06September2000

CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 6, 2000

TOP STORY: THREE MORE FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS DIE AFTER BEING ARRESTED
NUMBER OF REPORTED FOLLOWERS KILLED BY POLICE RISES TO 50
Agence France Presse, citing the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy in China, reported that three Falun Gong followers died over the past two months. Liu Yufeng died on July 22, within hours of his release from police custody. Liuï¿½s family told the ICHR&D in C that he had been beaten with an electric baton. Li Faming ï¿½fellï¿½ out of his window on August 10 as police beat him in his own home.

The following day, Zhang Tieyan, after feinting several times in an unusual hot cell with 10 other inmates, died after struggling to breathe, according to other cellmates cited by AFP. The agency reported that these deaths bring to 50 the number of practitioners killed by Communist police. Falun Gong continues to survive despite the Communistsï¿½ every effort to eliminate what it perceives as their greatest threat since June 4, 1989. Link: AFP

FOCUS: HONG KONG ï¿½POLL-GAGï¿½ FIASCO MAY BRING DOWN UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS
A panel convened by Hong Kong University to examine allegations a professor had to told to stop polling the sinking popularity of Communist-appointed Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa condemned Vice Chancellor Patrick Cheng for his part in pressuring Professor Robert Chung to stop the polls. The Hong Kong iMail web site reports over 200 faculty members have signed a petition calling for the university to accept the report.

Meanwhile, nearly 50 have signed a petition calling on Cheng to resign. ï¿½Commentators said yesterday they could not see how the vice-chancellor could survive the crisis with his job intact,ï¿½ said AFP. The Washington Post reports the panel also slammed an assistant to Tung, and AFP reported one professor saying he was stunned at Tungï¿½s behavior over the affair, saying the Communist appointee, ï¿½just doesnï¿½t get it.ï¿½ Links: AFP, Washington Post

CBS INTERVIEW WITH COMMUNIST PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN
In case you missed it in the links sent Friday, here is Sunday nightï¿½s CBS interview with Communist President Jiang Zemin, whoï¿½s in New York for the UN Millennium summit. Jiang denied any involvement in the campaign-finance or espionage cases, attacked Falun Gong, and denied any religious persecution in the PRC. He also expressed sympathy for the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrators, but still justified killing them. Links: CBS Part 1, CBS part 2

PNTR NEWS: SENATE OPENS DEBATE
The U.S. Senate opened debate on granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Communist China this week. The final vote is expected next week. In the meantime, opponents are offering several amendments. If one of them passes, another congressional vote would be required, and PNTR could be shelved this year. Link: BBC

HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTSHUMAN RIGHTS ï¿½DETERIORATED MARKEDLYï¿½ IN PRC
The Washington Times cited a State Department human rights report that said that human right in Communist China ï¿½deteriorated markedly.ï¿½ The report particularly cited religious persecution such as ï¿½harassment, extortion, prolonged detention, physical abuse and incarceration,ï¿½ things that have noted in these updates for some time. Links: Washington Times, State Dept. report, courtesy of Ron Vogel

TIANANMEN BUTCHER LI PENG SUED BY PROTESTORS IN EXILE WHILE IN NEW YORK
BBC reported several survivors of the Tiananmen Square massacre now in the U.S. are suing Li Peng, the man who as Prime Minister ordered the killing of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pro-democracy protestors in 1989. AFP reported the Communist called the suit a ï¿½political farce.ï¿½ Li, now Chairman of Communist legislature and No. 2 in the PRC hierarchy, was in New York for a UN conference when the suit was filed. Links: BBC, AFP

COMMUNIST ARREST 24 MORE CATHOLICS, SEVERLY BEAT PRIEST
The crackdown against religious freedom continued last week with the arrest of Father Liu Shao-Zhang, two nuns, a seminarian, and 20 parishioners of an underground Roman Catholic Church in Fujian province. AFP, citing the Cardinal Kung Foundation, reported Father Liu was beaten so badly he was vomiting blood. Link: AFP

