Global News Post: Protest

No Criminal Charges over Anti-Putin Activist ‘Torture’

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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (Marc Bennetts, RIA Novosti) – Russian
investigators refused on Thursday to open a criminal investigation into
allegations by a leftist political activist that he was tortured into
confessing to a plot to overthrow President Vladimir Putin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Leonid Razvozzhayev, a member of the Left Front political
movement, made international headlines in mid-October when he said he had been
abducted by "masked men" after applying for political asylum in the
Ukrainian capital of <st1:city w:st="on">Kiev</st1:city> and spirited away to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city> by his kidnappers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Razvozzhayev also told human rights workers who visited him in
a <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city>
pre-trial detention center that his abductors had threatened to kill him and
his children if he did not sign a detailed confession.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“A number of witnesses were questioned and their testimony
indicated the unreliability of Razvozzhayev’s claims about his abduction and
torture,” said Vladimir Markin, spokesperson for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s Investigation Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The charges against Razvozzhayev, an aide to opposition
lawmaker Ilya Ponomaryov, stem from grainy footage aired by the pro-Kremlin
television channel NTV in early October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The channel said the footage also showed Left Front leader
Sergei Udaltsov, one of the leaders of the anti-Putin street movement,
Razvozzhayev, and another activist from the socialist group, Konstantin
Lebedev, discussing the plot with an influential Georgian politician.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">All three men have been charged and deny the accusations. Lebedev
has been in custody since early last month, while Udaltsov has been ordered not
to leave <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The Investigation Committee investigated itself, so it’s
hardly surprising that they declined to bring charges,” Ponomaryov, a
co-founder of the Left Front, told RIA Novosti.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Investigators also said Razvozzhayev refused to take a lie
detector test over his claims that he was forced to sign the confession, which
he has since retracted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The development comes a day after investigators brought
additional charges of armed robbery against the 39-year-old left-wing activist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Razvozzhayev was charged on Wednesday with robbing a
businessman of 500 fur hats and video cameras in the East Siberian city of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Angarsk</st1:city></st1:place> in 1997. He faces
up to 12 years behind bars if found guilty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Investigators said Razvozzhayev and his alleged accomplices in
the robbery brandished a hunting rifle and two handguns. He said the charges
had been brought after the victim’s wife complained that the crime had still
not been solved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“This is simply another attempt to blacken his name and the
name of the Left Front,” Ponomaryov, the opposition lawmaker, said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny is also facing ten years
behind bars after being charged this summer with large-scale embezzlement.
Navalny has called the charges “absurd.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Putin has denied a clampdown is underway against opposition to
his rule, saying “everyone must comply with Russian law.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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No Criminal Charges over Anti-Putin Activist ‘Torture’

MOSCOW (Marc Bennetts, RIA Novosti) – Russian investigators refused on Thursday to open a criminal investigation into allegations by...

