A Protege of a Communist is No Better

Lu Binhua is a specialist at the a hair salon 'Windsor's Love' in Ningbo of Zhejiang Province. Her house in her hometown Hanyang, Hubei Province was bulldozed by local officials against their resistance and without going through legal procedures. Lu announced that she would not serve any officials.

She would ask the question, 'do you work in a government agency' before serving a client. If the answer is yes, she will then ask the client to go to the next specialist. When some of her co-workers argued that not all of persons working in a government agency officials, Lu responded, 'a protégé of an official is no better'.

source via @Daya9.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

It turned out the student who hit the Fang Bingxin with a shoe was from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) Wenhua College.

Huazhong University is one of the mega universities created after the Communists took power in mainland. HUST was funded in 1953, and strengthened through a series of mergers with other colleges and universities over years. Today, the school is home to more than 56,000 students. Since its inception, HUST consistently ranked top 10 universities on varies ranking and forums by all measurable criteria. However, few of its alum had climbed to top tier positions in academic or non-academic areas. While HUST has proud itself of providing mass amount of engineers who are essential for China's technology modernization, many mocked the school for producing excellent self-disciplined slave labor without brain.

Yesterday's incident is an evident that after so many years and hundreds of thousands of alums, some HUST graduates do have a brain capable of independent thinking along solid execution. It is an example of the transition from quantity to quality, which we expect to see more in China, and accidentally, it is the first in China.

Hubei's Tough Chief Promoted

Hubei Governmenor Li Hongzhong, who made name when grabbing a female reporter during a press conference at the National Congress in March 2010, was rewarded with a promotion to the Party Chief of Hubei Province, announced the CCP today.

Being Cynical

People outside of China often puzzled at the cynicism attitude among elite Chinese. Indeed, it is not only an essence on issues of political significance, but abundant in trivial daily life. For example, many many years ago, faculty dinning room of Beijing University sold two kinds of buns, one made with regular (dark) wheat flour, and the other kind with bleached flour. The official name of the two, as referred to in the rest of the China, would be 'regular' and 'enriched'. However, intellectuals of the University rather used disparaged words, such as 'black' and 'white', and later 'pay-more', and 'not-pay-more' (the cultural backdrop: mentioning anything about money is historically despited for intellectuals). In another example, though many enthusiastically supported the student democratic demonstration on the Tian'anmen Square in 1989, once the military rolled tanks into Beijing, few dared murmur any objections. Quietly, on basketball fields on campus, a referee would proclaim 'martial law' in lieu of 'time-out'. They called the attention that they recognized the situation, without expressing an opinion of any.

What are the cowards afraid of? People living outside China often fail to understand that you could be throw into jail or killed even on a trivial gesture.

It couldn't be more clear from the threatens issued after the 1989 incident. The CCP claimed millions of communists sacrificed their lives in the wars and fights to established the current regime, therefore, if any students or anyone else wants to over throw the government, the CCP will behead ten million people first. (The logic was actually disputed by a number of old generation communists years later, where they argued, those who sacrificed their lives did that for a hope of a country where enjoy their lives, unlike the situation of current regime)

Even if you were not against the government, and even if it were a misunderstanding, you and your family could be ruined and buried forever. The communism enforces their rule by crushing any challengers mercilessly. It is also a highly efficient mechanism which always entices more followers by offering huge incentives and covering for their well beings with no limit.

With the knowledge, it's easier to decipher the behavior of elite of Chinese intellectuals after the Governor of Hubei grabbed a young female reporter and confiscated her recording pen at the National People's Congress in front of hundreds of other reporters.

Five days after the incident, many posters are praising the governor, while felt lucky for the reporter. The mainstream voice is that the reporter should count her blessing because had it happened in Hubei Province, she wouldn't have been able to walk out alive. Many expressed sympathy on the governor because had it happened in Hubei, police, military or even security would have handled the interruption perfectly for him. An untamed reporter would not even be able to get close to him within a 10 miles perimeters. The elite spread the incident at first time to check out the political wind. When they sensed the central government could care less even though it happened at the biggest annual political show stage, they backed from their initial demand of apology.

