Human rights lawyer Zhang Kai has been barred from leaving China to attend a conference in the US.

- CNC World network a propaganda tool

- Zhang Kai barred from leaving China

- Proposed landfill causes major stink among Guilin residents

- Disease devastates pig population in Guangxi village

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CNC World network a propaganda tool

The newly launched CNC World network has been accused of being mere propaganda. On July 1st, China’s state-owned Xinhua News Agency officially launched its ‘CNC World’ program. A 24 hour a day English language news channel set to broadcast in the Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America.

Cheng Xiaonong, the Chief Editor of ‘Modern China Studies’ a US based magazine, has accused the network of being part of the government’s propaganda efforts. The station is alleged to be part of the Chinese Propaganda Department’s ‘Grand Foreign Propaganda’ project. A policy aimed at pushing and extending the reach of Chinese media into Western countries.

Cheng Xiaonong spoke to SOH about the media situation in China and the role of CNC World (recording):
“Xinhua is the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, intending to spread propaganda abroad with viewpoints from a communist angle. There is no independent media in China, all media is under direct control of the Chinese authorities. This project intends to establish media glorifying the CCP in different countries. They want to use the local language and its people to write articles to glorify the regime, thinking this will improve the bad image they have portrayed in other countries.”

Mr Cheng spoke on the differences between free media and controlled media (recording):
“We all know the difference between mouthpiece media and free media. One has its own thinking and viewpoints, without influence or control. The other is told what to say. There is a saying amongst reporters describing mouthpiece media; ‘I am a dog of the party who stays at the gate of party headquarters. I will bite on whoever I am asked to bite and bite as many times I’m ordered to.’ This saying describes the Xinhua News Agency correctly.”

Mr Cheng believes the Chinese authorities have a long battle ahead before CNC World can win over Western viewers. He claims the Chinese Propaganda Department has misunderstood the average Western media consumer, compared with Chinese audiences who have grown accustomed to the programming styles of the state-owned CCTV (recording):
“American audiences grew up in an environment of freedom of the press. When they see the propaganda reported by Chinese or Americans, their tone and style will be a major turn off for viewers. There are two types of Chinese people living abroad; one group enjoys CCTV, and the other dislikes it. For those who don’t watch CCTV, they are clear about one thing, they will not be deceived.”

Yu Shan and Ming Wei of SOH Radio Network.

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Zhang Kai barred from leaving China

While millions celebrated freedom and liberty in the United States, a human rights lawyer has been barred from leaving China. On July 4th, Zhang Kai was on his way to attend a legal conference in the United States when border security at Beijing International Airport stopped him from getting on his flight. Airport staff told him the orders had come from higher authorities. Not happy with the situation, Zhang demanded to see the written instructions so he could apply for government review of the ban. His request was denied.

The China Human Rights Lawyers Support Group has expressed concern about the matter, calling on the Communist regime to stop suppressing human rights lawyers.

When interviewed by SOH Zhang Kai said his basic human rights were violated. He said he would hand the case over to a lawyer to investigate the real reasons he was prevented from leaving the country. Zhang is intent on making the relevant departments accountable. He said (recording):
“I will ask a lawyer to handle my case. I will sue them, because it is extremely serious defamation. In other words, you believe that by leaving the country, I will cause great harm to the nation. I work tirelessly for China’s legal system. I love my country so much. And they have the guts to label me as someone who may do a great deal of harm to the country. This is libel.”

Zhang condemned the illegitimacy of the modern-day Chinese authorities. He said the totalitarian system currently in power is the fundamental roadblock in the journey towards actual rule of law in his beloved homeland (recording):
“Therefore, in other words, an aspect of a country that is not ruled by law is that you don’t know what determines your actions. You don’t know the nature of your actions or the legal consequences they bring. I believe this is a hindrance in such a totalitarian country not under the rule of law. In a legal society you can predict the result of your actions, because the legal rules are clearly set out. But in such non-legal countries, you don’t know the consequences of your actions. Check out their laws and regulations. ‘Relevant departments’ of the States Council – which departments exactly? Right? What are your standards? At the time they said that people from relevant security departments would talk to me. But till now they haven’t gotten in touch.”

Zhang’s lawyer Li Xiongbin said there is no legal basis for restricting Zhang from leaving China. He said (recording):
“To disallow him from exiting the country, according to legal procedures, the security department should provide Zhang with a notice, i.e. he has violated the law. But Zhang has not violated any law. They said he would pose a security risk and therefore he was disallowed from leaving. Relevant departments – which departments exactly? No one knows. Such actions do not meet the standards of the law.”

When reporters contacted Beijing Border Control, the man on duty said (recording):
“At Beijing Border Control, we received orders from relevant senior departments. We just acted on orders from above. We don’t know about anything else.”

This incident is not the first time Zhang has suffered retribution for championing the rights of the persecuted. In 2009, Zhang represented a member of the persecuted spiritual practice known as Falun Dafa. Zhang’s client, Falun Dafa practitioner Jiang Xiqing, had been cremated at one of China’s infamous “Re-Eduction Through Labour” camps, while he was still breathing.

While conducting an interview with relatives of his deceased client, Zhang was beaten up by local police. He was handcuffed and taken to the police station for interrogation. The incident attracted attention from mainland legal professionals.

This incident is not isolated. On the 17th of May, human rights lawyer Tang Jitian tried to leave Hong Kong but was denied. Tang Jitian also represented a practitioner of Falun Dafa in court.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, released a report about the persecution of lawyers in China. In her report, the Special Rapporteur explained that she had sent a request to the Chinese government for an explanation regarding allegations that lawyers defending Falun Gong practitioners in court have been pressured and persecuted by authorities.