Anti-U.S. Protests Continue in Muslim World over Film

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe frameborder="0" height="429" scrolling="no" src="http://www.voanews.com/flashembed.aspx?t=vid&id=1508510&w=640&h=429&skin=embeded" width="640"></iframe><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BEIJING (NNN-Xinhua) -- A new wave of protests and assaults against U.S. diplomatic missions erupted in the Muslim world after Friday prayers, when people continued to vent their anger over an American film that was deemed an insult to Prophet Mohammed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In central Cairo, clashes continued around the U.S. embassy with hundreds of protesters hurling stones to the police. The Health Ministry said 27 people were injured, bringing the toll to 251 since protests erupted Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The police have arrested 94 protesters and used teargas to disperse those surrounding the embassy, according to state TV.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Several Coptic movements also participated in the protests in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, carrying banners asking for criminalizing the acts of offending religions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Protests also spread to the U.S. consulate in Alexandria and the headquarters of international peacekeeping force in north Sinai.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At least four peacekeepers were injured when gunmen attacked the headquarters of the international peacekeeping force, a peacekeeping official told Xinhua.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peacekeepers and militant protesters exchanged fire and protesters set one car and the camp's monitoring tower ablaze.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Tunis, at least three protesters were killed in clashes, after a massive demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in the country, the official TAP news agency said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, TAP said some 20 people were injured in the clashes between security forces and protesters.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some protesters managed to climb over a wall into the embassy and set a lot of cars ablaze. Heavy smoke was seen above the embassy, and security forces were seen firing rubber bullets and using teargas to disperse the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the injured and put out the fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of the protesters, who gathered after the Friday prayers, told Xinhua that they want to force the U.S. ambassador to Tunisia to come out and demand the release of the demonstrators who were arrested earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, local witnesses said another group of angry youngsters also set ablaze an American school which is close to the U.S. embassy in Tunis, causing heavy property damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli, at least one person was killed and 25 others injured in clashes between angry youngsters and security forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Protesters in front of a KFC restaurant hurled stones at security forces and set the restaurant on fire, the National News Agency reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A number of worshipers also gathered in Tripoli after Friday prayers, waving black flags and calling to expel the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Similar rallies were also held in Lebanon's cities of Taalabaya and Zahle following the prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, at least three people were killed as protesters tried to gain access to the U.S. embassy there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The three dead were reportedly all protesters who were hit by a police vehicle as they attempted to force their way into the U.S. embassy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Witnesses said nearly 10,000 protesters were heading to the U.S. embassy, which had already been heavily guarded by Sudanese troops and police. Some U.S. Marine soldiers were also seen protecting the embassy building.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Friday, protests also hit Iran, Jordan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to "stand fast" against the recent wave of violence targeting American diplomatic missions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Addressing a home-coming ceremony held at the Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D.C. for the remains of four Americans killed on Tuesday night in the Libyan city of Benghazi, the solemn-faced president said: "Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. We will bring to justice those who took them from us."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"We will stand fast against the violence on our diplomatic missions," he added, pledging to "continue to do everything in our power" to protect Americans serving overseas. -- NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Anti-U.S. Protests Continue in Muslim World over Film

BEIJING (NNN-Xinhua) -- A new wave of protests and assaults against U.S. diplomatic missions erupted in the Muslim world after Friday pr...

Indian Muslims Protest against Movie at U.S. Consulate

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">NEW DELHI, (NNN-Xinhua) -- Muslim protesters pelted stones and footwear at the U.S. consulate in Chennai, southern India, on Friday to protest a desecrating short movie on Prophet Mohammed released recently in the U.S. by a Jewish man, said local media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Window panes of the inquiry counter and a police booth near the entrance of the consulate were damaged. Police resorted to lathi- charge to disperse the protesters. Twenty-five people suffered minor injuries, said local daily Times of India.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Protests were also held in Indian-controlled Kashmir against the movie, which triggered violent attacks upon U.S. missions in the Middle East resulting in the death of U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">India is likely to ban on Internet the movie and has heightened security at U.S. missions in the country including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. -- NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Indian Muslims Protest against Movie at U.S. Consulate

NEW DELHI, (NNN-Xinhua) -- Muslim protesters pelted stones and footwear at the U.S. consulate in Chennai, southern India, on Friday to pr...

INDIA: ATMs Out of Cash on Second Day of Bank Strike

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- A number of ATMs ran out of cash on the second day of strike by bank unions to protest against reforms in the banking sector and outsourcing of non-core services to the private sector. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although private sector banks such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank functioned as usual, operations such as cash transactions, cheque clearances and foreign exchange dealings were affected, Press Trust of India reported. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The ATMs, which operated as usual on the first day of strike, ran out of cash on Thursday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"The strike was successful as all bank employees have gone on strike over wage cut. The government should come forward and discuss with us. The unions will be meeting shortly to talk about future course of action," All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) general-secretary C H Venkatachalam said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"ATMs have run dry as the banks have not been able to refill them with cash," he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The AIBEA said banking transactions have been affected in more than 70,000 branches across the country as about 1 million employees and officers from 24 public sector banks and 12 private banks participated in the strike. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">State bank of India (SBI) chairman Pratip Chaudhuri said that the banking sector had incurred huge losses as a result of the strike. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bank unions are protesting against reform measures such as the Banking Sector Laws Amendment Bill which seeks to remove restrictions on voting rights of foreign shareholders and increase voting rights of private investors in private sector banks. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The unions have demanded for the revision of pension and housing loan and a 5-day working week among other issues. -- NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: ATMs Out of Cash on Second Day of Bank Strike

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- A number of ATMs ran out of cash on the second day of strike by bank unions to protest against reforms i...

