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ミャンマーと中共の大災害（その３）
http://blog.ohtan.net/archives/51222233.html太田述正コラム#2553（2008.5.17） ＜ミャンマーと中共の大災害（その３）＞（2008.6.21公開） イ 民の声 中共当局は、今回の大震災に関しては一切インターネット規制をしないという前例のない措置をとりましたが、中共のネチズン達は、「どうしてこんなに沢山学校が崩壊したのに役所の建物はびくともしていないんだ。ひどい話だ。」、「役人達は自分達の命の方が大事だと思ってるのさ。学校の多くはおから工事（注）でできているんだ。そんな工事のやり方を役所の建物でやるわきゃない。」、「一段落したら、誰がこれらの学校を建設したのか、資材に問題はなかったのか、汚職がなかったのか、調査が行われるべきだ。」、と声を挙げています。 （注）「おから（bean-curd dregs）工事」とは、汚職などが原因で建築費を安くあげた手抜き工事のことだ。 また、中共当局は外国人記者に被災現場での自由な取材を許すという前例のない措置をとりましたが、被災者の間からも、「役人達と建設会社は癒着している。連中は手抜き工事をして儲けてるんだ。」、「われわれの子供達のためにまともな学校を建てるカネがないわけがない。役人達は余りにも腐敗していてあくどい。」、「回りの建物は20年も前から建っているが崩壊していない。学校は建設されてから10年しか経っていない。連中は建設に回すべきカネを横取りすることで何百人もの子供達の命を奪った。連中は売春婦達や二号達のためのカネはあってもわれわれの子供達のためのカネはないってわけだ。」、「資格のないような建設会社が建てたに違いない。豆腐のような建物だったんだ。どうかこの話をニュースとして伝えて欲しい。」、「これは自然災害じゃない。人災だ。」、「調査を行うべきだ。さもなきゃ何千人もの親達が役人どもを殴り殺すだろう。」と息巻く声が噴出しています。 13日に国務院（内閣）が行った記者会見で、国営英字紙のChina Dailyの記者が、以上のような声をぶつけたところ、建設省（Ministry of Civil Affairs）の災害救助局長は、「崩壊したのは学校だけではないが、子供達が生き埋めになったことにわれわれは強い関心を抱いている。北川（Beichuan）県では役所の建物も崩壊して恐らく多数の死傷者が出ているはずだ。政府の建物だってみんな堅固なわけではない。」と苦しい答弁を行いました。 そして16日には、教育省の役人が、既に学校の崩壊により教員と生徒、計7,000人の死亡が確認されているとした上で、「もし学校の建物で手抜きが発見されたら、われわれはその責めを負う人々を容赦なく処罰するつもりだ」と表明しました。 （以上、 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4f4356b8-2127-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.html、 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1739622,00.html、 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/science/news/20080513-OYT1T00367.htm、 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/14/china.naturaldisasters2 （いずれも５月14日アクセス）、 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-construct14-2008may14,0,1369661,print.story （５月15日アクセス）、 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/17/world/asia/17china.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print、 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1807137,00.html、 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/17/chinaearthquake.china1 （いずれも５月17日アクセス）による。） 耐震強度が十分ではない学校は発展途上国ではめずらしくありません（ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/world/14codes.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print 。５月14日アクセス）し、日本にだってあります（ http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/sj/2/column/ba/43/ 。５月14日アクセス）。 とはいえ、内外に向けて情報公開した結果、この問題は世界中に知れ渡ってしまいました。 中共当局がこの問題にどのように落とし前をつけるのか、いやつけられないのか、今後が注目されます。 なお、広東省の日刊紙・南方都市報が、14、15の両日、同紙の姉妹紙、南方週末の元副編集長で、現在は香港在住の銭剛氏のコラムを掲載し、「救助隊の現場入りは1976年の唐山大地震に比べても遅い・・・＜また、＞唐山地震の時のように兵士ら救助隊を徒手空拳で現場に送り込んではならない。救助隊員の命を使って報道用のショーを演じさせては絶対にならない・・・中国は防災・減災を担う部門がばらばらで、常設の担当機構もない。指揮のレベルと効率は膨大な人々の命に直接かかわる」といった中共当局批判を行った（ http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/feature/20080512-2403370/news/20080516-OYT1T00061.htm?from=yoltop （５月16日アクセス）ことも附記しておきましょう。 （3）核の問題 大地震が起こった四川省では、ここが中共にとって四囲の国境から最も遠いことから、中共の核兵器の設計、生産、貯蔵が行われています。 ですから、偵察衛星等の手段で、欧米諸国はこれら施設に被害が生じ、放射能が洩れていないか、懸命に監視を続けています。 中共が四川省に核関連施設の建設を始めたのは1960年代です。 まず、廣元（Guangyuan）市の北西15マイルには核弾頭用プルトニウムを生産する中心施設であるプラント821があります。 より震源に近い綿●（こざと偏に日）（Mianyang）市の郊外には核兵器設計の中心施設である中国物理工学アカデミー（Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics）があり、ここにも研究用の小さな原子炉があります。このアカデミーは核兵器の研究・開発・評価を行っており、四川省内にいくつかの支所を持っています。 また、同市の西方に車で２時間行った、更に震源に近い所に、急速爆発原子炉（prompt-burst reactor）を持つ施設があります。この原子炉は、核爆発による最初の数ミリ秒における核分裂物資の発生をシミュレーションすることができます。 最後に、同市の北方の、やはり震源に近い、人跡希な峻険な山中には、山腹の巨大トンネル群の中に核兵器を貯蔵している施設があります。 （以上、 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/world/asia/16nuke.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print （５月16日アクセス）による。） ５月16日、フランスの核監視機関は、中共当局が、地震発生後速やかに上記諸核施設の活動を停止させたことを称賛しました（ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/17/chinaearthquake.china1 前掲）。 今回の大震災では、日本のマスコミも被災現場入りして活躍していますが、日本は唯一の核被災国であるにもかかわらず、この種の日本発のニュースが皆無なのは、まことに悲しむべきことです。 いずれにせよ、こんな物騒な場所である以上、中共が日本等の援助要員受け入れについて３日間かけて慎重にその是非を検討したのは当然ですよね。 日本は諜報活動を行う意思も能力もないからまず受け入れを決め、次いで、勝手知ったる三つの民間機関に限定して台湾からの受け入れを決めた理由は、ミエミエではないでしょうか。 まことに名誉なことだと思いませんか、日本国民の皆さん。 （完）