According to UN regulations, as a member of the UN Human Rights council, the Chinese government is required to reply to all official UN communications and requests.

As reported by the Special Rapporteur, Chinese authorities indeed often warn lawyers not to speak in defense of Falun Gong practitioners, house church Christians and other “dissidents”. Lawyers who do not heed such warnings frequently have their license to practice law revoked, are taken into custody and even tortured. Wang Yonghang, a lawyer who previously defended Falun Gong practitioners, is now in prison with a sentence of 7 years. His right leg was broken by police. Gao Zhisheng, who similarly defended Falun Gong, described in an open letter how he had suffered severe torture at the hands of authorities. There have been numerous documented similar cases, such as Guo Guoting, Chen Guangcheng, Zheng Enchong, Guo Feixiong, Xu Zhiyong, and so the list goes on.

Li Yifei and Yi Fan of the SOH Radio Network.

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Guilin City residents are protesting over a proposal to build a major landfill in the city's residential areas. (flickr/kanjiroushi)

Proposed landfill causes major stink among Guilin residents

Nearly one thousand Guilin City residents have appealed against the construction of a giant garbage landfill, which they say is too close to their homes and businesses.

In Guangxi Province, hundreds of appellants lined up outside the Linchuan County City Hall at 8am on July 3rd. Then shortly after midday they held a second appeal at the Guilin City Hall. State-run media reported only 800 appellants at the scene, but sources on the ground say the number was closer to 1,000.

Zhuan Xi is the manager of local business, Hong-Shing Rice Flour Mill. He told SOH all villages in the area oppose the proposed landfill. He said they don’t want it so close to nearby communities with high density populations, such as Bei Shan and Shao Tien.

He had this to say about the landfill (recording):
“It is not a good idea to build a landfill for two reasons- one, it is too close to high density residential areas; two, the landfill will definitely influence manufacturers’ businesses. Farmers are also against the closely built landfills. It is recommended to re-locate the landfills to a remote area.”

SOH reporters called the Lichuan County City Hall and spoke with Mr Li, a staff member on duty. He said he is under a gag order and is not allowed to speak to any media.

Mr Li said (recording):
“I don’t know anything at all. However, there is a policy in this office that all the comments will be publicly announced by the superiors.”

City Hall clerk Mr Yi said Party officials are currently investigating environmental pollution issues, but have nothing yet to report. He told reporters (recording):
“Both the city halls at City level and County level are investigating the environmental pollution caused by the landfills. As you may have known, the results from the investigation would take a long time to complete.”

Wu Jiachi and Wan Chin for Inside China Today on SOH Radio Network.

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An unknown disease is killing pigs in Dongxiang Village of Guangxi Province.

Disease devastates pig population in Guangxi village

Several pigs have been found dead along the banks of a river near one of China’s largest pig-raising villages. The pigs began dropping off one by one a couple of months ago. Since then the number of dead pigs has quickly swelled. The cause of the disease has stumped local farmers who’ve suffered devastating economic losses. Dodgy traders meanwhile are making a pretty penny selling the diseased meats to foreign markets.

There are also fears the disease will spread in the impending flood about to hit the region.
Laibin city is home to Dongxiang village, where this tragedy is occurring. According to news reports, Dongxiang village is an expansive pig-raising base in Wuxuan County (pron. woo-shwan). Over 40,000 pigs are bred annually in the area, which is home to about 40 pig farms holding over a hundred pigs each.

The owner of a local store that supplies feed to the farms had this to say about the situation, (recording):
“This disease is different in every household. At the beginning some had diarrhoea, some were short of breath, and some had fevers. Many people say it is a nameless high fever. I have been in the feed business for eighteen years and up until now I have not seen this kind of disease. The infected [pigs] can be very violent. This kind of disease may be a mix of infection and disease, or may be many kinds of diseases combined together.”

The store owner says the epidemic has been devastating for the pig farms. The locals won’t dare eat pork. Some have expressed concerns diseased livestock is making its way to foreign markets. According to local sources, dodgy traders continue buying dead pigs at a low price from local markets. They are then secretly transported to Liuzhou for sale.

The feed shop owner said (recording):
“About one third of the pigs survived. Many pigs farmers were at a loss after the pigs died, and the dead pigs were thrown everywhere. Some illegal traders will gain a profit of 100 to 200 Yuan, or more, if they sell the dead pigs. At the time, there are none in the market, but it may be traded in foreign markets. There is no pork in other markets, chicken and duck are the most bought.”

Dongxiang Village resident Mr. Li said he fears the disease will be carried to other regions by flood waters, which have battered several counties in China’s south for the last several weeks.

Mr Li said (recording):
“It [the disease] is still extending now from Dongxiang to the mountains. And the coming of the flood will make it more severe. A few months ago, there were many of these dead and smelly pigs piling up at the riverbank, gradually becoming more and more contagious. Now, no one dares to go to the riverbank, because the water is very dirty, and many of the pigs died of the disease, and they still have yet to clear out. The government does not have any policies regarding this. I heard that some people were digging pits until they cried, because there are too many.”

Yang Zheng and Yu Lian for Inside China Today on 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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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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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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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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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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Radio Erabaru staff held a press conference on Monday February 22nd regarding government interference with their broadcasts.

In this special Inside China Today we bring you the latest on the situation involving Radio Erabaru’s broadcast in Indonesia.

Listen to the thoughts and opinions of the Director of Erabaru Raymond Tan. And three European Parliament members, Ana Gomes, Heidi Hautala, and Charles Tannock.