Bank Strike in India

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEKu80hFWXbLpl1an6FnmF2YKwNoUfEaD85ucOTWs4aj0tKjln1XX3IabPUQKyN6-nWmmG8mcXHU98YeUDs7RHSbUriFEP8BIvYJEWbm2OOKu-C7tkc9lwy-XsS_Uw9E1HMh6EiZYvnU/s1600/2012082313021533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEKu80hFWXbLpl1an6FnmF2YKwNoUfEaD85ucOTWs4aj0tKjln1XX3IabPUQKyN6-nWmmG8mcXHU98YeUDs7RHSbUriFEP8BIvYJEWbm2OOKu-C7tkc9lwy-XsS_Uw9E1HMh6EiZYvnU/s320/2012082313021533.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Bank employees shout slogans during a two-day strike in Mumbai, India. Employees of public sector banks began a two-day nation wide strike starting on 22 August 2012 to protest against proposed reforms that would ease mergers and allow more private capital, including foreign investment, in the banking sector. The strike will involve about one million employees and affect 70,000 bank branches of state-run and some private and foreign banks including the country's biggest lender, State Bank of India. Photo courtesy Rafiq Maqbool---NNN</span></div></div>

Bank Strike in India

Bank employees shout slogans during a two-day strike in Mumbai, India. Employees of public sector banks began a two-day nation wide strike ...

INDIA: Ramdev Asks PM to Show Political Will to Get Back Black Money

INDIA: Ramdev Asks PM to Show Political Will to Get Back Black Money

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) -- As his fast entered the second day, yoga guru Ramdev has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demonstrate ...

INDIA: Anna Hazare Disbands His Team; Says Its Work is over

INDIA: Anna Hazare Disbands His Team; Says Its Work is over

NEW DELHI (NNN-UNI) -- In an apparent move to float a political party, social activist Anna Hazare today dissolved his team, popularly ...

INDIA: Anna Hazare's Fast Enters Fourth Day

INDIA: Anna Hazare's Fast Enters Fourth Day

NEW DELHI (NNN-UNI) -- Veteran social activist Anna Hazare today entered the fourth day of his indefinite fast for a strong Jan Lokpal a...

INDIA: Anna Hazare Begins Fast at Jantar Mantar

INDIA: Anna Hazare Begins Fast at Jantar Mantar

NEW DELHI (NNN-UNI) --Veteran social activist Anna Hazare today started yet another indefinite fast for a strong Jan Lokpal and probe aga...

INDIA: Crowds Keep Away From Team Anna Fast on Day 2

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) --The indefinite fast by Team Anna against UPA government on corruption entered the second day Thursday but questions cropped up as to whether the anti- corruption movement has lost its steam</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unlike in the past, crowds that had thronged the protest venue were missing now. The organisers issued appeals to "mothers, wives and daughters" to flock to the protest site at Jantar Mantar Friday</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The crowd count in the afternoon was less than 1,000, a marginal improvement from morning's 600, in a contrast to its earlier protests when Jantar Mantar, the dharna hotspot, was jampacked. The response to the fast on the first day yesterday was also modest with 2,500-3,000 people attending it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anna Hazare and his aides took the dais at 11 AM only though a Team Anna spokesperson said they had reached the spot an hour before. They were greeted with lukewarm chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>'.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The counters for donation, information, volunteer registration wore a deserted look while more than half of the protest venue was empty</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As there were no action taking place and less enthusiasm in the crowd, media persons who were in large numbers also took a break from live coverage</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Arvind Kejriwal, one of the three Team Anna members who is fasting, went to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh to attend a court hearing on his remarks against MPs calling them "criminals and rapists". Before leaving for the court, he said he did not think he had done anything wrong</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apparently worried over the low attendance, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi appealed to the protesters to bring their "wives, mothers and daughters" to the venue tomorrow</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Regret to see audience is predominantly male. It is said that we vote for a saree or a bottle of alcohol. We are being fooled. More than 50 per cent of those who vote are women. Why are they not seen here?" she said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--NNN-PTI</span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
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INDIA: Crowds Keep Away From Team Anna Fast on Day 2

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) --The indefinite fast by Team Anna against UPA government on corruption entered the second day Thursday but questions ...

