getting through the firewall or if you need software, just say it loud in the chat room and someone will provide it.”

Anti-censorship software has been very welcome in China. Freedom Gate, Ultrasurf, GTunnel, GPass, and FirePhoenix have been called the ‘five musketeers’ of anti-censorship. At present, this type of software has become very popular in China. Many users have thanked Falun Gong practitioners for devoting their time, money, and efforts into developing the software and providing it free of charge all over the world.

Fu Ming and Kai Di of the SOH Radio Network.

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‘Tiananmen Mothers’ under watch while paying respects

A mainland Chinese reporter has revealed that Communist authorities have sent police to monitor the tombs of the victims of the June 4th, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre. Every year on the 104th day after the winter solstice, or April 5th on the Gregorian calendar, falls on the Qingming Festival.

The festival is to honour ancestors by tending to the graves of the departed and by going outside to enjoy the greenery of spring time. For Chinese mothers it is a day to remember their children whose lives were ended by order of Communist officials 21 years ago.

The ‘Tiananmen Mothers’ say they are not afraid of this kind of unreasonable and illegal tracking and monitoring. They also say they firmly believe that justice will return to China one day.

Zhang Xianling sweeps the tomb of her son every year on his birthday; April 3rd. She said that her annual tribute is monitored by local authorities despite never making arranging a formal gathering.

Zhang Xianling said: (recording):
“When we went to sweep the tomb yesterday, the police came with us. It is also a form of monitoring. It was us that went and they followed behind us. After getting there and when we were in the memorial service, a plain clothed [policeman] watched us.”

Another Tiananmen mother, Xu Jue, told a reporter that on June 4th in 2009, she was obstructed for sweeping the tomb for her son. This year she planned to sweep the tombs of her husband and son in Beijing, at Mt Babao on the Qingming. One day before she left, the police called her and told her that they would be going with her while she swept the tombs.

Xu Jue said (recording):
“I will go to sweep the tombs this year regardless. They said they will come with me. If they want to come; they come, I will sweep my tombs. If they do not followed me they will not be at ease. Since the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress up until now, their people watch me attentively from downstairs. Really, as an old lady like me, to sweep the tombs of my son and husband, what crime did I commit? Why do they watch me so attentively? It is already 20 years later and they are still like this.”

Two Tiananmen mothers indicated that this kind of unreasonable behaviour is proof of a guilty conscience, and [the Communist Party’s] fear. The women say they are not afraid at all.

Zhang Xianling said (recording):
“It is just like with no fears of the unknown, they always monitor like this. Because we are not afraid of them, so they have become afraid of us; I think they are afraid of me. If they are not afraid of me, what do they monitor me for?”

The ‘Tiananmen Mothers’ believe their persistence will gain the support of the world’s people and they will one day receive justice.

Zhang Xianling said (recording):
“We will disregard whether they change or not, we will be persistent. Moreover we are convinced that our persistence, and with the support of people from the world, and each aspect of the forward force of democracy, the change will come sooner or later.”

Fu Ming and He Wencai of the SOH Radio Network.

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115 survivors rescued from Wangjialing mine collapse

115 survivors have been found at the flooded coal mine of Wangjialing, according to Chinese state media. At present the miners have been taken to hospitals for treatment with the help of rescue workers. Thirty-nine miners remain unaccounted for.

At 12:30am the first batch of nine were rescued. They were conscious and still clear headed. The conditions of those later rescued remains unclear.

When interviewed, Gao, the director of Hejin Aluminium Factory’s employee healing ward, said his hospital accepted thirty-six survivors from the mining accident. He told reporters that most are stable with a few in serious conditions with possible heart issues. Forty-seven others were sent to different hospitals.

Local residents were not happy about the delayed rescue efforts. Local media, however, praised the Chinese authorities. Since the accident, police have sealed off the mining area, and villagers aren’t allowed near (recording):
“They declared martial law due to presence of national leaders. Nobody was allowed in. There were five or six cars full of police.”

