Translated by Paul Frank
Since October, several popular riots in China have caught the world's attention. These incidents indicate that China has entered a period of serious social conflict.
The Hanyuan Incident: The people are deprived of their right to make a living while the government "drains the pond to catch the fish"
The protest staged by people living in the Hanyuan Reservoir area in Sichuan Province deserves the widest attention. Here is the background. First, the Hanyuan protest was staged to protect the livelihoods of 150,000 people and was one of a large number of similar popular protests that have recently been organized all over China in response to the Chinese government's plunder of the nation's natural resources. As the popular saying goes, the government is "draining the pond to catch the fish." In accordance with China's new energy strategy, at least 50 million people will be forced to relocate in the future. Second, the Chinese government has to strike a balance between an energy crisis that is becoming more severe with each passing day and riots at the bottom rung of society. The choice is between developing energy resources to sustain economic development and protecting the basic livelihood of tens of millions of people at the bottom rung of society. Put in plain language, by sacrificing a minority's right to make a living, the Communist regime can buy itself a few more years or even decades in power. But if the speed of economic development is reduced, the government will inevitably have to cope with all sorts of socio-economic problems.
Since October, several popular riots in China have caught the world's attention. These incidents indicate that China has entered a period of serious social conflict.
The Hanyuan Incident: The people are deprived of their right to make a living while the government "drains the pond to catch the fish"
The protest staged by people living in the Hanyuan Reservoir area in Sichuan Province deserves the widest attention. Here is the background. First, the Hanyuan protest was staged to protect the livelihoods of 150,000 people and was one of a large number of similar popular protests that have recently been organized all over China in response to the Chinese government's plunder of the nation's natural resources. As the popular saying goes, the government is "draining the pond to catch the fish." In accordance with China's new energy strategy, at least 50 million people will be forced to relocate in the future. Second, the Chinese government has to strike a balance between an energy crisis that is becoming more severe with each passing day and riots at the bottom rung of society. The choice is between developing energy resources to sustain economic development and protecting the basic livelihood of tens of millions of people at the bottom rung of society. Put in plain language, by sacrificing a minority's right to make a living, the Communist regime can buy itself a few more years or even decades in power. But if the speed of economic development is reduced, the government will inevitably have to cope with all sorts of socio-economic problems.