Radio Erabaru

SOH News Desk report

Radio Erabaru’s Facebook Page

Radio Erabaru’s main webpage (in Indonesian)

Members of European Parliament

Ana Gomes

Heidi Hautala

Charles Tannock

References:

http://soundofhope.org/programs/162/151755-1.asp

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Google's withdrawal from China has drawn a vast response worldwide. Sun Weiguang praises their decision.

- Chinese dissidents condemn cyber attacks on Google
- Sun Weiguang praises Google’s decision

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Chinese dissidents condemn cyber attacks on Google

Chinese dissidents have come out to condemn the recent cyber attacks on Google, calling it a block on human rights. Since Google’s revelations, many dissidents have stepped forward admitting to similar attacks on their email accounts.

Guizhou-based democratic activist Mo Jiangang said his email accounts had been tapped. Here’s what he had to say to reporters (recording):
“Around June 4th each year, and also when we organised a human rights forum on December 10th, our emails, including G-mail, would either be inaccessible, or read by unknown parties.”

Associate Professor Jiao Guobiao from Beijing University also runs into frequent problems with his email. He said (recording):
“Sometimes the emails I send are returned. After a while, maybe a few hours to a few days, it would return to my mailbox. Sometimes the message would fail to send straight away. Especially when Xiaobo was being sentenced, the emails I sent returned, tagged as undeliverable, after one or two days.”

Liu Xiaobo is a human rights advocate who was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment last December.

Cyber surveillance on dissidents is widespread. Many human rights or democracy advocates have experienced similar styles of attacks. Including former Shanxi Television editor Ma Xiaoming; human rights lawyer Zhang Jiankang; and the wife of well-known human rights advocate Hu Jia.

Mo Jiangang condemned the attacks as a violation of human rights. He said (recording):
“We praise Google for taking action, because it refuses to comply with some of the regime’s policies. I think Google has done very well, because it has struck back against the CCP’s wicked policies. And it’s working to ensure freedom of speech and privacy is not compromised. I think they’ve done this out of their conscience. Of course we lament their withdrawal from China, but we firmly support Google’s choice of action. If every website can do this, then the Chinese Communist regime has no way to violate every person’s freedom of speech.”

The announcement made by Google has nevertheless raised concerns among the 384 million netizens in mainland China. Using Chinese-based search engines entails more restrictions. Jiao Guobiao said (recording):
“Actually, they’re two sides to this. After it leaves, there may not be another company that can do as much as they’ve done. If every one of them, such as Google and Sohu, all leave, search engines based outside of China would no longer settle here, and China would be abandoned. It would put the Communists in isolation, but the information available to Chinese people [would be further reduced]. The scope of information and the search engines provided by Xinhua News can’t compare to what Google can provide.”

The current dispute between Google and the Chinese Communists has entered its second week. The US government has evidence related to the cyber attacks on Google, and plans to enter discussions with the regime over the matter.

Daniel Teng; Tian Xi of the SOH Radio Network.

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Zhong Weiguang foresees good business for Google

On the 16th of January, a prominent overseas scholar, Mr. Zhong
Weiguang, gave SOH an interview about Google’s potential withdrawal from the Chinese market to protect the interests of its customers. Mr Zhong said Google’s decision not only won hearts of the Chinese public but also secured long-term business gain.

According to Mr Zhong, Google’s honest actions went a long way to enhance its reputation and brand, which will create greater business value in the future.

He said, “Google has now won trust from the Chinese people. It actions have established a very good reputation. In the long run, a totalitarian system will not last. It is obvious that in the course of change, Google stood by the people. Even though Google may lose some market share allowed by the authorities in the short term, it has won hearts, reputation and branding in the future. Google has set a very good example for other companies.”

The Google incident has been a shock to the entire system.
As a result, many political and business leaders in the west are starting to re-evaluate their cooperation with China’s Communist regime. According to Mr Zhong, the international community must uphold its principles.

Mr Zhong said, “The law in every Western country regards human rights as the most important tenet. Does this principle need to be observed when doing business in other countries? Apparently yes, because the principle is universal. Google has upheld this principle.”

Mr Zhong was very much encouraged by Google’s decision.
He states, “Everyone is very heartened by Google’s announcements, which showed that Google respects the bottom line commonly recognized in the Western society. People from China along with everyone in the world with a sense of justice are behind Google. In my opinion, Google has set a good example for other companies.”

Finally Mr Zhong called upon all foreign businesses in China to think about their long-term reputation and to make the right choice. Only in this way can they truly advance in the future.

Tang Yin, Wang Zhen and Perry Luo of the SOH Radio Network.

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Students in quarantine at Heilongjiang University.

- Cyber attacks on Google rouse response from Chinese people
- Revelations of emergency meeting on H1N1
- Dodgy new homes force Sichuan survivors into tents

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Cyber attacks on Google rouse response from Chinese people

The world’s largest online search engine Google recently revealed severe cyber attacks on the company and its G-mail users, many of whom are human rights advocates. On January 12th, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer David Drummond published an official blog, which stated: “We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn…”, and considered the possibilities of pulling out of China altogether.

David Drummond revealed, “accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based G-mail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties.”
He said these attacks have been highly sophisticated and targeted, and that Google is now reviewing the feasibility of its operations in
China.

Hubei resident, Mr Wang said in an interview with SOH (recording):
“This is something worth celebrating. If all websites and organizations dare do stand up as Google has done, it would be a great shock to the Chinese Communists. If every website would be bold enough to speak the truth and refuse to compromise, it would be a heavy blow to them. The Chinese Communist Party was built on a foundation of violence and lies. If the lies no longer have effect, and our people learn the evil nature of the regime, we can cut our ties with the CCP.”