According to villagers, the developers of the mine purchased much of the surrounding farmland. The majority of the proceeds from these purchases ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials. The villagers in turn were left with next to nothing (recording):
“My employers left after they made their money. The mine is the largest in the country and nationalized. The land cannot be farmed. How do they expect the villagers make a living? They don’t want to become thieves or robbers. So they risk their lives as miners.”

Drinking water has also been polluted (recording):
“We used to drink water from the mountain creeks. While the mountain was being mined, the water flowed deeper underground. Then the creeks dried up. The water flowing from the mine is our main source of drinking water.”

On March 28th, the Wangjialing coal mine became flooded trapping 153 miners. Five days later, rescue workers detected survivors 251 meters underground. They were found due to the knocking sounds of drills. The whereabouts of 39 miners still remains unclear.

Tian Xi and Xin Yi of SOH Radio Network.

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Gao Zhisheng now resides on Wutai Mountain and says he wants to live in 'peace and quiet for a while...' This has raised suspicions from fellow human rights lawyers that Gao is still under pressure from the regime.

- Gao Zhisheng alive on Wutai Mountain
- ‘Water Splashing Festival’ causes hot debate
- Mainland activists applaud Google’s example

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Gao Zhisheng alive on Wutai Mountain

Gao Zhisheng is in Wutai Mountain according to Reuters. Reports state Gao was set free half a year ago, and now wishes to live quietly. He only resumed contact with the outside world two to three days ago. Later the same day, two human rights lawyers, Teng Biao and Li Heping, were also able to get in contact with Gao.

Teng Biao, when interviewed by reporters, said he felt Gao wasn’t completely free (recording):
“A friend got his number through media, and I called him. Yes, it seems he talks normally, but based on my analysis of his answers, we feel that he isn’t completely free.”

Jiang Tianyong, a human rights attorney, claimed he had spoken with Gao, and was quite sure it was indeed Gao speaking with him. The identity of the person was one major concern, other concerns include whether Gao was actually free (recording):
“When will we be able to see him? Gao said not any time soon. He said he needed to go to his mother’s grave to commemorate her. I asked him what he’d do next; he said he would go somewhere and maybe elsewhere. I asked if he was free. He said he is free. Then I asked him, suddenly, how long would he be like this. He said it would last for some time. I think, when I asked him how long he would be like this, he should have known what I really meant.”

According to Mr Jiang, Gao Zhisheng’s conversation with Li Heping revealed similar things (recording):
“When Li asked him sensitive and critical questions, Gao said he would only talk about it when he returned. He seemed to want to hang up, and said he had a few friends with him. What kind of friends would there be that are more important than talking to us at that moment? I believe the so-called friends are police officers following him, these would be the people we all refer to as friends in such a situation.”

Jiang Tianyong and the other attorneys suspect another reason why Gao Zhisheng has been missing for so long (recording):
“The reason it took them so long, was ever since last June and July, before he was allowed to contact the outside world. Based on my experience in other cases, including cases involving Falun Gong practitioners there were instances where defendants were beaten. With injuries and bone fractures, they would take them somewhere to wait and until they recovered from their injuries they wouldn’t be seen. Later they would be brought back to court. Hearings are often suspended beyond statutory limitations. Because of this, the authorities didn’t want him seen under such huge international pressure; it could be they were waiting for him to recover from his wounds.”

Before this latest report, the authorities had made various claims on Gao’s whereabouts. In January this year, Mao Chaoxu, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in a press conference that Gao was ‘where he should be’. A week later, Ma stated he didn’t know where Gao was. On March 16th, Foreign Minister Yang Jieci said, when being asked of the whereabouts of Gao, that Gao had been sentenced for ‘subversion of state power’. Later on during a press conference on Tuesday, Qin Gang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Gao has been sentenced to three years in prison and five years on probation for ‘inciting and subverting state power’. Another account saw the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC tell Kang Yuan, the Chairman of Dialogue Foundation, an America based human rights organization that, attorney Gao was in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

Now on March 28th Gao is reported to be in Wutai Mountain, the interesting thing is, Gao first made contact with Western media and not with his wife or daughter who both live in the United States.

