http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27042/
December 31, 2009 by epochtimes | Edit
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Democracy activists like Mr. Sun Wenguang express that Chinese officials involved in the persecution against Falun Gong and democracy movements should be tried and appropriately punished. (The Epoch Times)
News of the Spanish court’s acceptance of the lawsuit against five Chinese officials for the genocide and torture of Falun Gong practitioners and Argentine judge Octavio Araoz de Lamadrid’s arrest warrant for Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan have spread among Chinese intellectuals and citizens. Many activists expressed their particular support for the charges against Jiang and Luo.
Hubei democracy activist Song Xiangxian thinks the legal actions undertaken in Spain and Argentina place the two countries at the forefront of civil rights history. Song believes such actions demonstrate leadership and advocacy for a system of values for humanity.
“The actions of Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan do not simply harm the Falun Gong community, but they plunder and encroach upon all of civilized humanity,” said Song. “Their crimes must be met with a corresponding punishment.”
Song believes that only free and democratic countries with independent judicial systems are capable of investigating these crimes and following through with the appropriate legal punishment.
Praise From Professors
Retired professor Sun Wenguang from Shandong University praised the prospect of a trial as a just act, saying, “Their crimes should be punished, I highly praise the judges.”
Retired professor Mr. Hu from the Chinese Foreign Affairs University in Beijing also voiced his support for bringing the leaders of the persecution of Falun Gong to justice in international courts.
“Since the Chinese regime always asserts that China is a country ruled by law, it needs to follow the standards of a country ruled by law,” said Mr. Hu.
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* Spanish Judge Calls Top Chinese Officials to Account for Genocide
* Argentine Judge Issues Arrest Warrants for Chinese Officials
* Argentina Lawyer Speaks on Falun Gong Genocide Decision
Guizhou democracy activist Mr. Chen Defu, who has been following international lawsuits against Jiang for several years now, thinks the arrest warrants symbolize support for civil movements and a reprimand against the trampling of human rights in China.
“This arrest warrant is a warning to high ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, warning them to not persecute Falun Gong practitioners and democracy activists. I think this is very good, very good. Now everyone is talking about this, so it is a form of encouragement for the disadvantaged groups being suppressed inside China.”
Residents in various areas of China have also expressed their support for the arrest warrants and demands for legal proceedings against the defendants. One Beijing resident wanted to express gratitude through Sound of Hope (an independent radio network) to all judges and lawyers involved in the lawsuit for their brave action and hard work.
In July 1999, Jiang single-handily launched a persecution against Falun Gong practitioners to eradicate the practice. The campaign against Falun Gong practitioners included orders to destroy their reputation, finances and physical bodies. Practitioners have been, and are being tortured and persecuted to death — and many are victims of organ harvesting. Practitioners tortured to death are counted as having committed suicide. The persecution is still ongoing in China today and affects thousands of citizens.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Family's House Demolished 'By Accident' While Away
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27152/
By Gu Qing’er
Epoch Times Staff Created: Dec 29, 2009 Last Updated: Dec 29, 2009
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Related articles: China > Society
The owners camp out on a cold December night after their house was demolished.
The owners camp out on a cold December night after their house was demolished. (Internet posts from China)
As Chinese families gather to celebrate the New Year holiday, one family won’t get the chance; authorities demolished their house while they were away, leaving them only a pile of rubble. The case of Li Xueping of Wuhan City, documented in pictures and text on Internet posts, alleges that authorities have adopted a new term for demolishing houses outside prescribed channels: doing it “by accident.”
On Dec. 11, Mr. Li returned to find that the five-story building he used to live in was in shambles. Apparently, while his family was away during the day, local authorities demolished the building to make way for new urban development.
Li’s family had never discussed the building’s potential demolition with local officials. When they went to the demolition bureau to protest, officials said that it was a mistake, and that his building had been confused with another. They added, however, that the building had been newly added to a list of those to be demolished in a later phase, and that the family shouldn’t cause trouble.
