Public Official ...Puts Poor in Prison

Poor and cold, unemployed and sickly Zhao Lizhong wrote President Hu Jintao of China. Zhao pleaded they had nowhere else to turn. He and his co-workers were laid-off and cheated by their employer, the power supply company; they had not received the pension benefits promised. After many petitions, for the benefits promised, Zhao, and his wife Gong Xiuchen were imprisoned.

China does not have an independent judiciary, the communist party runs the justice system. Zhao complained: There is no law. They were sent to labor camp because he was told they disturbed social stability. With corrupt officals, going to the police is no option for help. Public officals are connected to the police, and ending in prison is a certainty. - Poor and Powerless, Washington Post 01/26/05