No Apology Was Due, Said Hubei Governor

The whereabout of governor of Hubei Province had been tracing down by curious reporters in the past couple of days, after he grabbed a female reporter, and confiscated her recording pen at a news conference of the National People's Congress.

Today LI Hongzhong was finally ready to talk to official reporters of designated agencies regarding the weired episode on March 7, 2010. He stated that no apology was due in this case because the reporter, LIU Jie of Beijing Times committed fraud impersonation (as a People's Daily reporter).

Beijing Times is a wholly owned regional division of People's Daily, targeting readers in Beijing. The relationship is somewhat analogous to that between a Buick and General Motors.

Governor LI said he would prefer to forgive the misdemeanor of the young reporter because she was still new in this field.

All reference to the incident had been wiped out from the web inside China protected by the Great FireWall.

Hubei Governor Li Hongzhong Shined at the 11th National People's Congress

In the morning of March 7, 2010, the Hubei Province delegation held a press conference to advocate the progress made in Hubei. A female reporter Liu, Jie asked what did the governor think about the Deng Yujiao case, where local officials of Hubei gang raped a waitress in public.

Governor LI Hongzhong (Wikipedia, Official Home Page) was apparently annoyed. He asked the reporter who did she work for? The reporter replied, "People's Daily" (a Party owned propaganda newspaper). The governor reprimanded the reporter, "Are you really (affiliated with the People's Daily)? Don't you know you are the Party's mouthpiece (mouth and tongue in Chinese)? What the hell direction are you steering your readers' opinion? I will talk to your boss!"

In a move which to stun everyone in the room, the governor grabbed the reporter by her breasts to pull her close to himself. The governor then robbed the reporter's breasts while the reporter sobbed silently in tears for about two minutes that's when he found a hidden recorder pen in her bra with a string hanged on her neck. Without raising his voice, the governor broke the string in a swift and affirmative act, and passed the recorder pen to a Hubei official accompanying him. He then tossed the reporter's credentials out in front of a roomful of other reporters.


The reporter is Jie LIU, a reporter of "Beijing Times" (Jinghua Shibao in Chinese), a Beijing based daily newspaper under "People's Daily".

The governor is LI Hongzhong, deputy Party secretary of Hubei CCP, a member of the 17th Central Committee of the CCP, and a representative of the (current) 11th National Congress. Li has been the governor of Hubei Province since the end of 2007.

The episode was promptly described by reporters at the scene by twitter-equivalent micro-blogs, and appeared on many blogs, including those operated by influential mainstream traditional media, such as "Southern Weekends", "Finance", etc. Audios and videos of the incident flooded video sharing sites.

The last time in history when an official Chinese reporter (reporters in China are government employees) had a dispute with an official happened in April 1957, before the commonly considered communism dark era of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1969). Assistant Agricultural Minister ZUO Ye had a verbal exchange with a reporter due to over-crowding during a USSR delegation's visit in Beijing. Hundreds reporter were jailed as a result.

The recorder had been officially issued back to the reporter by the Hubei provincial government the next day according to online reports. However, no apology was offered. Media demands an apology, and some reporters threatened of further action with a 24 hours note.

Download or listen the original audio before it would be harmonized.

In his annual state of the country State Council Government Work Report delivered on March 5, 2010 to the 11th National People's Congress where the incident took place, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said, '...... (the government) should facilitate people's criticism and monitoring of the government. At the same time, the government should encourage media to monitoring its operation. Authority should work under the sunshine."

