From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: One Free Korea is bemused by Christine Ahn's latest silliness.
Communist Cabinet wants civilian and military to "integrate research and development": The myth of separation between Communist Chinese civilian technology and military technology was blown away by the Communists themselves, who in the interest of "overall national strength" (Washington Post), called on the civilian side "to participate in military research and supply the People's Liberation Army with high-tech equipment." Communist military and civilian science and technology sectors will now "integrate research and development forces." Among the areas to be covered by the military-technology complex are "computer software, telecommunications, nuclear energy and a military-managed space program that already has launched two manned flights." Let this be remembered the next time some apologist for "engagement" insists some technology sent to the Communists is only being used for "civilian" purposes.
Is South Korea getting colonized, too? Not only is the dovish South Korean government shutting down an anti-Stalinist play (Daily NK, next to last item); they are also doing the bidding of Kim Jong-il's colonial masters by shutting down the New Tang Dynasty Television Chinese New Year Global Gala (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Lee Jong-seok, the "main architect of Seoul's reconciliation policy toward North Korea" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times) is the new SNK Minister for Southern Affairs - ahem - Unification Minister (slam copyright 2005, OFK). Lee had best move quickly, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperation wandered off the reservation and stopped dealing with SNK's money-launderer (UPI via Washington Times).
Communist China rips QDR: The mixed comments regarding Communist China that came from the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review (third and seventh item) were too mixed for the Communists, who ripped "criticism" (UPI via Washington Times, second item) that they called "unacceptable."
Grand jury indicts for planning weapons exports to Communist China and spying: A federal grand jury in Miami "accused two foreign nationals of trying to buy military aircraft engines and weapons to export to China" (BBC). One of them was also charged "with being a covert Chinese agent and offering a bribe to escape custody."
U.S. to send more diplomats to Communist China: Under a State Department reorganization, "China will get 15" new diplomatic positions, "including a dozen at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing" (Washington Post). Unfortunately, given who's in charge of the State Department, more will not necessarily mean better.
Aide to President Chen perplexed at reaction to wiping out defunct Unification panel: Wu Li-pei, described by the Washington Times as a "senior adviser to Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian," is having a hard time understanding Washington's apoplexy over Chen's plan to end the National Unification Council (sixth and third items). As Wu noted, the NUC "has been inactive for six years, getting by on a purely symbolic budget of $1 a year."
Yahoo gave the Communists e-mails from Li Zhi: More details about Yahoo's cooperation with the Communists in the arrest of Li Zhi (third item) came to light from the San Francisco Chronicle (via Boxun): "Yahoo's Hong Kong unit aided in his conviction by providing Chinese authorities with copies of e-mails Li had sent and information he provided when he registered with Yahoo."
Canada file - Bank of China embezzlers used Canada to "stash . . . stolen loot": The two Communist-run Bank of China officials indicted for embezzling nearly half a billion dollars (fourth item) "used Richmond, B.C. as a base to stash millions of the stolen loot" (Asian-Pacific Post, British Columbia, Canada). In particular, "The group bought at least three houses in Richmond while stashing large amounts of cash into accounts at the Royal Bank Canada branch on Ackroyd Road in Richmond and the Vancouver area branches of the Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce."
More news on Communist China and the rest of the world: Talks with Japan begin with a high-ranking cadre insisting "that there could be no improvement in relations while (Japanese Prime Minister) Koizumi remained in office" (BBC); India's Foreign Minister just doesn't get the problem with Hutchison Port Holdings (UPI via Washington Times).
Another newspaper editor is fired in Communist China: This time, it's Chen Jieren, now the ex-editor of the Public Interest Times. His offenses were "a story criticizing incorrect English translations on the central government's newly launched official website" (Asia News), "an investigative story last month that said more than 50 million yuan in relief funds allocated by Beijing to flood victims in Weinan, Shaanxi province, had been held up by provincial and municipal governments", and "a profile of President Hu Jintao last month violating an unwritten rule that all stories on the central leadership must be written by Xinhua."
More on Communist censorship of the press: Freedom House has a new report out detailing "previously unknown mechanisms used by Chinese authorities to muzzle its media" (UPI via Washington Times), including "party monitoring of news content, legal restrictions on journalists, and financial incentives for self-censorship." Meanwhile, Ke Hua of Radio Free Asia (via Epoch Times), explains what Taizhou Evening News deputy editor Wu Xianghu exposed, and why it got him killed (third and fourth items).
Imprisoned dissident still resisting: Zhao Changqing was sent to jail in 2003 for "subversion." Three years into his five-year sentence, he continues to resist the cadres, "refusing to sing a Chinese socialist anthem" (Asia News). In response, the cadres have let other prisoners beat him up, and placed him in solitary confinement.
Hunger Strike news: The Epoch Times News group went on a strike in a show of support for Li Yuan (second item); among them were Epoch Times Vice President Dr. Huang Wanqing. Defector Chen Yonglin has joined in (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, the man who started it all (ninth, sixth, and fifth items), human-rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items), was, too put it euphemistically, given an offer of exile by the cadres (Epoch Times).
Friday, February 10, 2006
Thursday, February 09, 2006
The Greater Washington DC Area Relay Hunger Strike Group
At this time last year, Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items) was just another very brave attorney battling the Chinese Communist Party on behalf of the Chinese people. Since last fall, his law office has been shut down, he has been harassed by secret police, and the cadres have attempted to kill him.
Despite these tactics, Gao has not only refused to be silenced, but has enabled the entire world to echo his voice with the formation of the Relay Hunger Strike for Human Rights Support Group (ninth, sixth, and fifth items). Gao has used each day to highlight abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, including the capture of Guo Feixiong (fifth item), the hero of Taishi; Chen Guangcheng, who has waged a lonely battle against the hideous "one child" policy (tenth, second, ninth, ninth, thirteenth, lead, tenth, and fifth items); AIDS victims who were infected through the Communist blood schemes (sixth, fourth, and sixth items); anti-land seizure activist Ma Yalian; and the leaders of the worker protest in Liaoning Province from four years ago (lead, fifth, fourth, and fifth items).
There are many more Communist atrocities to highlight (think Shanwei, Hanyuan, East Turkestan, etc.), and given Gao's courage so far, there is every reason to believe he will continue to provide the spark for a concerted action which has now circled the globe.
At this time, America's capital, the political center of the free world, has joined him. I hereby announce the launch of the Greater Washington DC Area Relay Hunger Strike Group.
As of midnight, Eastern Standard Time, yours truly will begin a 72-hour hunger strike. I do this to express my support for Gao and all of his fellow strikers.
Anyone in the District, Virginia, or Maryland who wishes to join me need only express yourselves (and your hunger strike interval) in the comments. Your hunger strike need only be 24 hours.
Gao, the epicenter of the democratic world has heard you, and it stands with you tonight.
Despite these tactics, Gao has not only refused to be silenced, but has enabled the entire world to echo his voice with the formation of the Relay Hunger Strike for Human Rights Support Group (ninth, sixth, and fifth items). Gao has used each day to highlight abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, including the capture of Guo Feixiong (fifth item), the hero of Taishi; Chen Guangcheng, who has waged a lonely battle against the hideous "one child" policy (tenth, second, ninth, ninth, thirteenth, lead, tenth, and fifth items); AIDS victims who were infected through the Communist blood schemes (sixth, fourth, and sixth items); anti-land seizure activist Ma Yalian; and the leaders of the worker protest in Liaoning Province from four years ago (lead, fifth, fourth, and fifth items).
There are many more Communist atrocities to highlight (think Shanwei, Hanyuan, East Turkestan, etc.), and given Gao's courage so far, there is every reason to believe he will continue to provide the spark for a concerted action which has now circled the globe.
At this time, America's capital, the political center of the free world, has joined him. I hereby announce the launch of the Greater Washington DC Area Relay Hunger Strike Group.
As of midnight, Eastern Standard Time, yours truly will begin a 72-hour hunger strike. I do this to express my support for Gao and all of his fellow strikers.
Anyone in the District, Virginia, or Maryland who wishes to join me need only express yourselves (and your hunger strike interval) in the comments. Your hunger strike need only be 24 hours.
Gao, the epicenter of the democratic world has heard you, and it stands with you tonight.
News of the Day (February 9)
From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth rips the British Columbia Institute of Technology for doing Communist China's bidding and keeping the Epoch Times away from Education Minister Chen Zhili, one of the leading persecutors of Falun Gong (fifteenth and eleventh items). One Free Korea notes the latest on the U.S.-South Korea free trade talks, and searches for the proper reaction to the possibility of an armed uprising in northern Korea (lead and second items).