Li Yifei and Xi Wen of Sound of Hope Radio Network

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‘Water Splashing Festival’ causes hot debate

The Water Splashing Festival in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan is usually a time for fun, renewal, and saturation. (三色人/Wikimedia Commons)

The severe drought in southwest China continues to devastate the region. So far, water levels have dropped substantially in major waterfalls and rivers at famous tourist attractions in Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou. Despite the dry conditions, Chinese authorities have announced that the annual ‘Water Splashing Festival’ in Xishuangbanna, a tradition of the ethnic Dai people, will continue on April 15th.

Mr Zheng from the Kanghui Travel Agency in Kunming City said that because of the drought, Yunnan’s famous lakes and rivers are suffering. The scenic ‘Stone Forest’ of the Shilin Yi Autonomous County has almost dried out. The drought is affecting tourism, as peak seasons usually run from April 10th to the 20th in Xishuangbanna. From April 8th air ticket prices for flights to Yunnan continue to rise.

He told reporters (recording):
“The scenic areas inside the ‘Stone Forest’, including ponds, still haven’t dried out. There is still a bit to be seen. The prices will increase for those going to Xishuangbanna between April 8th and 20th. It can increase by 20% to 30%, after including meals and accommodation. This is because of the ‘Water Splashing Festival’. It’s one of the most important festivals for the Dai ethnic group and is the equivalent of Chinese New Year.”

On April 15th there were suggestions the Water Splashing Festival be cancelled. However Yunnan provincial authorities responded saying the festival wouldn’t be cancelled, instead water conservation will be promoted. The Xishuangbanna Culture and Sports Bureau have decided to cut down the amount of time allowed for participants to splash water. In previous years, participants spent an entire day spraying water at each other. This year however there will be a time limit of two hours, and only small buckets and pots can be used.

Ms Li, a tour guide from the region said that because Xishuangbanna’s situation wasn’t severe, the festival wouldn’t need to be cancelled. She said (recording):
“The Water Splashing Festival is the Dai’s Chinese New Year and Xishuangbanna is not in a drought. Currently there isn’t a lack of water. The festival covers three days. Water splashing occurs on April 15th. The festival starts on the 13th. On the 13th there will be dragon boat racing, and on the 14th Dai families will prepare stalls and visit the markets, and on 15th there will be a big gathering for splashing water.”

A staff member from the Kunming Tourism Bureau spoke to reporters (recording):
“The drought is affecting the surrounding regions of Yunnan, the drought is affecting Yunnan’s crops, and it’s too absolute to say it’s not affecting tourism.”

Tourism around Yangshuo’s famous landscapes in Guangxi Province, is suffering due to a drop in river water levels. Staff from Yangshuo Guangxi’s Tourism Bureau said because of the drought, tours down the famous Li River have been shortened. She said (recording):
“The water level is very low, and we’re changing routes. Before we could tour from Guilin downstream for about 90 kilometres, now we can only tour a 10 to 20 kilometre section.”

Another famous natural wonder suffering from the drought is the once mighty Huang Guoshu waterfall. The waterfall, in Guizhou Province, has been gradually shrinking and now is only a quarter of its size from previous years. Upstream, authorities have been forced to open the reservoirs to ensure there is enough running water.

Liu Fang and Kai Di of the SOH Radio Network.

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Mainland activists applaud Google’s example

Google’s decision to withdraw from China in response to the Chinese government’s internet censorship policy has been widely praised by mainland activists. They hope other overseas enterprises will be brave enough to resist tyranny. Mr Pu from Sichuan believes free information is the basis for freedom and democracy. Censorship is a despicable crime of the totalitarian regime.

He told reporters (recording):
“Google set an example and sounded a warning to businesses in China. ‘I refrain from doing evil.’ Others can follow and can achieve well. Everyone knows Google’s withdrawal is not about business, but rather about a company upholding its own business ethics. However, the Communist regime launched a campaign on TV to criticise Google.”

Ms Wei from Kunming said China is now full of corrupt officials. She hoped other American internet companies, such as Yahoo and Microsoft, would learn from Google and stand together to fight against repression. She told reporters (recording):
“Google went to Hong Kong. In recent days the Communist regime launched an all-out campaign to attack Google via the internet and other media. Isn’t this a confession? It used to deny there was internet censorship or firewalls, etc. Now it jumps out like a mad dog to defend itself like crazy.”