The Insider's Note on Jingzhou Drowning Accident

[一声叹息]那段水域的死亡率有多高
xilei 发表于 2009-11-4 9:06:00


　　我生活在3个大学生死亡地方的江堤下的荆堤小区，直线距离100米内，在那块水域，有15年以上的游泳经验。每年夏天的暑假期基本上无一天例外的在那游泳。下雨也去，包括98年那年发洪水的时候也无例外的在那游。
　　
　　我只是看见现在网络上的大量抨击沙市人的素质低，什么见死不救的观点，忍无可忍的发表这篇文章，以我15年的亲身经验给大家分析过程。我没亲眼所见，不过我见过起码数百起宝塔河区域这样的事情，或者说是类似的。绝无夸张。
　　
　　长江水流方向是自西向东，宝塔河因为万寿宝塔的存在，所以在当年的长江改道，也没有完全的改去。现在这个地方就是类似一个独立的内河，而且因为长江的中心水流自西向东，碰见万寿宝塔的拦截就成了自东向西的流向，不懂的同学在草稿纸上画个图就能理解，图画完了认真点看不难发现，长江的主航线是自西向东，水文站（就是落水的那地方）岸边的水是自东向西，于是宝塔河的这块水域就是一个直径300米左右的大漩涡。而且事实确实如此，我下岸的时候以背对岸来说是从左到右的水流，一出宝塔河区域，水流就成了从右到左。所以这样的特殊水域，纵然是一个游泳高手，自己游可能不会发现那有多么困难，只要后来拉一个人起来，救人难度是很大的，而且以我个人20岁以前的经验，一旦被水冲到万寿宝塔下方，那就在那回不来了。必须听那些高手的指点，顺水出到长江航线，再往回游，不然，我就只能这么说上帝创造了你，他也准备收回你了。本人技术也许不够，所以20多年来，没一次能不顺水出去而直接回来（因为水太急）
　　
　　这是水流的区域，告诉大家，在这地方救人的危险性。

　　其次，说一下人为的因素，住在长江边上（主要是指宝塔河那里）的人都会在孩子小的时候这么教育“看见有人掉下去了千万别去救，不然你自己也要死”。看了这句话是不是觉得人性很残忍？不是的，这是事实，宝塔河边上每年死多少人大家知道吗？ 报纸，电视上？还是百度一下？去查下？ 20多对吗？告诉你们，我一个暑假平均每天都看见有人拉尸体上来，多的时候一天就看见拉出4，5具尸体.（一个救孩子的父亲，还有一个老奶奶带着2个孙子的尸体，以及一个从上游冲下来的，这是我看见的最多的一次）。所以，对那几个死亡20多的数据，看了笑一下也就算了。别当真。这一段是告诉大家，那段水域的死亡率有多高。
　　
　　说了半天还没说重点，这么时候说重点来了。差不多在8年前。在这段水域来了一票现在大家口中所谓的“渔夫”。他们开始来的时候专门打鱼，后来发展成了打捞死人，没记错的话在00年左右的时候一个死人的价格大约在2500-3000左右，便宜的时候好象有过 2000的样子。我能确定，他们不是沙市人。很简单口音不对，我和他们聊过。最开始只是单纯的拉死上来。只有2个小船。到后来，我在一次偶然的时候和冬泳队的那群职业帮子去救一个人，快速游出去的时候，那船也动了，我以为他们是准备等别人死了又来打捞的（那时候他们已经发展成了一个口号，“只捞死人，不救活人”），我们也没准备和他们说什么，毕竟社会没要求每个人都是雷锋，最多我个人看不下去而已。但是郁闷的是，我游出去的路线，与他们的船开的路线，居然很巧合的会在某一点重合。于是我不得不绕一圈，先顺水后逆水的绕过去。等我游到那溺水人的身边时候我的体力基本消耗2/3，剩下的体力要连自己带那个人一起拉回去，我一游到那边上就把游泳圈丢过去（我去长江无论什么时候都有一个用摩托车轮胎内胎做的游泳圈，且用麻木绳系在身上，不离身），那个溺水的人估计是看见我了，伸手就抓我，瞎抓了2下，马上一手扣死我的颈部，直把我搞得呛一口水几乎见上帝。最后靠着游泳圈，我还是活着回来，不然今年就是我的2周年祭日。可能大家会更早的听说我这个名字，也成了“英雄”。
　　
　　事后总结2条，第一，那票“渔民”的数学和流体力学真他妈学的好，真可谓一挡一个准。怎么没进中国科学院，真他妈的可惜。第二，以后再不搞这样的蠢事，算是上帝可怜我，没把我拉去陪他老人家。我实在没把握下次我出水救人还能活着见到第2天太阳，因为我救的人才14岁都有这么大的力气对我实施那“毁灭”性的一抓，真有后怕。