Epoch Times staffer assaulted in the United States: Yuan Li, the technical officer for the Epoch Times (which, full disclosure, runs a number of yours truly's blogs as columns), was beaten savagely by thugs who held him at gunpoint and left every valuable in his apartment behind - except his two laptops.
Yahoo helps Communist China find another cyberdissident: Reporters Without Borders has found that Yahoo - the accomplices in the jailing of Shi Tao (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, last, third, fourth, and fourth items) - also helped the cadres find and nab internet writer Li Zhi (BBC). Yahoo's behavior is all-too-typical of American technology companies, as Ethan Gutmann explained in his Enlightened Comment of the Day interview with Jamie Glazov of Front Page Magazine.
Reporters Without Borders (via Boxun) want Wu Xianghu's killers brought to trial: The media activist group wants justice for the late Taizhou Evening News deputy editor (third item).
Gao hunger-strike group expands: As the hunger strikes (ninth and sixth items) sponsored by Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items) enter their third day (Epoch Times), support for them has spread outside of to Hong Kong (Epoch Times) and around the world. In fact, a District of Columbia/suburban area hunger strike team announcement is coming on this site later today or early tomorrow.
Communists admit to $6 billion in ill-gotten gains in regime-run enterprises: An audit of "32 top central government organs, including ministries, committees, and offices" (Trend via Epoch Times) found "50 billion yuan (approximately US$6.17 billion) of related illicit financial operations in 2004." Among the agencies corrupted were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and (oh, the irony) National Department of Reform Commission.
Canada file - Tibetan resources plundered: Continental Minerals Corporation put out a press release highlighting the "positive results of an initial mineral resource estimate for the recently discovered Xietongmen copper-gold deposit, located 240 kilometers from the city of Lhasa in Tibet" (Advice for Investors). Odds are neither CMC, owned by the Canadian resource firm Hunter Dickinson, nor its Communist partner, Great China Mining, thought to run this by Tibet's government-in-exile.
On the satellite states (besides the OFK info above): Stalinist North Korea wants 450,000 tons of fertilizer from the dovish South Korean government (United Press International via Washington Times). There has been no reaction yet from the Roh Administration; it's too busy running interference for the Stalinists by shutting down an anti-Stalinist musical (Daily NK). Meanwhile, the Cato Institute's Ted Galen Carpenter writes on Iran in Fox News, and by ignoring completely Communist China's role in the mullahcracy and its nuclear ambitions, he runs away with the dubios Ignorant Comment of the Day award.
Is Benedict XVI trying to make me a Protestant? OK, yours truly is still a badly lapsed Catholic, and as Melinda Liu and Duncan Hewitt (Newsweek International via MSNBC) have noted, the Holy Father has not yet to abandoned Taiwan - although it's something "Vatican representatives have said they're willing to do 'immediately.'" However, upon reading this piece on how the Vatican and Zhongnanhai have conducted their own version of reunification in Shanghai, I can't help thinking he has, in effect, taken Shanghai's "underground" Church - loyal to Rome for decades despite horrifying persecution - and thrown it under the bus.
Epoch Times staffer assaulted in the United States: Yuan Li, the technical officer for the Epoch Times (which, full disclosure, runs a number of yours truly's blogs as columns), was beaten savagely by thugs who held him at gunpoint and left every valuable in his apartment behind - except his two laptops.
Yahoo helps Communist China find another cyberdissident: Reporters Without Borders has found that Yahoo - the accomplices in the jailing of Shi Tao (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, last, third, fourth, and fourth items) - also helped the cadres find and nab internet writer Li Zhi (BBC). Yahoo's behavior is all-too-typical of American technology companies, as Ethan Gutmann explained in his Enlightened Comment of the Day interview with Jamie Glazov of Front Page Magazine.
Reporters Without Borders (via Boxun) want Wu Xianghu's killers brought to trial: The media activist group wants justice for the late Taizhou Evening News deputy editor (third item).
Gao hunger-strike group expands: As the hunger strikes (ninth and sixth items) sponsored by Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items) enter their third day (Epoch Times), support for them has spread outside of to Hong Kong (Epoch Times) and around the world. In fact, a District of Columbia/suburban area hunger strike team announcement is coming on this site later today or early tomorrow.
Communists admit to $6 billion in ill-gotten gains in regime-run enterprises: An audit of "32 top central government organs, including ministries, committees, and offices" (Trend via Epoch Times) found "50 billion yuan (approximately US$6.17 billion) of related illicit financial operations in 2004." Among the agencies corrupted were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and (oh, the irony) National Department of Reform Commission.
Canada file - Tibetan resources plundered: Continental Minerals Corporation put out a press release highlighting the "positive results of an initial mineral resource estimate for the recently discovered Xietongmen copper-gold deposit, located 240 kilometers from the city of Lhasa in Tibet" (Advice for Investors). Odds are neither CMC, owned by the Canadian resource firm Hunter Dickinson, nor its Communist partner, Great China Mining, thought to run this by Tibet's government-in-exile.
On the satellite states (besides the OFK info above): Stalinist North Korea wants 450,000 tons of fertilizer from the dovish South Korean government (United Press International via Washington Times). There has been no reaction yet from the Roh Administration; it's too busy running interference for the Stalinists by shutting down an anti-Stalinist musical (Daily NK). Meanwhile, the Cato Institute's Ted Galen Carpenter writes on Iran in Fox News, and by ignoring completely Communist China's role in the mullahcracy and its nuclear ambitions, he runs away with the dubios Ignorant Comment of the Day award.
Is Benedict XVI trying to make me a Protestant? OK, yours truly is still a badly lapsed Catholic, and as Melinda Liu and Duncan Hewitt (Newsweek International via MSNBC) have noted, the Holy Father has not yet to abandoned Taiwan - although it's something "Vatican representatives have said they're willing to do 'immediately.'" However, upon reading this piece on how the Vatican and Zhongnanhai have conducted their own version of reunification in Shanghai, I can't help thinking he has, in effect, taken Shanghai's "underground" Church - loyal to Rome for decades despite horrifying persecution - and thrown it under the bus.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
On Mao: The Unknown Story
A few days ago, I finished Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's Mao: The Unknown Story. To say it was an eye-opener fails to do it justice; this book is a 630-page myth shatterer. Hardly any piece of conventional wisdom on Communist China survives.
If I attempt to list all of the myths debunked, I might never finish this post. As such, I will just focus on the major ones:
The history of the Nationalists: Contrary to conventional wisdom, it was the Nationalists that had Moscow support in the 1920's. The Communists were largely a secret organization tasked by the Soviets to take over the Nationalists. Before they could succeed, Chiang Kai-shek broke with the Soviets in 1927. The Soviets retaliated by holding Chiang's son hostage.
The Long March: This was supposedly the Chinese Communist Party's desperate and successful struggle to survive against the Nationalist juggernaut. In reality, Chiang Kai-shek's forces not only allowed the Red Army to escape to northern Shaanxi, but they all but paved the Red Army route. This was for two reasons. First, Chiang wanted to use the Red Army to scare warlords in western provinces to seek his protection (this was largely successful). Second, by keeping the Red Army alive, Chiang hoped a grateful Moscow would return his captive son to him (this was not successful).
The kidnapping of Chiang: The Communists would have us believe Chang Hseuh-liang (the "Young Marshal") kidnapped Chiang in 1936 to force him to face the Japanese invaders. In fact, the Young Marshal had hoped to replace and kill Chiang. Mao encouraged the Young Marshal, but Moscow pulled the plug. Furthermore, Chiang did not allow the Communists into his government to secure his release, but that of his son.
The War with Japan: During the Sino-Japanese war, Mao made perfectly clear who the enemy was - Chiang Kai-shek. In fact, the Nationalists were forced to confront the Communists militarily on numerous occasions while they were trying to repulse the Japanese invasion. The only major battle between the Communists and the Japanese empire was fought against Mao's wishes. Mao continued to fight the Nationalists during World War II until Stalin ordered him to stop.
