Jun Wang：China’s Strategy in Disaster Prevention and Salvation！
--China should establish “Ministry of Disaster Prevention and Salvation”
Photo：China Democracy Party World Union Chairman Jun Wang in front of US Capitol Hills
There is criticism that CCP’s national strategy has been “Prevent the people more than prevent and salvage disasters.” No questions are allowed to be asked or discussed so there are never solutions, thus disasters were nurtured. From the Sichuan Earthquake, a chain of very heavy lessons can be concluded.
I remember in August 2007, a net-friend in Jinan named “Ruby Empire” was arrested for revealing disaster information. This unfortunate friend is a female, just 23, naïve. She trusted witness of her friend. Ginza Underground Shopping Center in Jinan flooded and drowned people. After the incident, Ginza was blocked by hundreds of policemen for several days and no outside sources were allowed to check the real happenings. Although Ginza Shopping Center is still unable to reveal to the society all original video tapes to prove what “Ruby Empire” said is not true, it keeps collaborates with the police in covering up the incident.
In fact, in that incident, it was definite that people were drowned in Jinan and the drowned was not a small figure. According to Jinan authority itself, at least 34 were drowned. These unfortunate casualties died in the storm in Jinan. They should not have died. This was a very miserable and serious matter. However, no one is responsible for it and the authority does not need to share any responsibilities but turned to arresting people. After “Ruby Empire” was arrested, dispute on the Jinan flood was transferred to WAN, You Guo; no one cares about how and why the casualties died and who should be responsible for it.
This reminds me of the Sichuan Earthquake which occurred this year. What a similar coincidence!
GUO, Yong Feng, initiator of China Citizen Politics Supervision Committee pointed out recently, although the Sichuan Earthquake is a natural disaster, not any effective preventive measures were taken before the quake, in spite of the forenotice among the people and by relevant specialists that there may be a big earthquake in Sichuan area. Animal wallop premonition was obvious. But under the pressure of the Olympic Games, in order to ensure stability of dictatorship government, especially for the smooth relay of the so-called “auspicious cloud” torch, which is really a “disaster fire”, the government firmly refuted the rumor and blocked the news and mercilessly suppressed those who “spread the rumor” and arrested more than 10 people nationwide. As a result, dozens of thousands of lives were gone in an instant.
Is Yongfeng Guo’s remark partial? No. He has adequate factual evidence. For example, his hometown Longnan of Guansu belongs to the same earthquake agglomeration with the earthquake epicenter is 8 degree and Longnan is 7.8 degree. There are 6 or 7 aftershocks every evening in epicenter and there are also 6 or 7 aftershocks in Longnan. He learned from calls from home that over 90% houses in his village were razed toground. The house of Yongfeng Guo’s home is close to the foot of the mountain, although it does not collapse completely, it is already a dangerous house with walls broken and leaning and roof tiles fell to the ground and house structure still stands tilt. Nearby villages witness collapsed houses and many casualties. It is fortunate that this earthquake happened at after 2p.m. and villagers either went to the field or out, those at home also escaped in time.
After the earthquake, salvation personnel were sent out with delay, equipments are old and out-of-date, and expertise of the salvation personnel was seriously backward and very backward hand job on the spot, all these were annoying. In addition, when they know they can not do the job, they wanted their faces and refused assistance of foreign succor teams. Later on, after multi-parties efforts and had no other choices, they reluctantly agreed to allow foreign succor teams to aid, but it was too late. Many lives were unable to be saved because of the delay. The dead may have died innocent like this. But can dozens of dead souls turn the authority into wakening and understanding?
Looking at the collapsed houses, I felt bitterly disappointed: even if those houses did not collapse, won’t you feel equally sad seeing such poverty? I could no longer keep watching! Helpless soldiers were equally miserable. Who does not have a hometown? Who does not need to enjoy his life peacefully? Poor students were living in such ruined classrooms. Although our strength is limited, we will launch donation for them, because true love is boundless.
Because traffic and information was interrupted, some counties in Gansu which suffered serious losses were neglected for a time. Unlike Wenchuan County, whose earthquake information was publicized and broadcasted at the first time, disaster situation in Wenxian in Gansu for various reasons was not known to the outside. Many people in Gansu Province itself were misled for a rather long period of time and thought disaster in Gansu was not serious.
According to the statistics provided by Wenxian County Propaganda Department, by May 20, during the Chuanbei Great Earthquake, in Wenxian 94 people died, 1083 wounded and more than 110,000 houses collapsed, becoming the most seriously impacted region in Gansu Province. If it was not for the more serious Sichuan, the above figures could make it a serious earthquake disaster since the founding of the country.
However, immediately after earthquake, it seemed statistics could not reflect the real disaster situation. Take the casualty statistics for example, the local report of casualties was only 12. The government was criticized because of this and public thought the government purposely hid disaster situation.
