| Sign the Boycott Petition: In reaction to the 2008 Olympic Games being awarded to Beijing, the China e-Lobby has begun a petition for an American boycott of those games. As Communist China�s allies and customers enter the cross-hairs, check out the latest on �Communist China and the Terrorist War,� either directly or via our main page. There�s still time to contact the President and tell him not to appoint pro-PRC Doug Paal as de facto ambassador to Taiwan. CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: MARCH 27, 2002 TOP STORY: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL BLASTS PRC CRACKDOWN IN EAST TURKESTAN COMMUNISTS DETAIN �THOUSANDS� OF UIGHURS, USING SEPTEMBER 11 AS EXCUSE In its latest report on the situation in East Turkestan, Amnesty International charged Communist China with needlessly arresting �thousands� of Muslim Uighurs since September 11. The BBC report notes that the People�s Republic has also executed an untold number of political prisoners, all excused by unproven claims of links between Uighur independence supporters and Osama bin Laden. Also reporting: CNN Time Asia also reported on the crackdown against the Uighurs � arguably the most pro-American Muslims in the world. The magazine noted this about the Communist-run Xinjiang University: �The school has no prayer hall because it bars students from practicing Islam. University officials forced 10 students secretly fasting during the holy month of Ramadan to march into the cafeteria and eat.� This was the only news from East Turkestan (�Xinjiang�) this week. OTHER NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA AND THE TERRORIST WAR NORTH KOREA THREATENS TO NIX NUCLEAR PACT FOR A SECOND TIME Communist North Korea �repeated its threat to ditch a nuclear power agreement with the US� last week, according to the BBC. North Korea agreed to halt its nuclear weapons program in 1994. The U.S. agreed to build two nuclear power plants in response. Despite President Bush calling the PRC ally a part of the axis of evil � and reports of North Korea violations of the deal � the U.S. is still building those plants. NORTH KOREA TO RESUME TALKS WITH SOUTH, �IMPROVE TRADE AND COOPERATION� North Korea will receive South Korean envoy Lim Dong-won in the first talks between the two in many months (BBC). Also, North Korean Prime Minister Hong Song Nam said the Stalinist regime plans to �improve trade and economic cooperation� (CNN). What the PRC ally means by that is anyone�s guess. Also Reporting: Washington Post, Cybercast News Service, Los Angeles Times OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS PROTEST END AS COMMUNISTS MIX PROMISES WITH POLICE POWER The PRC used a combination of �carrots and sticks� to quell protests in Daqing and Liaoyang last week. According to the Washington Post, the promise of about half the back pay currently owed to the workers and a heavy police presence reduced the Liaoyang protests. CNN reported that the protest in Liaoyang was �suspended� altogether after the Communists pledged to release the recently arrested protest leaders. PROTESTS REVEAL THE RISE OF �UNDERGROUND UNIONS� CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam notes that the labor protests are now organized �in many cases by underground trade unions,� and that the workers �are pursuing political goals such as the removal of corrupt or callous officials.� For that reason, Lam notes that the Communist leadership has decided �to be tough� against the laborers in the future. For more on the protests, see the last update. 200 RETIRED FACTORY WORKERS BLOCK TRAFFIC IN CAPITAL DEMANDING PROMISED $$$ Meanwhile, about 200 retired workers from the PRC-run Beijing Automobile factory staged a protest in the Communist capital demanding back pay for pensions and �health care fees.� Despite Communist promises, the benefits stopped in the late 1990s (BBC). The protest ended quietly, but the retirees �workers were planning to return on Thursday in the hope of seeing� the company manager. Stay tuned. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS AMERICAN FONG FUMING SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IN JAIL A Communist court sentenced American engineer Fong Fuming, already in jail for two years, to a five year prison term for �for bribery and illegally obtaining state secrets� (BBC). The court also ordered him deported � possibly after the sentence is served (Washington Post). The PRC has long used the �state secrets� label for any information too embarrassing to let out. Also Reporting: CNN, Los Angeles Times RECENT U.S. MOVES TOWARD TAIWAN CONTINUES TO ANGER COMMUNIST CHINA Claiming that a �freezing wind� on U.S.