China Earthquake: Exodus Begins From Sichuan

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-14-2008 | Richard Spencer

[blam]

China earthquake: Exodus begins from Sichuan

By Richard Spencer in Hanwang Town, Sichuan Province
Last Updated: 11:05PM BST 14/05/2008

Tens of thousands of people have poured down from the mountainsides of Sichuan searching for food and water as rescuers evacuated towns where more than 40,000 people are dead, buried or missing. Rescue teams are digging through rubble, trying to reach survivors of a powerful earthquake in China.

Helicopters began to airlift residents out of the villages of Wenchuan county at the epicentre of the earthquake which struck China on Monday, while others walked for hours into the valleys and plains to the south and east. The county is still cut off from land-based relief by landslides.

But the exodus might yet be heading into more danger, with emergency workers attempting to plug gaps in two major dams.

The Zipingpu dam, above the city of Dujiangyan with its population of 600,000, was said at one stage to be in an "extremely dangerous state" with cracks more than four inches wide appearing in its face, though the water resources ministry later said on its website that it was stable for the time being.

Tulong dam, further north on the Min river, was said by officials to be near collapse, something which would have a knock-on effect on a series of dams and power stations further downstream.

Almost 400 dams altogether were said to have been affected by Monday's earthquake – the wet and mountainous province is criss-crossed by some of China's biggest and fastest-flowing rivers.

While some dams, like Zipingpu, are modern, others were built when construction standards were lower.

All day long, the 100,000 troops now assigned to the rescue effort grappled with the wreckage of major cities, towns and villages across a wide area.

There were some successes, including the rescue of a three-year-old girl in Beichuan, one of the worst-affected towns, and an eight-months pregnant woman trapped under an apartment block in Dujiangyan.

But by the evening the official death toll stood at nearly 15,000, with another 25,000 reported buried and more unaccounted for.

In Wenchuan, a paramilitary officer told local television that a third of houses had been destroyed and 90 per cent damaged.

Meanwhile, the survivors were starting to look ever more desperately for supplies, walking for hours out of their mountain villages to seek help.

"There is nothing left of my village," said Fu Yuanming, who had walked for 10 hours from Village Number 3 of Qingping district near the epicentre to Hanwang town. "We need help. Our people have nothing to eat, they have nothing to drink."

He said a landslide had blocked the river above the village, turning into a reservoir that was about to burst.

Along all the roads in the region, makeshift camps have been set up. Residents of the towns lined up patiently as fire engines served out buckets of water; in the villages, locals ran out into the road to forcibly stop trucks and beg for supplies of noodles and biscuits.

"Someone had better set up relief coordination, or the people will resort to robbery," said one man in the village of Wudu.

More than 10,000 people were crowded into the sports stadium in the city of Mianyang, Sichuan's second biggest city and an important base for China's high-tec industry. Many had walked from Beichuan.

Ralph Johnson, a British teacher who lives in the city and runs a pub there, said that almost a million people were now spending their days on the streets. That included the city's 800,000 population, many of whom were like him unable to return to their damaged flats, and thousands more refugees.

He was also waiting to hear news of the mountain primary school for which his regulars have raised funds, and which feeds a secondary school known to have collapsed with up to 1,000 dead.

"We have not heard anything from the school," he said.

A British embassy rapid response unit began work in the provincial capital Chengdu to help coordinate the search for tourists trapped in the region. Nineteen members of a Kuoni tour party that were on their way to the Wolong giant panda reserve near Wenchuan when the earthquake hit were still unaccounted for last night.

There were unconfirmed reports that a group of 50 tourists had been located at the reserve, and 12 Americans who had been missing spoke to Worldwide Fund for Nature officials by satellite phone.

But Sir William Ehrman, the British ambassador, told The Daily Telegraph that there had still been no contact with the British group.

"We are extremely concerned," he said. "We are trying all we can to locate those who are unaccounted for."

[TigersEye]

"I'm chinese,too.After several days here in only a few threads,I found it's difficult to speak freely here.Any good words about Chinese gov. would mark you as a spy or Pla or some "ChiCom propaganda"——a word I even dont know until I use the translation software.It's funny and boring. What someone here want to hear is that we all hate the gov. and we are suffering in hell in china.Anything else would be regarded as lie.It's hard to communicate with such pertinacious bias.

That isn't true. Either you have not been reading the posts here or you are trying to mislead us. There have been very many posts defending the posts of all of our new Chinese friends here.

