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February 18, 2007 (Sunday) － Issue No. 89 |
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Chinese
Lecturer-Turned-Spy Flees to Australia Seeking Asylum |
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Mother
of Detained Christian Leader Arrested in Beijing |
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Beijing
Issues Challenge to World by Knocking Down Satellite |
| Kidnapped
Girl Rescued From Chinese Agents U.S. Customs Agents detained a 14-year-old, who had been missing for two days, with her two official Chinese chaperones at JFK airport in New York City as they were getting ready to board a flight to repatriate her to China against her and her family’s will....…Full Article |
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Resource Consumption: U.S. vs. China Lester Brown says that humanity as a whole must change its path and lifestyles to sustainable ones. The world's resources are finite. With two or more giants competing for usage, it is a fact that human beings will run out of oil, food, steel and other resources......…Full Article |
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A former Chinese intelligence agent has defected to Australia from Hong Kong in an urgent attempt to expose the under-the-carpet espionage tactics used by the Chinese communist regime. His story carries all the traits of the former Soviet-style intimidation—abduction, coercion, blackmail and, ultimately, death threats. Thirty-two year old Wang Lian, who arrived in Sydney on February 7 on a visitor's visa, explains how he was forced to provide information about the inner workings of The Epoch Times Hong Kong news bureau. According to Mr Wang, The Epoch Times is the only newspaper in the former British colony of Hong Kong to be beyond the jurisdiction of the communist Central Government's control and has been labeled as a "serious" threat by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) due to its uncensored reporting on China. Mr Wang, employed by The Epoch Times since 2002 as senior technical support, describes his "recruitment" as part of a vast spy network that has penetrated China, Hong Kong and abroad. For Mr Wang, his "recruitment" occurred on September 12, 2006 on a trip to Zhu Hai City in China. "As I was passing through customs I was unexpectedly detained. I was taken to a small room and two hours later ten people walked in. Their aim was to force Mr Wang to agree to become a "mole" inside The Epoch Times Hong Kong office, and to sabotage its operations by causing "disintegration from within." Mr Wang was placed under 24-hour surveillance while in detention. He recalls the constant threats he received which put him in mental anguish. "[The interrogators] would say: 'You have family, you have a wife, you have your parents, you have a little child...you think about it...what will happen to them...you think about,'" Mr Wang recalls them saying. Even more astounding is that he estimates that at least 30 officers were assigned to his case alone. After days of intimidation, Mr Wang weakened and signed a statement to agree to work for the CCP. He claims it was the most painful decision he had to make in his life. For the next five months he removed certain files from The Epoch Times computers, but was careful to avoid giving away any sensitive information. "I felt tortured
from inside. I obtained a visa to visit Australia. Mr Wang is now
seeking protection from the Australian Government and applying for
a Humanitarian Protection visa. Back CHINA—On the morning of Feb. 9, while Hua Huiqi, a renowned human rights activist and Christian in Beijing, was still under criminal detention, his 77-year-old mother Shuang Shuying was arrested by Beijing Public Safety Bureau police. On Jan. 26, hundreds of people gathered outside the Beijing People's Congress Political Consulting Conference office wanting to appeal to the People's Congress. Police dispersed the crowd and arrested Hua Huiqi. On Feb. 5, the Zhaoyang District Police Station sent Hua's family an arrest notice. There wasn't any information about how long Hua would be detained, the name of the officers or the date the case was processed. On the morning of February 9, Shuang and her husband Hua Zaichen went to the Chongwen District government office to protest. Police arrested Shuang and sent Hua Zaichen home. At noon, the police sent Shuang's arrest notice to her family. Hua Huilin refused to sign. Hua Huilin told the reporter the authorities arrested his mother at 9 a.m. and had sent the notice of arrest by noon, "They tore down our house so often for so many years. How come they are not as efficient when we ask them for our house back?" "According to the Law of Criminal Procedure, those who are older than 70 and younger than 14 can waive criminal punishment. They still arrested my 77-year-old mother. They are becoming more and more vicious." Hua Huilin worried that his mother's health would worsen in a cell full of dozens of people. His mother had high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart conditions, and she needed to take her medication several times a day. On the afternoon of February 9, Hua Huilin delivered his mother's medication to the Detention Center but was visitation. Another Round of Persecution At the same time,
several members of family churches in Beijing claimed that the authorities
posted many different caricatures in Beijing slandering Falun Gong
and Christianity. They worried that Hua Huiqi's arrest was the start
of another round of persecution against Falun Gong and Christianity.
