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Tight security ahead of China's 60th anniversary
Beijing (AFP) July 2, 2009 Three months before the 60th anniversary of the founding of communist China, tensions are simmering, as Beijing has mobilised its huge security and propaganda apparatus to nip trouble in the bud. Mao Zedong appeared triumphantly in front of a crowd of 100,000 in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949, proclaiming victory over the Nationalist enemy. Six decades on, observers say the authorities fear a new adversary -- public or political unrest. "Disorder is the enemy!" said Jean-Philippe Beja, a senior fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and a prolific writer on Chinese politics. "They want no petitions, no protests, no (members of the banned spiritual movement) Falungong, no dissidents. As with all other major events, they are tightening things up," said Beja, who is currently based in Hong Kong. The Chinese capital's first military parade in 10 years will take place in Tiananmen Square on October 1, showcasing Beijing's newfound military might to audiences both at home and abroad. Authorities want to ensure that nothing go wrong during the high-profile event, and reports say security will be even tighter than in June, during the 20th anniversary of the crackdown on the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests. The vice minister of public security, Yang Huanning, has warned of "serious threats to security" in China. China will mobilise even more people for the 60th anniversary celebrations than the 100,000 police officers, soldiers and special forces deployed during the Olympic Games in Beijing in August last year. Pictures of 3,000 heavily-armed commandos in balaclavas taking an oath to defend the capital were plastered across newspapers last week -- in a sign that Beijing is taking security for the sensitive anniversary very seriously. Just before that, anti-terror exercises codenamed "Great Wall Six" were launched in the areas around Beijing, with security forces practicing their responses to mock nuclear and chemical attacks. Drills have also been conducted in the northwestern Xinjiang region. China has long claimed it faces a deadly threat from Muslim separatists as justification for extremely tight controls in the remote area. For residents of Beijing, the stepped-up security means coping with metal detectors, X-ray machines and bag searches at subway stations, especially close to Tiananmen Square. At Beijing's international airport, where special guests are expected aboard about 100 extra flights, security also will be strengthened to prevent undesirable persons from entering the country. China's border guards have announced on their website the use of "an electronic surveillance system to prevent illegal immigration," without elaborating. Beja noted: "They take control. They execute criminals. They call it the big clean-up. They want a spotless, beautiful city." No official in charge of security, propaganda or transportation agreed to speak to AFP on or off the record about measures put in place ahead of the anniversary. The office of the foreign ministry spokesman dismissed as "baseless and irresponsible" reports that the issuance of tourist visas had been limited in the run-up to the anniversary. Authorities in Beijing have launched a "strike hard" campaign against prostitution for the entire period until October 1. The summer vacation has been cancelled for thousands of university students as the traditional military training for future sophomores has been moved up to July, so they have time later to practice the drills for the October 1 parade. "What's unacceptable is that the university has told us nothing about this," complained one blogger from Peking University. Meanwhile, not a single academic conference has been authorised on the subject of the 60th anniversary. Hu Xingdou, an economist at the Beijing Institute of Technology and an influential social commentator, regretted the way the people had not been taken into account. "I think it would have been good to use this occasion to improve the well-being of the have-nots instead of turning the anniversary into a carnival for a tiny number of people," he said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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