SOH News

Edge on China 63 – Headlines from China

This week, 50 year old farmer aquitted after 10 years in Jail, Hong Kong surges toward true democracy, and a Special update on the Chinese performance, Holiday Wonders.

Last week a fifty years old farmer, Hao Jinan, from China’s Henan province, left the jail where he was held for nearly 10 years on false charges.

At the beginning of 1998, Hao Jinan was a suspect in a robbery and murder case. He confessed under inquisition by torture, and was sentenced to death with a postponed execution.

He was finally released one year after the police arrested the real killer.

While in jail, Hao Jinan unknowingly underwent surgery. Not until several days ago, after his release, and after undergoing a health check-up in a hospital that he was told by the doctor that his spleen had been removed.

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In news just in from China’s Hubei Province, on the 28th December, nearly 100 workers of the Wuhan city vacuum factory blocked the road outside the factory to protest against the authorities forcefully relocating them and demolishing their houses before any agreement for relocation was signed.

So far, more than 50 households have lost their homes, and another 30 more families are facing the same fate.

We are awaiting news on the outcomes of the protests which are becoming commonplace in many rural communities in China.

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And now for SOH original news direct from China

Over one thousand residents of the Gold Bull District in China’s Cheng-Du City have been protesting outside the Long Chang Company complex for six days, demanding the return of assets that they believed were collectively owned.

According to a report over the web page of Daily Life Observation, due to the city planning and construction expansion in Cheng-Du, the rural construction system in the Golden Bull area was raised in 1996 with all households registries changed to urban residents.

The local cadres privatised the collective enterprise of Long Chang Company located in the area.

In response the local residents began to rally, protesting the minority’s privatisation and blocking the traffic outside the company, demanding the return of company assets to all members.

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Hu Jia, a prominent AIDS and human rights campaigner has been detained by Chinese police accusing him of subversion, in an apparent bid to stifle dissent ahead of the 2008 Olympics.

Attorney Teng Biao said that Mr. Jia was taken into police custody on Thursday, adding that Hu’s wife, AIDS activist Zeng Jinyan, has been prevented by police from leaving the couple’s Beijing home.

Zeng Jinyan said in an e-mail that Hu had been arrested on charges of “inciting to subvert the government”.

By 2017 Beijing will allow the special region’s people of Hong Kong to directly elect their leader and their legislators by 2020, as promised by Hong Kong’s chief executive.

Donald Tsang said the decision was a “most important step” in the political future of the former British colony, which became part of China in 1997.

The move comes after Mr. Tsang submitted a report requesting elections by 2012.

Hong Kong’s leader is chosen currently by an 800-member committee.

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The authorities in Shenzhen, Guangdong province in China have forcibly evicted and dismantled the resident’s private properties.

This has triggered massive clashes with the police, who have been using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the residents who are refusing to leave.

Some of the protestors have been arrested and nearly a hundred residents broke into the police station to release those who have been arrested.

Hong Kong “Sun Press” reported on the 28th of December that the authorities dismantled the properties at Liu Yue Village and Heng Gang Road in Long Gang Area.

According to sources, the compensation for the eviction is yet to be settled in court of law, whilst residents’ properties are already being dismantled.

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A mainland Chinese Falun Gong practitioner has revealed to the media that the Chinese Communist prison system has been over working imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners, killing many in the process.

Many have died from mining accidents, and others have suffered permanent disabilities and blindness.

He said that during his six-year imprisonment he’d seen practitioners, between the ages of 30 and 70, being beaten and even killed, if they did not meet minimum production requirements.

Collusion among the prison, forensics and medical systems have deceived families of the Falun Gong practitioners’ to make illegal profits.

Although practitioners in Mainland China have been brutally persecuted under strict information control and censorship, facts of the persecution continue to penetrate overseas through different channels.

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In the lead up to elections in Taiwan, the Country’s parliament has passed its most extensive arms budget in years, as lawmakers strive to appear firm on national defence issues.

The 2008 defence budget, passed by the legislature last Thursday, includes funds for the controversial Hsiung Feng IIE cruise missile, a missile that can strike China.

Analysts say legislative elections in January and a presidential poll in March are shaping up as a contest over a Taiwan identity separate from rival China, which has claimed sovereignty over the island since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, and which has said that any attempts by Taiwan to become independent could result in war.

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Wrap up of Holiday Wonder for the, highlighting the shows success and feedback from the Audience.

Holiday Wonders had a huge week in the US leading into the New Year with performances in New York City, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg Flordia and prestiguos Atlanitic City in New Jearsy. With a total of 12 shows in just 7 days between the 2 troupes the Diving Performing Arts performers were working hard to give a large overall audience a special send off for 2007.

The first shows kicked off in New York City on Monday the 24th of December at the Beacon Thearte on Broadway. On the eve of Christmas the audience had a special treat. Beacon Theartre hosted Holiday wonders daily through to the 26th of Dec when the show moved forward to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. New Yorkers were touched with this special Christmas present, Mr. Hongkuan Li, founder and editor-in-chief of the renowned pro-democratic Chinese electronic magazine Bignews who watched the show on Christmas day said the artistic level was very high and that especially the songs inspired the audience to think about the fundamental issues of life. He was also very happy to see a Chinese traditional performance during a Western holiday.

Florida was the next stop on the tour and the Broward Center for the Performing arts hosted Holiday Wonders. The Premier was an evening performance on the 27th of December. Jan Mitchell, a legal secretary from Fort Lauderdale when asked about the show afterwards said she tought it was wonderful, the colors, the costumes, the precision. She said it was all just perfect.
Claudio Lopez, from Italy, was in Fort Lauderdale on vacation and decided to see the show. Claudio said the show was his first experience with Oriental culture. Claudio said his favorite part of the show was a dance describing the repression suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in China. He said it was quite a touching thing to see.”

Fort Lauderdale Hosted Holiday Wonders for 2 days with the Mayor James T Naugle presenting a certificate to the performers and proclaiming the 27th December as Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Wonders Day.

On the same day that Holiday Wonders had its closing performance in Fort Lauderdale, the second Troupe premiered at the Cirus Maximun Theater in Atlantic City, New Jearsey. Audience members were in awe of the show. Scott and Terri said, that they see a hundred shows a year and this is perfection. Perfection. In welcoming the troupe’s performances in Atlantic City, Mayor Scott K. Evans also proclaimed December 28-30 to be Holiday Wonders Weekend and describes the show as “pure compassion and beauty.” Atlantic city hosted 5 performances between the 28th and 30th of December.

And lets not forget St Petersburg, Florida which hosted performances on the 29th and 30th of December at the Mahaffey Theater. The final performance inspired rave reviews, especially of the drums, costumes, choreography, and the profound meaning found in traditional Chinese culture at its best.

Deborah Engel, of St. Petersburg summed it up. She found the show “absolutely beautiful.” She loved the grace and the message, and said she’d love to see it again. Her final comments were Wonderful! Absolutely fabulous!”