INDIA: 100 Workers Arrested for Maruti Plant Violence

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MANESAR (Haryana,India) (NNN-PTI) -- Indian police on Thursday arrested 100 workers of the Maruti Suzuki's plant here in connection with Wednesday's violence in which a senior company official, was killed and 50 others were injured</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The charred body of the official, who was caught in the violence triggered by a scuffle over suspension of an employee after a heated exchange of words, was on Thursday identified</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">as that of Awanish Kumar Dev, General Manager HR at the plant</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said the plant has been shut down and no production would take place. The plant, which has an annual capacity of 5.5 lakh units and rolls out Swift, Dzire, SX4 and A-Star models, witnessed strikes on three occasions last year</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Chandigarh, Haryana Industry Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said that nearly 100 people had been arrested so far. A couple of more arrests are likely</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They have been arrested for various charges including murder, attempt to murder and destruction of property," the minister told PTI here when he was asked about government's action with regard to violence at the plant.</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Haryana Chief Secretary P K Chaudhery said that taking a serious view of the incident of violence at Maruti's Manesar plant, the State Government has formed a SIT under Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gurgaon, Ravinder Tomar, to investigate the matter</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He gave an assurance that no one would be spared for taking law into his hands and resorting to violence.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stating that it was the state government's priority to ensure restoration of law and order, Surjewala and State's Labour Minister, Shivcharan Lal Sharma asserted that no amount of provocation could justify workers indulging in violence and destruction of property</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The government is committed to help restore order in the unit. We hope things should normalise soon," Sharma said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Asked whether state government saw any vested interest behind a string of industrial unrest incidents occurring at the company's plant, Surjewala said, "In Gurgaon-Manesar</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>,</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">there are certain type of political thoughts that have cropped in to derail (state's industrial) development as these elements are envious of (state's) progress (at industrial front).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, the Industry minister said the Labour Department would soon launch a reconciliation exercise between workers and management once the situation turns conducive for talks</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Opposition INLD slammed the Hooda government, saying it had failed to tackle the workers' issue in the past as well</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We fear that the government's inept handling may force Maruti to shift its base. It is not only the Maruti issue, but this government has failed on all fronts," INLD President and former Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala said here</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In order to maintain law and order at the Manesar plant, 1,200 policemen have been deployed in and around the area," DCP Maheshwar Dayal said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said 50 people were injured, including two foreigners who had minor injuries</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Haryana Director General of Police Ranjiv Singh Dalal, who also inspected the plant this afternoon said: "No justification of such violence can be given. We will soon arrest those who are behind the incident." -- NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: 100 Workers Arrested for Maruti Plant Violence

MANESAR (Haryana,India) (NNN-PTI) -- Indian police on Thursday arrested 100 workers of the Maruti Suzuki's plant here in connection wit...

1.7 Million Indian Lawyers to Boycott Courts against Regulation Bill

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">MUMBAI (NNN-PTI): About 1.7 million lawyers across the country would boycott courts on Jul 11 and 12 to protest against a proposed bill which purportedly seeks to take away the autonomy given to Bar Council of India (BCI) to regulate the legal profession and law academic courses. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The lawyers would also stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and take out a morcha to Parliament on the first day of the forthcoming Monsoon session to express their opposition to the Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011 VB Konde-Deshmukh, Chairman of Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, told a press conference. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"The Bill directly affects the vital and basic structure of Advocates Act, 1961, under which total autonomy and independence was given to BCI and state Bar Councils to regulate the legal profession and education," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It proposes to take away the duties and functions entrusted to BCI and state Bar Councils and vests all these powers with a National Commission consisting of a few academicians, Konde-Deshmukh noted. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Bill will deprive advocates of having a say in the formulation and implementation of policies involving legal education at the professional and educational levels, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">He blamed Union Human Resources Development Ministry for deterioration in legal education, saying the government law colleges are facing a shortage of teachers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Despite repeated suggestions made by Bar Council to increase the intake of teachers, HRD Ministry and Universities have not responded, Konde-Deshmukh maintained. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha last year, seeks to establish a National Commission which will regulate university education, including vocational, technical, professional and medical education. Lawyers want legal education to be out of the Bill's ambit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

1.7 Million Indian Lawyers to Boycott Courts against Regulation Bill

MUMBAI (NNN-PTI): About 1.7 million lawyers across the country would boycott courts on Jul 11 and 12 to protest against a proposed bill whi...