On the real fate of the Chinese civil war: In the late spring of 1946, the Chinese Communist Party had been so thoroughly beaten that they were down to one major city, Harbin. At this point, Chiang stopped fighting, under heavy pressure from U.S. General George Marshall and President Harry Truman. The cease-fire gave the Communists time to regroup and, most importantly, receive "gigantic assistance from Russia, North Korea, and Mongolia." As Chung and Halliday, being Chinese and British respectively, missed the political fury over McCarthyism here in the U.S., they can focus on the facts: "Marshall's diktat was probably the most single important decision affecting the outcome of the civil war."
On the "famine" in Communist China: Contrary to what is well-known, starvation in Communist China was a near-constant reality, due largely to Mao's insistence on becoming a world power (his "Superpower Programme") and his willingness to trade food for weapons, factories, and international prestige. As nearly 40 million died from starvation from 1958 to 1961, Mao was exporting millions of tons of food: "the equivalent of over 840 calories a day for 38 million people - the difference between life and death."
On Nixon: This was unreal. Later in life, Nixon would rail against the refusal of his Watergate-forced successor, Gerald Ford, to come to South Vietnam's aid after the Communist North invaded. What Nixon forgot to mention was the promise his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, gave to Mao to "abandon the South Vietnamese regime" in exchange for Mao hosting Nixon in 1972. In fact, there was even talk of abandoning Taiwan in 1975, and of Communist China being handed American nuclear weapons, but the grand scheme fell apart due to what Kissinger told Mao was the "domestic situation" in 1973, i.e., Watergate. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein did more for their country than even they know.
On Deng Xiaoping: It was widely believed that Deng was on the outs with Mao during the Cultural Revolution. This is true, but only up to a point. By 1973, Deng was back in Mao's good graces, and while the two quickly established and maintained an acrimonious relationship, "Deng never made a move against Mao's person while Mao was alive, and even after Mao's death, insisted that Mao must not be denounced personally."
As I said, these are just the main myths. There is so much more in this book: the terrorizing of the Chinese people, the escalation of the Kinmen and Matsu issue with the U.S. to scare the Soviets into giving Mao more armaments, the Communist Chinese military presence in Vietnam (which lasted until late 1973), etc. In order to do Mao: The Unknown Story justice, one must read it oneself. It is that good, and that important.
If I attempt to list all of the myths debunked, I might never finish this post. As such, I will just focus on the major ones:
The history of the Nationalists: Contrary to conventional wisdom, it was the Nationalists that had Moscow support in the 1920's. The Communists were largely a secret organization tasked by the Soviets to take over the Nationalists. Before they could succeed, Chiang Kai-shek broke with the Soviets in 1927. The Soviets retaliated by holding Chiang's son hostage.
The Long March: This was supposedly the Chinese Communist Party's desperate and successful struggle to survive against the Nationalist juggernaut. In reality, Chiang Kai-shek's forces not only allowed the Red Army to escape to northern Shaanxi, but they all but paved the Red Army route. This was for two reasons. First, Chiang wanted to use the Red Army to scare warlords in western provinces to seek his protection (this was largely successful). Second, by keeping the Red Army alive, Chiang hoped a grateful Moscow would return his captive son to him (this was not successful).
The kidnapping of Chiang: The Communists would have us believe Chang Hseuh-liang (the "Young Marshal") kidnapped Chiang in 1936 to force him to face the Japanese invaders. In fact, the Young Marshal had hoped to replace and kill Chiang. Mao encouraged the Young Marshal, but Moscow pulled the plug. Furthermore, Chiang did not allow the Communists into his government to secure his release, but that of his son.
The War with Japan: During the Sino-Japanese war, Mao made perfectly clear who the enemy was - Chiang Kai-shek. In fact, the Nationalists were forced to confront the Communists militarily on numerous occasions while they were trying to repulse the Japanese invasion. The only major battle between the Communists and the Japanese empire was fought against Mao's wishes. Mao continued to fight the Nationalists during World War II until Stalin ordered him to stop.
On the real fate of the Chinese civil war: In the late spring of 1946, the Chinese Communist Party had been so thoroughly beaten that they were down to one major city, Harbin. At this point, Chiang stopped fighting, under heavy pressure from U.S. General George Marshall and President Harry Truman. The cease-fire gave the Communists time to regroup and, most importantly, receive "gigantic assistance from Russia, North Korea, and Mongolia." As Chung and Halliday, being Chinese and British respectively, missed the political fury over McCarthyism here in the U.S., they can focus on the facts: "Marshall's diktat was probably the most single important decision affecting the outcome of the civil war."
On the "famine" in Communist China: Contrary to what is well-known, starvation in Communist China was a near-constant reality, due largely to Mao's insistence on becoming a world power (his "Superpower Programme") and his willingness to trade food for weapons, factories, and international prestige. As nearly 40 million died from starvation from 1958 to 1961, Mao was exporting millions of tons of food: "the equivalent of over 840 calories a day for 38 million people - the difference between life and death."
On Nixon: This was unreal. Later in life, Nixon would rail against the refusal of his Watergate-forced successor, Gerald Ford, to come to South Vietnam's aid after the Communist North invaded. What Nixon forgot to mention was the promise his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, gave to Mao to "abandon the South Vietnamese regime" in exchange for Mao hosting Nixon in 1972. In fact, there was even talk of abandoning Taiwan in 1975, and of Communist China being handed American nuclear weapons, but the grand scheme fell apart due to what Kissinger told Mao was the "domestic situation" in 1973, i.e., Watergate. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein did more for their country than even they know.
On Deng Xiaoping: It was widely believed that Deng was on the outs with Mao during the Cultural Revolution. This is true, but only up to a point. By 1973, Deng was back in Mao's good graces, and while the two quickly established and maintained an acrimonious relationship, "Deng never made a move against Mao's person while Mao was alive, and even after Mao's death, insisted that Mao must not be denounced personally."
As I said, these are just the main myths. There is so much more in this book: the terrorizing of the Chinese people, the escalation of the Kinmen and Matsu issue with the U.S. to scare the Soviets into giving Mao more armaments, the Communist Chinese military presence in Vietnam (which lasted until late 1973), etc. In order to do Mao: The Unknown Story justice, one must read it oneself. It is that good, and that important.
News of the Day (February 8)
From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: One Free Korea has moderate praise for comments from South Korea's Ambassador to the U.S. on Stalinist counterfeiting (the moderation due in large part to very different sentiment coming from said Ambassador's bosses - United Press Int'l via Washington Times). OFK is far less happy about the South's treatment of speech.
More on the uprising in Stalinist North Korea: Daily NK has the details, plus a quick analysis of what the local reaction to an anti-Stalinist resistance would be. Kwon Jeong Hyun, also in Daily NK, notes that anti-Stalinist actions go as far back as 2003. Meanwhile, the Stalinists continued to stonewall Japan on the abduction issue (lead, third, and lead items), thus ensuring the failure of SNK-Japan talks (BBC).
Communist China rips Taiwanese President: Chen Shui-bian, the fellow the Taiwanese people elected and re-elected as their President, was dubbed a "troublemaker and saboteur" (BBC) for his affirmation of plans to change the island democracy's outdated constitution, to try to join the United Nations, and to scrap the de facto defunct National Unification Council (sixth item).
Taiwan asks for more U.S. help: Meanwhile, Taiwan "said it needs more US-made Patriot anti-missile systems as Chinese ballistic missiles targeting the island are anticipated to more than double to 1,800 by 2013" (Agence France Presse via Breitbart). Will they get them? World Net Daily's Joseph Farah doesn't think so: "It is increasingly clear that President Bush bought China's 'cooperation' on Iran. What the price tag is, no one is quite sure. But I wouldn't want to be in Taiwan's shoes right now."
Guo Feixiong arrested, beaten, and now missing; Gao Zhisheng starts hunger strike for Guo: Guo Feixiong, best known as the legal advisor for the brave villagers of Taishi, "was secretly arrested by the Chinese Communist regime on Friday night, detained for over ten hours, and beaten," (Epoch Times) according to human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, seventh, ninth, and sixth items). Gao has begun a hunger strike in support of Guo (Epoch Times).
The state of the workers in the workers' state - ecology and health: Elizabeth Economy, author of The River Runs Black, details Communist China's "environmental challenges" to Bloomberg. Xiewang, Radio Free Asia (via Epoch Times) examines the disaster that is Communist China's health care system.
On Communist China and the rest of the world: David Blair, London Telegraph, examines the reasons for the slaughter in Darfur, Sudan, finds Communist China "a key villain in Darfur's tragedy," and wins the Enlightened Comment of the Day. Daniel McKivergan, Worldwide Standard (Weekly Standard blog), can't believe what he hears from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte regarding India and Communist China (seventh item).
