Social Stability - 173. page

Villages, towns and cities in areas surrounding Beijing recently experienced frequent power outages. Before the 1980’s, the government used to shut off the electricity of nearby cities when major events took place in the capital. But the practice was all but abandoned in recent years, until now.

Rural areas were hit first and for the longest amount of time, followed by low income urban areas, high income districts were next, and government offices were the last to face the outage.

One city in Shandong Province experienced a power outage every other day, each lasting 10 hours.

Source: Boxun, July 31, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/07/200807310509.shtml

Despite the promise to allow people to demonstrate in three parks during the Beijing Olympics, last week, the authorities arrested a woman who tried to demonstrate in one of the designated demonstration areas. The woman was detained and sent back to her hometown Suzhou on Friday August 1. Some anti-Japanese activists also saw their application denied.

People are skeptical and do not trust the government’s promise to allow freedom of speech. Beijing based journalist Ling Cangzhou said: “Everyone knows that in China, freedom and democracy are written in the Constitution. But how much can the Constitution be enforced is in question.”

Source: Voice of America, August 3, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-08-03-voa30.cfm

Liu Shaokun, a teacher who lost his child in the earthquake from Deyang City of Sichuan Province, was arrested by the authorities on June 25 and sentenced to one-year labor camp thereafter. His “crime” is "suspicion of inciting subversion of state power." After the May 12th Sichuan earthquake, he took pictures of the collapsed school buildings and posted them on the Internet. He also expressed his angry feelings about the sub-standard shoddy school construction when talking to media reporters.

Source: Voice of America, July 30,2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-07-30-voa68.cfm

Oriental Daily (HK) reports on July 31, 2008: As the Olympics approache, Beijing has heightened its security levels. Police and check points are everywhere on the street. From July 30, all the visitors entering Tiananmen Square will have to go through a security check.

Source: Oriental Daily, July 31, 2008
http://orientaldaily.on.cc/

On July 28, one day before the Olympic torch arrived at Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, a fire broke out in a textile factory. It was reported as the largest fire in the city’s history and took six hours to put out. The estimated damage is reported as high as 10 million yuan.

the Hong Kong based Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy disclosed that there are over 200 workers who were either laid off or had retired from this factory. There have been past conflicts between them and the local government. As such, there is the possibilty that the incident was arson. The press office of the Shijiazhuang Municipal government blamed the fire on short circuits and said no one was injured.

Source: Ming Pao News, July 30, 2008
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080730/caa2.htm

Yangcheng Evening News reports that since July 26, 2008, the police bureau at Baiyun airport (in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province) hand entered into an “anti-terrorist” alert and ready-to-fight status. It will elevate the level of air security, public security, fire fighting and prevention, and transportation safety within the area of control to ensure Olympic security. Currently, there are more than 200 police, armed police, and armed security guards patrolling around the clock around the terminal buildings.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News, July 26, 2008
http://www.ycwb.com/news/2008-07/26/content_1940334.htm

As the Olympics is approaching, Beijing authorities has set up schemes that trap those who come to appeal in Beijing, reported Ming Pao on July 24, 2008 of the story from a reader, Mr. Fan Dingxian. 

Fan, a 68 year old retiree from Chongqing, Sichuan, waited for 4 hours before he was interviewed by a staff at the State Petition Bureau in Beijing. He complained about insufficient pension. He was then escorted into an enclosed area in the back of the government building, where armed police surrounded four to five hundreds of people like Fan. An officer announced that all must be on board the government chartered buses heading out of Beijing. Fan refused to go on board and was beaten black and blue.  In the end police carried him on board the bus. It was only after he attempted suicide that he was finally released outside Beijing.

Source: Ming Pao, July 24, 2008
http://www.mingpaosf.com/htm/News/20080724/st1a.htm

On July 23, Beijing Olympic Organization Committee announced that Beijing will designate three parks for free expression and demonstration. But demonstrators have to get government permission.

World Park in Fengtai District, Zizhuyuan Park in Haidian District and Ritan Park in Chaoyang District are selected to showcase China’s freedom.

Citizens are skepitcal of the government intention. Some said after the real dissidents were locked up, the demonstrators are probably arranged actors to boost China’s human right record.

Source: English Epoch Times, July 24, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/7/24/n2203117.htm