Millennium3

Chinese smokers have the guts to stand up to their governments edicts on smoking, even though the government is likely to execute anyone at the drop of a hat.

Beijing scraps smoking ban in bars
By Richard Spencer in Beijing
Last Updated: 1:48am BST 15/04/2008

Beijing has given in to popular demand by abandoning plans to enforce a no-smoking policy for restaurants and bars.

The Beijing government has given up plans to enforce the smoking ban in bars and restaurants

The city government has followed Western countries in announcing that smoking will be banned from May 1 in public places, including government offices, sports venues, hospitals, schools and museums.

However, it has given up plans to force bars and restaurants to set aside at least 70 per cent of their seating areas for non-smokers, after a string of complaints from owners who said it would damage their businesses and be hard to enforce.

"It is difficult for us to control smoking in bars," admitted Zhang Peili, the official given the job of implementing the regulations.

"There is a Chinese saying that tobacco and alcohol always go together. It's part of the culture."

The state apparatus may be determined to get its way in matters of high politics, but in day-to-day issues it often has difficulty in enforcing its will.

China is home to 350 million smokers and an indication of popular attitudes came in October when one chain tried to implement a ban.

Customers at a branch of Meizhou Dongpo locked themselves in the dining rooms and refused to let staff enter until they had finished their cigarettes.

The move follows mounting concern that athletes could suffer from the city's polluted atmosphere. Digging, pouring of concrete and outdoor spray-painting will also be banned.

Beijing scraps smoking ban in bars - Telegraph





China executes 9 people a week, says Amnesty
By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:26am BST 15/04/2008

China is executing at least nine prisoners a week and sentencing a further 35 to death, according to Amnesty International.

In a report published today, the human rights group says that while China tries to keep the figures a state secret, the country put to death at least 470 people last year, making it the world's most prolific executioner,

At least 1,252 people were executed in 24 different countries last year, while 3,347 were sentenced to death in 51 countries. Amnesty adds that some 27,500 people are now on death row around the world.

Second to China was Iran with 317 executions, followed by Saudi Arabia on 143, Pakistan on 135 and the United States on 42.

Amnesty points out that the United Nations General Assembly voted by a large majority in December for a resolution to end the death penalty.

"The taking of life is one of the most drastic acts a government can undertake. We are urging all governments to follow the commitments made at the UN and abolish the death penalty once and for all," says the report.

Meanwhile, the father of a boy beheaded in Saudi Arabia last year has filed a lawsuit seeking an official acknowledgment that the execution was unlawful.

Hussein al-Hakami's son, Mueed, was arrested in the southern province of Jizan for the murder when he was 13 of another boy. A succession of courts dismissed several appeals for clemency over a three-year period.

China executes 9 people a week, says Amnesty - Telegraph

tito

Yes, they are. Most British people will bend over at the state's request.

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TannyD

So when are we all going to stand up and say no? Or are we just going to agree with the first person who voices a rebellious plan and then sit back down leaving them still standing alone?

Britannist

The item in the first posting to this thread about the horror of state murders (executions) in communist China is already covered in another thread:

"China gold medal for executions"

Tara

Yes that's it because generally speaking, the British are indeed a bunch of pansies. I think the coming economic crash will give them a kick up the bum, when they've had their houses repossessed and can't get housed by the local authorities because all their properties have been given to immigrants and they can't afford to feed their families because of rising food costs. Then and only then when they have nothing to lose will they rise up and revolt against the system and the smoking ban.

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brian pearson

I think the coming economic crash will kick lots of us up the backside.

Hopefully it will weed out lots of societies ills. The vast army of state workers must be told who they work for and culled in numbers. All the non jobs must go. A life on the dole knocking ferel kids out has to be curtailed. In fact the welfare system needs a complete shake up.

In good times we all put up with the **** but when our backs are against the wall hopefully we will start to fight back. A rebelion against health fascism and the right to smoke in a private establishment is a good start.

Roland

I'd say if their are one bunch of genuine social scroungers it's that lot.

It is not right that this government uses an over populations money to give jobs to people that put in nothing other than making sure that every ones following the stupid rules and regulations that no one asked for in the first place and are making every one's life difficult and in the case of business unprofitable.

A country needs real jobs, real business and real enterprise not communism.

What is amazing just talking to people out in the street is what happened to peoples will to stand up for them selves. It's like that book Brave New World. People in this country are treated like **** and genuinely believe it's not their place to argue with government and anything government does is for their own good. It's frightening.

Hartlepool

It seems that people who have never worked or spent many years laying around,are the ones who are running all the qango's at the middle level,absolutely mind bogglingly disgracefull misdirection of the British taxpayers money.

John Connor

Yes, that's generally how the UK works.

And it's why I'm done with the place.

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Westcountryman

Yep, the prevailing attitude seems to be "Someone should do something about that - that is, someone other than me".

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