India: Farmers Protesting Against Nuclear Power Plant Hold Firm's Officials Hostage

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">NEW DELHI</span></st1:city><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> (NNN-ANI) -- Plans to build a nuclear power plant in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s Haryana came to a grinding halt on Tuesday after farmers held company officials hostage in protest against the construction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The incident occurred in Fatehabad District during a survey visit carried out by three engineers of a private company.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Villagers said they would not allow the nuclear plant to be built, fearing a possible recurrence of the recent disaster witnessed in the <st1:city w:st="on">Fukushima</st1:city> plant in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"We will not allow them to set a nuclear reactor in our village on any grounds. We have held three officials as hostages for five hours," said Hans Raj.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The villagers stated they would not release the hostages until the company withdrew its plans to set up a plant.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"We will not leave them unless and until we receive any answer from the higher authorities in Mumbai. Our village head has called them and when they will come, we will leave these people. We will not give our land at any cost," said Maya Devi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In the wake of the <st1:city w:st="on">Fukushima</st1:city> incident, several nuclear projects across <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, including the Jaitapur plant in <st1:place w:st="on">Maharashtra</st1:place>, have run into rough weather as residents and activists argue that such plants could adversely affect the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> has a total installed power generation capacity of 164 gigawatts (GW) and aims to raise it to 187 GW by the end of March 2012. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">There are 20 reactors in operation in six power plants, generating over 4,000 megawatts of electricity while five other plants are under construction. -- NNN-ANI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Farmers Protesting Against Nuclear Power Plant Hold Firm's Officials Hostage

NEW DELHI (NNN-ANI) -- Plans to build a nuclear power plant in India 's Haryana came to a grinding halt on Tuesday after farmers he...

India: Delhi Lawyers Strike Work Against Bills

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI</span></st1:city><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-IANS) -- <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:city> lawyers Friday observed a day-long strike as part of the Bar Council of India's nationwide protest against two bills, including one which they claim will take away the powers of the Council to hear complaints against lawyers, said the Delhi Bar Association.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The strike paralysed legal proceedings of all six district courts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A group of lawyers went inside the 2G scam special CBI court and requested prosecution and defence counsel to stop the proceedings. They asked counsel of the case to join in their strike.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Judges held court as usual but in the absence of lawyers most cases were put off to other dates.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The strike was observed to protest the Legal Practitioners Bill, 2010, and the Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The government intends to take over the powers of the Bar Council by establishing ombudsmen, consisting of judges, to hear complaints against lawyers, and take over the authority of the council over legal education," said Rajiv Khosla, spokesperson of coordination committee of all District Court Bar Associations of Delhi. -- NNN-IANS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Delhi Lawyers Strike Work Against Bills

NEW DELHI (NNN-IANS) -- Delhi lawyers Friday observed a day-long strike as part of the Bar Council of India's nationwide protest aga...