They agreed to give compensation to the Li family based on 180 square meters of building space. Li’s family contended that the building was 900 square meters. Since the building was demolished, and prior records were incomplete, Li’s family had no way of challenging the figure, the information online said.
Residential demolitions have been happening across China for over a decade to make way for large-scale redevelopment and expansion of urban centres, a process closely tied to the growth of the economy and soaring land prices. Under Chinese law, the state owns all urban land. Residents are supposed to receive the market value for their house when being relocated, but this amount is rarely enough to buy a house of similar price and location.
The residents hang read lanterns, which usually expresses holiday joy, to protest their treatment.
The residents hang read lanterns, which usually expresses holiday joy, to protest their treatment. (Internet posts from China)
The process of forced land acquisition is often enmeshed in corruption, as officials buy land off residences for nominal prices then sell it to developers at a large profit. Chinese who are on the receiving end of such raw deals sometimes resort to extreme measures to protest their treatment, including self-immolation, or violence directed toward the wrecking crews.
In this case the family only set up tents on the debris, and hoisted red lanterns with white banners to express their outrage. The banners read: “Illegal demolition [happened here], give us back our home;” “Forced demolition without compensation,” and “Yesterday our home was here, today it is gone.”
Demolitions later termed “accidents” have happened elsewhere, too, according to Mr. Liu Feiyue from Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch, an NGO based in China. He said it shows that there are deceptive practices and violations of citizens’ rights in the urban development process, partly reflecting the failure of rule of law in China.
Mr. Li and his family’s story generated responses expressing sympathy, anger, and hopelessness.
“This is what society is like today. Regardless of how long your family has lived on that land, whoever has money now owns the land. Is there really no one who will do something about this kind of forced demolition?” one user wrote.
Another thought the incident was no accident, writing “This method is commonly used in demolitions today. They first demolish the building, then make up excuses and call it a mistake. There is a legal loophole. This [method of forcing people to move] is much more effective than cutting off their water and electricity.”
“Such mafia-style demolition sucks the blood of ordinary citizens. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are howling in rage,” another comment says.
Read the original Chinese article.
By Gu Qing’er
Epoch Times Staff Created: Dec 29, 2009 Last Updated: Dec 29, 2009
Facebook icon Facebook Digg icon Digg del.icio.us icon del.icio.us StumbleUpon icon StumbleUpon Print | E-mail to a friend | Give feedback
Related articles: China > Society
The owners camp out on a cold December night after their house was demolished.
The owners camp out on a cold December night after their house was demolished. (Internet posts from China)
As Chinese families gather to celebrate the New Year holiday, one family won’t get the chance; authorities demolished their house while they were away, leaving them only a pile of rubble. The case of Li Xueping of Wuhan City, documented in pictures and text on Internet posts, alleges that authorities have adopted a new term for demolishing houses outside prescribed channels: doing it “by accident.”
On Dec. 11, Mr. Li returned to find that the five-story building he used to live in was in shambles. Apparently, while his family was away during the day, local authorities demolished the building to make way for new urban development.
Li’s family had never discussed the building’s potential demolition with local officials. When they went to the demolition bureau to protest, officials said that it was a mistake, and that his building had been confused with another. They added, however, that the building had been newly added to a list of those to be demolished in a later phase, and that the family shouldn’t cause trouble.
They agreed to give compensation to the Li family based on 180 square meters of building space. Li’s family contended that the building was 900 square meters. Since the building was demolished, and prior records were incomplete, Li’s family had no way of challenging the figure, the information online said.
Residential demolitions have been happening across China for over a decade to make way for large-scale redevelopment and expansion of urban centres, a process closely tied to the growth of the economy and soaring land prices. Under Chinese law, the state owns all urban land. Residents are supposed to receive the market value for their house when being relocated, but this amount is rarely enough to buy a house of similar price and location.
The residents hang read lanterns, which usually expresses holiday joy, to protest their treatment.
