Social Stability - 172. page

Two elderly women who applied for a permit to protest in the newly established protest park during the Beijing Olympics have received notification of a “Decision on Education through Labor” from the Beijing Municipal government, BBC reported.

Between August 5 and August 18 Wu Dianyuan of 79 and Wang Xiuying of 77 had applied 5 times with the Beijing Public Security Bureau seeking permit to protest.  Both were detained and interrogated for 10 hours during their attempt on August 5 at Beijing’s Public Security Bureau.  The two went to Beijing’s Public Security Bureau again on August 18 and were told that since both had received the notification “Decision on Education through Labor” on August 17, they have no right to apply for a permit to protest.

Education through forced labor (laogai) is an administrative form of sentencing issued at the discretion of the government or police without a trial.

Source: BBC, August 21, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7570000/newsid_7573200/7573239.stm

On August 20, 2008, the Chinese authorities indefinitely shut down a popular website dedicated to the advocacy of rights of citizens in China, www.315wqchina.com.  For the over 200 days that it was active, the website was shut down repeatedly because of its content, but was generally allowed to be up, until August 20.  The last articles that it posted and which apparently led to its final closure were a story titled “Olympic Gold Medals Will not Determine the Happiness of the People” and a poem by a policeman.

Weiquan (wq) is a Chinese phrase meaning “safeguarding rights.” 

Source: Boxun, August 20, 1008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/08/200808202102.shtml

On the 100th day since the Sichuan earthquake, tens and thousands parents who lost their children in the earthquake held memorial ceremonies in various locations, according to a news report by The Epoch Times. The ceremony in Beichuan was held with armed policemen were at the scene. In Mianyang, the police used force to intervene in a memorial ceremony held in front of a China Bank. Some parents told The Epoch Times that the government sent a large number of policemen to patrol major road entrances. Some parents complained that their phones are tapped and they have no place to appeal about unfair compensation. The residents were warned: “We will deal with your issues as an internal matter. Do not disclose any negative news to the foreign medis.”

On August 20, the Guangming Daily published commentaries praising the leadership of the Party in its handling of the restoration of  damages from the earthquake. The titles of the commentaries included: “Monumental achievement in fighting against the natural disaster” and “Eyewitness on the 100th day of the Sichuan Earthquake: Glorious Party; Superior Policy; strong-minded People”.

Source:
The Epoch Times, August 19, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/19/n2233865.htm
Guangming Daily, August 20, 2008 
http://www.gmw.cn/01gmrb/2008-08/20/content_825519.htm
http://www.gmw.cn/01gmrb/2008-08/20/content_825520.htm

On the 100th day following the 5.12 Sichuan earthquake, no news appeared in China’s state media regarding the memorial service by  survivors for their deceased family members or the progress of reconstruction in the earthquake-stricken areas. Such news had disappeared from the media landscape long before the Olympics. Radio Free Asia reports that the authorities continue to suppress petitioning activities by those who lost their family members in the earthquake. Emergency rescue programs have also stopped.

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 19, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/dizhen-08182008123523.html

According to sources close to the case in China, the true assailant of Todd Bachman, father-in-law of US men’s volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon, has yet to be identified. Bachman was fatally stabbed on August 9 while visiting the Drum Tower in Beijing by a knife-wielding Chinese man who, the official Xinhua alleged, leapt to his death. Xinhua identified him as Tang on August 10. However, witnesses closeby indicated that the assailent was a male in a suit who quickly disappeared after the attack, and the person who leapt to their death was a female. Sources suspect the involvement of a faction of the Communist Politburo.

Source: Epoch Times, August 13, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/13/n2226318.htm

Over ten thousand petitioners are currently being detained in Jiujing Zhuang, a suburb of Beijing, during the Olympics, according to a text message from a rights activist with her real name withheld. Another message sent by this person was a government order targeting hotels, public showering locations, apartment landlords. They were warned not to take in any petitioners during the Beijing Olympics or they could be subjected to a 15 day detention and 1500 yuan penalty.

Source: The Epoch Times, August 12, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/12/n2225700p.htm

Following the government’s regulations that demonstrations would be allowed in designated parks during the Beijing Olympics, Mr. Li Jincheng and Mr. Liu Xueli applied for and obtained permission to protest in World Park. They were told to come to the authorities to get their written permission on August 9.

But on August 8, Mr. Li mysteriously disappeared near the “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium. The other organizer, Mr. Liu, was also missing. Their protest permit has been invalidated.

Source: Boxun.com, August 10, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/08/200808102022.shtml

Tang Yongming, a 47 year old man from Hangzhou City, jumped to his death after attacking two Americans and their Chinese tour guide with a knife on August 8, the opening day of the Olympics. An American man was killed and his wife seriously injured.

In a note he left, Tang Yongming said: “The reason I take this extreme action is not cruelty and craziness, I want the world to pay attention to Chinese people’s pain suffered under the Communist Party.”

Source: Boxun.com, August 10, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/forum/200808/boxun2008b/2419.shtml