-PRC relations was in the air, Communist China again blasted recent American pro-Taiwan actions such as ROC Defense Minister Tang Yao-ming�s meeting with U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz (Cybercast News Service). The PRC used Xinhua, its news agency, and its People�s Daily newspaper to blast the U.S. For more on this issue, see the last update. U.S. NAVAL SHIP BANNED FROM HONG KONG PORT The aforementioned Communist prickliness led them to deny allowing the USS Curtis Wilber to dock in Hong Kong�s port last week, according to Cybercast News Service. The PRC-run China Daily �linked the refusal directly to Beijing's anger� over Tang�s visit. Also reporting: Los Angeles Times, Washington Times This was the only news from Hong Kong this week. For more news on Taiwan, see Republic of China (Taiwan) News section. OTHER MAINLAND NEWS �OVERCULTIVATION, OVERGRAZING, DEFORESTATION� DRYING UP COMMUNIST CHINA The PRC has a growing desert � now 30% of the entire area under Communist control and a major water shortage. The Communist-run Xinhua news agency, cited by CNN, gave the main reasons for the drying up of the PRC as �over-cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation practices.� Of course, it neglected to mention that all were caused and/or tolerated by Communist economic planning. PIRACY STILL RUNS RAMPANT IN COMMUNIST CHINA The widespread piracy that has made it nearly impossible for outside firms to make a profit in the PRC is spreading to firms from Communist China. CNN reports the tale of Feng Xiaogang, a movie producer who watched piracy wipe out his profits for the film Big Shot�s Funeral, and then some. COMMUNISTS CROW OVER SPACE LAUNCH Communist China launched the Shenzhou III space capsule earlier this week, and according to PRC-run media � cited by the BBC � it was a success. Of course, it is widely believed that the last time the Communists had a space launch, they hid news of a re-entry failure from the public. INTERNATIONAL NEWS COMMUNIST CHINA AND PAKISTAN SIGN DEFENSE DEALS Communist China signed two defense pacts with Pakistan last week, according to Geostrategy-Direct via World Net Daily and William Triplett II (Washington Times column). While details on the �defense cooperation� and �defense production� pacts were not forthcoming, the PRC has a history of military transfers to aid Pakistan�s development of nuclear weapons and missiles. INDONESIAN LEADER LOOKS FOR CLOSER TIES WITH PRC IN BEIJING Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is in Beijing for talks with Communist China�s leaders, including Vice President Hu Jintao and Li Peng, the butcher of Tiananmen now number two in the Communist hierarchy. The Indonesian leader is �seeking to shore up support in the face of pressure from the US to support the war on terror� (BBC, CNN). REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS STORIES ON �SECRET FUND� LEADS TO CALLS FOR PROBE; INTELLIGENCE MAY BE HURT Opposition members of Parliament are demanding an investigation into reports of a secret fund used by former President Lee Teng-Hui for espionage and diplomatic endeavors. Members of the Nationalist Party and the People First Party called for the probe, according to the BBC. Lee, who transformed Taiwan into a democracy, left the Nationalist to form his own party, and is allied with his successor, President Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party. Chen, who according to reports has maintained the fund, was also pressed for answers by the opposition. Another BBC report highlights the possible danger to Taiwan�s intelligence operations that could result from the story. COMMUNIST CHINA CHARGES TAIWAN WITH DUMPING STEEL ON PRC The PRC accused Taiwan of �dumping� steel on the mainland (BBC). The ROC hotly disputed the charge, and is prepared to make the case before the World Trade Organization. The Communists, naturally, want this dispute to go �nowhere near the organisation's (UK spelling) Geneva headquarters,� lest that gave the island democracy the international recognition the PRC doesn�t want it to have. No news was reported from Tibet this week. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join can send his/her name and e-mail address to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China you happen to find to the same address. |