Chen Weijun

Beijing's hand-picked Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu visited Lhasa where he slammed anti-Communist protesters, "unfit" in his words to be called men of religion. A young monk tells AsiaNews that "he is a poor puppet in Chinese hands" living "in a gilded jail". Without any understanding of Tibet, he is "forced to play to Beijing's tune. We feel compassion for him." Nonetheless, his statements are part of the Communist party's strategy to decide what is orthodox in every religion.

The State Council has ordered the merger of a thriving mining district with a less rich neighboring county: about 10 thousand people, who are afraid of ending up in poverty, take to the streets to protest. Shops closed, dozens wounded, police in riot gear: the economy an increasingly destabilizing factor for China.

"China's Sakharov" dies in Arizona after 22 long years in exile. Although not directly involved in the 1989 protests, he was considered one of the leading pro-democracy activists who inspired the broad-based movement. Another exiled dissident, Wang Dan, calls Fang a "spiritual teacher", appeals to the government to allow dissidents to go home, at least to see their families.

China Labour Bulletin tells AsiaNews, "Cook's visit and the company's promises are just propaganda. There have been some improvements because management realises that too much violence inside and outside plants is counterproductive. Now the challenge is to transform China's model through a revolution in labour relations."

The education sector is one of the most sensitive in the country. On paper for free, in reality very expensive : government has decided to outsource to private schools, only to freeze debts. The universities are close to closing, while there is a continuous risk of malnutrition in rural schools.

China is "like Italy in the 1950s: great economic development but also great disparities." The government does not help those involved in social work. "High competition, indiscriminate price hikes and salaries and fundraising laws can cripple us."

Islamic and Tibetan NGOs especially affected. Sources tell AsiaNews: "The government is playing at cloak and dagger but it is also threatening to cut off those who do not have bad intentions. China is afraid of political activities hidden under a curtain of social assistance, but this is not a good reason to target us all. "