More on the uprising in Stalinist North Korea: Daily NK has the details, plus a quick analysis of what the local reaction to an anti-Stalinist resistance would be. Kwon Jeong Hyun, also in Daily NK, notes that anti-Stalinist actions go as far back as 2003. Meanwhile, the Stalinists continued to stonewall Japan on the abduction issue (lead, third, and lead items), thus ensuring the failure of SNK-Japan talks (BBC).
Communist China rips Taiwanese President: Chen Shui-bian, the fellow the Taiwanese people elected and re-elected as their President, was dubbed a "troublemaker and saboteur" (BBC) for his affirmation of plans to change the island democracy's outdated constitution, to try to join the United Nations, and to scrap the de facto defunct National Unification Council (sixth item).
Taiwan asks for more U.S. help: Meanwhile, Taiwan "said it needs more US-made Patriot anti-missile systems as Chinese ballistic missiles targeting the island are anticipated to more than double to 1,800 by 2013" (Agence France Presse via Breitbart). Will they get them? World Net Daily's Joseph Farah doesn't think so: "It is increasingly clear that President Bush bought China's 'cooperation' on Iran. What the price tag is, no one is quite sure. But I wouldn't want to be in Taiwan's shoes right now."
Guo Feixiong arrested, beaten, and now missing; Gao Zhisheng starts hunger strike for Guo: Guo Feixiong, best known as the legal advisor for the brave villagers of Taishi, "was secretly arrested by the Chinese Communist regime on Friday night, detained for over ten hours, and beaten," (Epoch Times) according to human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, seventh, ninth, and sixth items). Gao has begun a hunger strike in support of Guo (Epoch Times).
The state of the workers in the workers' state - ecology and health: Elizabeth Economy, author of The River Runs Black, details Communist China's "environmental challenges" to Bloomberg. Xiewang, Radio Free Asia (via Epoch Times) examines the disaster that is Communist China's health care system.
On Communist China and the rest of the world: David Blair, London Telegraph, examines the reasons for the slaughter in Darfur, Sudan, finds Communist China "a key villain in Darfur's tragedy," and wins the Enlightened Comment of the Day. Daniel McKivergan, Worldwide Standard (Weekly Standard blog), can't believe what he hears from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte regarding India and Communist China (seventh item).
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
On the (mildly disappointing) Canadian Cabinet
The News of the Day can be found here.
Late yesterday morning, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced his cabinet. His choice for Foreign Minister was not ours. Of course, a Cabinet is a lot more than a Foreign Minister, but the new Harper team gives this quarter more reason for concern than celebration. The new government will, as all governments are, be judged more on its policies than its personnel, but for the most part, Harper started on the wrong foot.
Here are the highlights and lowlights of the new Canadian Cabinet.
Public Safety - Stockwell Day: This is obviously not where we wanted Mr. Day to land, but this post is hardly inconsequential. In fact, the ministry includes both the Mounties and CSIS, the intelligence agency that requested, and the spiked, Brian McAdam's investigation in Communist espionage in North America (expect to hear more for Mr. McAdam in the future; he's the head of China Support Network's Canada branch). Minister Day's views on Communist China (Epoch Times, Hansard) were one of the reasons this quarter endorsed his party in the first place. If he can expose and uproot the Communist espionage network, not only will he justify that endorsement, but he will also make North America and the world at large infinitely safer.
Foreign Affairs - Peter MacKay: There is reason to be concerned about Mr. MacKay, but the basis for that ties into his personal life, which makes me uneasy (for those interested in said info, here it is, via the Shotgun). As for MacKay's public record, he did make a mention of the espionage (Hansard), and his record beyond that is sparse.
International Trade - David Emerson: This is the one that turns the stomach. As an American, I am far less concerned that the Prime Minister took an opportunity to poach the Liberal benches, but did it have to be a member of Paul Martin's Cabinet? The former Industry Minister with such a blasé attitude toward the Communist appetite for Canada's natural resources (Wall Street Journal via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)? In International Trade?!?!
Natural Resources - Gary Lunn: Speaking of resources, there isn't much on Minister Lunn, except for his insistence that a boat full of escapees from Communist China be sent back (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Yes, he made the statement in 1999; yes, he was focusing on immigration. However, if he was unwilling to recognize Communist China as an exceptional case then, is he willing to see it as such, now?
Industry - Maxime Bernier: An unknown at present. Yes, his father has a long political history, but I know from experience: like father, like son does not necessarily hold when it comes to political views.
International Cooperation - Josée Verner: Another unknown. This was unfortunate as the former critic on this file, Helena Guergis, was so vocal in demanding foreign aid to Communist China come to a halt (CBC). It should be noted that Mme Verner is also the Minister for La Francophonie, which would at least mean she'd be more interested in sending aid to Haiti, Equitorial Guinea, etc. So long as the aid amount to Communist China is zero, we're happy. Yes, I'm grasping at straws here, but at least there is a straw.
House leader/Democratic Reform - Bob Nicholson: The posts have nothing to do with foreign policy, but Nicholson is still the fellow who called for an end to all aid and trade with Communist China (before backing away from the latter - Hansard). Perhaps another straw, but still . . .
FROZEN OUT - Jason Kenney: Yes, he is Harper's Parliamentary Secretary, but unless that's as powerful as White House Chief of Staff (memo to the Canadian readership: I have my doubts, am I right?) this is a snub, and snubbing the only elected official to pay his condolences to the family of Zhao Ziyang (Western Standard) is a terrible message to send.
All in all, the Cabinet leaves a lot to be desired, but there is still potential here. The issues of espionage (if uprooted) and funding (if eliminated) are still more than enough for anti-Communists to support this government. However, if the funding is preserved, even at a reduced level, and/or Day is either undermined in or dissuaded from catching Communist spies, all the hopes of the last few years will go to naught. Mr. Harper, you have been warned: there is no reason for us to automatically believe blue and red are more than colors in a rainbow- just ask Taiwan.
Late yesterday morning, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced his cabinet. His choice for Foreign Minister was not ours. Of course, a Cabinet is a lot more than a Foreign Minister, but the new Harper team gives this quarter more reason for concern than celebration. The new government will, as all governments are, be judged more on its policies than its personnel, but for the most part, Harper started on the wrong foot.
Here are the highlights and lowlights of the new Canadian Cabinet.
Public Safety - Stockwell Day: This is obviously not where we wanted Mr. Day to land, but this post is hardly inconsequential. In fact, the ministry includes both the Mounties and CSIS, the intelligence agency that requested, and the spiked, Brian McAdam's investigation in Communist espionage in North America (expect to hear more for Mr. McAdam in the future; he's the head of China Support Network's Canada branch). Minister Day's views on Communist China (Epoch Times, Hansard) were one of the reasons this quarter endorsed his party in the first place. If he can expose and uproot the Communist espionage network, not only will he justify that endorsement, but he will also make North America and the world at large infinitely safer.
Foreign Affairs - Peter MacKay: There is reason to be concerned about Mr. MacKay, but the basis for that ties into his personal life, which makes me uneasy (for those interested in said info, here it is, via the Shotgun). As for MacKay's public record, he did make a mention of the espionage (Hansard), and his record beyond that is sparse.
International Trade - David Emerson: This is the one that turns the stomach. As an American, I am far less concerned that the Prime Minister took an opportunity to poach the Liberal benches, but did it have to be a member of Paul Martin's Cabinet? The former Industry Minister with such a blasé attitude toward the Communist appetite for Canada's natural resources (Wall Street Journal via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)? In International Trade?!?!
Natural Resources - Gary Lunn: Speaking of resources, there isn't much on Minister Lunn, except for his insistence that a boat full of escapees from Communist China be sent back (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Yes, he made the statement in 1999; yes, he was focusing on immigration. However, if he was unwilling to recognize Communist China as an exceptional case then, is he willing to see it as such, now?
Industry - Maxime Bernier: An unknown at present. Yes, his father has a long political history, but I know from experience: like father, like son does not necessarily hold when it comes to political views.
International Cooperation - Josée Verner: Another unknown. This was unfortunate as the former critic on this file, Helena Guergis, was so vocal in demanding foreign aid to Communist China come to a halt (CBC). It should be noted that Mme Verner is also the Minister for La Francophonie, which would at least mean she'd be more interested in sending aid to Haiti, Equitorial Guinea, etc. So long as the aid amount to Communist China is zero, we're happy. Yes, I'm grasping at straws here, but at least there is a straw.
