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Beijing Olympics: China Asked Japan for Falun Gong Names, Japan Refused

Japan rejected China’s request for names of Falun Gong practitioners currently living in Japan, reported Kyodo News Service July 16. The request was made in connection with the security of the upcoming Olympics. Since it has a visa waiver program with Japan, China is concerned that Falun Gong adherents might enter China from Japan as tourists without applying for visas and peacefully protest during the games. Japan rejected the request citing protection of privacy.

Source: Epoch Times, July 18, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/7/18/n2195279.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Sanhedrin in Isr’l Confirms Killing of Falun Gong Adherents in China

Eleven judges of the re-established Sanhedrin, a body that aims to emulate the ancient Jewish Supreme Court reached a conclusion that according to available evidence Falun Gong members in China are indeed being persecuted and sent to detention camps, where they are killed and likely having their organs harvested and sold. Judge and Rabbi Meir Jaacov Halevy announced the conclusion on behalf of the Sanhedrin last week. The court also urged the Communist Party to respect ancient principles of respecting life and not killing.

The court accepted to hear the complaint in January 2007 which was brought forth by Falun Gong practitioners in Israel against the Chinese Communist regime. The Chinese embassy in Israel was invited but did not appear in court. Earlier its representatives attempted to pressure the court not to hear the case, saying that it might harm the relations between Israel and China. In 2004 the Sanhedrin appointed itself as an international Torah court.

Source: New Tang Dynasty TV, July 19, 2008
http://ntdtv.com/xtr/b5/2008/07/19/a172973.html
Falun Info Center, July  29, 2008
http://media.faluninfo.net/media/doc/2008/07/FINAL_DECISION_RE_FG_-_PRC.pdf  

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese Diplomat Pressured Eutelsat to Drop Independent TV programs

A telephone recording shows that the Chinese Ambassador in Italy, Sun Yuxi, directly pressured Eutelsat, an European Satellite carrier, to cut off the signal of New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV). NTDTV is an independent TV media company based in NY. With its uncensored broadcasts, NTDTV is the only Chinese TV station broadcasting to people inside China. On June 16, Eutelsat turned off NTDTV’s signal on the grounds of lacking electric power.

The recording has confirmed that the Chinese Communist Party played a major role in this incident. Ambassador Sun personally negotiated the turning off of the NTDTV signal. Eutelsat reported immediately to Sun Yuxi after shutting down NTDTV’s broadcasting into China. Ambassador Sun supported Eutelsat on this move. Eutelsat expects to develop some relationships with the Chinese Central Television (CCTV) and Chinese Aerospace and Aeronautics Industry Group.

Source: World Orgnization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, July 16, 2008
http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/en/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=184&pop=1&page=0

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Beijing Olympics: The Olympics Logo Now on the Cover of the Bible

50,000 copies of a special Olympics edition of the Bible have been printed and shipped to the six Olympics cities, according to two state-run Christian organizations. The cover of the Bible that bears the Olympic Logo has been on the front page of major state-run newspapers. The two state-run Christian organizations are  the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Church in China and the China Christian Council. According to the two state organizations, the copies are being offered free as one of the major religious services that they are providing to the Olympics. The use of the Olympic logo on the Bible was licensed by the State Beijing Olympics Committee.

Source:
Chinese Protestant Church, July 14, 2008
http://www.chineseprotestantchurch.org/news/hot/2008/714/08714866.html
Chinese Protestant Church, June 23, 2008
http://www.chineseprotestantchurch.org/news/hot/2008/623/08623226.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Man Arrested for Libel Against the State For Online Posting

On July 14, 2008 Jia, aged 31, was arrested in Shanghai on charges of criminal defamation. He was accused of fabricating and distributing a defamatory article on the Internet saying that the killer in a July 1st crime had been tortured by police and therefore lost his reproductive capacity. On July 1, Yang, age 28, killed six policemen in Shanghai. A large volume of postings on the Chinese Internet showed support and sympathy for his actions viewing him as a hero challenging State authorities.

The prosecution charged that Jia’s conduct had “seriously damaged the reputation and public image of the police, law enforcement and public security organs,” thus violating the Criminal Law, Article 246.

According to the police, Jia has admitted to having committed defamation. One commentator on a State TV program suggested that a forensic test be conducted to determine wheter Yang’s reproductive capability had indeed not been damaged. “It would speak louder than an admission [by Jia].”

The Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 246 states: “Whoever, by violence or other methods, publicly humiliates another person or invents stories to defame him, if the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, public surveillance or deprivation of political rights. The crime mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall be handled only upon complaint, except where serious harm is done to public order or to the interests of the State. “

Source:
Xinhua, July 14, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-07/14/content_8545047.htm
China News, July 17, 2008
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/news/2008/07-17/1314986.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Beijing Olympics: Government ID Required to Use Postal Service

Customers of government postal services must produce a valid government identification card during the Olympics, says China’s State Post Bureau. The special notice from the government agency states that post offices will not provide postal service if a sender of particles either to or from 6 cities between July 20 and September 20 does not produce a valid government I.D. The 6 cities are Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.

Source: Xinhua, July 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2008-07/16/content_8557748.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Foreign Owned Enterprises Approaching 300,000

As of the end of June 2008, China had 8.6 million domestic enterprises, 280,000 foreign-owned enterprises and 27.28 million small businesses (“individual industrial and commercial households”), according to a recent release by the China State Administration of Industry and Commerce.

Source: Xinhua, July 10, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-07/10/content_8524946.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Ex-Security Chief: Wengan Security Agents Suppressed Protests on Five Earlier Occassions

Shen Guirong, the former chief of Wengan County Public Security Bureau, said in an interview after being demoted that his police forces were often pulled in to do non-police duties such as suppressing social unrest.  In the past several years, on five occasions Shen had to dispatch hundreds of police to suppress social unrest arising from public discontent over government abuses and corruption.

Shen was demoted on July 3 because of "serious dereliction of duty” during June 28 protests in which tens of thousands of local residents trashed and set fire to the buildings of the Party, the police, the courts and the secret police, over the death of a female middle school student.

Source: China Newsweek, July 9, 20008
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-07-09/040115896453.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability