Party Congress Begins In China
October 15, 2007
Over the past few days, the area around Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, where more than 2,000 communist party delegates will gather Monday, has been awash with police and security forces.
They are ready to prevent dissidents and petitioners, mostly aggrieved rural residents, from disrupting the proceedings.
The Communist Party Congress, held every five years, will elect new senior party leaders and decide on policies that will guide China’s development in the next five years.
The congress is expected to endorse President Hu Jintao’s “harmonious society” concept that envisions a stable China despite bubbling social discontent.
China faces wide-ranging problems arising from its rapid economic development such as corruption, pollution, high prices and land disputes. These problems have resulted in violent protests and riots in the countryside.
On Sunday, Party Congress spokesman Li Dongsheng told reporters that Chinese society is harmonious and stable on the whole.
Li says there have been in his words, “bad incidents”, arising from China’s development. But he said they are regional and individual in nature.
Li adds the “bad incidents” taking place in individual localities have been solved. He says there is social progress and people are satisfied.
But last week, 12,000 petitioners signed an open letter to the country’s leaders demanding reforms and help for their problems.
Activists say the leader of the petitioners was detained Thursday.
Last week, the chief of China’s public security bureau said “no efforts would be spared” by police from all over the country to “resolve disputes and uncertainties at grassroots levels”.
Human rights groups say several dissidents, whistleblowers and petitioners have been detained or harassed in the weeks leading up to the Congress. Since September, the government has been demolishing an area known as the petitioners’ village in suburban Beijing. There, people who come from outside the city stay while waiting for officials to consider their grievances.
In cyberspace, bloggers complain of tighter controls, with their posts disappearing or Web sites shut down by government censors.
The Congress opens on Monday, and ends on October 21.
Source: VOA
Idaho Senator Larry Craig Reneges On Resignation
October 5, 2007
After intense scrunity from pleading guilty to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from his arrest for naughty behavior in a men’s bathroom, U.S. Senator Larry Craig announced that he would resign a month ago.
“The people of Idaho deserve a senator who can devote 100 percent of his time and effort to the critical issues of our state and of our nation,” said Craig on September 2nd. “Therefore it is with sadness and deep regret that I announce that it is my intent to resign from the Senate, effective September 30th.”
Subsequently, he attempted to get his guilty plea thrown out. The court rejected the manuever, so Larry Craig decided he would stay put.
“I am extremely disappointed with the ruling issued today. I am innocent of the charges against me. I continue to work with my legal team to explore my additional options,” he said in statement released on Thursday.
“I will continue to serve Idaho in the United States Senate, and there are several reasons for that. As I continued to work for my state over the past three weeks here in the Senate, I have seen that it is possible for me to work here effectively.”
When his term is up, he plans to retire and not seek re-election. Unless he changes his mind, that is.
New Osama Bin Laden Video On 9/11 Anniversary?
September 7, 2007
U.S.-based monitoring groups say the al-Qaida terrorist network intends to release a new video recording of Osama bin Laden on or before next week’s sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States.
No photos or video of Bin Laden have been seen since late 2004, and the last audio message attributed to the fugitive terrorist leader was heard more than a year ago.
Two private monitoring organizations - SITE intelligence Group and IntelCenter - say an announcement, in the name of al-Qaida’s media-production arm, al-Sahab, seen on an Islamist website this week indicates the new al-Qaida video is about to be released.
A photograph said to be a recent portrait of bin Laden accompanied the announcement.
The United States is offering a $25-million reward for bin Laden, but he has eluded capture since the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. President Bush says the U.S. will find Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice, no matter how long it takes.
Source: VOA