House leader/Democratic Reform - Bob Nicholson: The posts have nothing to do with foreign policy, but Nicholson is still the fellow who called for an end to all aid and trade with Communist China (before backing away from the latter - Hansard). Perhaps another straw, but still . . .
FROZEN OUT - Jason Kenney: Yes, he is Harper's Parliamentary Secretary, but unless that's as powerful as White House Chief of Staff (memo to the Canadian readership: I have my doubts, am I right?) this is a snub, and snubbing the only elected official to pay his condolences to the family of Zhao Ziyang (Western Standard) is a terrible message to send.
All in all, the Cabinet leaves a lot to be desired, but there is still potential here. The issues of espionage (if uprooted) and funding (if eliminated) are still more than enough for anti-Communists to support this government. However, if the funding is preserved, even at a reduced level, and/or Day is either undermined in or dissuaded from catching Communist spies, all the hopes of the last few years will go to naught. Mr. Harper, you have been warned: there is no reason for us to automatically believe blue and red are more than colors in a rainbow- just ask Taiwan.
News of the Day (February 7)
From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth reprints the Enlightened Comment of the Day, an excellent piece by Liu Kin-ming (Hong Kong Standard) that rips the Bush Administration for its soft touch on Communist China in much the same way yesterday's ECOD (fourth item) did. One Free Korea comments on a possible uprising at the northern edge of Stalinist North Korea, Congressional staff reaction to a possible U.S.-South Korea trade deal, and the strange insistence of some that SNK has no uranium-based nuclear weapons program, despite the regime's boast of in 2002.
More on the would-be colony: Lee Eon Joung, Daily NK, talks to Norma Kang Muico of Anti-Slavery International about child labor in Stalinist North Korea.
Reporter beaten to death by police: Wu Xianghu, a journalist with the Taizhou Evening News who exposed corruption in the local police force, was beaten to death by those very cops he exposed (BBC). The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) mourned his passing (via Boxun).
More on the media crackdown in Communist China (and Google's surrender): CPJ also went to bat for Shi Tao (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, last, third, and fourth items) with a collection of "443 signed appeals calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Shi Tao" (Boxun). The Communist Chinese Embassy did not welcome them. Meanwhile, Dynamic Internet Technology presented in detail how the Communist-approved Google works (via Boxun), and Steven Levy, Newsweek (via MSNBC), calls the actions of Google and other high-tech cadre-enablers "shameful."
Wuxi farmers sue over land seizure; wife of jailed Shanghai eviction attorney threatened: Over one hundred and fifty farmers in Wuxi, Jiansgu, are suing the provincial cadres for seizing their land illegally. No local attorney was brave enough to represent them, so Yuan Shipei, a man who modestly claimed "some knowledge of the law" (Epoch Times) agreed to serve as the farmers' lawyer. He has since received threats that "my house could be demolished." Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the wife of Zheng Enchong, a lawyer for Shanghai evictees who is languishing in Tilanqian Prison for his efforts to help his fellow man (tenth, twenty-sixth, and fifth items), was warned "not to 'defame and slander'" (Epoch Times) the prison where her husband is being subjected to torture and "re-education."
Speaking of lawyers, human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, seventh, and ninth items) has won some support for his hunger-strike plans from Falun Gong friend and former Communist prisoner Huang Boshen (Epoch Times).
Pentagon nearly ignored Communist threat in report; Intelligence Director practically does: The Department of Defense's original draft of the Quadrennial Defense Review (third item) included "no mention of China because some officials argued that China's rise was not strategically significant" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Defense Secretary Rumsfeld insisted the threat be addressed. Meanwhile, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte committed a cardinal sin by claiming "that China's rise is similar to that of democratic India."
Brits consider Communist China their biggest economic threat: The story is a bit confusing, as the survey has poll number summing to 124%, but "79% of 2,704 people identified fast-growing China as the largest threat to the UK" (BBC).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Morten Messerschmidt, a Danish member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, talked to the Epoch Times about the history of Communist parties, the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan, and other matters. Meanwhile, Andrew Carlisle (Epoch Times), pans the latest version of Communist propaganda in Australia.
More on the would-be colony: Lee Eon Joung, Daily NK, talks to Norma Kang Muico of Anti-Slavery International about child labor in Stalinist North Korea.
Reporter beaten to death by police: Wu Xianghu, a journalist with the Taizhou Evening News who exposed corruption in the local police force, was beaten to death by those very cops he exposed (BBC). The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) mourned his passing (via Boxun).
More on the media crackdown in Communist China (and Google's surrender): CPJ also went to bat for Shi Tao (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, last, third, and fourth items) with a collection of "443 signed appeals calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Shi Tao" (Boxun). The Communist Chinese Embassy did not welcome them. Meanwhile, Dynamic Internet Technology presented in detail how the Communist-approved Google works (via Boxun), and Steven Levy, Newsweek (via MSNBC), calls the actions of Google and other high-tech cadre-enablers "shameful."
Wuxi farmers sue over land seizure; wife of jailed Shanghai eviction attorney threatened: Over one hundred and fifty farmers in Wuxi, Jiansgu, are suing the provincial cadres for seizing their land illegally. No local attorney was brave enough to represent them, so Yuan Shipei, a man who modestly claimed "some knowledge of the law" (Epoch Times) agreed to serve as the farmers' lawyer. He has since received threats that "my house could be demolished." Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the wife of Zheng Enchong, a lawyer for Shanghai evictees who is languishing in Tilanqian Prison for his efforts to help his fellow man (tenth, twenty-sixth, and fifth items), was warned "not to 'defame and slander'" (Epoch Times) the prison where her husband is being subjected to torture and "re-education."
Speaking of lawyers, human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, seventh, and ninth items) has won some support for his hunger-strike plans from Falun Gong friend and former Communist prisoner Huang Boshen (Epoch Times).
Pentagon nearly ignored Communist threat in report; Intelligence Director practically does: The Department of Defense's original draft of the Quadrennial Defense Review (third item) included "no mention of China because some officials argued that China's rise was not strategically significant" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Defense Secretary Rumsfeld insisted the threat be addressed. Meanwhile, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte committed a cardinal sin by claiming "that China's rise is similar to that of democratic India."
Brits consider Communist China their biggest economic threat: The story is a bit confusing, as the survey has poll number summing to 124%, but "79% of 2,704 people identified fast-growing China as the largest threat to the UK" (BBC).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Morten Messerschmidt, a Danish member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, talked to the Epoch Times about the history of Communist parties, the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan, and other matters. Meanwhile, Andrew Carlisle (Epoch Times), pans the latest version of Communist propaganda in Australia.
Monday, February 06, 2006
News of the Day (February 6)
From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth calls on the new Canadian government to bar Education Minister Chen Zhili, one of the leading persecutors of Falun Gong (fifteenth and eleventh items), from entering the country. One Free Korea relays as scoop on Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il's hands-on role in the abduction of Japanese citizens (lead and third items), and a possible window into the regime's plan for absorbing the maddeningly dovish South Korea.
More on the would-be colony: Speaking of the Japanese abductions, the talks between the Stalinist victimizers and the Japanese victims went nowhere, (BBC) as did American efforts to breathe life into the debacle known as the six-party nuclear talks (Washington Post). The joint U.S.-South Korean force has a new commander (United Press International via Washington Times). Young Howard, of Open Radio for North Korea, gauges the enterprise's reach in Daily NK, which also highlighted the Stalinist crackdown against Christianity (Yang Jung).
Dr. Charles Lee is safe at home, but is father is persecuted at home: Now safely in the U.S., imprisoner Falun Gong practitioner and American citizen Dr. Charles Lee (sixth, third, fourth, and fifth items) "called his over-seventy-year-old father in China to wish him happy Chinese New Year" (Epoch Times). During the call, Li discovered that the Communist police were still harassing his family as a heavy-handed attempt to silence him.
Human rights community rips Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Cisco: Among the folks who explained the damage done by these firms cooperation in the Communist Chinese media and internet crackdowns to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus were Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch and T. Kumar from Amnesty International USA (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Lev Grossman and Hannah Beech (Time Asia) let Google try to present its side of the story, but the editors of the Washington Post score the Enlightened Comment of the Day: "Even if the United States actually favors free expression in China, Mr. Hu might be excused for not believing it."
