Inside China Today – Sunday 9th May
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. Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Friday 30th April
Amidst the extravaganza of the Shanghai World Expo lies housing demolitions, surveillance and heavy security (pictured: Jackie Chan). (proyitno/flickr)
- World Expo nestled in by heavy security
- Hand, foot and mouth disease ravages Guangdong
- Tang Jitian: “…the Justice Bureau is standing on truly wrong foundations”
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World Expo nestled in by heavy security
The world may be looking forward to Shanghai’s World Expo officially opening this coming Saturday, May 1st, but local residents are fed up with paying the high price for Shanghai to show off. Public resentment is on the rise in Shanghai with locals calling the World Expo “disastrous”. They say it goes against the will of the people.
Fuelling their resentment is the increased taxes put in place to help pay for the extravaganza, which officials say will be the most expensive in World Expo history. Security for the venue has ramped up and some residents have been put under surveillance.
SOH spoke to a Shanghai local who has visited the venue and this is what they had to say (recording):
“I went to the entrance to the expo, there are three lines of defense. The first one is barbed wire, the second one is a human wall, with one guard every three steps away, and the third one is an electrical wire, strong enough to kill animals. The defense is quite tight.” Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Saturday 24th April
Tibetan monks played a major role in the recovery and removal of earthquake victims.
- Death toll in Yushu exceeds official statistics
- Shoddy school buildings collapse in Yushu earthquake
- Hand, foot and mouth disease moves in early
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Death toll in Yushu exceeds official statistics
Rescue teams in the earthquake hit Jieshi Town have learned that the bodies of 3,000 victims were recently cremated. The figure exceeds official statistics. In the days following, neighbouring towns also began cremating bodies or setting up so-called ‘heavenly burial altars’ (which are traditional Tibetan burial ceremonies.) Many bodies have been cremated, suggesting the official death toll should be much higher.
Mr Luo of the rescue team in Jieshi Town learned that 3000 earthquake victims were cremated on April 17th. Mr Luo said (recording):
“We work in the centre of Jieshi Town, the hardest hit area of the earthquake. Official reports state 1400 people died. We believe there are over 3000 for sure. Many of the bodies were cremated. In these two days, regions from all over the country are sending materials to this area to support victims. But the support is still not adequate for now, because it’s too far and too difficult for supplies to be transported to this area.” Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 18th April
In his latest interview with AP, Gao Zhisheng is revealed to be a shadow of his former, lively self.
- Zhong Weiguang: “I believe the Communist Party…is still an evil group”
- Yunnan aid relief from regular people
- Victims protest Shanghai Mayor’s Taiwan visit
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Zhong Weiguang: “I believe the CCP…is still an evil group”
Renowned Chinese human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng reappeared recently after mysteriously disappearing a year ago. He was interviewed by the Associated Press on April 6th in the wake of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States. Zhong Weiguang a Chinese scholar living in Germany, warned the Chinese Communist Party’s nature should never be underestimated. People should be wary of the temporary ease of control by the government.
Gao was interviewed on April 6th after going missing since February 2009. Before his disappearance Gao was seen as a strong, talkative, slightly plump human rights attorney. But recent photos of Gao shows a shadow of his former self. He is thin and his face seems disfigured. Upon seeing the photo, Gao Zhisheng’s wife, Geng He was in tears, and couldn’t believe he looked so old after missing for one year. Observers believe Gao may have been injected with drugs harming his nervous system. Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 11th April
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.” Continue reading »