BROTHER OF CHINA DEMOCRACY PARTY MEMBER GIVEN THREE YEARS IN LABOR CAMP
Communist authorities sentenced Dai Xuewu, whose arrest was reported in previous updates, to three years of ï¿½re-education through labor,ï¿½ according to AFP. While the Communists alleged he stole a mobile phone, Daiï¿½s real crime was protesting the arrest of his brother Dai Xuezhong, a member of the outlawed China Democracy Party. Link: AFP

85 PROTESTANTS ARRESTED LAST MONTH FORMALLY ARRESTED
AFP reported the Communists have filed formal charges against 85 of the 130 Protestants arrested last month. The prisoners, all followers of the Fangcheng Protestant church, were charged with ï¿½forming a sect to break as and regulations.ï¿½ As previous updates reported, three American missionaries had also been arrested; they have since been released. Link: AFP

BEIJING OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS DOESNï¿½T MATTER
Liu Jinming, head of Beijingï¿½s Olympic Committee, told the Communist-run Xinhua news agency that Communist Chinaï¿½s horrific human rights record ï¿½should not be an excuse against Beijingï¿½s bid for the (2008) games.ï¿½ Agence France Presse reported Beijing is the favorite to win the Games despite the PRCï¿½s atrocious treatment of its own citizens. Link: AFP

OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
LOCAL OFFICIAL TAKES CASE OF FARMERSï¿½ DESPERATION TO BEIJING
Li Changping, a young Communist leader in Hubei province, stunned Beijing over the weekend by sending a letter giving a point-by-point litany of woes farmers are suffering due to Communist policies. The Washington Post reported Li particularly criticized high fees and taxes imposed by local Communist governments that send the average farmer into desperate poverty, and ironically, leave villages deep in debt. Link: Washington Post

COMMUNIST CENTRALIZE ENTIRE CUSTOMS SYSTEMS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION
According to the Hong Kong iMail web site, the Communists have reorganized their entire customs system, firing most of their local customs chiefs and replacing them with officials reporting directly to Beijing. The move is in reactions to several recent corruption scandals, including a massive smuggling ring in Xiamen (see below). Meanwhile, AFP reported a prosecutor in Hainan province was given 18 years for taking bribes. Links: Hong Kong iMail, AFP

YET ANOTHER HIGH-RANKING COMMUNIST IN XIAMEN SMUGGLING SCANDAL
Former Minister of Public Security Tao Siju is now in prison for his part in the $6 billion Xiamen smuggling scandal. The massive web of corruption, the largest of many, includes nearly 300 officials, but Tao is the highest-ranking official to be charged with participation in the smuggling ring. AFP reported his wife is also under investigation. Link: AFP

AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
REPORT: COMMUNIST CHINESE COLONELS SEE SENSITIVE U.S. DATA
The Washington Times reported today that a visiting group of Communist Chinese colonels viewed sensitive data regarding American joint war fighting during a visit to the Joint Forces Command center. The visit, reported in earlier updates, already had members of Congress worried about violating national security, and possibly the law. Link: Washington Times

COMMUNIST OFFICIAL BLAMES U.S. MEDIA FOR HOSTILITY TOWARD PRC
Zhao Qizheng criticized the American media during a press conference today. In remarks picked up by AFP, Zhao said some U.S. media was ï¿½inadequate and downright prejudicial,ï¿½ allowing many to ï¿½perpetrate the China threat theory.ï¿½ Zhaoï¿½s title, Minister of the State Council Information Office, might have something to do with his opinion on our press. Link: AFP

POLL: AMERICANS CONSIDER COMMUNIST CHINA MOST HOSTILE COUNTRY
A Harris poll reported in the Washington Times on Friday revealed that more Americans consider Communist China an enemy than any other country in the world. The poll found twice as many named Communist China an enemy as named its nearest competitor for most hostile nation ï¿½ Russia, the PRCï¿½s largest military supplier. Link: Washington Times

