PATRICK BROWN:
Policing parliament: hear no evil, see no evil
March 4, 2005 | More from Patrick Brown
Patrick Brown is CBC's correspondent in Beijing. Before taking up his assignment in China, he was a correspondent in London from 1980-90, Beijing from 1990-96, and Delhi from 1997-99.
He has reported from around the world - from Europe, Russia and other former Soviet states to Iran, Iraq, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines.
Brown came to Canada in 1970 and joined Radio-Canada International as a news editor after working as a computer systems analyst, teacher and freelance journalist. He went to Montreal to work for the local CBC radio station as a reporter in 1976 and he became radio's national reporter based in Montreal two years later.
Brown was educated in his native England at Cambridge. He holds a Master's degree in social anthropology.
The finest hour for Beijing's finest is again upon us. China's police, who even in normal times pride themselves on constant vigilance, reach peak levels of alertness for the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's parliament.
CBC's Patrick Brown talks to Beijing police. (Yan Yuping, CBC News)
|
For 10 days each March, 3,000 delegates from around the country gather at the Great Hall of the People to play their parts in the political theatre referred to in China's constitution as "People's Democratic Dictatorship."
It is the job of the Public Security Bureau, the People's Armed Police, the Security Bureau and all the other organs of China's vast security establishment to make sure that nothing disturbs the tranquility of their deliberations.
"More than 650,000 people will stand guard and go on patrol on the city's streets and lanes every day to guarantee security," said a police spokesman quoted by the Legal Evening Post. Police have surrounded the homes of writers, intellectuals and activists who have dared to make direct criticisms of the government or Communist party, or challenge the party's monopoly on power.
In order to make sure that the parliamentarians run no risk of seeing or hearing anything that might upset them as they are whisked around the city in buses and limousines, the annual roundup of people who have complaints or suggestions takes place a few days before the session starts.
China's economic boom has created winners and losers. Having lost homes, land or jobs in the free-for-all scramble for prosperity, many people feel they have nothing left to lose, and, as a last resort, come to Beijing to petition for redress, a tradition going back to imperial times.
Protestor holding Chinese constitution (Yan Yuping, CBC News)
|
They can usually be found in the neighbourhood around the railway station, or outside government offices, clutching pathetic bundles of documents to back up their petition. At this time of year they are scooped up, then shipped back home, often to a welcoming committee of the very local officials and developers they have been complaining about.
While the congress is sitting, the police are ready to stamp out any complaints or protests, either on the street or even, less probably, in the air. Just to be on the safe side, they have imposed a ban on model airplanes, parachutes and hot air balloons in the skies over Beijing.
At other times, people do feel they have a right to complain about injustice, and will sometimes stage demonstrations to make their point.
We stumbled on just such a protest recently at a popular Beijing market that was to be demolished to make way for a shiny new building. Claiming rents in the new building would be too expensive, and that corrupt city officials were in league with developers to steal their livelihood, stall-holders from the old market took up bullhorns and staged a noisy demonstration.
CBC cameraman Charles Dubois (Yan Yuping, CBC News)
|
When police surrounded CBC cameraman Charles Dubois, trying to stop him from recording the event, the demonstrators came to the rescue chanting "Xinwen ziyou! Press Freedom!" I find it significant that the police actually retreated to think it over for a while before coming back to insist we leave.
The protestors came equipped with copies of the Chinese constitution, and quoted liberally from it
in their discussions with the police, pointing frequently to Article 5, which says the government will "respect human rights and protect the rights of the people."
Police routinely ignore the constitution and every other law on China's books, and used to do so unchallenged by all but a brave few willing to enter the black hole of life as a dissident. That is slowly changing.
People now have a much greater awareness of the law, and a greater willingness to argue or complain when they feel they are the victims of injustice.
Protestor speaking out (Yan Yuping, CBC News)
|
It was at last year's meeting of the National People's Congress that Article 5 of the constitution was amended to include the mention of human rights. While there has been no marked improvement in respect for human rights in China in the past 12 months, people do quote the constitution when challenging arbitrary official behaviour.
But not at this time of year.
While the Congress is in session, it's wiser not to try to use the laws it has passed, unless you, too,
want a visit from Beijing's finest.
^TOP
|
|
 |
 MENU |
|
|
| MEDIA: |
|
|
| FEEDBACK: |
|
|
|
