Local Regime Bribes Earthquake Parents to Give Up Investigation

By Ding Xiao Radio Free Asia (RFA) Jul 20, 2008 Local Deyang communist cadre in Sichuan Province used bribery to lure earthquake parents to withdraw their request to investigate school construction quality issue, which caused the deaths of many students. The Deyang municipal government proposed a compensation plan on July 15. In order to receive compensation, earthquake parents are required to sign a 60,000 yuan (approximately US$ 8,571) government relief and social welfare application, which indicates that their children did not die because of the inferior quality of the school buildings, but from a natural disaster. The proposal has been rejected widely, over 1,000 parents protested in front of the government building that day. Later the local government promised more benefits such as 100 yuan (approximately US$ 14) life... [read full story]