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News from China and bordering countries of N. Korea, Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan, Nepal and Mongolia. With a focus on the underground house churches of China.
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Thursday, May 01, 2003 |
Beijing Implements Emergency Measures to Contain SARS - VOA NEWS
Listen to Kurt Achin's report (RealAudio)
Achin report - Download 271k (RealAudio)
Emergency measures are keeping most Beijing residents at home this May Day, as China scrambles to react to the spread of atypical pneumonia.
Chinese travel on this May Day holiday is down dramatically from last year. China has slashed the week-long Labor Day holiday to a long weekend, and imposed travel restrictions to prevent the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
In Beijing, sports facilities, bars, and public gathering places are closed on government orders, and a movie marathon is running on state-owned television to encourage families to stay home.
The World Health Organization says mainland China is the only country where atypical pneumonia appears to still be spreading uncontrollably. On Thursday, the government reported 187 new cases of SARS, bringing its total number of patients to more than 3,600. There were 11 more deaths, raising the toll above 170.
Hong Kong on Thursday reported 11 new cases, and five new deaths. WHO experts say the worst may be over in the territory, but they are investigating reports that 12 SARS patients were discharged from hospital, and then apparently relapsed. Hong Kong Health director Margaret Chan says those patients are being watched closely. "These patients are readmitted into hospital, and taken care of by clinician, until they are well, before they are discharged," she said.
Hong Kong has seen 1,600 SARS cases, and 162 deaths.
Singapore is reporting one new death from SARS. The city-state is ordering primary school students to carry state-issued digital thermometers in their schoolbags, so they can check their temperatures twice a day. Singapore has reported 25 deaths from SARS.
In his May Day address, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong told Singaporeans to brace for higher unemployment as an after-effect of the disease. Singapore Airlines is ordering cabin crews to take two weeks of unpaid leave every two months until March of next year, because passenger levels have plunged since the SARS outbreak began more than a month ago.
Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan is reporting two more SARS deaths, bringing the island's total death toll to three. India is reporting 10 new SARS cases.
Worldwide, SARS has killed almost 400 people, and infected more than 5,600.
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6:17:09 PM 
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![A picture named chi316[1].gif](http://radio.weblogs.com/0118924/images/2003/05/01/chi316[1].gif) ---------------------------------------------------------------------
learn-china is a free daily e-zine bringing you information and
prayer requests about the nation of China. To join:
mailto:learn-china-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org
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SARS IN CHINA
The recent SARS scare has caused many to avoid traveling to China for
the time being. Those who have continued to share Christ in China in
recent days have had the joy of seeing Him work. God's Spirit
continues to sweep throughout the land, drawing many new lives unto
Him.
"Yesterday afternoon he became our brother," wrote one Christian
worker. "There were five new decisions last week," reported another.
"Several more were added to the Kingdom," said yet another. "Upon
hearing the truth for the first time in his language, he accepted
Christ," rejoiced still another.
Ongoing witness equals ongoing decisions as the Father deploys His
obedient servants in the continuing China harvest.
1. Pray for the protection and health of Christian workers who labor
in China on behalf of the unreached.
2. Pray for doctors to identify a cure for SARS.
3. Pray that this disease will not spread into epidemic-like
proportions.
Source: friends in China
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Learn more about China at strategicnetwork.org:
http://www.strategicnetwork.org/c/china
5:57:41 PM
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Today's Prayer Request from Pray For China
SARS spreads across Asia. That means there are fewer customers in restaurants and nightclubs. After work, people go home immediately to be better husbands and fathers. To an industrious Chinese who is busy with money and profession, this is a rare opportunity to be with his own family. Let us pray for this opportunity that the heads of the households are able to build new relationships with their family members and more families will become Christian families.
5:52:17 PM
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Prayer Request from RCMI
A top church leader in Anhui province was just arrested and put in a
detention centre by the police. We don't know when he is going to be
released. Please pray hard for him.
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Revival Chinese Ministries International (Hong Kong Office)
Website www.rcmi.ac
5:47:44 PM
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TWO TIBETAN MONKS ARRESTED - RFA
TWO TIBETAN MONKS ARRESTED
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2003--Authorities in the China's Gansu Province this
month arrested two Tibetan monks, apparently for political reasons, Radio
Free Asia (RFA) reported Wednesday. One of the monks remains in custody.
Local Chinese security officials detained Jigme Jamdrup, 37, and Kunchok
Jamyang, 40, on April 11, according to Tibetan sources who spoke to RFA's
Tibetan service between April 26-29. Both men belong to the Labrang
Tashikyel monastery in Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the sources
said. Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture forms part of what was
traditionally known as the Amdo region of Tibet, now under the
administration of Gansu Province in northwestern China.
Both Jigme Jamdrup and Kunchok Jamyang "have a history of arrest," one
person told RFA's Tibetan service. "Jigme Jamdrup was arrested on May 2,
1996 for allegedly spreading propaganda against the Chinese government--he
was sentenced to two years in prison and one year without his political
rights. Kunchok Jamyang was also arrested in May 1995 for political reasons
and detained for three months."
Jigme Jamdrup was released on bail April 23, sources said. "He was too
scared to say anything about the arrest including his place of detention,"
one person said. Officials later searched the residences of both men, and
they reportedly found some documents in Kunchok Jamyang's home.
When the men's relatives inquired about them after their arrest, "the local
security officials had no definite answer, but they said the men could
possibly be charged with separatist activites and undermining unity,"
another source said.
According to the State Department's most recent report on human rights
worldwide, issued in March this year, the Chinese government's human rights
record in Tibet remained poor, despite some positive developments.
Authorities there "continued to commit serious human rights abuses,
including instances of torture, arbitrary arrest, detention without public
trial, and lengthy detention of Tibetan nationalists for peacefully
expressing their political or religious views" in 2002, the report said.
"The overall level of repression of religious freedom in Tibet, while
somewhat less oppressive for lay followers than in previous years, remained
high."
"Individuals accused of political activism faced ongoing harassment during
the year. There were reports of imprisonment and abuse of nuns and monks
accused of political activism."
Copyright © 1999, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. http://www.rfa.org.
5:39:00 PM
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© 2003 Radio Free China
Last Update: 6/1/2003; 11:08:30 PM
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