More on Communist China and the United States: Daniel Gallington, Washington Times, examines Communist China's espioange efforts, as exposed by Chen Yonglin. Robert T. McLean, of the Center for Security Policy, details the cadres' plan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Front Page Magazine. The indomitable Lev Navrozov (Newsmax) reminds us why the Communists are doing these things. Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post, doesn't see much to Communist China's science and technology ambitions, and thus scores the Ignorant Comment of the Day. Gong Ping, Epoch Times, examines how Communist China is "painstakingly building its influence in San Francisco." Hannah Beech, Time Asia, has a puff piece on Communist China's success in aerial freestyle skiing , a Winter Olympics event. Speaking of the Olympics . . .
On Taiwan: Caroline Gluck, BBC, examines the repercussions from President Chen Shui-bian's decision to deep-six the National Unification Council, which even she acknowledges "exists in name only."
As BBC "tones down" coverage for Communist China; UK Parliament suffers hack attack: One of the myriad of sources this quarter uses, the BBC, has caved into the Communists with "a website targeted at the mainland Chinese market, offering English-language training and news that is unlikely to upset Beijing’s internet censors" (Financial Times, UK). Meanwhile, confirmation came that a year-end cyberattack on the British Parliament was conducted by hackers from Guangdong, fueling "suspicion that the latest attack was part of a more general campaign of electronic subversion" (Computer World).
Communists shut down "piracy" sites: Communist China is claiming it's fighting "online piracy" in closing 76 web sites and demanding 137 others "remove illegal material" (BBC). However, given the fact that there are "no details about the contents of the websites," one cannot help but remain skeptical.
Gao Zhisheng calls for rotating hunger strikes: Human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items) has joined in the creation of a group of rotating hunger strikers "to support citizens who have encountered violence and illegal persecution inside and outside of China" (Epoch Times).
More on human rights in Communist China: Former Communist professor Yuan Hongbing (second, lead, seventh, sixth, and sixth items) talks to the Epoch Times about the Luo Gan, Communist China's version of Lavrenty Beria.
Another bird flu coverup: This one is in Shandong, where local cadres "buried ducks and hens of an area of 3 square kilometers" (Boxun) and "did not inform the public and report to higher level government." For more on Communist China's bird flu coverup, see sixth, fourth, and eighth items.
More on the would-be colony: Speaking of the Japanese abductions, the talks between the Stalinist victimizers and the Japanese victims went nowhere, (BBC) as did American efforts to breathe life into the debacle known as the six-party nuclear talks (Washington Post). The joint U.S.-South Korean force has a new commander (United Press International via Washington Times). Young Howard, of Open Radio for North Korea, gauges the enterprise's reach in Daily NK, which also highlighted the Stalinist crackdown against Christianity (Yang Jung).
Dr. Charles Lee is safe at home, but is father is persecuted at home: Now safely in the U.S., imprisoner Falun Gong practitioner and American citizen Dr. Charles Lee (sixth, third, fourth, and fifth items) "called his over-seventy-year-old father in China to wish him happy Chinese New Year" (Epoch Times). During the call, Li discovered that the Communist police were still harassing his family as a heavy-handed attempt to silence him.
Human rights community rips Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Cisco: Among the folks who explained the damage done by these firms cooperation in the Communist Chinese media and internet crackdowns to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus were Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch and T. Kumar from Amnesty International USA (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Lev Grossman and Hannah Beech (Time Asia) let Google try to present its side of the story, but the editors of the Washington Post score the Enlightened Comment of the Day: "Even if the United States actually favors free expression in China, Mr. Hu might be excused for not believing it."
More on Communist China and the United States: Daniel Gallington, Washington Times, examines Communist China's espioange efforts, as exposed by Chen Yonglin. Robert T. McLean, of the Center for Security Policy, details the cadres' plan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Front Page Magazine. The indomitable Lev Navrozov (Newsmax) reminds us why the Communists are doing these things. Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post, doesn't see much to Communist China's science and technology ambitions, and thus scores the Ignorant Comment of the Day. Gong Ping, Epoch Times, examines how Communist China is "painstakingly building its influence in San Francisco." Hannah Beech, Time Asia, has a puff piece on Communist China's success in aerial freestyle skiing , a Winter Olympics event. Speaking of the Olympics . . .
On Taiwan: Caroline Gluck, BBC, examines the repercussions from President Chen Shui-bian's decision to deep-six the National Unification Council, which even she acknowledges "exists in name only."
As BBC "tones down" coverage for Communist China; UK Parliament suffers hack attack: One of the myriad of sources this quarter uses, the BBC, has caved into the Communists with "a website targeted at the mainland Chinese market, offering English-language training and news that is unlikely to upset Beijing’s internet censors" (Financial Times, UK). Meanwhile, confirmation came that a year-end cyberattack on the British Parliament was conducted by hackers from Guangdong, fueling "suspicion that the latest attack was part of a more general campaign of electronic subversion" (Computer World).
Communists shut down "piracy" sites: Communist China is claiming it's fighting "online piracy" in closing 76 web sites and demanding 137 others "remove illegal material" (BBC). However, given the fact that there are "no details about the contents of the websites," one cannot help but remain skeptical.
Gao Zhisheng calls for rotating hunger strikes: Human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items) has joined in the creation of a group of rotating hunger strikers "to support citizens who have encountered violence and illegal persecution inside and outside of China" (Epoch Times).
More on human rights in Communist China: Former Communist professor Yuan Hongbing (second, lead, seventh, sixth, and sixth items) talks to the Epoch Times about the Luo Gan, Communist China's version of Lavrenty Beria.
Another bird flu coverup: This one is in Shandong, where local cadres "buried ducks and hens of an area of 3 square kilometers" (Boxun) and "did not inform the public and report to higher level government." For more on Communist China's bird flu coverup, see sixth, fourth, and eighth items.
Friday, February 03, 2006
News of the Day (February 3)
From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: One Free Korea finds that an unnamed official in Stalinist North Korea seems more interested in change than dovish South Korea; has also has the latest on the Stalinist food shortage, and how Communist China treats its Korean colony.
More on the satellite regimes: National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte, finds both the Iranian mullahcracy and the Stalinist North to be threats to the United States (Washington Post). Regarding the former, the Epoch Times reprints my call for Iran's liberation. As for the latter, Han Young Jin, Daily NK, comments on the Stalinists' use of centarians in its propaganda, and the effects of anti-counterfeiting sanctions by the U.S. (and now, one South Korean bank - United Press International via Washington Times). Meanwhile, military talks between the Stalinist North and the dovish South appear to be back on (UPI via Washington Times).
Pentagon Quadrennial Defense Review calls Communist China "at a crossroads": The Pentagon's four-year review of the world at large focused mainly on "the war against Islamic extremism" (UPI via Washington Times), but also noted "China as an emerging superpower" and its buildup against Taiwan. Unfortunately, the tone set by Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Ryan Henry - "China is an emerging world superpower . . . We want to constructively work with them to manage their growth" - leaves much to be desired.
San Francisco city council condemns persecution of Falun Gong: San Francisco's Board of Supervisors "passed a resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong" (Epoch Times) by a 9-2 vote despite the Communists' attempts to poison the debate.
More on Communist China and the United States: Joseph Farah, founder of World Net Daily, rails against the Bush Administration for its growing weakness regarding the island democracy of Taiwan. Former United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke examines the implications of the next vote for UN Secretary General on the U.S. and Communist China in the Washington Post. Jay Nordlinger (National Review Online, seventh item) finds one silver lining in the 2008 Beijing Games: the Soviet and Nazi regimes perished roughly a decade each after hosting their own Games. The U.S. stayed away from Moscow in 1980, a fine precedent.
Imprisoned activist meets family for first time; RWB calls for release of cyberdissident: Human rights activist Ye Guozhu (fifth item) is in the second of his four-year prison sentence for "provoking trouble" (Epoch Times), i.e., helping Falun Gong practitioners and victims of Beijing cadre land grabs, including his own family. His relatives were allowed to meet him for the first time since his sentence, and as one would expect, Ye's health is deteriorating. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (via Boxun) called for the release of cyberjournalist and dissident Li Yuanlong.
Gao Zhisheng offers aid to Yang Zaixin: Human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng, despite being hounded by the Communists (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, and next to last items), has still taken it upon himself to help a fellow lawyer in need: Yang Zaixin (Epoch Times, see also next to last item).
Another day, another Communist movie ban: Joining Brokeback Mountain on the CCP's unviewable list (fourth item) is Memoirs of a Geisha (BBC).
