Social Stability - 185. page

According to an investigation report by a local People’s Congress in Xinjiang, the persecution of Falun Gong and Xinjiang ethnic groups were considered priorities in maintaining social and political stability. The development of secret forces and overseas intelligence were also at the top of the list.

On July 30, 2007, Xinhua republished an article from China Economic Times on poverty in China. The article discusses four major problems pertaining to poverty in China: 1.) The widening disparity in income; 2.) Inadequate medical care in poor regions; 3.) Rural poverty and 4.) Poor people being deprived of socio-economic welfare benefits.

Statistics provided by the China Ministry of Public Security show there are a staggering 2.30 million private security workers in China, far surpassing even the number of policemen in the entire country. Over half of them are not subject to any government regulation. Their names are not on file with the public security authorities and they have little training. Hired by private companies, “they do not abide by the law, but follow the money and do whatever their employers tell them, thus playing the role of ‘evil, black thugs.’”

As part of China’s celebration of the one-year countdown to the Olympics, the Beijing Prison Administration launched a two-week celebration campaign in all the prisons under its jurisdiction. Inmates are reportedly pledging good behavior to support the government for a flawless Olympics.

In China, teaching has always been regarded as a highly respectable and honorable profession. However, in recent years, the number of teachers who rape and harass young students has increased, thus tarnishing that image. On Jan 1, 2005, the New York Times reported that an elementary school teacher, Li Guang, in Xinji, Gansu raped 26 students, the oldest being 14. In 2003, the Chinese Ministry of Education reported 10 cases in which teachers from multiple provinces raped young students. In June, 2007, a middle school teacher in Tongwei, Gansu was executed for raping 18 young female students. The increasing frequency of such cases reflects the shift in moral values from traditional Chinese culture to Chinese Communist Party culture.

Every year, 287,000 Chinese commit suicide, equalling 30% of all suicides in the world (1 million each year). The suicide rate in China is 2.3 times the global average. In contrast to other countries, in China, more women than men commit suicide. The reason for committing suicide is mostly intense personal conflicts rather than mental problems, which is the reason for 90% of the suicides in other countries. An increasing number of college students commit suicide in China. The high rate of suicide reflects China’s deteriorating moral values.

Beijing authorities have established police stations at 10 universities. Police will be on patrol 24/7 on campus. Rights activists view it as a move to re-enforce control over college students because students have been demonstrating lately.

The number of college journalism graduates has grown from a few hundred a year in the 1980’s to 30,000 in 2006, while the demand for journalists has held constant. Most college graduates are considered to have low qualifications for being a journalist and face heavy competition in the tough job market.