[brityank]

Interesting. But how would they get your IP? That would be kind of freaky if they were sitting on your or FR's subnet with a packet sniffer.

So let me add my little bit of paranoia to this discussion -- look at the bottom of every page's "Source" selection of its HTML. Free Republic's has the following:

<div style="font-size: 8pt; color: rgb(119, 119, 119); font-family: Arial;">
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson </div>


<script style="display: none;" src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">_uacct = "UA-2288668-1"; urchinTracker();</script>

</body></html>

It's not just FR, most websites have some method of tracking each IP visitor, and FR and a great majority use google-analytics.com -- the logs are fairly easy to get although up-to-the-minute logs are probably hacked. Of course, China doesn't have any hackers -- just ask them.       ;^)

 

---

---

[SeaHawkFan]

This might be recently banned charles kwok or some other Chinese communist plant.

[txhurl]

We might expect the IOC to tell China ‘hey, let’s postpone this, you need to help your people and the Olympics would only be a major distraction to that effort’.

[TigersEye]

As I said before I don't know diddly about computers or servers so bear with me. It is one thing to get my IP # and another to find my machine and scan its ports isn't it? At that time I was on dial-up and randomly assigned an IP # too and the first thing I did was disconnect and reconnect. That didn't slow down the scans.

Everyone on the internet should know that they are not really anonymous from people with the right software and the motivation to use it. I expect that almost all governments have the tools. I consider myself cautious not paranoid so I will appreciate any corrections of my perceptions here. Thanks, brityank.

[brityank]

Everyone on the internet should know that they are not really anonymous from people with the right software and the motivation to use it. I expect that almost all governments have the tools. I consider myself cautious not paranoid so I will appreciate any corrections of my perceptions here.

Believe me, I am not the one you want to rely on for detailed information, but like you I am cautious. Daily I am amazed at the level of disclosure people put out on the 'Net in the clear, with no thought that others can, do, and will capture, collate, and nefariously use some of that data.

I also used dial-up for a lot of years, but even there found that you can be tracked very easily, based on the IP Group that your ISP uses along with your individual computer's reference ID such as email or MAC. Once your PC has been identified, it can be isolated and tracked, and governments have unlimited funds and technicians.

That DanaSoft sig block has woken up a lot of folk -- it only reflects back to you the information that you have provided by your accessing the page it's on. I don't see it nor anyone else; but it does show that you are not 'anonymous' unless you have taken some definitive actions to cloak your entry.

I just watched BBC News on my local PBS station, and the difference in the way China and Burma have handled their respective disasters is even making the normally socialist-supporting Beeb realise that Freedom beats Oppression, every time.

Thank you both for your knowledge and background of China; that's what makes FR so great!

[TigersEye]

We all do! Thanks, brityank. You have increased my understanding several good steps.

[Spouting Horn]

Why should we offer them one cent?

We pay them enough damn money in interest.

[adcycn]

No, it's freedom of association. As in, we have no desire to associate with PLA/ChiCom propagandists.

well ,at least could you tell the chinese here,what can we speak to avoid being regarded as this "PLA/ChiCom propagandists" and,er,being zotted?It really confuse many of us.Till now,all I can figure out is that any good words about chinese life or gov. would be regarded as lie and ChiCom propagandists,is it right?

[adcycn]

That isn't true.

Could you tell me which part of my post you take it isn't true?And why?

[adcycn]

I don't know enough about computers to tell you. I'm just a point-and-clicker. All I know is that within 30 - 40 minutes of posting some hyperbolic "glass parking lot" type challenges I was being port scanned like crazy and they traced back to Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. What should/would I make of that? Well,I really know some couputer skill,not much but enough to tell you something.
If you use a firewall which has ability to record the port scan on you,you will find almost every second you are scaned.It's not because you are you,but because you have this computer online.Nowadys many young people like to be hacker on internet,they think it's cool.So they used tools to hack and search.And almost millions of Proxy tools are sacning every ip in the world to find useful proxy computer.And more,many hackers not only scan but also hack in to spread virus and control your computer to earn money wich some advertisement comopany by CPC,CPA(cost per click ,per view,well,I worked for such a company before,^ ^）
Yes,the net police of china are doing their job in some time.But I don't think they track everything,while many are useless.

I also heard that CIA or FBI wiretap everything of everyone.Is that true?hehe~~~even it's true,I dont think american is evil or something by knowing that.It's brainless to make judgement on all the country when some of them made bad things.