China 2011: From Jasmine Crackdowns to Grassroots Uprisings

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">By Oiwan Lam</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQoOJrp9W1j7orMLzZIj71PxmUlVJdDmlLVWYRPgoffw0MJg2OK30TSxE5TAtp0yLzLiiBReg5LyYFkpHIHHBnzOx7RAWlT0KtdvUoCd_VX-xwTcnZMvwE2pNZxu3pmaANtS7gAxZtgM/s1600/chinacc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQoOJrp9W1j7orMLzZIj71PxmUlVJdDmlLVWYRPgoffw0MJg2OK30TSxE5TAtp0yLzLiiBReg5LyYFkpHIHHBnzOx7RAWlT0KtdvUoCd_VX-xwTcnZMvwE2pNZxu3pmaANtS7gAxZtgM/s1600/chinacc.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Creative Commons<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Photo © <a href="http://www.groundreport.com/includes/ajax/image_popup.php?image=2943478&image_id=1" target="_blank"><span style="background: white;">GroundReport</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><a href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/01/05/china-2011-from-jasmine-crackdowns-to-grassroots-uprisings/">Globalvoicesonline</a>- 2011 began with a series of crackdowns by the Chinese authorities to prevent the Arabic Jasmine Revolution from landing in mainland <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>. It ended with a series of uprisings in grassroots communities where people have been devastated by corrupt local governments and illegal land acquisitions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Jasmine Crackdowns</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Jasmine uprising in the Arabic world has reminded the Chinese people of their own political history in fighting against authoritarian rule. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The downfall of Mubaraks has of course alerted the illegitimate authoritarian regime in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Without confronting any real threat, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started off the year with a heavy-handed crackdown, targeting online opinion leaders and human rights activists in February 2011. Amongst them are blogger-activist Liu Di, prominent artist-activist Ai Weiwei, <st1:state w:st="on">Sichuan</st1:state> writer Ran Yunfei, <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city> lawyer Li Tiantian, <st1:state w:st="on">Sichuan</st1:state> legal activist Li Shuangde and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Beijing</st1:city></st1:place> activist Wang Lihong.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Even though the atmosphere has been tense, info-activists continued to campaign for all the political detainees. Free Chen Guangcheng campaign has been ongoing for months since September 2011, and the most recent development is actor-activist Christian Bale's rough encounter with village guardswhen he attempted to pay Chen a visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Grassroots Conflicts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Social conflicts kept bursting in the grassroots communities throughout 2011. The first case at the beginning of the year was the citizen investigation of the suspected murder of Qian Yunhui, a village head in <st1:state w:st="on">Zhejiang</st1:state> province who opposed forced land acquisitions in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Yueqing</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place>. While official investigation concluded it as an accident, many netizens believed that it was a murder as the county government has too much embedded interests in the developmental projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">While rural areas were ruined by land seizure, urban areas were threatened by property bubbles. The majority of city dwellers believed that the government should introduce policy to cool down the property market. They displayed their anger towards the unrealistic Communist Party propaganda, which claimed that generous rental subsidies are available to help low-income families in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Beijing</st1:city></st1:place>. Instead of helping the poor, many cities have adopted the policy to clear the “unwanted” people. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The income disparity and social injustice has resulted in bitter resentment among the “unwanted” poor towards the rich and the government officials. Netizens' reactions on the murder case of Yao Jiaxin reflected the popular feeling. Taxi drivers were among the first social groups to taste the effect of inflation on their living. On the other hand, as the society became more unstable and the economy was taking a downturn, the rich fled, bosses run away and civil servants committed suicides.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Children are the most vulnerable social group in such an unjust society.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In the rural areas, 58 million children have been left behind by their parents, who went to the cities in search of jobs. Many became the victims of kidnapping. Most terribly, child rapists are protected by the “underage prostitution law”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Food safety remains an unresolved problem. Poisonous milk scandals kept popping up throughout the year. Mainland Chinese crossing the border for milk powder has resulted in a shortage in </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on">Hong Kong</st1:place><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">. When </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> was facing a nuclear radiation crisis after the earthquake, Chinese people's immediate response was the panic buying of sea salt. However, the impact of radiation is probably less than that of the chemicals found in watermelons and vinegar.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Overdevelopment and uprisings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Many of the grassroots conflicts were the results of unrestrained development. The impact of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam on the country's environment is yet to be evaluated.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In August, a large scale not-in-my-backyard mobilization took place in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Dalian</st1:city></st1:place> and the local government was forced to accept residents' demand to relocate a chemical factory. The year ended with two successful uprisings in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Guangdong</st1:state></st1:place> province at Wukan and Haimen. Both were against major developmental projects which generated profit by seizing people's land.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></b></st1:country-region></st1:place></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">China</span></b></st1:country-region></st1:place><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> Model</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">On one hand, the Chinese authority is very proud of the rise of </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> as a strong nation. A number of movies, such as Beginning of the Great Revival, have been produced to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the CCP.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">On the other hand, in order to confront social and political discontents without harsh repressions, the CCP tries to explore different governance models to solve its legitimacy crisis. Some scholars advocated the restoration of Confucianism as the state ideology.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The CCP is unwilling to give up its one-party dictatorship model and introduce political reform. It prefers brainwashing education and red propaganda rather than rational change of the political process, and depends on the stability machine for maintaining social and political order. Thus, rights defense actions were taken as insane, independent candidates' campaigns in local elections were suppressed, micro-blogging platforms were under attack, and activists were subject to daily monitoring.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The China Model seemed to have entered Hong Kong with the visit of </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">'s future premier Li Keqiang in August 2011. It is the first time in the city's history that a citizen was arrested for wearing a political T-shirt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Geopolitics<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The costly space race tells Chinese people and the world that the nation is on the rise. Yet in terms of international politics, some scholars believe that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> is being boxed-in geopolitically. The Mekong river massacre and the U.S diplomatic strategy in Asia Pacific have alerted the nationalists of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s marginalized diplomatic position in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">However, the imaginary enemy game can never solve the internal social conflicts. Even though some intellectuals may find another revolution too remote and unrealistic, democracy and freedom have definitely become an aspiration of the commons in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

China 2011: From Jasmine Crackdowns to Grassroots Uprisings

By Oiwan Lam Creative Commons Photo © GroundReport Globalvoicesonline - 2011 began with a series of crackdowns by the Chinese authoriti...