Others praised Google’s withdrawal as inspiring and hoped other companies would follow suit. Mr Zhao from Yunnan said (recording):
“I feel the withdrawal inspires us commoners and also sets an example for other western companies, such as Yahoo. The American government should make relevant laws to prevent companies from colluding with totalitarian regimes. Do not lose your dignity or value for temporary economic gain.”

Mr. Liu from Hunan also believes Google wouldn’t be the only case. It could set off a chain reaction. He said (recording):
“Google has its own value system. Its courageous withdrawal will set off a chain reaction. Other foreign investors might also withdraw. I think most Chinese internet users are waking up to this fact.”

Google made an announcement in January that its client mailboxes had been attacked by hackers from China. As a result, it would no longer censor its internet search results according to the requirements of the Communist regime. On March 23rd, Google formally decided to shut down its mainland operations.

Lin Li and Yu Hang of the SOH Radio Network.

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A former hero of the PLA is now forced to wander homeless around Beijing petitioning (not pictured).

- Former PLA hero turned poor vagrant
- Dissidents speak out over CCP conference security
- Hainan farmlands seized, 13 arrested

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Former PLA hero turned poor vagrant

A former hero of the People’s Liberation Army, is now blacklisted and has been reduced to petitioning. Wang Guilin, who served during the Sino-Vietnam War, has petitioned to the Letters and Complaints Bureau over injustices he suffered as a result of the war. His appeal has largely been ignored.

Wang Guilin fought in a series of border skirmishes in Vietnam in 1985. This was part of a greater series of conflicts from 1984 to 89, which is known unofficially as the ‘second Sino-Vietnam War’. It followed the first, official 1979 Sino-Vietnam War. Wang led the ‘106th Dagger Division’ charged with the 211th main offensive of Lao Son. Severe battles raged for six days and nights. The division gained six key hilltop positions and killed 12 enemy soldiers. They received awards from the Kunming Military Region; and were recognised as a ‘model of solid attack’. Wang Guilin was recognised for his contribution and was promoted to battalion commander. Subsequently, higher ranking military personnel began misreporting the actual size of the victories, to gain more credit and prestige. After an investigation was carried out, soldiers including Wang Guilin became scapegoats for the misrepresentation.

Wang Guilin confirmed these reports in a recent interview (recording):
“I was part of the engagement in Lao Son on February 11th 1985. We attacked and occupied six enemy hilltops. On February 13th, the event made the front page of the ‘People’s Liberation Army Newspaper’, it said we had attacked and occupied six positions and killed 12 enemy troops. When headquarters investigated, they accused me of exaggerating the reports, and placed criminal charges on me. The division leader and deputy level commander, Wang Yonghuai, exaggerated the scale of the battle for the sake of glory. He reported that we killed 93 enemies. The rear squad leader reported 103 enemy casualties. Commander Su Jungao reported 150 kills. Pan Lijie, the division’s political commissar accused me of being a criminal. Our commander was subsequently demoted.”

Wang Guilin told reporters after being discharged from the army; in 2001 he was arrested and locked up in a labour camp for three years. From September 2006 to June 2009, he spent a further three years imprisoned in the Xuzhou Military Region. On June 23rd 2009, Xuzhou authorities prepared false documentation saying he had been sent back to his hometown. Wang now wanders destitute around Beijing. In Beijing a person must be registered with the authorities if they want to live or work, because Wang is documented to be residing elsewhere, he won’t be able to work or buy housing. Wang continues to petition but this has had no effect and he continues to suffer imprisonment, beatings, and re-education through forced labour. At present, he has no work, no home, and no identity.

Wang Guilin further told reporters (recording):
“When I was petitioning they arrested me and beat me until the pit of my stomach was purple, it was still purple after two months. My medical records stated I had blood in my urine. My arm was broken twice. I was beaten twice at the Letters and Complaints Bureau as well. I haven’t committed any crimes. From 2003 to 2006, I was in a labour re-education camp; from September 2006 to June 2009 I was in a small, private prison in the Xuzhou Military Region. It was a special modified room. They locked me up there.”