　　所以希望那些说沙市人都不见义勇为者自己心里有个底.不是没人去救的。如果真没人救，那里的死亡人数，我个人的保守估计起码翻一翻。
　　
　　最重要的一点就是那些所谓的发的帖子说的“黑幕”的那一些废话，我给你们说下什么叫真正的“黑幕”
　　
　　在人落水之后，“渔民”会马上活动起来，他们的船就开始发动，然后会在他们估计的路线上阻挡你的营救——是不是很像间接的故意杀人？可惜事实就是这样。
　　
　　然后当溺水的人沉下去之后他们马上会靠近那人，用网将那个人钩住（有的时候钩不住的那就没办法了），这个溺水的人就会被拖在船的后面，这时候溺水的人纵然清醒，也会在铁钩和网（那可不是一张小网，很有点重量的）的重量下，无法把头露出水面，即使没有清醒，从医学角度来说，溺水这么点时间也是能救活了。这就构成了谋杀。可惜啊取证太难。无法启动司法程序。等亲属去要求他们打捞尸体的时候，他们就会只专心谈价格，因为尸体的打捞他们不用关心，就在他们身后嘛.可惜你知道吗？不知道。你就必须接受那个价格。等价格谈好了，他们就开船绕一圈..然后回来，告诉你，人捞到了，该给钱了。最后看见的就是一个真正的死人了，无论是真死的，还是活着被“拖”死的。这才是真正的黑幕。这也是为什么这么多人却救不到几个人人，也是为什么一个3分钟就能完成的营救，却经常弄到15分钟之后还不能完成的原因。最后还弄个救的人死了，运气不好，救的人和被救的人都死了的结果。

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Notice the body dragged in water with one hand tied to the boat.

That body was one of two first year college students of the Yangtze University who sacrificed their own lives to save to kids fallen to the river. The local 'rescue and recover' company recovered the body, then bound them on the side of the boat waiting for a cash payment.


The time: Oct 24, 2009

The place: Jingzhou, Hubei Province

The white head: Mr. Chen Bo, CEO of the 'Yangtze Salvage Limited Inc.'

The company: Yangtze Salvage Limited Inc. was founded by a Wuhan businessman Mr. Chenbo in 2004. With help from local communist party, the company enjoys a market monopoly on the segment of Yangtze River along Jingzhou of Hubei Province. The place where the two kids drown took hundreds of lives each year.

It used to be a slow and shallow beach, but a big drop was dug a few years ago, which could not bee seen from the surface because of murky water. The picture was taken from the bank. Further into the river, the water is as high as barely covering one's feet. The two person in swimming trucks helped save six other students.

The rule is simple. Rule No. 1: no one shall rescue a drowning person out of the river in that segment. If a fisherman saves a person, he will be beat on his way home that night, and find his boat burned next morning. Rule No. 2: no one shall recover a body from the river in that segment, except the Company. National media who rushed to the scene reported that while several government agencies were called to the scene, including the Yangtze Maritime Affairs and paramilitary Fire Department, all refused to take action. Local police told the students to negotiate with the Company.

The Company charges a flat fee of 12,000 RMB Yuan ($2,000) per body in daytime and 18,000 RMB Yuan ($3,000) after sunset. 200 RMB Yuan goes to the fishing boat hired to conduct the work, while the rest goes directly to the Company.

Despite a national outrage, local police refused to investigate. The police chief told the reporters the incident showed lack of applicable laws and urge the national congress to make more laws. Two days later, the central government in Beijing ordered all national media to level the area, and prohibited further reporting on the case.

The bodies would stay in the river for another 4 hours after the picture was taken, before the students, professors and college administrators were able to collect the ransom in cash.