[TigersEye]

f you use a firewall which has ability to record the port scan on you,you will find almost every second you are scaned

No, that is not true. At that time I did have software, Zone Alarm, that alerted me to every port scan. Normally I would get on about every two to three hours. After my posts about China keeping our airmen hostage I immediately started receiving pings about every four to eight minutes.

I also heard that CIA or FBI wiretap everything of everyone.Is that true?

Everyone? No, I don't think so. But the Secret Service does monitor this site quite well. One poster put up a comment about Pres. Clinton that was over the line and had it removed within 15 minutes. The SS was at his door the next day. It happened to another FReeper too so it is obvious that everything is being read by someone.

[TigersEye]

I also heard that CIA or FBI wiretap everything of everyone.Is that true?hehe~~~

Also, if the FBI, CIA, NSA or the SS was doing port scans on our computers we could trace that back to them and know it just like I traced the scans on my computer back to Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. I never had a port scan from them or have ever heard of another FReeper getting one. That is quite different than having the dialogue here recorded, stored and viewed by LEOs. Port scans are specifically done to find a way into a computer to do it harm.

... even it's true,I dont think american is evil or something by knowing that.It's brainless to make judgement on all the country when some of them made bad things.

It looks like you're the brainless one. Thanks for the insult, ChiCom.

[adcycn]

Like I said,port scan are most done by internet young users and tools by which they can get honor or money.As I know,many of these man are in east asia.Talking about the example you mentioned,I don't know if its true,and could you try more times or ask other ones to prove it?
And if you know proxy,then you won't give such an example.Even a new hacker knows to use a proxy to hide his original place.I dont think if a government agent want hack someone's computer and do not use proxy but by their own host.If I were the boss,I would fire him and ask him go back to school. ^ ^

[adcycn]

I don't mean to insult anyone.Maybe I use a word out of the line.Well,it's not easy for me to choose from my brain which have few english words stocked.
Ok,If you are not the type I point at,then there's no need to accept the insult.
And,as a charge of Chicom,I dont accept it.Do you know when I have the chance in my college and I refused it?haha,I really don't like politics,but I do like speaking what I thought~~~~

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

heheheheheheheheheBWaaahahahahahahahaha...;0)

[TigersEye]

You seem to be ignoring what I said. I had software that showed all port scans. I only got a few per day, all from the USA, all from companies, universities or communications firms, until I posted my comment about China. All of a sudden I got lots of port scans and they came from numerous IP addresses in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. Who exactly was doing it I don't know. The conclusion is obvious though. Numerous people in China didn't like what I said and wanted to get into my computer.

I have said very negative things about Muslims. No port scans. I have said very negative things about Russia. No port scans. I have said negative things about lots of countries and world leaders, including Americans. No port scans. I have said absolutely horrible things about American liberals. Many of them are very tech savvy. Many have plenty of money. No port scans. To a thinking person that says something about China.

I dont think if a government agent want hack someone's computer and do not use proxy but by their own host.If I were the boss,I would fire him and ask him go back to school.

That is an interesting comment. I have found that all of the professional PLA agents that have come to FR need to go back to school. None seems able to think for themselves. They just repeat the same talking points over and over.

[TigersEye]

OK, I will accept for now that you didn’t mean to say that I was brainless. How that could not be an insult I’m not sure but I will accept that you didn’t mean it that way. I will also accept that you aren’t here to push government propaganda. But your very weak defense of something that wasn’t really a judgment of the Chinese people doesn’t help you look apolitical. If you don’t want to defend the communist government of China then don’t do it. It is that simple. No one here will require you to denounce your government as long as you don’t blindly defend it. Does that make sense?

[TigersEye]

That’s the crocodile that ate my last computer!!! LOL

[adcycn]

Ok,forget the port scan ,I dont think it's a serious charge to discuss with while almost everyone are being port scaned.Even the Gov. did it,who cares,they have their job.There are more serious crime than a port scan if we wanna condemn,I'm sure both of us can find these things and argue about.But I don't want to,Both of us are biased,there would not be any result by doing that.All I wanna and enjoy to do is do some talking with foreigners and make some funny.And till now,as I am a chinese,I was likely have to say something about China,sadly no one believe it.Wow,Now I know some part of the propaganda of our gov. maybe real,while some of them are fake.
OK,Hope you hide your national secrets in your computer safely.