Fu Ming and Ai Xin of the SOH Radio Network.

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Dissidents speak out over CCP conference security

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) two major conferences closed on March 14th, but the monitoring of dissidents, rights activists and petitioners has not stopped. In order to ‘safeguard’ the conferences, 700,000 security personnel had been mobilized to patrol. Some dissidents had their freedom restricted. Others were arrested or kidnapped.

On March 12th, the daughter of an 80-year-old appellant from Beijing, Wang Xiuying, said they’d been petitioning for seven years about the demolition of their home, which is still unresolved to this day. She said (recording):
“Since the 25th we’ve been under twenty-four hour watch with police car escort. They follow us during our one-hour walks each morning and evening. Before they watched my mum only, but now they watch me as well. Why are they so afraid, so nervous? I think they’re scared of the scandal if people hear that an 80-year-old doesn’t have a place to live. Nobody takes any action in the government. They want to cover up the lack of solutions. So they’re scared to death.”

A university professor Gu Guoping, who’s appealed because of a forced demolition, said: (recording):
“I was monitored. First, they forbid you from going to Beijing from the 12th of February to the 15th of March. Second, if you do go, they will take action. If you go again, they will hold you in prison. Third, they could frame you and keep you at the jail or send you to a labour camp. Anything is possible.”

An activist from Beijing, Gao Hongming, said (recording):
“I was under constant surveillance from March 1st until the end of the conferences. There are police and security downstairs. They escort me when I go out and watch me around the clock. I think they’re afraid I will get in touch with foreign media.”

For two years, 60-year-old Yang Yongquan has been appealing for the unjust death of his son. His freedom was also restricted during the conferences.

Ms. Zheng from Yangguang Gongyi spoke of what had happened to other petitioners, she said (recording):
“Mr Liu Anjun was taken on a ‘trip’. We don’t know his whereabouts. Another of our volunteers, Ms Shang Junxia was also taken away from Bejing. Please pay attention to Wang Bing. We have no news on him and cannot even confirm that he is still alive.”

Han Fei and He Wen of the SOH Radio Network

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Hainan farmlands seized, 13 arrested

Authorities of Danzhou, Hainan Province have seized 3.3 square kilometres of land from over 20,000 people. On March 13th a rubber plantation with three farms were taken without proper compensation. Twelve representatives of the farmers have appealed without success. They were all arrested and one of them is now critically ill in prison.

In late 2009, Cao Jing, head of the Public Security Bureau of Danzhou ordered the arrests of the representatives including Xie Weizhan and Tan Dahuan. Zhou Haiying, the wife of another representative, Huang Shiwang, was also arrested on the charge of ‘assembling to disturb social order’. This was based on her visit to the office of the Public Security Bureau to see her husband. One of the representatives, Tan Dahuan, is now said to be in a critical condition and has been sent to hospital for treatment.

According to Mr. Luo from the Heluo Farm (recording):
“They told us to go and attend a meeting, but then they arrested us. People from ages 30–70 were all arrested. Families aren’t allowed to visit us; some of the sick ones are so ill they’re dying. They put us in hospital with handcuffs, with security personnel watching us.”

Police officers seized the harvests from the three farms in the region. Farmers who tried to defend their properties were beaten. As a result, they were forced to flee their homes and seek employment elsewhere.

One farmer, Mr Zhong spoke to reporters (recording):
“The police used tear gas on us, and hundreds of them came to seize our property. We tried to sue them and they told us whoever dares to sue will be arrested. This is too dismal and without justice. We don’t have land, so we have no money. We go out of town to work for a living, and our kids are therefore unable to go to school. We are very concerned. We have gone to the authorities to appeal 12 times, and were transported back twice when we visited Beijing.”

According to the farmers’ legal representative, Mr. Huang, one man named Xie Weizhan, who is 70 years old, is very sick and is ill. He’s suffered numerous sicknesses after being put in prison. Mr. Huang said (recording):
“They went together to appeal, only to be arrested and beaten. When they write to appeal to authorities, their letters receive no attention. The lawsuit for compensation went on for years, but the police ended up jailing a dozen farmers. Two or three of them are very ill; one of them is so critically ill that we don’t know if he is still alive or what kind of treatment he’s received. All the information is blocked.”