一条船上的人
from 韩寒 by 韩寒

今天在网络上看见了一张照片，因为照片是由上自下慢慢显示，所以在很长时间里都看见了一个老头气势滂沱站在船上，指点江山，后面跟着一个人，随从打点。这不就是我们领导考察的架势吗？等显示完整才看见船底下拖拽的尸体。

事情回到了湖北荆州的大学生救人事件。这个事情包括见人不久捞尸要钱的事情想必大家都已经非常了解。从这张照片里，我们可以解读出什么呢？

第一，根据报导，船主陈波垄断了荆州段的尸体打捞业务，其他打捞船过来便会受到威胁。所有的经验告诉我们，在中国，垄断行业只有两个可能，政府行为或者政府参与。当然，政府不会设立捞尸部，所以，陈波之所以能再当地垄断，和当地政府之间很有可能是有关系的。另外，更具照片的分析，陈波的举手投足以及后面随从人员的相貌形态，都颇有政府处级以上领导从业经验的风采。而且陈波一口咬定，捞尸费一定是12000元，少一分钱都不干，而且见钱才给人。如果是正常做生意，假设是你，捞三具尸体，36000元，你至少能够抹去零头吧，这是人之常情，况且遇见这样悲惨的事件，而且还是在英勇救人的情况下，任何人都会动容。我认为，陈波之所以一分不让，可能这12000元中，有相当的一部分是打点给他的后台的，如果你只收了5000元，很可能他还要倒贴。而之所以要看见钱才给人，表示他非常害怕别人不给钱。有三个尸体打捞上来，其中有一个真的不给钱，常人的反应都是继续要钱，实在要不到也没有办法，因为至少赚了 24000。但是陈波宁愿被人当模特狂拍照还不给尸体，除了此人道德品行恶劣以外，还可能是支持他垄断经营的后台知道打捞起的人数，按照人数收取打点费用，所以必须要收到这笔钱。

当然，我只是在猜测，我没有证据。大的大贪，小的小贪，官商公贪，不就这点鸟事吗。

还有一个可能性就是，这其实就是一家政府背景的企业，“荆州市长江水上打捞有限公司”，写的很清楚了，荆州市长。当然，这个也可以向荆州的吴局长了解一下。说不定大家都有股份。只有政府背景的公司才能又垄断又黑。

第二，这张照片中，陈波一伙人很明显犯下虐尸罪，敲诈勒索罪，故意或者过失杀人罪。因为首先，没有人可以证明被捞起来的必然是尸体，因为他尚未开具死亡证明，而且距离事发当时并没有超过一个理论上没有生还可能的时间，也许这个人没有死或者还有抢救的可能。你可以说我狡辩，我不需要证明他还活着，但你必须要有证据证明他已经死了。在对方生死不明的情况下，陈波等人阻止了对溺水者进行抢救的行为，已经形成了杀人罪。

第三，当地的公安，救护，消防部门完全有理由和能力对陈波进行强制性的行为，让陈波交还溺水者或者进行施救。连城管都能对商户下命令，何况公安呢，而当地的相关部门在事发现场的不作为，证明了他们和陈波之间非比寻常的关系。很有可能他们是一条船上的人，所以他们不能上一条船。

第四，这些都是倒钩案等一系列事件的衍生产品或者周边产品，那就是好人没好报，唯利是图，人情冷漠，这也是中国社会的缩影，有人需要帮助，再不帮一把就活不下去了，有人出手了，结果自己也被拖下水，岸上的好人干着急，磕头下跪都没有用，资源被垄断，没有利益驱动，你连个尸体都没有。

第五，建议中国的公民随身携带两万元，第一是因为最近物价飞涨，多带点钱总没错，第二是万一被倒钩需要交纳一万到两万的罚款。第三是如果有朋友落水或者自己落水，你可以将现金举过头顶，这样才会有半官方捞尸队对你进行打捞，如果你有幸被救，对方又非常有道德，把你和尸体当成了一个收费标准，那么你还有八千元可以在医院或者救护车上对自己进行抢救。

第六，建议从中小学生就开始进行游泳课的训练。会不会游泳应该作为毕业标准。当然，我到现在还没有学会游泳，必须也要去学习。需要取代的是什么课呢？不是将游泳课合并入体育课，体育课是一定要保留的，但是要取消思想政治课。我们上了十年的思想政治课，学习了这么多的鸟毛，除了建起了一个鸟巢以外，我们学到了什么？社会风气依然很差，这说明思想政治课从教育的角度来讲是完全失败的，而且因为内容枯燥，编写乏味，观点虚伪，文笔干涩。而作为洗脑专用课程，它无疑也是相当失败的，因为他需要强加背诵很多完全没有记忆点的内容，反而引起了无数青春期少年的反感，乃是过滤词的巨大失算。既然不能洗脑，那还不如去洗澡，所以，建议教委将所有的思想政治课改为游泳课，强身健体，还学会一项求生技能，这门课程一举从害人变成救人，功德无量。

