Two elderly women have been given what is described as a sentence of one year of "re-education through labor" after they applied for permits to stage protests at the Olympic Games. The New York Times reports:
Wu Dianyuan, 79, and Wang Xiuying, 77, had made five visits to the police this month in an effort to get permission to protest what they contended was inadequate compensation for the demolition of their homes in Beijing.I can't imagine it. The International Olympic Committee promised that the Games would be part of China's reformation. Instead, the Games have led China to tear down people's homes, and to jail those people when they complain about it. What a disgrace.During their final visit on Monday, public security officials informed them that they had been given administrative sentences for "disturbing the public order," according to Li Xuehui, Ms. Wu's son.
Mr. Li said his mother and Ms. Wang, who used to be neighbors before their homes were demolished to make way for a redevelopment project, were allowed to return home but were told they could be sent to a detention center at any moment. "Can you imagine two old ladies in their 70s being re-educated through labor?" he asked.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-20-2008 @ 4:50PM
Steve said...
And this surprises anybody how? You can whitewash and ignore all you want, but we are still dealing with a Communist dictatorship here.
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8-20-2008 @ 8:06PM
Martin said...
China was hoping the Olympics would give it a big publicity boost, but instead, it is merely showing the rest of the world what it truly is; a country run by a brutal and untrustworthy government. Under-age athletes, censorship of the internet, re-education camps, Tibet, Darfur, ... the list grows and grows.
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8-20-2008 @ 10:25PM
Alan Canaday said...
If a request for a permit to protest eviction by two (2) Grannies can get you one (1) year, what does failure at the games get the players and their families. Even our far left knows the answere, they just can,t admit it. The EOC really knows how to pick a place (county) for the big O. Have they learned anything yet.
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8-20-2008 @ 10:37PM
tim said...
Communist government for you
http://www.collegefastbreak.com/prediction-8-accbig-ten-challenge/
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8-21-2008 @ 8:18AM
Ilanin said...
It's important to point out that tearing down people's homes to build new stadia is hardly limited to China. Great Britain is using compulsory purchase orders to clear land for the London games; I have no doubt that Athens and quite probably Sydney did so as well.
Of course, the British government doesn't interfere with people reporting on this issue and doesn't lock up protestors, either.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/olympics/2008/08/telling_stories_in_beijing.html
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8-21-2008 @ 11:02AM
Bas said...
We're doing it here in the US to our own citizens. Do a little research on the people in Texas that are losing their property, homes, and farms with little to no compensation to build the border fence. Our own government tells its citizens "too bad, it is in the interest of national security" - that catch-all phrase that let's them do whatever they want. The great thing about the US is that we can criticize our government without going to prison - at least, most of the time, and for the time being.
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