The residents hang read lanterns, which usually expresses holiday joy, to protest their treatment. (Internet posts from China)
The process of forced land acquisition is often enmeshed in corruption, as officials buy land off residences for nominal prices then sell it to developers at a large profit. Chinese who are on the receiving end of such raw deals sometimes resort to extreme measures to protest their treatment, including self-immolation, or violence directed toward the wrecking crews.
In this case the family only set up tents on the debris, and hoisted red lanterns with white banners to express their outrage. The banners read: “Illegal demolition [happened here], give us back our home;” “Forced demolition without compensation,” and “Yesterday our home was here, today it is gone.”
Demolitions later termed “accidents” have happened elsewhere, too, according to Mr. Liu Feiyue from Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch, an NGO based in China. He said it shows that there are deceptive practices and violations of citizens’ rights in the urban development process, partly reflecting the failure of rule of law in China.
Mr. Li and his family’s story generated responses expressing sympathy, anger, and hopelessness.
“This is what society is like today. Regardless of how long your family has lived on that land, whoever has money now owns the land. Is there really no one who will do something about this kind of forced demolition?” one user wrote.
Another thought the incident was no accident, writing “This method is commonly used in demolitions today. They first demolish the building, then make up excuses and call it a mistake. There is a legal loophole. This [method of forcing people to move] is much more effective than cutting off their water and electricity.”
“Such mafia-style demolition sucks the blood of ordinary citizens. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are howling in rage,” another comment says.
Read the original Chinese article.
Internet Censorship Tightens in China
Internet Censorship Tightens in China
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27167/
Latest attempt only spawns circumvention
By Gu Yunyin
Epoch Times Staff Created: Dec 29, 2009 Last Updated: Dec 29, 2009
Facebook icon Facebook Digg icon Digg del.icio.us icon del.icio.us StumbleUpon icon StumbleUpon Print | E-mail to a friend | Give feedback
Related articles: China > Regime
The CCP has blocked several hundred thousand Web sites in China. (Getty Images)
Several hundred thousand Web sites in China have been blocked as Chinese officials quietly carry out a new Internet censorship program, according to industry insiders.
There have been no public announcements regarding the shutdowns.
A so-called “white list” has been created. It is a list of Web sites that have been registered and certified to have no undesirable content.
Web sites that are not on the white list can no longer be viewed by Web surfers in China.
Killing Off 1,000 Innocents Rather Than Letting One Go Free
Mr Sun, a cyberspace service provider from Beijing, said the high-pressure policy started in December, and now Internet Data Centers (IDC) and Web sites nationwide have been shut down one after another. Sun said, “At present, the situation is quite severe. Now, in the entire Anhui Province, there is no Internet, and all telecommunication networks have stopped working.”
Currently, all IDC access providers are being closely monitored. Once a Web site is determined to be unacceptable, the entire server center hosting the Web site will be shut down.
An employee from West263 (www.west263.com) told Radio Free Asia on Dec. 24 that the policy is affecting businesses in a large area, as several overseas Web sites are no longer accessible.
”A ‘blacklist’ would be illegal, but a ‘white list’ is legal and is put on record,” the caller said.
According to a non-government statistical report released on the Chinese Internet, IDC servers in Shanghai, Sichuan, Anhui, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Henan, Hunan, Yunnan, and other provinces have all been shut down consecutively. In Shanghai alone, at least five or six major server sites have been affected.
A source at West263 said that in the past, the regime adopted a relatively relaxed attitude toward Web sites that walk a fine line. Now the attitude is: Better to kill 1,000 innocents than let one that is guilty go free.
According to a Web site owner, authorities have also recently tightened their control of video Web sites and will shut them down if they have not obtained a permit. Tudou.com and Sina.com are supported by the Communist Party and have the necessary permits. Those without the support of the Party will likely be shut down, he said.
