http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=3Den&art=3D12273&size=3DA
=BB 05/16/2008 15:20
CHINA
China, earthquake isn't halting arrests and controls
The monthly re****t of the Chinese Human Rights Defenders emphasises
the violations and abuses against troublesome journalists, dissidents,
and ordinary faithful during the month of May, while the country is
mourning the victims of the quake in Sichuan. For the Olympics, the
government is paying attention only to social stability. Tibet is
still in the grip of repression: anti-Chinese demonstrators are dying
from torture in prison.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - While the death toll continues to rise from the
disastrous earthquake in Sichuan, the Chinese government is not
stopping its campaign of repression against troublesome journalists,
dissidents, and ordinary faithful. A few months from the beginning of
the Olympics, in fact, Beijing wants to guarantee the greatest "social
stability" possible, and to do this, it is using summary arrests,
arbitrary detentions, and threats against the population.
This is the claim of the monthly re****t of Chinese Human Rights
Defenders, which says that the corruption of local officials and the
rising levels of pollution are among the main causes of popular
dissatisfaction. But outweighing all of this are the upcoming
Olympics, which have increased the risks for those who denounce the
government's wrongdoing.
Pollution, the text states, continues to prompt spontaneous
demonstrations all over the country. On May 4, the police in the
eastern province of Zhejiang severely beat seven demonstrators who
were trying to shut down a highly polluting factory, and four
activists were arrested for having "incited" a protest against
industrial waste.
In the meantime, while the number of victims of the earthquake in
Sichuan continues to rise, the local population accuses the government
over the poor quality of the materials used to construct buildings
that collapsed. The day after the quake, on May 13, the authorities
of Shandong sentenced a well-known anti-corruption journalist to four
years in prison. He had exposed the deception of officials in awarding
public contracts.
The same fate was reserved for the well-known writer and activist Zhou
Yuanzhi, arrested on May 3 for "endangering state security" and
"communicating state secrets abroad". In reality, Zhou was punished
for his articles, which denounced the violations of human rights
committed in the central province of Hubei.
The situation in Tibet also remains tense. According to local
sources, some of the anti-Chinese demonstrators arrested after the
clashes in March have died in prison after being tortured. Moreover,
the families of those arrested have been forced to pay enormous sums
of money to bail out their loved ones. Outside the temple of Ramoche
in Lhasa (one of the most im****tant in the region), plainclothes
police officers are permanently stationed to monitor those who enter
and leave.
The aspect of the Olympics is not lacking from all of this. On May 6,
the police in Beijing arrested the well-known activist Wang Guilian,
"guilty" of presenting a petition of protest to the central
government. His detention, according to some sources, will be
prolonged until the end of the games. Together with him, hundreds of
other citizens have sought in vain to make their voices heard against
the appropriation of land and abuses on the part of the local
governments.
Finally, there is no lack of religious persecution. On May 11, the
Beijing police forcibly entered the Christian church of Shouwang, and
interrupted the service being held inside. The participants were
forced to show their do***ents and were registered by the polic
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