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China's Premier Wen - the people's leader
http://blublur.blogspot.com/2008/05/chinas-premier-wen-peopl...once again those anti-China/ah-tiong remove your narrow-mindedness for a while, look at this person: he flew to Sichuan in less than 1.5 hours and went right into the red zone. Source: Times Chinese have grown accustomed to seeing television footage of their Premier, Wen Jiabao, at the site of natural disasters. Often described as the human face of the country's huge bureaucracy, Wen is well known for being sympathetic to the plight of ordinary citizens. But many were still surprised at the speed with which Wen reacted to the news that a huge earthquake had struck the country's southwestern province of Sichuan on May 12. Little more than 90 minutes after the 7.9 magnitude quake struck at 2:30 p.m., Wen was headed for the airport. By early evening he had arrived in the provincial capital Chengdu, 930 miles (1,500 km) from Beijing. That night, the country's state-owned TV stations repeatedly broadcast scenes of the Premier rallying rescue forces, issuing orders during a rainstorm, poring over maps, even venturing into the ruins to assure victims still trapped in the rubble that they should "Hold on a little longer" as help was on the way. Particularly unusual in a country where the image of top leaders is carefully maintained were surprisingly candid shots of Wen having to raise his voice to get attention, stumbling and almost losing his hard hat, even being ignored by distraught survivors. Even journalists were slower. can our Singapore leaders do this? When we see them, they are always in our squarish/rectangular-ish CRT or LCD television sets. Either well dressed at a rostrum, or equally well dressed at some community event that not many in the younger generation attend. If they aren't well dressed, it's because they are doing some healthy exercises on screen. if PM Lee cannot do it, it's fine with me. The problem is, no other upcoming leaders seem to have such charisma. Many appear to be feisty during major events such as GE. Otherwise, no news from them. Talking about disconnection, our leaders ought to examine how to be more connected with the younger population. Just like today's parents have to communicate with their children, our government is expected of that too. Explanation such as the importance of working for the sake of national benefit wouldn't cut it as people are knowing the last minute "carrots" of our government - timely give outs of bonuses just before the GE, certain/bubble promises that took longer than 1 GE to fulfill (eg, Woodlands Waterfront, Woodlands Hospital plan is dropped), lift/home upgrading over rival political parties, etc. Young voters aren't falling for these, and are tired of the big brother mentality. another problem is the usage of quantitative data to inform/persuade the people - due to X%, we have to raise/reduce Y%. Did the govt consider non-qualitative factors such as voices of the people? Malaysia's PM said the country is doing well with 6% growth before GE, but voters rejected his leadership because of massive dissatisfaction on the ground. In our local transportation surveys, 1,000s were interviewed. This 1,000 or so aren't true representatives either. Stop dishing out numbers like some mandate to decision making and think of the consequences at the lower levels of Singaporeans. Give the people better and fresher reasons to continue to vote for PAP...instead of strong-arm tactics. back to the topic, the closest i can think of, is Khaw Boon Wan. But then... oh well. Cannot say too much here... read the first few lines of wikipedia link and you will know why.
