Social Stability - 157. page

Beijing has initiated a first-class patrol program which includes over 7000 policemen and more than 3000 auxiliary police mobilized into vehicle patrols, bike patrols, foot patrols, and dog patrols, according to Beijing Evening News on September 23rd, 2009.

Hundreds of Beijing entrances are strictly controlled. Suspicious persons, vehicles, and dangerous goods are all checked, one by one. Beijing police require residents to carry their IDs with them and to cooperate with police inquiries and checks.

Source: Beijing Evening News, September 23, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-09/23/content_12102341.htm

Xinhua reported that, to be in sync with the communist regime’s national day celebration security plan, Beijing initiated full-scale police monitoring of the public transportation system, including commuter buses, commuter trains, long-distance buses between Beijing and other provinces, taxies, and rental buses. Uniformed police rode along buses and took up each and every train station. Companies and organizations also provided 15,000 volunteers to prevent any unexpected and objectionable incident as well as to maintain control over the public transportation system.

During the last week, 7.3 million people and 7 million bags and other items were searched.

Source: Xinhua, September 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/24/content_12107824.htm

In order to prevent theft and other crimes from happening, the Xi’an Party Committee and the government decided to install these monitoring systems on more than 4,400 public transportation vehicles. Meanwhile, it is also considered a measure to ensure social stability during the 60th Anniversary celebrations. This is part of a larger Public Transportation Technological Safeguard System. The system is a required element to protect public safety.

Source: China Economy Net, September 23, 2009.
http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/200909/23/t20090923_20081637.shtml

During the period of September 23 to 29, non-local residents living in the “Celebration Control Area” will be given temporary passes to go in and out. Local residents will be required to present their identification cards. This measure impacts around ten thousand families living near the Tiananmen Square area.

Source: Xinhua, September 25, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2009-09/25/content_12109108.htm

An assessment report published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs indicates China faces increasingly severe natural disasters. According to the Response Assessment Analysis for 2008 Natural Disasters, disasters in 2008 were high in frequency, of different varieties, spanned vast geographical ranges, were of high magnitude and caused heavy losses. “The overall situation remains grim.” Statistics show that in 2008, 470 million people were affected, 88,928 killed or missing, 26.822 million evacuated, 39.99 million hectares of crops damaged, and 10.977 million houses collapsed. The disasters caused direct economic losses of 117.524 billion Yuan.

Source: Ministry of Civil Affairs, September 23, 2009 http://www.mca.gov.cn/article/zwgk/mzyw/200909/20090900038648.shtml

Zhou Yongkang, a Political Bureau Standing Committee member of the CCP Central Committee and the secretary of the Central Political and Law Commission presided over a meeting in Beijing on maintaining stability on September 12, 2009, according to Xinhua.

He stressed that maintaining stability in the capital is the current most overriding political task. Beijing must apply the successful security experience during the Olympic Games period by mobilizing the masses to form a security network named as the “coordination of experts and the masses” and the “united defense of the police and the ordinary people” so as to have a people’s war for national security during the National Day Celebration. To ensure the safety of the military parade, the mass celebration gathering, and other major events on National Day in Beijing, a “Moat” project is launched to use all the neighboring regions, cities and provinces around Beijing as the first check point for any people to come to the capital city. The whole country must support maintaining stability in the capital.

Maintaining the stability in Xinjiang remains the most important task. In Tibet and other Tibetan areas, the focus is on the strengthening the education of the monks and management of the monasteries.

Source: Southern Metropolis Daily, September 13, 2009
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/nfjx/200909130018.asp

A series of “new high tech devices” used for security purposes are ready to be running to protect the celebration of the National Day according to China News Agency on September 18, 2009.

Starting from September 20, an access system using facial recognition technology will be turned on at Beijing Capital International Airport. Such a system can recognize an inspected passenger’s facial features and verify his/her identity within one second by comparing with the data in the database.

Starting from September 22, Beijing will use a traffic warning system for the first time in the crowded Beijing downtown, Xidan. This system can predict whether the flow of passengers will reach the alert level in the next 10 minutes, which can monitor any non-regular gatherings and other abnormal behavior.

At the same time, Beijing Electric Power Corporation has installed a wireless monitoring system called “electronic eyes” on the high-voltage electric transmission lines. The “electric eyes” will immediately alarm the police through wireless communication once the top of a large vehicle is not in the safe distance away from the electric lines.

During the National Day period, a light-emitting monitoring device will be installed to monitor any large machinery movements in the surrounding areas all day round.

From October 2nd to 8th, a command center will be set up on Tiananmen Square to monitor the whole square around the clock. Anything happening on Tiananmen Square will be displayed on a big screen in the command center through electronic eyes and GPS satellite positioning equipment. If a dispute arises, the staff can rush to the scene within 10 minutes.

Source: China News Agency, September 18, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/09-19/1874917.shtml

Summary of article found on Xinhua:

With the approach of the National Day Celebration, Beijing police preventive control measures are gradually strengthening. Pedestrians experience road closures; drivers encounter the limitation of vehicle numbers on the road; passengers “enjoy” “luggage checks” whenever carrying a bag, etc. What makes Beijing residents complain more are the frequent traffic restrictions and subway outages without being notified on time, which cause inconveniences and troubles for the city residents’ outdoor activities. More and more community police, traffic police, and armed police are on the Beijing streets. They have increased patrol times and intensity, which leads to more visibility of the police and police patrols having wider coverage. The inspections and searches in Internet cafes, game rooms, beauty shops, dance halls, hotels, and inns are thus more frequent and thorough. Security on National Day is very important. Under the present circumstances, we need to particularly prevent the activities of "East Turkistan," "Tibet Independents," and "Falun Gong."

Source: Xinhua, September 07, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-09/07/content_12008597.htm