Hebei resident, Ms Wang said the CCP was afraid the people of
China would learn the truth and facts. Their cyber attacks have however offended the Google company. She said (recording):
“As Chinese people, we live in an environment filled with spies, because the CCP is very strict on censoring information, and they have tight control over news in China. Chinese people cannot see the truth of the situation. A media company like Google which dares to speak out, is something the CCP is scared of. They fear the awakening of Chinese people.”

Chinese journalist Shi Tao was sentenced to ten years in prison, when in 2005 he sent a government document through Yahoo’s email service to a foreign domain. A democratic activist from Guizhou, who wished to remain anonymous, said Google was a company of high credibility, and its G-mail service is used by some democratic and human rights advocates.

He said (recording):
“Many of our friends who seek democracy know not to use the email services in mainland China that are monitored. I have not heard of any information leaked from Gmail. The company Yahoo exposed Shi Tao’s message. As for Gmail, the CCP has attacked its server in search of trouble. The CCP is not afraid of it, even if it shuts down, they would not be scared of a company. The CCP has other search engines such as Baidu.”

According to David Drummond, in mid-December 2009, Google detected highly sophisticated and directed attacks on its corporate infrastructure, and that, “at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses—including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors—have been similarly targeted.”

A Hong Kong netizen named Li said the attacks on Google’s servers and websites that belong to Human Rights advocates have clearly originated from the CCP. Li said, (recording), “Cyber attacks on human rights organizations, are likely to originate from the CCP.

Google has threatened to give up on this market, because it has been affected, globalisation is happening everywhere nowadays.”

In order to compromise with the Chinese Communist Regime’s online censorship policies, Google introduced Google.cn for mainland China in January 2006.

Craig Richter; Wen Hong; and Si Ming of the SOH Radio Network.

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Revelations of emergency meeting on H1N1

Insiders in the Harbin Disease Control Centre have spoken of a secret emergency meeting held in November last year. The participants supposedly said mainland media have misled the public, and are jeopardising medical staff and the parents of single children. As yet, there is no cure for Influenza A also known as H1N1.

The emergency meeting was attended by local epidemic experts, the secretary of the Disease Control Centre and medical professors of city level hospitals.

An anonymous insider spoke to reporters (recording):
“Cases of maternal mortality are much higher in October; a dozen died in Harbin. Theoretically, the chances of maternal mortality are one out of a hundred thousand a year. But since a dozen have died, the number is now excessive. The secretary of the disease control centre is also a medical expert. He said the Influenza A strain has a mortality rate ten times more severe than those in the past. In addition to its high death rate, it is widespread, peaking multiple times.”

Experts at the meeting said H1N1 is highly infectious. There’s a large gap between media reports and the actual number of deaths. The actual number is likely ten to a hundred times more. Insiders believe the rampant spread of H1N1 is due to misleading domestic media reports.

The anonymous insider further revealed (recording):
“Maternal deaths occur when pregnant women developed high fevers and some die after giving birth. The virus progresses very quickly. Medical experts haven’t revealed the exact figure. H1N1 is so fierce, while media reports are untrue and harmful.”
Currently, the media are reporting the infection rate at 3%, compared to the actual infection rate of 6 to 25%. Because of the false reports, medical staff is also prone to infections.

The insider said (recording):
“Because the media conceals the truth, health care workers suffer a great deal. For instance, one coma patient was sent here without knowing he had Influenza A. As a result, his doctors didn’t take any protective measures. No one had any knowledge they were patients of Influenza A when they arrived until it was confirmed by tests.”
Our sources reveal the Communist authorities have stopped giving false reports on the state of H1N1. The epidemic is now too rampant, and quarantine has become ineffective.

According to the insider (recording):
“The first maternal death was on October 18th. She lay unconscious at the Red Cross Hospital. When she was transferred to the top Municipal Hospital, she was already in a coma. Doctors had no idea what she suffered while nurses did not take preventive measures at all. When she died, it was confirmed she was an H1N1 victim. Until now, humankind has no remedy to subdue the virus.”

The most vulnerable groups are pregnant women, people with ailments and children. According to feedback from the general public in Harbin, families of H1N1 victims have nowhere to lodge complaints or expose the true situation. This is due to the blockade by Communist authorities. People in mainland China find it hard to access overseas reports on the outbreak.

Chris Thomas and Xin Yi of the SOH Radio Network.

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Dodgy new homes force Sichuan survivors into tents

Lichun town in Pengzhou of Sichuan was one of main areas devastated by the 2008 earthquake. Houses were constructed to provide homes for victims. However they’ve been many complaints of problems with the houses, including cracks, burst pipes and other issues. Basically the homes are unsuitable for living and victims have been forced to remain in tents.

Yang Jianrong from Lihe village in Lichun, told reporters about the housing problems (recording):
“The most serious problem effecting houses in the neighborhood are broken sewer pipes. This is not being dealt with. They didn’t build good foundations, it is sloppy work, and the cement can be removed by a light touch of the hand. How can we live in houses like this? I have even borrowed money to build a new house.”

Yang Jianrong said they’d tried speaking to the company and government department in charge of construction. This was unsuccessful, further the village Party cadre has been unhelpful.

Yang Jianrong described her conditions (recording):
“My house is a shed built with plastic bags. It’s very cold. There are young and old in my family, my father-in-law and mother-in-law, my grandma is already 90 years old and we still live in this shed. How can we survive this winter? The quality of this new house is a problem, it’s terrible! I talked to our village officials but they refuse to admit any problems.”