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China's Earthquake
http://sacibgeography.blogspot.com/2008/05/china-earthquake....Survivors plead for aid as quake toll hits 20,000 | World news | guardian.co.uk Searching the rubble of a Chinese school, parents' grief turns to fury | World news | The Guardian China's Quake Damage Control - TIME
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China: 18,000 'Buried' in One City
http://ldsesther.blogspot.com/2008/05/china-18000-buried-in-...(DUJIANGYAN, China)—More than 18,000 people are reported buried under rubble in just one earthquake-hit city of China as teams of rescuers battle through power cuts, mudslides and heavy rain in desperate efforts to reach them. Related Articles Battling the Floods in China Paramilitary policemen help local residents to a safe area in Chongqing, China. When Xu Mingxiu wo... Sex and the Single Chinese Li Li has lost exact count of how many men she has bedded, but she knows the number is far above 100... "The Mountainside Exploded" In Stava, a popular vacation town in Italy’s rugged Dolomite mountains, tourists were returning to t... China’s Quake Damage Control Chinese have grown accustomed to seeing television footage of their Premier, Wen Jiabao, at the site... The official Xinhua News Agency says Chinese rescue workers report that 18,645 people remain buried under debris in Mianyang city. Mianyang neighbors the epicenter of Monday's massive, 7.9-magnitude quake. Xinhua said that 3,629 people have been confirmed dead in Mianyang. It was not clear if those figures are included in the official death toll of 11,921 so far. But hope that many survivors would be found was fleeting. Buildings were knocked down on every block in some cities, and corpses were laid out in the street and in schoolyards. Only 58 people were extricated from demolished buildings across the quake area so far, China Seismological Bureau spokesman Zhang Hongwei told the official Xinhua. "Survivors can hold on for some time. Now it's not time to give up," said Wang Zhenyao, disaster relief division director at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, adding that rescue efforts could take a week. A day after the powerful 7.9 magnitude quake struck, state media said rescue workers had only just reached the epicenter in Wenchuan county — cut off by the disaster and where the number of casualties was unknown. China said it would welcome international aid but would not yet allow foreign relief workers into the affected area. Heavy rain, which had contributed to the difficulty of reaching the epicenter, continued to impede efforts and a group of paratroopers called off a mission to the area, Xinhua said. The death toll rose to 11,921, Wang said. At least 4,800 people remained buried in Mianzhu, 60 miles from the epicenter, Xinhua said, citing local authorities. The casualty figures were expected to rise and remained uncertain due to the remote areas affected by the quake and difficulty in finding buried victims. The earthquake caused a wide swath of damage across central China, leveling buildings and severing roads and communications. It sent people rushing out of their offices across the country in Beijing, and was felt as far away as Vietnam. Nearly 10,000 people died in Sichuan province alone and 300 others in other provinces and the mega-city of Chongqing, Xinhua reported. A 40-car freight train with 13 gasoline tankers derailed in the quake and was still burning Tuesday, the agency said, with no word on casualties. Earthquake rescue experts in orange jumpsuits extricated bloody survivors on stretchers from demolished buildings, and some 34,000 troops swarmed into the region to help. Aftershocks rattled the region for a second day, sending people running into the streets in the city of Chengdu. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the shocks between magnitude 4 and 6, some of the strongest since Monday's quake. In Dujiangyan, rescue teams were trying to get to a woman who was eight months pregnant and trapped in a seven-story apartment building that collapsed. Zhou Chun, a 70-year-old retired mechanic, was leaving Dujiangyan with a soiled light blue blanket draped over his shoulders. "My wife died in the quake. My house was destroyed," he said. "I am going to Chengdu, but I don't know where I'll live." Nearby, a man in his late 50s who refused to give his name, said his father was missing in the rubble of his home. "Yesterday, when the earthquake happened our home collapsed really quickly and I heard my father yell, 'Help, help, help,'" the man said. People were seeking rides out of town, where makeshift tent