Free Republic

The lack of confidence that some of my Chinese friends seem to have in their government comes as a surprise for me. After all, it would seem that by now, Beijing should be an expert at providing assistance for displaced people. We are talking about a government that recently has completed the Three Gorges Project, the world’s largest dam, and in the process has had to relocate up to 4 million people. Many of these people, by no choice of their own, were sent to brand new cities that the Chinese government quickly constructed as the dam’s resevoir began to...

“I don’t think that the donations are getting to the earthquake victims,” a friend of mine somberly told me recently. “A few of my friends came back from Mianyang recently,” he explained, “and they told me that the earthquake survivors were not being given enough food and water.” It was feared, he said, that the much of the money was being pocketed by local officials or being used to fund activities that were unrelated to the tragedy in Sichuan.

While it is a good sign that the government will allow affected families to have more children, I wonder how Chinese people feel about the wording of this policy exemption? The underlying message behind the government’s announcement seems to be that “we know that your injured son or daughter may be now completely useless so we will allow you to have another try.” In addition, the fact that Chinese parents in the region will not have to continue paying fines on dead children that the Chinese government never wanted to see born in the first place can hardly be construed...

here is a class of junior school. only 9 of those 48 kid survive

oward getting rich, the deadliest disaster in a generation has touched off an unprecedented outpouring of charity, especially among newly wealthy and urban Chinese. Donations are flooding in, more money than charities in China collected all of last year, and so are volunteers. In the week since the quake, donations have totaled $1.3 billion — 85 percent raised within China, the Xinhua News Agency said Sunday, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

So why else might the CCP be more willing this time to share information with its citizens and the world? One word says it all. Tibet. Does anyone remember Tibet? It is a province in South Western China that up until last Monday was basking in the world spotlight as Tibetans and their supporters attempted to portray what they view as ‘cultural genocide’ and ‘religious opression.’ No one that I know of is suggesting that the Chinese government somehow artifically created the earthquake to take the world’s attention off Tibet and human rights or that they are happy with event....

“The earthquake happened on Buddha’s birthday,” a friend somberly explained to me yesterday. “I’m afraid that things in China are going to get worse. I have a bad feeling about our country right now.” She went on to explain that while Buddha has no power to create or stop such disasters, she felt that the occurrence of the earthquake on Buddha’s birthday was an ominous sign. My friend is only 25 years old but she is a follower of what she calls ‘Tibetan Buddhism.’ Her husband, who is also a Buddhist, encouraged her to practice the religion.

well, the toll now is 19509. but local authorities estimates that the eventual toll may be over 50,000,because there are still thousands of people buried under the rubbles...... The relative data today: Toll:19,509; Injured:102,100; But luckily,13,400+ people have be rescued from rubbles by now.

China's Defense Ministry said early Thursday that it has ordered the deployment of 101 more helicopters to the quake-hit Sichuan province. The General Staff of the People's Liberation Army has ordered the airborne troops of the Army and Air Force to send 71 more transport helicopters to help the quake relief work, a spokesman of the Ministry told Xinhua. He said the civil aviation department will also send 30 transport helicopters to the quake-hit area. These helicopters will engage in airdropping materials, transferring the wounded and delivering troops, said the spokesman.