Mr Song, a resident in Huapeng neighborhood of Lichun said the local government says the houses meet building standards. Now they’re demanding the residents pay off building costs or they won’t provide power.

Mr Song spoke to reporters (recording):
“The houses appear to be cracking, and the ground underneath keeps submerging, there are problems with the housing quality. They asked us to pay but we didn’t. We still owed more than 13,000 renminbi. There are allowances for construction efforts after disasters. Our house cost over 100,000, the government pays half and loaned 30,000 from the bank, individually we pay 20 to 30 thousand. We pay our money to the officials and they give it to the building company. The power is ready but he said if you don’t pay, they won’t connect it.”

Another resident of Lihe village, Chen Huixiong said no one is dealing with these housing problems.

Chen Huixiong told media (recording):
“There are over 200 households in our neighborhood. There are many different problems in our neighborhood. How can we live if our houses are crooked? If one day there’s a sudden earthquake, could it resist an eight point earthquake? I have been petitioning to Chengdu City.”

Chris Thomas; Xin Yi; and Liu Fang of the SOH Radio Network.

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200 petitioners welcome New Year with protest in Beijing

January 4th 2010 was the first working day of the New Year. 200 petitioners arrived at the State Council Letters and Complaints Office in Beijing. They were unhappy with forced building demolitions carried out by the Shanghai government. Despite government efforts to halt the protest, petitioners persisted. They ended up registering over 203 participants for the largest protest in Shanghai to date.

Shanghai petitioner Tong Guoqing described the scene to SOH:
(Recording): “We didn’t come here to protest over personal matters, we’re reporting something which affects us all. This involves misconduct by Shanghai’s Municipal Government. We’ve finally been able to submit the report and register our complaints as a group. This was achieved through everyone’s efforts, because they set up many obstacles to stop us registering. We have finally achieved some success, and today we registered over 203 names. This could be the biggest group appeal ever.”

Tong Liya, a petitioner from Shanghai’s Huangpu District, said heavy snow in Beijing stopped petitioners entering from other regions. Another one to two hundred petitioners were stopped by authorities. Some were detained while lining up outside the Letters and Complaints Office.

Tong Liya said only a group had any power. She said:
(Recording) “The power of an individual seems too weak and frail. We believed if everyone came together there would be more strength. If you come as an individual they will grab you, beat you, and put you behind bars”.

On January 3rd and 4th, over 200 Shanghai petitioners began arriving in Beijing. Before arriving at the Complaints Office, they received donations of money and living provisions from fellow petitioners. Especially to homeless petitioners living in Yongdingmen and South Station.

Shanghai petitioner Jin Yuehua told SOH:
(Recording) “This morning at 8am, we arrived at the arches of Yongdingmen Bridge to donate clothing to petitioners. We also brought steamed buns and other things for them. They were very touched. They told us they hadn’t eaten since last night due to the snow. This afternoon at 1pm, we plan to visit South Station, to hand out money and clothing to homeless petitioners and to those sleeping under bridges.”

Later all petitioners were rounded up by staff from the Letters and Complaints Office and taken to a relief centre at South Station. Latest reports indicate they will be allowed to return to Shanghai.

Craig Richter, Bo Ming, and Xin Gang of the SOH Radio Network.

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Free computer training classes banned

Just two months since Microsoft’s free computer training course first opened its doors at the Dandelion Middle School in Shoubao Village of Daxing County in Beijing, it came to be banned by Beijing Police. According to local sources, the majority of the students that took part were appellants from across the country, which could be the reason for the banning.

A petitioner from Jilin Province, Du Mingrong, attended the last class on the 23rd of December. The classroom was packed with over 80 people. The teacher announced that the class was banned by the local police, Mrs Du told SOH (recording) “It was announced on the 22nd that there were thieves in Daxing County, there were two who were wanted by the police. They were looking in the local area for these criminals. The police station then had our classes cancelled.”

Liu Fengqin, an appellant from Heilongjiang, said (recording), “In China, the government does not allow petitioners. The authorities do not wish to see assistance being given to petitioners, thus it regards the course as defiant.”

Starting from the 18th of October, the free class was held every afternoon from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. There were 50 computers in one big classroom, with which the students could practice while following the lectures.

According to Du Mingrong, word got around and almost all students who eventually attended were appellants, she states (recording), “When the courses started on the 18th of October, there were only a dozen students. Numbers were on the rise in November. In December the class was packed. The computers were not enough. Many stood. The appellants heard about the classes, they all wanted to attend, even those in their seventies.”

According to the teachers, the course was going through some structural adjustments and dates of re-offering remained unclear. It is reported that the computer training course was provided free of charge by Microsoft to the Chinese public to popularize elementary computer knowledge.

Perry Luo; Fu Ming and Kaidi of the SOH Radio Network.

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Csaba Sogor, Romanian politician says it is the duty of all leading world nations to support freedom and democracy in China.

Special report: Politicians speak out against CCP attack on SOH

CADEN PEARSON: Hello and welcome to the program. I’m your host, Caden Pearson. A special report this episode, as we update our listeners on the situation in Indonesia and Taiwan, where the Chinese Communist regime has made strong efforts to shut down our broadcasts. Both via shortwave into China’s heartland, and terrestrially around parts of Indonesia and Singapore.

Here’s a recap of the situation for new listeners.

SOH Radio Network leases air time through government-owned Radio Taiwan International, to broadcast shortwave into China, it’s Chinese-language uncensored, independent news and cultural programs. Earlier this year, the Communist regime lobbied Radio Taiwan Internationals CEO to discontinue their contract with SOH. Despite several rounds of communications and negotiations, on December 9, 2009, Radio Taiwan International reduced SOH’s broadcasting hours, and increased its leasing fee.

