High mountains keep away the Emperor

There is a Chinese saying, "Where the mountains are high, the Emperor is far away." This saying is used to denote the situation in remote regions where local thugs and officials wield greater power than the Chinese Central Government.

In remote regions of China, corrupt officials often collude with unsavoury businessmen, local thugs and criminal elements in illegal land grabs and deadly environmental pollution.

Following are excerpts from an article headlined "The Warriors of Qiugang: A Chinese Village Fights Back" at http://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_warriors_of_qiugang_a_chinese_village_fights_back/2358/

(Begin excerpts)
Like many villages in China’s industrial heartland, Qiugang — a hamlet of nearly 1,900 people in Anhui province — has long suffered from runaway pollution from nearby factories. In Qiugang’s case, three major enterprises with little or no pollution controls churned out chemicals, pesticides, and dyes, turning the local river black, killing fish and wildlife, and filling the air with foul fumes that burned residents’ eyes and throats and sickened children.

The pollution from the Jiucailuo Chemical plant became so egregious that in 2007, Qiugang’s residents — working with a fledgling environmental group, Green Anhui — began to try to do something about it. Their efforts soon attracted the attention of Chinese-American filmmaker Ruby Yang, who with cinematographer Guan Xin and longtime collaborator Thomas Lennon, spent the ensuing three years chronicling the struggle of Qiugang’s increasingly emboldened population to curb the pollution that was poisoning them in their homes, schools, and fields.... (End excerpts)

The-Warriors-of-Qiugang_part 1.avi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYGHpyJKK4

The Warriors of Qiugang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warriors_of_Qiugang

China decries cadres colluding with big business
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/03/15/us-china-politics-corruption-idUSPEK9514820070315

China getting tough on corrupt officials
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/13/content_424372.htm

Xi Jinping warns officials against colluding with businessmen
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/arti...warns-officials-against-colluding-businessmen

 

Some experts believe that there is the high level of corruption in China. What do you think about it, esteemed Reedak? Has the situation improved?

 

1. Your sincere humility and obedience, I am not worthy of your flattery.

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” -- Friedrich Nietzsche

"Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver." -- Edmund Burke

Quotation Details
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/29561.html

Edmund Burke Quotes
http://www.quotehd.com/quotes/edmund-burke-statesman-flattery-corrupts-both-the-receiver-and-the


2. I use a "senryu poem" of mine in response to your question:

Birth, growth, sickness, ageing, death;
Beginning, rise, corruption, decline, collapse;
Change is God's way of recycling His creation.

Here is another "senryu poem" of mine, inspired by a bizarre news story of money-eating termites in China:


Termites with corruption in DNA
Eat into poor old Chinese lady's savings
Stored in a wooden drawer in her house.


Termites Eat Into Chinese Woman's Savings
http://news.sky.com/story/1102108/termites-eat-into-chinese-womans-savings

More Than $65,000 Cash Was Eaten by Termite in South China
http://www.chinanavis.com/more-than-65000-cash-was-eaten-by-termite-in-south-china-155435

Termites eat away currency worth over $65,000 in China
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world...rrency-worth-over-65-000-in-china_854406.html

http://www.politicalforum.com/creat...-whatever-writing-you-regard-senryu-poem.html

 

Your modesty adorns you.
Rgds.

- - - Updated - - -

Your modesty adorns you.
Rgds.

 

Thanks for your kind words and warmest regards.

I look forward to reading your valuable comments, particularly on the topics below:

http://www.politicalforum.com/asia/306475-living-chinese-dream.html

http://www.politicalforum.com/asia/294736-hu-jintaos-10-year-report-card.html

http://www.politicalforum.com/humor-satire/305700-security-threat-seen-every-deal.html

http://www.politicalforum.com/creat...-whatever-writing-you-regard-senryu-poem.html

http://www.politicalforum.com/creative-corner/169921-members-poetry-writing-18.html

 

Very informative topics as well.

 

Thanks.

 

Good for them, finally doing something about the ongoing problem. It's time they were joined internationally.