Incentives for Anti-Blockade Software
Guangdong human rights lawyer Tang Xingling said the so-called “striking at false information,” and “controlling pornography and obscene information” are cover-ups often used by the Communist regime for its Internet censorship policies. Some well-known web portals in China contain undesirable content including false advertisements, pornographic pictures, and videos, yet the authorities have not shut down these portals.
Tang said: “It is inevitable that certain Web sites will be blocked; but when they are, Internet users will improve existing techniques to break through the Internet blockade or will look for new ways to circumvent this kind of information blockade.”
A web master, who asked to remain anonymous, stated that the public can still break through the regime's Internet blockade through the use of software such as Wujie, Freegate, Garden Network, etc. Furthermore, he wonders, what is the point of the authorities going through all of this trouble to control Internet access? In reality, though a lot of resources have been used, it is impractical from a technical perspective.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27167/
Latest attempt only spawns circumvention
By Gu Yunyin
Epoch Times Staff Created: Dec 29, 2009 Last Updated: Dec 29, 2009
Facebook icon Facebook Digg icon Digg del.icio.us icon del.icio.us StumbleUpon icon StumbleUpon Print | E-mail to a friend | Give feedback
Related articles: China > Regime
The CCP has blocked several hundred thousand Web sites in China. (Getty Images)
Several hundred thousand Web sites in China have been blocked as Chinese officials quietly carry out a new Internet censorship program, according to industry insiders.
There have been no public announcements regarding the shutdowns.
A so-called “white list” has been created. It is a list of Web sites that have been registered and certified to have no undesirable content.
Web sites that are not on the white list can no longer be viewed by Web surfers in China.
Killing Off 1,000 Innocents Rather Than Letting One Go Free
Mr Sun, a cyberspace service provider from Beijing, said the high-pressure policy started in December, and now Internet Data Centers (IDC) and Web sites nationwide have been shut down one after another. Sun said, “At present, the situation is quite severe. Now, in the entire Anhui Province, there is no Internet, and all telecommunication networks have stopped working.”
Currently, all IDC access providers are being closely monitored. Once a Web site is determined to be unacceptable, the entire server center hosting the Web site will be shut down.
An employee from West263 (www.west263.com) told Radio Free Asia on Dec. 24 that the policy is affecting businesses in a large area, as several overseas Web sites are no longer accessible.
”A ‘blacklist’ would be illegal, but a ‘white list’ is legal and is put on record,” the caller said.
According to a non-government statistical report released on the Chinese Internet, IDC servers in Shanghai, Sichuan, Anhui, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Henan, Hunan, Yunnan, and other provinces have all been shut down consecutively. In Shanghai alone, at least five or six major server sites have been affected.
A source at West263 said that in the past, the regime adopted a relatively relaxed attitude toward Web sites that walk a fine line. Now the attitude is: Better to kill 1,000 innocents than let one that is guilty go free.
According to a Web site owner, authorities have also recently tightened their control of video Web sites and will shut them down if they have not obtained a permit. Tudou.com and Sina.com are supported by the Communist Party and have the necessary permits. Those without the support of the Party will likely be shut down, he said.
Incentives for Anti-Blockade Software
Guangdong human rights lawyer Tang Xingling said the so-called “striking at false information,” and “controlling pornography and obscene information” are cover-ups often used by the Communist regime for its Internet censorship policies. Some well-known web portals in China contain undesirable content including false advertisements, pornographic pictures, and videos, yet the authorities have not shut down these portals.
Tang said: “It is inevitable that certain Web sites will be blocked; but when they are, Internet users will improve existing techniques to break through the Internet blockade or will look for new ways to circumvent this kind of information blockade.”
A web master, who asked to remain anonymous, stated that the public can still break through the regime's Internet blockade through the use of software such as Wujie, Freegate, Garden Network, etc. Furthermore, he wonders, what is the point of the authorities going through all of this trouble to control Internet access? In reality, though a lot of resources have been used, it is impractical from a technical perspective.
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