Traveling south now, the Communist regime has also struck out at SOH in Indonesia. Radio EraBaru 106.5FM, is a local Indonesian station that has been broadcasting SOH’s Chinese-language programs for the last four years. The station broadcasts SOH content to Chinese-speaking communities in the area, providing the only alternative source of China-related news, outside of state-controlled propaganda.

In May 2007, Indonesia’s Broadcasting Committee, KPI, published news on their website stating the Chinese Embassy had requested KPI closely monitor Radio EraBaru 106.5FM. A letter from the Chinese Embassy was leaked, with no name signed. It included many groundless and false accusations against Falun Gong, NTDTV and SOH Radio. It requested Indonesian authorities stop the radio operation. The letter was addressed to four Ministries of Indonesia – KPI, the Ministry of Foreign Relationships, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the Ministry of Communication and Information.

And here’s the latest developments on this issue.

European Parliament Vice President, Edward McMillan-Scott, and Canadian MP, David Kilgour, as well as Human Rights Without Frontiers Director, Willy Fautre, have spoken out against the these actions of the Chinese Communist regime to suppress free and independent media and democracy in Taiwan and Indonesia.

The Hon. David Kilgour wrote to Indonesia President Yudhoyono, saying he found it “deeply troubling that a foreign government with a well-documented record for systematically violating its own citizens dignity and their basic human rights” could write to the Indonesian government to demand the closing down of a domestic station in Indonesia and seemingly be listened to.

VP McMillan-Scott said, “It is well-documented that Beijing maintains complete control over all media in China, and attempts to control media flow out of the country. However, it is still up to the free world in how they react to such an attempt.”

VP McMillan-Scott also wrote letters to Indonesia’s Supreme Court Judge, the Hon. Judge Tumpa, and Taiwan President, Ying-Jeou Ma. In their letters, both said the rejection of Radio EraBaru’s license is undeserved, and urged Indonesia President Yudhoyono to take action to rectify the situation. The case is now in the hands of the Indonesia Supreme Court.

SOH President, Allen Zeng, has spoken publicly on this issue. He said:

ALLEN ZENG: We are very concerned about the situation of Radio EraBaru station in Indonesia. We have contracts; we provide news and cultural programs through them. SOH works with many radio stations around the world in this way. We believe this is an extremely urgent issue. The Chinese regime is directly pressuring an independent country to close down is own independent media. We will call upon our friends, other news media, and governments around the world to urge them to help in this issue and work together to save this radio station.

CADEN PEARSON: Joining these voices are three European politicians who have voiced their support of SOH and free media and democracy, condemning the actions of the Communist regime.

Astrid Lulling, EU Parliamentarian says Taiwan must resist pressure from CCP.

ASTRID LULLING: They should resist the pressure from Beijing! I know this is not very easy, but you must have the courage to do so! And if you have, then they will understand that they don’t come through with their dictatorship against free press!

CADEN PEARSON: Astrid Lulling there, sharing her impassioned thoughts on how the Taiwanese government should respond to the Communist regime’s pressure. Lulling is a politician in Luxembourg, and a Member of the European Parliament for the Christian Social People’s Party, part of the European People’s Party. She told SOH, the situation is “unacceptable!”

ASTRID LULLING: I’m very much attached to free media, because it’s basic of democracy. And I think it’s very important that people are well, and objectively informed, and I regret very much that the People’s Republic of China, once again, to go against free media, and against objective information of the population. I think the population… You should take much more seriously. The population does want to be well informed. And then also, if they are well informed, they react well, and they judge well. And even politicians who are not well informed cannot judge well, and decide well. So it’s very important to have free press, free media. And it’s very regrettable that they think they should close this down.

CADEN PEARSON: In his letter addressed to Taiwan President, Ying-Jeou Ma, Vice President McMillan-Scott said he had faith in the democracy and freedom of press in Taiwan. He remarked that almost at the same time that government-funded Radio Taiwan International reduced SOH’s broadcast hours, their government gave a Taiwan Foundation for Democracy award to a North Korean who broadcasts into his country, commending his “courage to pursue freedom” and his “having no fear of a totalitarian regime”.

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CSABA SOGOR: … In history there were different powers and different empires, but our duty is to support China to behave as a leading power. And we know exactly from the recent history, of the European Union, or Europe, but from the old history too, that to behave as a leading power, that means not to count the money and to invest in economy, but human rights issues, minority rights, protection of languages are also very important.

CADEN PEARSON: Csaba Sogor is a pastor of the Reformed Church, and a politician in Romania. That was his voice you heard just now, saying other world powers have a duty to keep the Chinese regime in line, behaving as a leading power of the world should; respecting human rights and freedom of speech.

CSABA SOGOR: … And I hope that not just the Uighur, or Tibet problem will be solved, in a, let’s not say democratical [sic] way, but in a human way. Not as the leaders, or the majority things, or the Falun Gong issue, but also we think that to be a leader of the world, or being a leading power, you will be not afraid from the freedom of speech. You will be not afraid of different cultures, different religions, different traditions, and also you will not be afraid of free radios, Internet, televisions, news… Because a power; an empire, we know the European history was always signing his death when he tries to cut information, when he tries to control infrastructure, when he tries to control freedom of speech, the free thinking.

CADEN PEARSON: Sogor expressed his hope the Communist regime would learn from the mistakes made during Europe’s long history.

CSABA SOGOR: Of course, Europe had opportunity, the possibility in the last 3,000 years to learn a lot from his history, from his mistakes. Why should other empires, or other leading powers follow this long story to learn or not learn from this history. So I hope that we can help China to behave as a leading power.