Back ZHUANGCUN, China—Nothing is more important to Yangyang than being with family to ring in China's Lunar New Year, but sometimes she feels the annual reunion is more bitter than sweet. Her husband is one of the tens of millions of migrant workers who will make the annual migration back home to rural villages for China's most important festival, queuing for hours and cramming into trains and buses for the chance to go home. But the joy of Yangyang's husband returning is tainted by the disappointment her children, aged 9 and 11, inevitably feel when their father leaves again after the holiday. Across China, the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, as the holiday is known, is not just about eating dumplings and lighting firecrackers to scare off bad spirits, it is a rare chance for husbands and wives and parents and children to see each other again as far-flung families are reunited. For families like these, the long separations are simply a part of making ends meet in China's new economy, in which the rural hinterland faces a surplus of workers while booming cities are desperate for cheap labor. Money sent back by Yangyang's husband in his nearly 10 years as a migrant worker has allowed the family to move from the traditional cave house the couple lived in when they first married, to a more modern, brick-walled courtyard complete with linoleum floors and a big-screen television. Her husband works in a neighboring county, meaning it is relatively easy to get home. "He always brings watermelon seeds and sweets for the kids," she says. With thousands of migrant workers owed back wages, some can't afford to come home at all, leaving their families disappointed. Some are so desperate to go home that they resort to suicide or robbery, China's media has reported cases that have prompted authorities to make pledges to improve their lot. But when the feasting is over, her husband will return to his work as a laborer and Yangyang will be left to console her children. "When their
father gets home they get so excited," she says. "They don't
want him to leave again." Back Several countries, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan, and South Korea lodged a protest with China, asking for an explanation. In truth, the real concern behind the protest is that if China can and will destroy its own satellite, what is to stop it from destroying the satellites of other countries? When being questioned by the global community, the Chinese denied that the act ever took place; eventually becoming evasive and noncommittal. After twelve days, they finally acknowledged the act. Hence, some experts in the U.S. guessed that the destruction of the satellite may have been a unilateral act by the military, and Hu Jintao, head of the CCP may not even be aware of the situation. Ultimately, what's the difference between whether he knew about it or not? China's reckless actions have led the global community to believe that the Chinese threat (which should actually be called the CCP threat) is coming to fruition. Beijing is finally starting to show its true colors publicly, demonstrating its regional or even possibly global hegemonic ambitions. Over the past half century, the Chinese communist regime has mobilized its military forces on a large scale twice. Both times the target was the Chinese people. The first incident took place during the Cultural Revolution. The second time was the June 4th Incident, in which Dent Xiaoping deployed one third of his regular army, over 300,000 soldiers, to besiege Beijing and mercilessly slaughter unarmed students and civilians in order to stamp out the flame of democracy. China continues to develop its economy at the cost of human lives and rights. Should this model prove to be successful, it would open the door for many other countries to follow suit: Everything would become money-centric and human life would be treated as though it were completely expendable. Should the international media choose to turn a blind eye to this despicable modality or, worse yet, give it high praise, then they will be burning a candle for the devil. Once the autocracy in China is ensured, it can be extended to the outside world with ease. In other words, they can focus their attention and resources from the inside out. At present, the
whole world is talking about the "rise of China" (in fact
it is the rise of the Chinese communist regime). If the regime is
a super power, it is undoubtedly an evil one. As China and the U.S.
are fighting for hegemony, one is characterized by benevolence, while
the other is evil. Thus the world may be polarized into two opposing
extremes, evil and benevolence. The former is advocating autocracy
while the later promotes freedom. That being the case, the scenario
of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union may
reappear. Moreover, with the Chinese communist regime's growing economic
clout, it is more attractive and deceptive than the former Soviet
Union. As a result, it has a much greater potential for destruction,
and it will be a new nightmare for human beings to face. Back NEW YORK—A Beijing girl held against her will by Chinese authorities here in the United States—and thought to be in imminent danger of abuse or torture should she be returned to China—is now safe. Grave concerns are now being raised for the girl's family still in China. U.S. Customs Agents detained 14-year-old Youran Zhao (pronounced "yo-ran jow") and her two official chaperones at JFK airport in New York City Sunday afternoon as they were getting ready to board a flight scheduled to depart for China at 3:30 p.m. Agents held them until her aunt and legal guardian, Ms. Xiufen Zhang, arrived with her lawyer. Zhang and Youran then left the airport by a side exit in order to avoid Chinese agents they feared would be in the vicinity. According to Mr. Yonglin Chen, a former Chinese Embassy official who defected in Australia in 2005, Chinese authorities have previously kidnapped foreign nationals back to China for punishment. Abduction at West
Point Before Youran left China, her parents arranged for Zhang to be made her legal guardian and to assume custody of her in the United States. On Sunday morning four or five police cars met the tour on the campus of M.I.T. and searched for Youran. She was not to be found. On interrogation adult members of the group were said to be evasive, simply saying "She's not here." However, on Saturday afternoon Customs agents had flagged Youran in their system, making possible their detaining her Sunday afternoon at JFK. Back Resource
Consumption: U.S. vs. China Back The American dream is great for the rest of the world when it comes to exporting our traditions of freedom and democratic practices, and the rule of law. But for many people, the American dream is more about our lifestyle, loaded up with material objects and comforts. This cherished "dream" of comfort and materialism is fast becoming the Chinese and Indian dream too. It is often stated that the United States consumes about 25 percent of world's resources while only making up 4.5% of the world's population. That was fine as long as we were alone. To phrase it a bit indelicately, the American is no longer the only gluttonous kid on the block. While American consumption has not diminished, the Asian appetite for food, energy, paper and every other cornerstone of American material life has grown at an unsustainable rate, with China—not America—leading the charge. This is the point that Lester R. Brown made Wednesday, Feb. 7, when he spoke in Washington, D.C. on "China as a Consuming Nation: What it Means for the World." It's also a theme in his latest book— Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet in Stress and a Civilization in Trouble (2006). In 1974, Brown founded Worldwatch Institute, the first research institute devoted to the analysis of global environmental issues, according to the website of Earth Policy Institute, which he founded in 2001. As the author or coauthor of 50 books, Brown is extremely prolific and among the first to advocate policies for an environmentally sustainable economy. Brown uses China as the wake-up call for the world, arguing that by mid-century, the entire world will not be able to produce enough oil and paper to supply Chinese demand. "Among the big three grains, the world's most populous country leads in the consumption of both wheat and rice, and trails the United States only in corn use," says Lester Brown. What can we make of this data? Lester Brown says that humanity as a whole must change its path and lifestyles to sustainable ones. The world's resources are finite. With two or more giants competing for usage, it is a fact: human beings will run out of oil, food, steel and other resources. What good is winning the eating competition if there is no civilization left to boast too? Back |
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