I am not sure if this is the right place for this, but.... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6599940 I found the audio file of the NPR report pretty interesting listening, and thought others here might find it interesting too. If nothing else, it seems the tradition of rebellious buddhist monks dies hard. Thoughts folks?
Or the other take would be that the tradition of the Communist government in China is holding true... repressive, corrupt and never afraid to bring the boot down on anyone that might possibly cast them in a truthful (read that as negative) light. What most of the western world doesn't realize is that there are very, very few rights in China for the individual. What can you really expect from China? I mean seriously. Their laogai system (laodong gaizao zhidu) is the premier prison camp system of the 20th century bar none. 'Reeducation through forced labor' (liao-jiao) and 'remolding through forced labor' (laogai) are alive and well in China. Have been since 1952. Under the laogai system you can summarily sentenced for up to three years with no means of appeal, no rights to a lawyer.... they haven't even got to tell you what you're being sent to a prison camp for! Zero legal procedure is the norm. During Mao's era (1949-76) liao-jiao inmates commonly spent two decades in forced labor. During the Deng era (1978-92), inmates commonly had their sentences extended for as long as a decade all without appearing before a judge or even being allowed to contest the charges against them. That they blew off one monk is hardly surprising. It says the same monotonus drone about China that has been sounding since the Communists came to power. Brutality, corruption and repression.