Relevant officials in Wenxian could obviously not accept this comment. They thought earthquakes are natural hazard. Local governments need not be responsible, so they did not have the motive to purposely hide anything. Quite some people confirmed after the earthquake, basic level leaders in Fanbei Town in Wenxian County did say openly disaster was “not serious” etc. It needs attention that those who “underestimate” disaster situation were not only basic level leaders. The following day after disaster, Red Cross Association in Gansu Province had planned to donate Longnan 1000 cotton quilts. However, before departure, they were told the disaster area did not need this. But in fact, due to collapsed houses, some villagers living in the mountains were unable to take from their homes a single object.
Some reporters found salvage tents were not delivered to farmers in disaster areas until the seventh day after the quake, which was May 19, 2008, and the quantity was far from enough. For example, in Fanbei Village, one tent was delivered to 15 people. A tent is 12 square meters big, enough for 8 people at most. After the quake, More than 700 armed policemen in Gansu were sent to assist villagers for salvation. The Reporter found these armed policemen had arrived at most villages, and their main task was to help victims snatch out the grain under the collapsed houses. However, the good-hearted policemen were refused by better-hearted villagers. Because the villagers found these policemen were actually kids from rural areas. “It does not matter a lot if our grain suffers loss; it matters a lot if those kids of other families were injured, said one villager. Local residents voluntarily sent vegetables and food to the soldiers but were all refused with thanks.
Unlike the attitude toward the soldiers, although local government made lots of efforts in the salvation, the people were still dissatisfied. In Fanba Village, Wenxian County, town government building was seriously damaged, so they were forced to move out to handle office business and they put up a simple shed with plastic films. It was broken by villagers who did not have a dwelling place. It could be seen from here that the people really have complaints about the government.
On May 19, 2008, the first airlift was transported to Fanba Town by helicopters. Because the landing spot was changed temporarily, villagers in a nearby village arrived first. After the reserved soldiers sent out by town government to receive the materials found this out, a conflict occurred. According to a policeman in Fanba Town police station, the reason of the conflict was that villagers were snatching salvation materials. But other witnesses said villagers were only helping to unload materials from helicopters and were not intended to snatching. It could be seen the government has deep-rooted distrust to the people.
And villagers never saw a helicopter. They went only to see something new. Later on, one villager went to town government to “argue for reason”, but he was surrounded and beaten. When interviewed, the villagers looked worried. They worried that their village would be hated by the government, which would affect their salvation they could get after disaster. Villagers in this village were nice and kind，when they learned that the town middle school would resume classes, they chopped down their own bamboo to help the school to build classrooms. It could be seen that it was the government that breached its duties and it was the people who were honest and sincere.
ZHOU, Cheng in China People’s University had a suggestion that China should set up a “Disaster Prevention and Salvation Ministry”. I think this is a good suggestion and put it forward for your reference.
As he said, Tangshan Earthquake almost shook the whole nation and made everyone busy for a long time. Then people gradually forgot this pain. However, 32 years later, an unprecedented Wenchuan Earthquake surprised us. It not only shook the country, it shook the whole world! People all over the country reach out to help and people in all countries of the world are all concerned. Salvation was fast and effective, but at times passive and fussy. For example, communication in the center of the quake was interrupted and life detection devices could not get to position thus making many victims lose the chance to be saved. People suddenly found out the an astonishing quantity of tents were needed and produced them urgently, afterwards, “Yansai Lake” became a new huge problem. Honestly, we were so strange to and unprepared for the huge earthquake!
Then it is necessary to consider this quake as a “Loss Prevention and Salvation University”! Reasonably, the government should consider setting up a regular Loss Prevention and Salvation Department and establish Loss Prevention and Salvation Ministry in the State Council. Loss Prevention and Salvation Bureau should be set up in provinces and regions. As for county level, some key places need to be chosen. The tasks of these Loss Prevention and Salvation departments are multiple, covering earthquake, fire, flood, windstorm and epidemics; from forecast, report to salvation and rebuilding; from fire department, public security, medical to students, workers, townsfolk and farmers; and coordinate the army and armed police and maketheir salvation more effective is more important.
Swift communication, timely salvation, adequate materials, through traffic roads, proper allocation are all concerns of the Loss Prevention and Salvation Department. With such a special department, safety of people’s lives and properties, stability and safety of society will be more secured!
I have one more point to add: a Loss Prevention and Salvation Ministry is not enough. Transparency and circulation of information is also needed. Otherwise, though there are 100 Loss Prevention and Salvation Departments, big or small, it is still black-box operation and can not solve any problems except putting more taxes burdens onto the people and raise more party grandpas riding roisterously on the heads of the people.
Therefore what China needs first is to release press and increase peoples’rights to know and get people more prepared: self-salvation, mutual assistance, coordinated salvation and minimize losses.
As we all see, this quake caused loosing of press control. This not only failed to cause chaos but promoted unprecedented unity. This is the power of the people! The government should trust this valuable power and must not wantonly damage it.
Written on May 31, 2008 in NYC, USA and amended on June 14, 2008.
(The author is Chairman of China Democracy Party World Union)
Website：http://www.cdpwu.org
Telephone：001-1-917-348-5230 Jun Wang
|
|