Who will be the leading power of the world in the next 50 years. But until then, we have one thing to do… Not to decide who will be the leading power, but to support all countries and all regions to develop a free, democratic society where not just the money has to say something, but also the human rights and the freedom of speech.”

CADEN PEARSON: Romanian politician Csaba Sogor there, saying it is the duty of all leading world nations to support freedom and democracy in China.

***

Wolf Klinz, German politician, says he is willing to contact the heads of state of Taiwan and Indonesia to encourage them to respect freedom of press.

CADEN PEARSON: Wolf Klinz is a German politician and member of the European Parliament with the Free Democratic Party of Germany, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. In a recent interview with SOH, Klinz said the Communist regime should run the country in such a manner that provides no reason to fear domestic or international reports that may be critical of the authorities.

WOLF KLINZ: Well, we should not give in easily on these things. I think, also China, in this particular case, the government of mainland China in Beijing should not feel that, or see the need to interfere. That proves only that they are afraid of the free media. Why should they be afraid? They should organise their country, their society in such a manner that there’s no reason to be afraid of anybody reporting from outside or inside for that matter.

CADEN PEARSON: Klinz said it is the European Union’s desire to see freedom of press valued in all world nations.

WOLF KLINZ: Well, you know the European Union considers itself to be a union of values. And one of the values is freedom of press. And we do not want anybody, whether its politics, business or whatever, to interfere with the freedom of press. And therefore we have a very strong interest in seeing in other areas of the world, the freedom of press is being protected, and accepted as a value. Almost as a human right, so to speak, of society.

CADEN PEARSON: Klinz said he is willing to contact the heads of state of Taiwan and Indonesia to encourage them to respect freedom of press.

WOLF KLINZ: I think this is something that’s in everybody’s interest. Very much like the personal freedom. And we hope eventually they do realise this is something worth defending. This is what we try to do.

CADEN PEARSON: Klinz said he has faced critical reports on several occasions. When he feels a report is wrong, he will enter into a dialogue with the reporter to correct it. When there is nothing to hide, there is no reason to do so.

WOLF KLINZ: But we should not take one or two incidents of a similar nature to ban completely.

***

CADEN PEARSON: For all intents and purposes, the relationship between SOH and Radio Taiwan International seemed to be going strong, SOH’s Taiwan representative Ms Ko said last week. Since 2004, SOH has increased its airtime every year. However, Ko said that during discussions this year on continuing their partnership, she feels that Radio Taiwan International has had pressure coming from the Communist regime.

MS KO: On the 3^rd of November of this year, the president of Radio Taiwan International, Mr Wang, said not only that the new contract cannot be processed due to pressure coming from the Chinese Communist Party, but that he is considering re-adjusting the original contract which ends in January of 2010.

CADEN PEARSON: Former Chinese diplomatic official, and defector, Chen Yong Lin, said the broadcasts by SOH are the biggest thorn in the side of the Communist regime, who seek to control the Chinese people, right down to their very thoughts.

CHEN YONG LIN: The core method that the Chinese Communist Party uses to control people is mind control. It wants to control every single Chinese person’s mind in order to maintain its political power. Therefore, the CCP is trying its best to control any types of information (broadcast). SOH Radio Network is always the most problematic issue for the Chinese Communist Party; because SOH is broadcasting justice (truth) into China through many channels, including the Internet, telephone and shortwave radio.

CADEN PEARSON: And that’s it for this special report episode of ICT. Check back with us for more updates as events unfold in the coming weeks. If you have any comments or feedback, drop us a line at our website, www.insidechinatoday.net, or send us an email at insidechinatoday@sohnetwork.com. Until next time, I’m your host, Caden Pearson.

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Astrid Lulling, Member of the European Parliament for the Christian Social People's Party.

Update: Indonesia/Taiwan issue

CADEN PEARSON: European Parliament Vice President, Edward McMillan-Scott, and Canadian MP, David Kilgour,  as well as Human Rights Without Frontiers Director, Willy Fautre, have spoken out against the Chinese Communist regime’s acts to suppress free and independent media and democracy in Taiwan and Indonesia.

The Hon. David Kilgour told Indonesia’s President, Yudhoyono, he found it “deeply troubling that a foreign government with a well-documented record for systematically violating its own citizens dignity and their basic human rights” could write to the Indonesian government to demand the closing down of a domestic station in Indonesia and seemingly be listened to.

European Parliament Vice President Edward McMillan-Scott said “It is well-documented that Beijing maintains complete control over all media in China, and attempts to control media flow out of the country. However, it is still up to the free world how to react to such an attempt.”

ASTRID LULLING: “They should resist the pressure from Beijing! I know this is not very easy, but you must have the courage to do so! And if you have, then they will understand that they don’t come through with their dictatorship against free press!”

CADEN PEARSON: Astrid Lulling is a politician in Luxembourg, and a Member of the European Parliament for the Christian Social People’s Party, part of the European People’s Party. She told SOH, the situation is “unacceptable!”

ASTRID LULLING: “I’m very much attached to free media, because it’s basic of democracy. And I think it’s very important that people are well, and objectively informed, and I regret very much that the People’s Republic of China, once again, to go against free media, and against objective information of the population. I think the population… You should take much more seriously. The population does want to be well informed. And then also, if they are well informed, they react well, and they judge well. And even politicians who are not well informed cannot judge well, and decide well. So it’s very important to have free press, free media. And it’s very regrettable that they think they should close this down.”

Caden Pearson for SOH Radio Network.