Huang also said the city government changed the registration details of the land, giving the property rights to the county government. The farmers sued to have it overturned, but were refused. The land seizures then continued. According to Huang (recording):
“There are 21 village committees there and the properties are jointly owned by 20,000 people. The three farms have been operating for 60 years. Based on Chinese land law, if the land has been farmed for more than 20 years with no one else claiming ownership rights, the land will belong to the people farming it. The Hainan Intermediate People’s Court has ruled that the rubber plantations are owned the farmers, but the Supreme Court ruled the land belongs to the government. The government has sold over 0.67 square kilometres of land and corrupt officials and businessmen are benefitting; this is real corruption.”

Police have said families of detainees are not allowed to visit family members in custody.

A police officer told SOH (recording):
“There is nothing wrong with refusing visits, you don’t even need to call us to inquire about it. If the family has different views on the matter, you can go see the authorities who have jurisdiction over this matter.”

Lu Fang and Yu Liang of the SOH Radio Network

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Two major CCP conferences have concluded, but what's been achieved? (flickr/Bernt Rostad)

- Conferences a waste of time
- Severe drought in Yunnan, authorities nowhere to be seen
- Chinese regime denies women’s rights

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Conferences a waste of time

The National People’s Congress and the People’s Political Consultative Conference are currently being held in Beijing. Authorities have boosted the security presence. Gao Yu, an award winning journalist in Beijing was interviewed for her thoughts on the conferences. She believes such events are frivolous and won’t solve any problems.

According to Gao Yu, ever since the June 4th Tiananmen Square Massacre, dissidents have been forbidden from the two conferences. This, she believes, has reduced the meetings to mere exhibitions. She said (recording):
“These conferences are completely unnecessary. The so-called People’s Congress and the Political Consultative Conference are a complete waste of people’s money. It’s simply the largest meeting for officials of the regime. All participants are officials; the so-called democratic conferences are just showpieces. All these people are machines. What kind of problems can they resolve?”

Gao claims since last year’s conferences, no social issues have been resolved. She said (recording):
“Last year there was an economic crisis, and we needed to overcome it. The four trillion dollar stimulus plan was proposed. But how come housing prices just ended up going up? And new affluent real estate landlords emerged in the process. Nowadays people are like snails living in small shells. College graduates now live in the countryside, renting from farmers. Two people must share a living space, five square meters in size. These are the real problems caused by an unfair, authoritarian system, leading to an unbalanced wealth distribution.”

Gao Yu finished by saying the core of the problems lies in nobody being responsible for anything. When problems occur, officials maintain their positions (recording):
“The real estate bubble and the unbalanced economy are things they claim will be resolved year after year, but they never did and they never will. Who is responsible for this? Any other government in the world would be held responsible for this and would step down. The official responsible for food safety and the disposal of poisonous milk powder has become a member of the Political Consultative Congress. Some merchants who produced poisonous milk powder are also among representatives in the conference. These conferences, in my opinion don’t deserve attention.”

Gao Yu is an award-winning journalist and a reporter of the China News Agency. She was the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of ‘Economics Weekly’ in 1989. After the June 4th Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Weekly publication was stopped. Gao, has always been at odds with the Chinese regime, for her reporting work she was sentenced to imprisonment for six years, for ‘publishing state secrets’.

Fu Ming and Ye Peiqing of SOH Radio Network.

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Severe drought in Yunnan, authorities nowhere to be seen

Yunnan Province continues to suffer the most severe drought in 60 years. Since August 2009 the drought has also affected the Guangxi, Guizhou and Sichuan regions. Over ten million people are struggling to find drinking water, and crops have been severely damaged. SOH spoke to residents in Kunming City of Yunnan on March 7th. Reports reveal victims of the drought have received no government aid so far, and some have had to dig for underground water sources to survive.

Since mid-last year the drought has affected, to varying degrees, 16 prefectures in Yunnan. On February 27th, the Yunnan Meteorology Bureau issued a red-level warning on the drought. So far 60% of crops have been devastated. The time, damage, and extent of the drought have made it historically unique.

