Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 25th February

In this bulletin…

- Dissidents regret Clinton’s comments on human rights
- Sri Lanka dismisses truce with rebels; and,
- A new day for China, 50 million quit the Party.

********************
A young scholar who once had wide influence in Chinese academic circles has resigned his membership to the Communist Party and declared to also quit all mainland official academic posts.

The former professor of philosophy, Sun Yanjun said he read the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party on the Epoch Times website while visiting Hawaii.

He said media censorship meant he couldn’t read it in China.

In a statement he praised the Nine Commentaries for its “deep thoughts,” and “strong arguments.” He also said “most importantly” it “promoted justice in this world.”

Sun hoped that his family, friends, colleagues and students in mainland China would “awaken” to quit the CCP as soon as possible.

********************

The wife of Chinese dissident Hu Jia was placed under house arrest the night US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in Beijing. She and other dissidents said throughout Clinton’s entire visit dissidents were constantly harassed.

Chinese dissidents expressed their regret about Clinton’s comments on her visit to Beijing.

Clinton said human rights questions should be put aside and important issues should take priority.

The Chinese dissidents have called on the United States Government to continue to pressure the Beijing authorities in whatever way they can. They fear they may suffer harsher treatment if no one speaks up for them.

********************

Local Hebei authorities illegally took over land from two residents.

The two residents, Hu Chunlan and Cao Tian, from Yunxi County, attempted to go to Beijing to appeal but were intercepted and arrested.

They were held in Nanyuan police station in Beijing. They said the Beijing police and local Hebei authorities worked together to arrest any one trying to petition about stolen land as they didn’t want to lose face in front of international media during the Chinese Communist National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress.

Dissident Lu Yaulin commented, “They want to save face … and we have to suffer.”

********************

The number of unemployed in China reached 36.8 million, according to official Chinese government statistics published in mid-January.

The total could reach 50 million by the end of the year, if newly unemployed peasant workers, city workers, and about half of this year’s college graduates who are expected to be unable to find jobs, are all included.

This number of 50 million unemployed in China is unprecedented and unheard of in the past 30 years. The overall trend in Chinese economy seems to be a rapid reduction in growth in industrial output, accompanied by a drastic decrease in exports.

Media reports in China note that investment in public infrastructure in the government’s stimulus plan is probably not enough to have immediate impact on the urgent situation.

********************

The Tuidang or “Quit the Party” movement has seen a wave of Chinese withdrawing their memberships from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations, reports The Epoch Times.

This month the number of withdrawals exceeded 50 million.

According to the president of the Global Quitting the CCP Service Center, Dr. David Gao, for many living under the strict control of the CCP, Tuidang is seen as the only hope for a peaceful future.

“Chinese people aren’t scared of the Communist Party anymore. They dare to speak out, dare to go to the street, and dare to put up slogans calling for the end of the Communist Party,” he said.

********************

Sri Lanka dismissed a proposed truce with the separatist rebels, the Tamil Tigers on Tuesday.

Its soldiers are battling for control of the last town held by the separatists just a few kilometres away from the site of an expected final confrontation.

The army says it is ready for hit-and-run guerrilla moves by the rebels for the immediate future. With the Tigers finished as a conventional force and all of the land back in government control, pressure for a political settlement to address the concerns of the Tamil minority will mount. So will pressure to promptly resettle thousands displaced by the war.

********************

“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the World.”