Lynching upon Yangtze River

Three college students sacrificed their lives to rescue two drowning kids on the Yangtze River. Their bodies were dragged behind a boat of a local mafia with political connections in the water when their boss was negotiating ranson with the university administrators. Despite tearful pleas from 40 some students and professors at the scene, the mafia refused to release the bodies while waiting for the money to be retrieved in four hours.

An investigative report by the Shanghai TV presented the complete story to people outside for the first time.

The scene of the tragic accident was a popular tourist destination and busy fishing resource. When the two kids fell to the water by accident in bright daylight (2pm), however, no local people dare to rescue. A local mafia with political connections enjoys a monopoly in the body recovering business. They pocket 12,000 RMB Yuan ($2,000) to recover a body in daytime, and 18,000 RMB ($3,000) Yuan for a night job. Anyone dares to save drowning people will be attacked, their boats burned. Fishermen were blamed by initial media for leaving the scene after the accident, but actually they said they were fleeing so that not to get into trouble.

The college students who were holding a picnic were not from the local area so they did not know the rule. After getting the two kids out of the river, the human chain broke, and 9 students fell to the water. At this time, there were several boat right at the scene, as close as within 3 yards but they quickly drove away.

Half an hour later, local Maritime Affairs officials and local Paramilitary firemen (firemen in China are active duty armed police under the military, similar to the status of Coast Guard in the US) arrived the scene but all refused to get into the water, citing conflict of interests with the mafia.

40 minutes later, the mafia boats arrived. They soon found two drowned students. They did not remove them from the water to check, but rather tied their hands to the the boat, and dragged them behind in the water while they urged the other students and professors to raise money. The mafia insisted they would have to wait until the $24,000 cleared before they look for the third one. 12,000 RMB Yuan is a big sum of money and they do not have that much. Some students were sent back to the university to collect money. It took them 4 hours to get the money. However, it was about the evening, and the mafia now demand to trade at the 18,000 night rate.

At the end, students got bodies back after clearing the deal at price set by the mafia.

The Jingzhou police refused to charged the mafia even after the media exposure. The local police complained no law regulating this area and urge the government to make laws.

Capitalism on Deadly River

Three college students drowned when they were trying to rescue two kids from icy water. Chen Jishi, He Dongxu and Fang Zhao are all freshmen of the Changjiang University in Xiangfan, Hubei. In the afternoon of Saturday October 24, 2009, around 30 classmates were holding a picnic on the bank of Yangtze River. At 2:10, suddenly they heard crying "Somebody fell in water!" Two teenage kids were struggling in the river. They rushed to the scene. Most of them do not swim, so they formed a human ladder to reach to sinking kids. They saved the two kids. Moments later, the 'ladder' was broken by a wave and three of them lost their lives.

The place was a popular tourists destination. It was in bright day light. Many fishing boats were around. When one of the bodies were found, it was within three yards of one of the fishing boats.

A investigative report revealed fishermen refused to safe the drowning college students. They refused to throw a life jacket or even a wooden board when asked by other students. They were waiting.

They were waiting because at running rate, the price tag to lift one body is 12,000 RMB ($2,000). They were waiting to make some money. When University officials came, they were promised the money, but they only recovered two bodies. Then they stopped, and waited for a cash payment before they would recover the third body.

An Angel Is Waching You

Zhang, a math major in the 2007 class, knows that he has been being watched. Could it be the girl who has been pretending studying the unnamed plants at the entrance of the building? Could it be the student sitting in the second row have the same page for hours? His mind is only assured that the wary eyes belong to an angel.

Wuhan Evening News reported on Dec 4th, that Hubei University launched a 'Little Angels Project'. Each student will be drawn randomly to watch another student, and take notes of everything noteworthy. At the end of each month, the notes will be assembled and released with personal identity information stripped.

Student life administrator You Junqiao told the newspaper, knowing they are being watched, students study harder.