A victim of the drought from Shilin in Kunming City said this year they’ve lost thousands of crops, he told SOH (recording):
“Not enough water supplies, generally it takes two to three days to get water from the outside. Basically there are no more crops. My family (lost) maybe tens of thousands. This year is unusually severe; there is no harvest at all this year. We’ll see what we can do when the summer rain comes, now we can’t do much.

The drought has triggered forest fires. On February 12th, a wildfire broke out within the border of Yuxi and rapidly spread to surrounding towns. The weather bureau in Kunming has set fire alert levels to level five, the highest.

There are over 125 weather bureaus throughout the province and 114 of them reported the drought as severe. A resident from Qujing (pronounced Chu-jing), Yunnan said there’s been no rain for the last three months, crops have dried up, and much land has been abandoned. A reporter briefly questioned him (recording):
Question: “Has the government brought any water supplies?”
Answer: “No.”

The drought has damaged the livelihoods of many, it’s estimated over 4 million acres of land have been effected, that’s nearly 57.5% of farmable land. Over three million people and 1.5 million livestock have difficulties getting drinking water.

A farmer told SOH (recording):
“Regular people are most affected, they’re nervous about the water supply. We’re now looking for help, who can we talk to about this?”

An SOH reporter called the Qujing Water Bureau to ask what local authorities are doing to mitigate the disaster. The bureau said it wasn’t appropriate for them to speak to media, they did tell us however (recording):
“The city will adopt a unified approach in reporting this issue. It’s so we can put forth a consistent statement.”

Tian Ling and Yu Lian of the SOH Radio Network.

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Chinese regime denies women’s rights

March 8th marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. A day where women are celebrated for their achievements, irrespective of their ethnic, cultural or economic background. While women’s groups around the world celebrated, some Chinese women couldn’t share their happiness. Under Communist rule many social issues still exist such as forced abortions, unemployment and the forced demolition of their homes.

A human rights activist from Shanghai, Cai Wenjun, is a good example. She lost her job when a state-owned factory she worked at shutdown. Subsequently her home was also demolished. Cai said (recording):
“They sack you from the job where you’re doing well and take away your peaceful homes. They persecute you if you appeal in Beijing. They send you to labour camps if you say anything. What rights do we have? Through ten years of appeal I have either been monitored or sent to labour camps. What freedom of speech do we have? You should be grateful as long as you are fed. But even something as basic as this is very difficult. With inflation these days, our livelihood has become an issue.”

Zhu Jindi from Shanghai said she has suffered under the one-child policy. In 1981, she was six-months pregnant but was forced into an abortion. Later, her house was demolished and she was persecuted for appealing to higher authorities. She says (recording):
“If I don’t get an abortion, they won’t allow me to work. I have suffered three demolitions to my homes, which was heart-breaking. The local government clashed with businesses to take possession of our property. When we appeal to higher authorities, we were beaten up or sent to jail. We have no guarantee of our most basic human rights.”

A farmer from Jilin, who was concerned of women’s rights, Mr Xu Xiangmin said (recording):
“Women’s representatives should be concerned about a lot more than just the two conferences. For example, the Deng Yujiao incident, the Women’s Association should fight to uphold justice for women. They made some noise but couldn’t do anything. The current political environment allows little room for women representatives to speak up. I feel the Communist Party doesn’t have working mechanisms for women’s rights.”

The case with Deng Yujiao sparked widespread media attention last year after she stabbed two local government officials who were trying to rape her. One officer died and she was charged with homicide by Public Security. The subsequent public outcry forced the court to avoid handing down the death penalty and declare her insane.

Lin Li and Xi Wen of the SOH Radio Network

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Johny Nelson Simanjuntak of Indonesia's Commission on Human Rights holds a press conference discussing their investigation.

This episode is dedicated to a recent development in the situation with Radio Erabaru. The issue has caught the attention of Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights and the Indonesian media. The commissioner held a press conference highlighting the role of the Human Rights Commission will play.

Have a listen to find out the contents of that meeting.

For more information please visit the Epoch Times.

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