More on Communist China: Zhou Huiying (Central News Agency, Taiwan, via Epoch Times) examines the strain on traditional New Year family reunions in Communist China caused by the hideous "one child" policy.
More on the satellite regimes: National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte, finds both the Iranian mullahcracy and the Stalinist North to be threats to the United States (Washington Post). Regarding the former, the Epoch Times reprints my call for Iran's liberation. As for the latter, Han Young Jin, Daily NK, comments on the Stalinists' use of centarians in its propaganda, and the effects of anti-counterfeiting sanctions by the U.S. (and now, one South Korean bank - United Press International via Washington Times). Meanwhile, military talks between the Stalinist North and the dovish South appear to be back on (UPI via Washington Times).
Pentagon Quadrennial Defense Review calls Communist China "at a crossroads": The Pentagon's four-year review of the world at large focused mainly on "the war against Islamic extremism" (UPI via Washington Times), but also noted "China as an emerging superpower" and its buildup against Taiwan. Unfortunately, the tone set by Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Ryan Henry - "China is an emerging world superpower . . . We want to constructively work with them to manage their growth" - leaves much to be desired.
San Francisco city council condemns persecution of Falun Gong: San Francisco's Board of Supervisors "passed a resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong" (Epoch Times) by a 9-2 vote despite the Communists' attempts to poison the debate.
More on Communist China and the United States: Joseph Farah, founder of World Net Daily, rails against the Bush Administration for its growing weakness regarding the island democracy of Taiwan. Former United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke examines the implications of the next vote for UN Secretary General on the U.S. and Communist China in the Washington Post. Jay Nordlinger (National Review Online, seventh item) finds one silver lining in the 2008 Beijing Games: the Soviet and Nazi regimes perished roughly a decade each after hosting their own Games. The U.S. stayed away from Moscow in 1980, a fine precedent.
Imprisoned activist meets family for first time; RWB calls for release of cyberdissident: Human rights activist Ye Guozhu (fifth item) is in the second of his four-year prison sentence for "provoking trouble" (Epoch Times), i.e., helping Falun Gong practitioners and victims of Beijing cadre land grabs, including his own family. His relatives were allowed to meet him for the first time since his sentence, and as one would expect, Ye's health is deteriorating. Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (via Boxun) called for the release of cyberjournalist and dissident Li Yuanlong.
Gao Zhisheng offers aid to Yang Zaixin: Human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng, despite being hounded by the Communists (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, and next to last items), has still taken it upon himself to help a fellow lawyer in need: Yang Zaixin (Epoch Times, see also next to last item).
Another day, another Communist movie ban: Joining Brokeback Mountain on the CCP's unviewable list (fourth item) is Memoirs of a Geisha (BBC).
More on Communist China: Zhou Huiying (Central News Agency, Taiwan, via Epoch Times) examines the strain on traditional New Year family reunions in Communist China caused by the hideous "one child" policy.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
On the Palestinian "election"
The world has had nearly two weeks to take stock of Hamas' victory in the Palestinian legislative elections over the incumbent Fatah Party. As one would expect, the election result has been seen as a major blow to the concept of democracy. Sadly, given President Bush's apparent determination to advance democracy wherever he can (except for Communist China), his opponents have seized upon this to besmirch him, and have besmirched democracy itself in the process.
This is where those of us in the anti-Communist community come in, for Palestine's vote has caused us collateral damage. In most of the world, the anti-Communist cause goes by the "pro-democracy" label. This includes Hong Kong, where the largest and oldest anti-Communist Party is the Hong Kong Democratic Party. As such, the fate of modern anti-Communism is in no small way tied to how democracy is perceived, and the Palestinian result has caused many "realists" to question the entire notion of democracy improving the fate of nations where it currently does not exist. Even the "Hitler was elected" myth (more on that later) has been recycled.
So, upon seeing the reports of the results, I took the liberty of examining the options the Palestinian voters had, in order to better determine why they voted for terrorists. What I found, counter to the conventional wisdom, was this: they had no choice.
The Palestinian election was held in two simultaneous phases, on two separate ballots. One ballot, for 66 seats, was by proportional representation (PR); the more votes a party gets nationwide, the higher percentage of the 66 seats they win. The other ballot was for individual candidates in several multi-seat districts, also totaling 66 seats. In this ballot, the top vote-getting candidates are elected, except for certain seats designated to Christians (they went to the highest vote-getters among Christian candidates - all of these seats went to Fatah).
On the PR side, the three biggest parties were Hamas, Fatah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. All three of them have a long history of supporting terrorism. Fatah, the party co-founded by the late Yassir Arafat, was the driving force behind the Palestine Liberation Organization's terror war against Israel, and is today the political home of the suicide bomber force known as the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (BBC). The PFLP has an equally long history of violence against Israelis (BBC). The other "major" lists included Independent Palestine, whose leader, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, publicly endorsed the recent violent "intifada" (Palestine Monitor), and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist off-shoot of the PFLP (BBC). The closest thing to an anti-terrorist party on the ballot was the Third Way, and they couldn’t even run half a slate; only 25 candidates were on its list.
For the district ballots, the situation was even worse. The only parties represented there were Hamas, Fatah, and the PFLP. Third Way was nowhere to be found. Thus, the only choice for a Palestinian looking to elect a government were corrupt, inefficient, secular-nationalist, tyrannical terrorist group (Fatah), a Taliban-like tyrannical terrorist group (Hamas), and a Marxist-Leninist tyrannical terrorist group (PFLP).
In fact, up until the last week of the election, the only way a Palestinian could vote against terror was not to vote at all. Sadly, even that option was hijacked three days prior to the vote by the terrorist group Islamic Jihad (Malaysia Star).
Why were the terrorists so amply represented on the ballot box, while non-terrorists were practically absent? For that, we need to remember how the Palestinian authority governed. The last "election" held in Palestine was nearly ten years ago, and Arafat made sure the "right" people were the victors. Meanwhile, the political climate in Palestine remains far from ideal. Both Fatah and Hamas had issued death threats against journalists (Media Channel) during the campaign. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch lamented the sorry state of affairs:
conditions of lawlessness have increased in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005. Palestinian gunmen carried out several assassinations against persons alleged to have collaborated with Israeli security forces, and fighting between various Palestinian factions, security services and armed groups has led to armed clashes on the streets, vigilante killings and even the kidnapping of foreigners on several occasions in Gaza.
HRW also noted "the notorious Palestinian security or military courts where minimum standards of due process are not met." This in a report that focused most of its attention on the role of the occupying Israeli army, which nearly every Palestinian terrorist has used as an excuse to justify their brutality. In fact, notwithstanding Israel’s actions, the Palestinian government has had its own troubles with the rule of law, to say nothing of the violent terrorist groups that support and oppose it.
This may have been an election, but it was far from free or fair. When the incumbent party governs as a tyrannical regime, and has its own terrorist force to boot, the only dissenters who can achieve nationwide resistance are fellow terrorists. Thus it should be no surprise that terrorists practically monopolized the ballot.
Therefore, the Palestinian did not vote for terrorists, because they had no way to vote against terrorists. Whatever part of the blame for this belongs to successive Israel governments - and that question this quarter does not seek to answer - does not change the fact that this election was not democratic in any true sense of the word.
As for Adolf Hitler, it should be noted that he was not given a parliamentary majority by the German voters. In fact, the Social Democrats and the Communists were preparing to form a coalition to govern Germany and freeze the Nazis out, until Josef Stalin ordered the Communists to let Hitler take power in the hope that a pro-Soviet revolution would follow. The only "election" Hitler ever won had one voter, and Stalin was no German.
This is where those of us in the anti-Communist community come in, for Palestine's vote has caused us collateral damage. In most of the world, the anti-Communist cause goes by the "pro-democracy" label. This includes Hong Kong, where the largest and oldest anti-Communist Party is the Hong Kong Democratic Party. As such, the fate of modern anti-Communism is in no small way tied to how democracy is perceived, and the Palestinian result has caused many "realists" to question the entire notion of democracy improving the fate of nations where it currently does not exist. Even the "Hitler was elected" myth (more on that later) has been recycled.
So, upon seeing the reports of the results, I took the liberty of examining the options the Palestinian voters had, in order to better determine why they voted for terrorists. What I found, counter to the conventional wisdom, was this: they had no choice.