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Reenactment of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Students warned not to leak information about Bird flu outbreak at their schools

Bird flu has been rampant across Chinese schools since the start of this term.  But school authorities have blocked information.  A college student recently told SOH that those who discussed the flu on the internet were warned by school officials.  The student said that information on the pandemic had been strictly censored by the Chinese regime.  Blogs and forums at various universities were shut down a few months ago, disallowing any postings.

Student (recording), “There have been many postings lately that talked about cover ups by the school.  Leaders have been specifically appointed to oversee speech, forums and blogs so as to limit the students’ freedom of speech.  They would investigate.  The internet centre at our school has the technology detect this topic.  So students dare not talk freely.”

The student continued (recording), “The Deputy Director role at our school is the same as Vice Mayor.  One of them used to be a Vice Mayor.  No one can touch him.  Many students do not approve of the various conducts of the current leadership.  Students’ complaints about embezzlement, etc. were blocked by the school authorities.”

It is reported that following the closure of China BT Net, and the renowned VeryCD download site will also be shut down within the month.  This year the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television has pulled the plug on 414 audio visual sites.

A student named Wu from Xi’an Posts and Telecommunications University said (recording), “Sealed schools do not allow internet access.  Students can not watch TV, even in their dorms.  There is nothing to do after school.  We are getting rather agitated.  Our school has been sealed off for nearly a month and a half.  The quarantine should have been completed.”

A female student from Wu Yi University said (recording), “The information is not given out to the public.  I know of two in our class, but are unsure about others.  Not just our school, I think most schools are like that.  But from a students’ perspective, most believe the information should be disclosed so that everyone knows where things stand.”

Chris Thomas; Lu Fang; and Yu Lian for Inside China for the SOH Radio Network.

************

Eye-witness comes forward, moved by Falun Gong practitioner’s resilience

On December 12, the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) reported new evidence on the Chinese Communist Regime’s crimes of live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. A new witness gave details of his personal account as a bystander, while vital organs including heart and kidneys were harvested from a live female Falun Gong practitioner in her 30’s.

During an interview with SOH Radio Network, WOIPFG’s spokesperson Wang Zhiyuan said the new witness, who once worked in the police bureau of Liaoning Province, spoke out to reveal what he had seen, as he was deeply moved by the upright character, compassion and tolerance of Falun Gong practitioners in the face of death.

Wang said (recording) “The Falun Gong practitioner he had contact with was extremely strong willed. He said, at the time, the deputy chief of the detention center kicked her face with tough leather shoes, while incessantly shocking her with an electric baton; during the winter climate they poured cold water on her body, and stripped her clothes… this kind of physical and mental torment went on and on. According to his account, with countless cuts and bruises all over her body, she refused to hit back or return any verbal abuse, and persisted with her belief. Even until the moment before her heart was cut out and her body sliced open, she still called out “Falun Dafa is Great”. She kindly advised her tormenters with hopes that they would awaken. This witness said the only request for practitioners of Falun Gong was to give one word of abuse [against the practice of Falun Gong], or sign there name to assure they would never practice again. It was a very simple task which to him looked like an act of raising one hand, but even so these Falun Gong practitioners did not comply, as they chose to guard their conscience and persist in their belief.”

According to Wang, another factor which contributed to the witness’ decision to speak out, was that the cruelty of the organ harvesting procedure shocked him. Wang said, in order to conceal his identity in their initial conversations the witness did not clearly state the location where the organ harvesting took place. However in subsequent conversations he clearly stated the location of the live organ harvesting was the 15th floor of the General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region. The witness expressed the inner torment he felt in failing to put a stop to these inhumane crimes, thus seeking consolation through exposing them.

(Recording) “The second point was how he witnessed the entire process of live organ harvesting.  The brutal acts he witnessed shock him still.”

When witnesses first spoke out to expose live organ harvesting in the secret concentration camp in Sujiatun, Shenyang city of Liaoning Province, on March 9, 2006, the news astounded the world. Wang Zhiyuan said, since then many organizations and individuals have carried out independent and undercover investigations. Two investigators from Canada, David Matas and David Kilgour recently published a book entitled “Bloody Harvest”, which was a collection of evidence in support of the allegations gathered through their independent systematic investigations. WOIPFG also holds a large amount of supporting evidence pointing to an organized  genocide of Falun Gong practitioners under the Chinese Communist regime.

(Recording) “This is genocide, systematically arranged and organized in mainland China and it has not been restricted to local regions. We can see this from a number of angles. Firstly, [the persecution] is carried out under government policies, supported by documents. It has been a nation-wide, large scale persecution lead by the national 6.10 office, which has mobilized all levels of government, police force as well as the military. Secondly, people who have taken part include the police, armed police, the People’s Salvation Army, ordinary citizens, as well as staff at various government levels. Also investigated was Chen Qiang, the liaison for kidney supplies at the Kidney Transplant Center of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) No. 307 Hospital in Beijing. Chen Qiang told us boldly and directly the way in which these transactions took place, and how organs of Falun Gong practitioners were harvested. He also said these activities were organized “like a dragon”. The imprisoned Falun Gong Practitioners are being stock piled and then sysematicly murdered while their organs are being removed.”

Wang Zhiyuan said, the reports from WOIPFG as well as the publication from David Matas and David Kilgour, along with the confessions submitted to Minghui.org by two forensic investigators who took part in these crimes, not only contribute to the proof of the Chinese Communist regime’s organ harvesting on Falun Gong practitioners, but give clear indication that these crimes continue to take place today. Wang Zhiyuan called on those who have participated in these crimes to assist in exposing the atrocities, obtain forgiveness as well as opening a path to the future for themselves and family members.

Craig Richter and Yu Shan for the SOH Radio Network.

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