COMMUNIST CHINESE AGAIN ATTACK U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE PLANS
Even though President Clinton shelved missile defense deployment until next year in order to allow the next president to make the decision, Communist China criticized the idea as ï¿½not beneficial to any country in the world.ï¿½ The missile defense was first proposed for the purpose of protecting the U.S. from attacks by terrorist countries such as Libya, North Korea, Iran, and Sudan, all clients of the PRC military. Link: AFP

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINA ASKS FOR ï¿½FLEXIBILITYï¿½ ON SPRATLEY ISLANDS
In a rather remarkable show of nerve, Communist China, through spokesman Zhu Bangzao, told the press that other nations should so ï¿½flexibilityï¿½ in hammering out a ï¿½code of conductï¿½ for the Spratley Islands, which are claimed by the PRC, the Republic of China, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Communist China antagonized all five other claimants when its military started building structures on the islands in 1995. Link: AFP

LI PENG CUTS TRIP TO LITHUANIA SHORT IN PIQUE OVER TRIBUNAL, PROTESTORS
After getting sued in New York by Tiananmen survivors (see above), Communist Parliament Chairman Li Peng ran into more trouble during a trip to Lithuania. Terry McCarthy in Time Asia reported that Li cut his trip short in reaction to human rights protests in Vilnius and an ongoing Lithuanian tribunal on the history Communism. The Red Army swallowed Lithuania in 1940, turning it into a Soviet ï¿½republicï¿½ for 50 years. Link: Time Asia (a really nice column, too)

COMMUNSIT PRESIDENT JIANG SNUBS ISRAELI PM BARAK OVER WEAPONS CANCELLATION
AFP reports Communist President Jiang Zemin has snubbed Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during the UN Millennium Summit this month due to the cancellation of Israelï¿½s sale of the Phalcon AWACS system to the PRC earlier this year. Link: AFP

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
ROC GOVERNMENT PLANNING NEW REGULATIONS FOR ï¿½HUMAN PING-PONG BALLSï¿½
In response to a bill by the Nationalist opposition, the Mainland Affairs Council announced it is planning to amend regulations that remove citizenship rights to Taiwanese who stay in mainland China for more than four years. According to Taiwanï¿½s Central News Agency, the amendments will help those forced to stay in the PRC for various reasons before their citizenship is revoked and they become ï¿½human ping-pong balls.ï¿½ Link: CNA

POLLS GIVE PRESIDENT CHEN MODEST APPROVAL RATINGS, PREMIER SLIGHTLY HIGHER
Taiwanï¿½s Central News Agency released a poll this week putting President Chenï¿½s approval rating at 50%, but with a disapproval rating of only 22%. Premier Tang Fei, a Nationalist appointed by Chen, had an approval mark of 58%. Link: CNA

HONG KONG NEWS
FOLLOW UP: LI KA-SHING VERSUS THE FREE PRESS
BBC revealed some more detailed regarding billionaire Li Ka-Shingï¿½s troubles in Hong Kong. Li, a well-known Communist sympathizer whose firm controls two container ports in the Panama Canal, was upset at the media covering his possible links with corrupt Communist-appointed officials. He threatened to pull his money out of Hong Kong, which 260 leading figures in the city attacked as an attempt to scare the press. Link: BBC

ELECTION ON SUNDAY
Hong Kong will hold elections on Sunday for the elected part of the cityï¿½s legislature. While the legislature has little power, the vote could be a barometer of anger at the Communist-appointed government of Tung Chee-hwa. Look for election coverage in this section (which will likely be nearer the top) in the next update.

No reports this week from Tibet or Xinjiang/East Turkestan. As these regions are very remote, reports from there take time to reach the outside world. If you find a report on Tibet, Xinjiang/East Turkestan, or anything else regarding Communist China, please send it to the address below.

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