Democratic Party of China: New Commentary Published by People’s Daily

Friday, 01/24/12

Major Topics:

· New Commentary Published by People’s Daily

· “Flash Mob” at Baidu.com

· Turmoil in Hubei Province: Fighting for Benefits, Blocking Traffic for Four Days

New Commentary Published by People’s Daily

Just before the start of the “Two Meetings,” the official media “People’s Daily” released a commentary titled “Imperfect Reforming Should be Given Preference over Dangers due to not Reforming.” It quoted Hu Jintao as saying, “… advance reform in important areas and decisive matters when opportunities are ripe and continue to reform the economic, political, cultural and social systems in an innovative way.” In this commentary, the quoted “… evading problems as in a drumbeat game of passing-thorny-flower” is quite thought-provoking. Recently, many articles had been blasting Hu Jintao’s “act of omission” in face of crisis, labeling it as playing a “drumbeat game of passing-thorny-flower.” This commentary has been read and forwarded for more than 3000 times in less than three hours, drawing thousands’ of reviews by online viewers. Regarded as the approaching spring of reform, it was mentioned in the same breath as the famous statement “Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.” However, many viewers on the other side take it as a deliberate gesture, intending to appease social unrest and avoid middle-east-style violent revolution.

“Flash Mob” at Baidu.com

While the public were still wondering the genuine intention behind the above mentioned commentary, Baidu.com, the largest encyclopedia website in China which always abides strictly by laws and regulations in China, made a “Flash Mob” show by temporarily releasing the search results related to “Zhao Ziyang” and other politically sensitive words. The term, Zhao Ziyang, first emerged on its website on 21^st, offering the introduction of Zhao’s biography and the political positions he had taken, as well as the descriptions of his removal from the post of China’s Premier. The search result could be reached by over two million viewers in just one day. This largest encyclopedia website in China called Zhao a “Proletarian Revolutionist, politician, and one of the major leaders of People’s Republic of China.” Only two days later, however, “Zhao Ziyang” and other politically sensitive words became no longer available on its website.

Turmoil in Hubei Province: Fighting for Benefits, Blocking Traffic for Four Days

China Gezhouba Group Corporation is the major contractor of the Three Gorges Project. From 20^th of February, thousands of retired workers aging between 60 and 70 from this Cooperation started demonstration to protest against a statement from the Chairman of the board of directors, declaring that the retired worker’s average pension was only three thousand RMB per month. The retired workers took to the streets to protest and request for their retirement benefits. They blocked the major traffics for four consecutive days in downtown Yichang City around Shandong Road Circle 330, causing severe traffic jams and several kilometers of backups. They wanted to draw attention to their problems.

Forced Demolition and Relocation, Even Celebrity unable to Stay Clear

Bao Yueyang, a famous newsman and former chairman of China Economic Times, made a request on his Miniblog under the name of “Pure Water Host” at the night of 22^nd, asking for an urgent help. It says, “My parents-in-law’s house Dengjia Louzi, located in Jianhua Village in Huangpo District Wuhan City, is facing a forced demolition without any compensation provided. Just now, my mother-in-law cried on phone, telling me that over a hundred thugs came into our village ready to kill. And my father-in-law with other villagers has been out to put up a desperate fight with them.” Facing such a forced demolition, Bao said that he had cried and he had no alternative but to ask for help from networks to “save every one’s life in the village.”

Also, there’s another incident involving Mr. Xu Wu, who was driven into a corner by being treated as a patient of mental illness. Xu Guibin, his father, said that his son escaped from his confinement only by pulling open a window of his ward in the hospital with the help of a sheet.