Social Stability - 164. page

Netizens in China voiced strong support for victims of abuse of power, calling for the resignations of top Chinese leaders over incidents of police brutality, reported Trend, a Hong Kong magazine. On March 8, 2009, a 19 year-old student died during police interrogation in Shanxi Province. Within three days of the incident, online postings calling for the resignations of Zhou Yongkang and Meng Jianzhu reached 70,000 at websites, including official websites such as Xinhuanet.com and people.com.cn.

Zhou currently serves as the 9th ranked member of the Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and is the the head of the Party’s Central Political and Legislative Committee, an organ directing central government legal policy and the legislative agenda. Meng Jianzhu is the Minister of the Public Security.

Source: Trend, April 2009 Issue
http://www.chengmingmag.com/t284/select/284sel01.html

China published a “National Human Rights Action Plan (2009-2010)” on April 14, 2009. At a press conference, Wang Chen, Director of the State Council Information Office, acknowledged that China faces many human rights challenges. There are many unresolved issues in basic human rights, including public participation, legal protection, social justice, employment, social security, education, and medical and public health. The public has a very high expectation and strong demand for human rights improvement and protection.

Source: China News Services, April 14, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/04-14/1645478.shtml

An article posted on the Global Times, a newspaper under the People’s Daily, suggested that the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), a U.S. government entity, is funding a secret online project to work with the former North America Representative of the Tibetan Government in Exile.

The article claimed that the mission of the more than $100,000 U.S.-funded project is to: collect intelligence, spread rumors, trigger disturbance and delude Tibetans via the internet. Detailed records are kept in “U.S. required format” and the Tibetan Government in Exile has provided a project location in India .

Source: Global Times, March 28, 2009.
http://bbs.huanqiu.com/shidaizhongguo/thread-180083-1-2.html

In a recent anti-corruption conference held by the Public Security Bureau in Beijing, Zhu Chunling, Party Committee of Public Security Department and the Chief Inspector, instructed the security bureaus at all levels to take "accidental death" of jailed inmates as a serious issue to address in 2009.

A number of "accidental death" incidents in detention centers were disclosed on the Internet recently causing a strong public reaction to torture and abuses by the security bureau forces.

Source:
Xinhua, April 2, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-04/02/content_11121613.htm
VOA, April 3, 2009
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2009-04-03-voa40.cfm

The Ministry of Health is investigating the reported death of five young children in Shandong’s Heze City, where the real situation of the epidemic may have been covered up.

Since January 1, 2009, 42,000 Chinese have been infected with the contagious hand- foot-and-mouth disease, according to the Ministry of Health.

The disease spreads every year, but it struck earlier this year in all provinces except Tibet.  This year the epidemic hit the hardest in Henan and Shandong.  More than 94% of the patients are children under the age of 5.  20 people have reportedly died.

Source: BBC Chinese, March 28, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7970000/newsid_7970100/7970127.stm

According to the Emergency Management Teleconference in Hebei Province, close to 130,000 incidents took place in Hebei in 2008, causing 6308 deaths and economic loses of 10.5 billion Yuan. Examples include coal mine accidents as well as milk poisoning from the San Lu milk powder scandal.

All levels of municipal entities at the district, village, town, and city level are instructed to finalize their emergency plans by the end of March. So far, 165,000 plans are reported in place and subject to provincial review.

Source:  China News, March 25, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/03-25/1616631.shtml

A group of urban administrative enforcement teams was formed by Guangdong Nanshan branch of the Public Security Bureau. It consists of 1000 policemen, district security guards and militia. They will assist the Public Security Bureau to deal with urgent incidents to ensure social stability.

Source: Nanfang Daily, March 28, 2009
http://epaper.nddaily.com/H/html/2009-03/28/content_743542.htm

In this article author Gao Yang addresses how the global recession is creating social instability in China. This is reflected in the courts as a large number of lawsuits are brought forward to settle disputes. He states that the People’s Courts should be better prepared to respond to these challenges and lists some general approaches.

Gao lists several sources of the social unrest: disputes between companies and their employees due to layoff or salary reduction; home owners not applying for mortgages or being delinquent on mortgage payments; increase in begging and petty theft as people living on the edge lose their means of living; popularization of illegal fund-raising as investors looking for alternatives; counterfeit money and credit card crimes; land expropriation disputes as the government pushes through its economic stimulus package; land struggles as farmers return from the city to the country; and mounting unemployment pressure, especially from college graduates.

Source: Study Times, March 23, 2009

http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2520&bid=5

Study Times:

The Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party produces Study Times; it was established in September 1999. The paper targets the national party organization and party cadres of all levels, as well as intellectuals. It is the only party paper that specializes in training and is publicly distributed in and outside of China. 

http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/sbjj.aspx?id=7