The Palestinian election was held in two simultaneous phases, on two separate ballots. One ballot, for 66 seats, was by proportional representation (PR); the more votes a party gets nationwide, the higher percentage of the 66 seats they win. The other ballot was for individual candidates in several multi-seat districts, also totaling 66 seats. In this ballot, the top vote-getting candidates are elected, except for certain seats designated to Christians (they went to the highest vote-getters among Christian candidates - all of these seats went to Fatah).
On the PR side, the three biggest parties were Hamas, Fatah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. All three of them have a long history of supporting terrorism. Fatah, the party co-founded by the late Yassir Arafat, was the driving force behind the Palestine Liberation Organization's terror war against Israel, and is today the political home of the suicide bomber force known as the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (BBC). The PFLP has an equally long history of violence against Israelis (BBC). The other "major" lists included Independent Palestine, whose leader, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, publicly endorsed the recent violent "intifada" (Palestine Monitor), and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist off-shoot of the PFLP (BBC). The closest thing to an anti-terrorist party on the ballot was the Third Way, and they couldn’t even run half a slate; only 25 candidates were on its list.
For the district ballots, the situation was even worse. The only parties represented there were Hamas, Fatah, and the PFLP. Third Way was nowhere to be found. Thus, the only choice for a Palestinian looking to elect a government were corrupt, inefficient, secular-nationalist, tyrannical terrorist group (Fatah), a Taliban-like tyrannical terrorist group (Hamas), and a Marxist-Leninist tyrannical terrorist group (PFLP).
In fact, up until the last week of the election, the only way a Palestinian could vote against terror was not to vote at all. Sadly, even that option was hijacked three days prior to the vote by the terrorist group Islamic Jihad (Malaysia Star).
Why were the terrorists so amply represented on the ballot box, while non-terrorists were practically absent? For that, we need to remember how the Palestinian authority governed. The last "election" held in Palestine was nearly ten years ago, and Arafat made sure the "right" people were the victors. Meanwhile, the political climate in Palestine remains far from ideal. Both Fatah and Hamas had issued death threats against journalists (Media Channel) during the campaign. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch lamented the sorry state of affairs:
conditions of lawlessness have increased in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005. Palestinian gunmen carried out several assassinations against persons alleged to have collaborated with Israeli security forces, and fighting between various Palestinian factions, security services and armed groups has led to armed clashes on the streets, vigilante killings and even the kidnapping of foreigners on several occasions in Gaza.
HRW also noted "the notorious Palestinian security or military courts where minimum standards of due process are not met." This in a report that focused most of its attention on the role of the occupying Israeli army, which nearly every Palestinian terrorist has used as an excuse to justify their brutality. In fact, notwithstanding Israel’s actions, the Palestinian government has had its own troubles with the rule of law, to say nothing of the violent terrorist groups that support and oppose it.
This may have been an election, but it was far from free or fair. When the incumbent party governs as a tyrannical regime, and has its own terrorist force to boot, the only dissenters who can achieve nationwide resistance are fellow terrorists. Thus it should be no surprise that terrorists practically monopolized the ballot.
Therefore, the Palestinian did not vote for terrorists, because they had no way to vote against terrorists. Whatever part of the blame for this belongs to successive Israel governments - and that question this quarter does not seek to answer - does not change the fact that this election was not democratic in any true sense of the word.
As for Adolf Hitler, it should be noted that he was not given a parliamentary majority by the German voters. In fact, the Social Democrats and the Communists were preparing to form a coalition to govern Germany and freeze the Nazis out, until Josef Stalin ordered the Communists to let Hitler take power in the hope that a pro-Soviet revolution would follow. The only "election" Hitler ever won had one voter, and Stalin was no German.
News of the Day (February 2)
From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth picks up on the India-is-not-Communist China theme (and even highlights this quarter's post on the subject) with an excellent piece by William Pesek (Standard, HK). Democratic China echoes our question on the President's State of the Union speech. One Free Korea weighs in on the speech's reaction in Korea, the Bank of China indictments (fourth item), South Korean presidential hopeful Lee Myung Bak's comments on human rights in the Stalinist North, the failure of the South's dovish incumbent administration, and Japan's more robust response to SNK.
Congressmen rip American tech firms for aiding Communist crackdown: The Congressional Human Rights Caucus took rhetorical aim at Microsoft, Yahoo, Cisco and Google for having "caved in to Beijing for the sake of profits" (Representative Tom Lantos, quoted by the BBC).
More on Google's surrender: James V. DeLong, of the Progress & Freedom Foundation, pens the Ignorant Comment of the Day in a hideous TCS Daily column (Hat-tip Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review Online's Corner). Ying Ma, American Enterprise Institute, comes a close second for the dubious honor in NRO. TCS Daily host Jim Glassman also weighs in.
Canada file: Nortel has agreed to "set up a global joint venture to develop solutions for ultra-broadband access" (United Press International via Washington Times) with Huawei Technologies - the folks that built a fiber-optic network for Saddam Hussein to integrate his air defenses (also reporting: Toronto Star). Meanwhile, Jason Loftus, Epoch Times, examines the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal's smackdown of the anti-Falun Gong Ottawa Senior Chinese Cultural Association.
On the satellite states: The video of the Stalinist assault on a woman who tried to escape SNK (second item) was aired by Japanese television (Daily NK). Former Stalinist prisoner Ahn Hyok gives his second installment on life in a Stalinist prison (third item) to Daily NK. Dovish South Korea (OFK, call your office!) continues to play the see-no-evil game on Stalinist counterfeiting (BBC). Jing-dong Yuan, Ph.D., of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, has a long, but weak, piece on Communist China's ties to Iran - a piece which seems to completely ignore the military ties between the two regimes - in China Brief.
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: A Falun Gong practitioner's lawsuit against Guangdong Party boss Zhang Dejiang has reached the New South Wales Supreme Court (Epoch Times), while a lawsuit against Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer for blocking a Falun Gong protest at the Communist Embassy in Canberra reached the ACT Supreme Court (Epoch Times). Jay Nordlinger, National Review Online - second item, is pleased to see anti-Communist protestors at Davos. John Nania, Epoch Times, laments the Falun Gong's travails in San Francisco. Last but far from least, Stephen Blank, of the U.S. Army War College, notes in China Brief that Communist China's biggest obstacle to the vast energy reserves of Central Asia is none other than its chief military supplier, Russia.
Congressmen rip American tech firms for aiding Communist crackdown: The Congressional Human Rights Caucus took rhetorical aim at Microsoft, Yahoo, Cisco and Google for having "caved in to Beijing for the sake of profits" (Representative Tom Lantos, quoted by the BBC).
More on Google's surrender: James V. DeLong, of the Progress & Freedom Foundation, pens the Ignorant Comment of the Day in a hideous TCS Daily column (Hat-tip Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review Online's Corner). Ying Ma, American Enterprise Institute, comes a close second for the dubious honor in NRO. TCS Daily host Jim Glassman also weighs in.
Canada file: Nortel has agreed to "set up a global joint venture to develop solutions for ultra-broadband access" (United Press International via Washington Times) with Huawei Technologies - the folks that built a fiber-optic network for Saddam Hussein to integrate his air defenses (also reporting: Toronto Star). Meanwhile, Jason Loftus, Epoch Times, examines the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal's smackdown of the anti-Falun Gong Ottawa Senior Chinese Cultural Association.
On the satellite states: The video of the Stalinist assault on a woman who tried to escape SNK (second item) was aired by Japanese television (Daily NK). Former Stalinist prisoner Ahn Hyok gives his second installment on life in a Stalinist prison (third item) to Daily NK. Dovish South Korea (OFK, call your office!) continues to play the see-no-evil game on Stalinist counterfeiting (BBC). Jing-dong Yuan, Ph.D., of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, has a long, but weak, piece on Communist China's ties to Iran - a piece which seems to completely ignore the military ties between the two regimes - in China Brief.
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: A Falun Gong practitioner's lawsuit against Guangdong Party boss Zhang Dejiang has reached the New South Wales Supreme Court (Epoch Times), while a lawsuit against Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer for blocking a Falun Gong protest at the Communist Embassy in Canberra reached the ACT Supreme Court (Epoch Times). Jay Nordlinger, National Review Online - second item, is pleased to see anti-Communist protestors at Davos. John Nania, Epoch Times, laments the Falun Gong's travails in San Francisco. Last but far from least, Stephen Blank, of the U.S. Army War College, notes in China Brief that Communist China's biggest obstacle to the vast energy reserves of Central Asia is none other than its chief military supplier, Russia.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
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.
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.
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