Social Stability - 170. page

Among all of China’s college graduates, as many as 15% cannot find a job, according to a recent report issued by China Youth Research Center. The Report on China Youth Rights and Welfare also forecast the deteriorating trend in the imbalance in the gender structure of the nation’s youth population in the coming decade, with 15 to 20 surpluses of males in every 100 females. The report is compiled based upon a survey on a sample of 4,000+ people in 108 counties in 12 provinces.

Source:
Xinhua, October 22, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/employment/2008-10/22/content_10231406.ht

As Chinese courts refuse to accept suits seeking damages over the contamination of dairy supplies with the industrial chemical melamine, a group of victims under the name of Federation of Victims of Shengyuan Infant Milk Formula have hired a U.S. lawyer to claim compensation. This is the first time that a foreign lawyer involves in the toxic milk scandal.

Shengyuan group, one of the major Chinese diary manufacturers, owns a Delaware-registered venture capital company headquartered in Maryland. The linkage allows U.S. courts to have a jurisdiction over Shengyuan. The first trial is scheduled at a federal court in Maryland.

Mr. Liu, a representative of the group, said to RFA that “it is Shengyuan that violates the law, not we.”

On courts rejection of toxic milk lawsuits, Dr. Zhang Boshu at Chinese Academy of Social Science felt regretful. “We could have handled the issue through normal legal channels, which should be encouraged instead of suppressed by the government.”

Source:
RFA, October 20, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/lawyer-10202008102514.html

After a Shanghai court’s rejection of the appeal from Yang Jia, who killed six policemen in revenge for a wrongful arrest, 44 intellectuals publicly signed on an open letter, asking for the authority’s amnesty.

“Whereas death penalty is a punishment of cruelty in violation of human dignity. … More than two thirds of 193 UN member states have abolished death penalty in law or in essence.” The letter said.

“Mr. Yang has taken extremist actions and caused human tragedy, after failed attempts to seek justice through legal channels over a long period of time. This is why he was overwhelmingly sympathized by the public.”

“Shanghai authorities have refused to publicize the entire facts of the accident. Yang Jia’s mother, a key witness, was kidnapped. Seven Shanghai policemen, also key witnesses, refused to testify on court. The initial death sentence was out of a close-door trial against legal procedure.”

Among the signers are lawyers, writers, professors, and journalists, including a famous economist Mao Yushi and artists Ai Weiwei, who designed Bird Nest or Beijing National Stadium. The execution of 28-year-old Yang Jia is awaiting the approval from the Supreme People’s Court, according to his lawyer Zhai Jian.

Source:
Epoch Times, October 21, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/10/21/n2304365.htm

More than 1,000 protesters gathered in front of a Shanghai court on Monday in support of Yang Jia who is appealing against his conviction for stabbing policemen. Confronting the police brutality against individuals who attempted to enter the close-door trial, hundreds roared out slogans such as “down with Communist Party”, “down with Fascism”, and “long lived Yang Jia.”

From 9 am to noon, more than 100 protesters were arrested by police, who were stationed outside the court to prevent the people from talking about their views of the case or taking interviews from many journalists present among the crowd.

Yang Jia, 28, was sentenced to death last month for killing 6 policemen as a revenge for being wrongfully mistreated overnight in October 2007 on suspicion of stealing a bicycle. Grassroot Chinese people have shown overwhelming supports for the young man as police being Beijing’s iron fist against ever growing massive domestic social unrests.

Source: Epoch Times, October 14, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/10/14/n2295692.htm

Beijing Sanyuan Foods Company, Ltd. (北京三元食品股份有限公司), a listed dairy producer in China, was chosen by Beijing Olympic Committee as the sole supplier of food and beverage for both the Summer Olympic and the Paralympic. For weeks, Sanyuan was the only listed diary producer that has avoided being associated with China’s milk contamination scandal.

On October 7, melamine was reportedly found in Sanyuan’s product by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said the Guangdong based newspaper Yangcheng Evening News. The content of the toxic chemical was found to be as high as 10.58 mg/kg in the milk powders manufactured on August 7 by Sanyuan’s subsidiary in Qianan, Hebei Province.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News, October 7, 2008
http://www.ycwb.com/misc/2008-10/07/content_1985419.htm

A prominent Chinese Human Rights website “Wei Quan China”, www.315wqchina.com, was shut down again on October 3 since it was last resumed service on September 12. In its open letter published through Boxun, WeiChuan China said that their website has been shutdown minimum eight times in the past six months due to “sensitive information” including three times during the Beijing Olympic. The letter said that the website is civil based. Its contents mostly contain the facts about the dark side of the society. The letter questioned the Chinese authority: “Does the Chinese government allow websites managed by civilians? If our website has ‘sensitive information’, why don’t you inform us first so we can take necessary measures? Please do not violently shutdown our website. Our website will continue to operate as long as the government does not label us as illegal website’.

Source: Boxun, October 3, 2008
http://peacehall.com/news/gb/yuanqing/2008/10/200810032120.shtml

Parents of Xiao Tao, a one-year old victim of melamine-contaminated milk powder, have filed a lawsuit against Sanlu for 150, 000 RMB in damages.  Xiao Tao was taking Sanlu milk power ever since he was born in July 2007.  He has been hospitalized in Beijing in serious condition with his kidney, bladder and ureters filled with stones.  His attorney, Mr. Ji Chen from Beijing’s Heng De Law Group, has collected over 90 emptied packages of Sanlu milk powder from Xiao Tao’s home.  Mr. Ji indicated that the final amount of damages sought will be much higher.  On September 22 the family received notice from Henan Zhenping People’s Court acknowledging the filing of the complaint.

Source: Beijing Youth, September 26, 2008
http://bjyouth.ynet.com/article.jsp?oid=43587808

On September 22, a few hundred officers dispatched by City of Guilin (Guangxi Province) Police Department and City Management Administration together with jobless residents hired by the Guilin City Zhang Tai Land Development Corporation went into Chuan Shan Village in Qi Xing District and used force to build a fence so they could seize a piece land. The entire village fought back. According to the villagers, their land was sold to Zhang Tai without their knowledge and their dispute for compensation has not been settled. Dozens of villagers were injured during the fight and two villagers were hospitalized.

On September 23 and 24, police officers blocked the entrance to the village and started to arrest villagers. One villager who fled to another village disclosed that over a dozen villagers have been arrested so far. Only those who signed the agreement to accept land compensation from the city can be released.

The article also shows photos of injured villagers and a video of the events.

Source: Boxun, September 27, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/09/200809272337.shtml