cities were being erected as shelter from rain that began Tuesday and could affect rescue efforts. Just east of the epicenter, 1,000 students and teachers were killed or missing at a collapsed high school in Beichuan county. The six- or seven-story building was reduced to a pile of rubble about two yards high, according to Xinhua. Another 900 students were feared dead when their school collapsed in Juyuan, which is in Dujiangyan city. The Beichuan school had more than 2,000 students and teachers in three school buildings. The other two buildings collapsed partially, Xinhua said. Up to 5,000 people were killed and 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan, Xinhua said, in a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills north of Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu. The government has poured more than 16,000 troops into the area with tens of thousands more on the way. Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to the area to oversee rescue efforts, said a push was on to clear roads and restore electricity as soon as possible. China's Ministry of Health issued an appeal for blood donations to help the victims of the quake. "There is a large demand for blood in quake-hit areas and we hope the public actively donate blood," spokesman Mao Quan said. Before the rescue workers arrived, the only previous contact with hard-hit Wenchuan, Xinhua said, was a satellite phone call from the local Communist Party secretary to appeal for air drops of tents, food and medicine. The official, Wang Bin, said there were 57 reported deaths so far, with more than 300 other people seriously injured. He said the figures were likely to rise as there was no information from mountainous areas. Associated Press writer Christopher Bodeen in Juyuan, China, contributed to this report.
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Post-quake news (II)
http://queen-pig.blogspot.com/2008/05/post-quake-news-ii.htm...1. AP at yahoo.com: Trapped students have little time to escape 2. Time.com: China's Premier Wen at Sichuan (This article is on how open and transparent the media has been thus far.) 3. Times Online: Quake conspiracies or something more? 4. CNA: Summarised and concise 5. CNA: Have your country helped yet? 6. CNN: The pandas survived, but humans didn't 7. The Straits Times: Singapore as pragmatic as always
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China's Quake Damage Control
http://reconciliation.typepad.com/reconciliationtalk/2008/05...I commented on this earlier, but Time has picked up the theme, and its time to say more. Link: China's Quake Damage Control - TIME. The speed of China's response to the devastation caused by the earthquake, and especially Premiere Wen Jiabao's arrival there is significant for several reasons. Time picks up one especially; past ackowldgement of such events has been poor, and intervention slow. The huge struction caused by the Tangshan earthquake of 1976 was covered up for years. The response to SARS in 2003 was slow and covered up. Even the initial response to the freezing conditions that caused transport for the New Year Celebrations this year was slow. One could be cynical here and say that this year must be different: the many visitors to China this summer will include many to Chengdu (especially if Tibet is hard to get to), and many of them will want to see Pandas, and there is not way they will miss seeing the damage or be put off going to the region. So they have no choice but acknowledge it. (By the way, as the Time blog pointed out, China is not the only nation to get this wrong; President Bush's response to Orleans after Hurricane Katrina was days too late. The great Sichuan earthquake: What we know so far (and a second earthquake this morning) Time does not say this, but the response time of minutes was very impressive (if he left the office less than 90 minute after the earthquake took place he must have been preparing to leave for an hour before that). It is of course set in stark contrast to the 10 days of minimal response of the Burmese generals to the cyclone there. And of course it contrasts with the image projected so much in the west of China this past two months. The cynical can say, this was a PR exercise no one dared or wanted to dream of. But in the light of the fact that no one knows the thoughts of men and women's hearts, let believe the best, look on it positively, honour it -- and try and do the same ourselves lest we be judged in the light of our hypocrisy. Update: The BBC records a statement that all offers of help are welcome. See here
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