Social Stability - 165. page

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

New Tang Dynasty Television’s website carried a series photos of the crime scene where two military soldiers were shot to death on the evening of March 20.

On March 20, one day after a security guard was shot to death and his weapon taken by the suspects in Jiang Bei District of Shi Qiao Pu in Chongqing, Sichuan province, two soldiers were shot to death around Yu Zhou Hotel in Chongqing. Police are actively searching for the suspects throughout the city. There were also rumors that the suspect only targeted uniformed military personnel.

Source: New Tang Dynasty Television, March 21, 2009
http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/gb/2009/03/21/a271419.html#photo

A group of 23,000 retired military officers issued a complaint about a retirement policy between 1993 and 2000 (No. 93.1 policy), reports a civil rights organization in China. Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch has since published the complaint. The ex-officers complain about the hardships that the No. 93.1 policy has subjected them to. The retirement policy required the authorities to make a buyout lump sum payment (approximately $10,000 at the time). Once the payment was made the government was thus released of any obligation to make monthly retirement payment. Some of these ex-officers served in the People’s Liberation Army for as long as over 25 years. Many participated in the war against Vietnam in early 1979. The complaint calls for release of the details and open discussion of the retirement policy throughout the PLA.

Source: Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, March 17, 2009
http://msguancha.com/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=1846

Mr. Li Fengzhi, a former intelligence officer of China State Security Ministry, stepped forward and denounced the Communist Party, Epoch Times reports on March 11 2009. While in China, his responsibilities were to collect and analyze economic and political intelligence. Several years ago Li gave up his career and moved to the United States for freedom. He has since been harassed and threatened by Chinese State agents. He hopes his decision will encourage his former colleagues to be true to themselves and break away from the Communist Party.

Source: Epoch Times, March 11, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/11/n2458534.htm

Wife and two children of prominent rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng arrived in the United States 11 March 2009 from Thailand where they were granted UN refugee status, says Radio Free Asia. The family left Beijing Jan 9 and traveled nonstop together with friends. They group successfully eluded police and arrived Thailand on Jan 16. They fled China because of the long-term government harassment and surveillance that makes it impossible for a normal life. Their 16-year-old daughter has attempted suicide. Lawyer Gao Zhizheng, a Christian, has openly criticized the Chinese regime for its persecution of Falun Gong. As a result he was imprisoned and tortured. His wife believed that the Chinese authorities arrested him again as of Feb 4, 2009. 

Source: Epoch Times, March 12 and 13, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/12/n2459537.htm
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/13/n2460476.htm

18 Chinese Christians were arrested on March 1, 2009 at Zhaojiazhuang, Nanyang, Henan Province, Radio Free Asia reports. They were arrested during the Sunday service. 16 of them were released the next day after paying a fine. 2 were detained for 15 days for committing the crime of “illegal religious activity.” On February 11, about 50 Chinese Christians were arrested at a home in Nanyang, Henan Province. 98 policemen raided the house of Mr. Chen, a Christian. They searched and ransacked the house, and arrested all Christians at the gathering.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 5, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zongjiao-03052009084426.html