News of the Day (Febraury 1)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth reprints a piece by Brad Vogel (Badger Herald) which wins Enlightened Comment of the Day thanks in part to this opening: "It is time to wake up and smell the cold war, America." Meanwhile, One Free Korea is thrilled to hear President Bush call for freedom in Stalinist North Korea (the exact quote was reported by United Press International via Washington Times; this quarter would like to know why Communist China was left off the list); OFK also comments on the possibility of bird flu in the would-be colony.

The Canada file: The oil-heavy province of Alberta, which already has a heavy Communist presence (third news item), may soon see more: "It is conceivable that we will see complete oilsands projects in Canada being built totally by Chinese labour" (Tom Collins, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, quoted in the Calgary Sun). Paging Mr. Harper . . . Mr. Stephen Harper . . .

More on the satellite regimes: Han Young Jin, Daily NK, is a bit off about Communist China's "reformation and liberalization," but his piece is still valuable for its examination of Zhongnanhai's increasing grip on its Korean colony. Ahn Hyok, a former Stalinist prisoner, explains prison life (also in Daily NK). Regarding the Iranian mullahcracy, as the truth about the "agreement" between the U.S. and Communist China is exposed in the Washington Post, another call for liberation comes from Mansoor Ijaz in National Review Online.

Managers of Communist-owned bank busted for embezzling nearly half a billion dollars: Two managers in the Communist-owned Bank of China, along with their wives, "have been indicted in Las Vegas in connection with a massive scheme to steal and launder nearly half a billion dollars" (CNN) from the bank. The plan included "laundering a significant amount of the stolen money through Las Vegas casino accounts" (BBC) and "obtaining false identities and entering into sham marriages with naturalized US citizens" to get into the U.S. This is just one more example of Bank of China's long history with corruption (eleventh, sixteenth, nineteenth, sixth, seventh, last, and tenth items), including illegal activities of the Korean colony.

Major League Baseball criticized for sidelining Taiwan: Taiwan will be a part of the Major League Baseball's World Baseball Classic, but it be forced to play under the label of "Chinese Taipei," in order to keep the Communists happy (World Net Daily). Even worse, the island democracy will be forced to play under the Olympic flag, at a time (March) when the next Olympics will be the 2008 Beijing tragedy. Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo ripped the snubs in an open letter to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.

More on Taiwan: Former 610 officer Hao Fengjun described how the Communists "trap" Taiwanese businessman and force them "to collect information for the Chinese communist regime" (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Dan Sanchez, Epoch Times, listens to Bruce Herschensohn talk about the Communist threat to Taiwan, and the United States.

Mass arrest of petitioners: This time, about 5-600 petitioners - people looking for help from Zhongnanhai with grievances against local cadres (also called appellants) - were arrested by the regime on the day before the Lunar New Year (Epoch Times).

Organ "donations" from Communist China still coming from prisoners: Executed prisoners, including murdered Falun Gong practitioners, remain "the main source for organ transplants" (Epoch Times) from Communist China (see also sixth item).

From the lawyers fighting for freedom in Communism China: Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, and lead items) rails against the Communist Central Propaganda Department in a statement printed by the Epoch Times. Fellow attorney Yang Zaixin (fifth item), tells of his travails defending human right to Xin Fei (Epoch Times).

More on human rights in Communist China: Li Dan, Epoch Times, comments on the closing of Freezing Point (seventh, third, sixth, and fourth items). Swedish MP Goran Lindblad laments the survival of the Chinese Communist Party: "It has combined the worst parts of capitalist society with the worst parts of communist society" (Epoch Times). Gao Ling, Epoch Times, talks to Zhang Tianliang (next to last item) about the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party and China's future without the CCP.