Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
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News (1) to (5) / Reporters : Zhao Fenghua and Jiang Diya / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/03/a103817650.html / Image : Video Screenshot
News (1)
Li Keqiang’s body cremated under strict surveillance by Beijing authorities
On 2 November 2023, the body of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was cremated in Beijing. On that day, Beijing police were heavily deployed, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Some people went to the section of road where Li Keqiang's hearse passed to bid farewell, but were closely monitored by the police.
On-site staff: "Don't go any further!"
According to online reports, when Li Keqiang's hearse passed through Shangzhuang East Street in Beijing, a woman was covered by multiple plainclothes police officers and forcibly taken away from the scene.
There were also people taking pictures of the hearse passing by, but the men in black knocked off their phones.
On the evening of November 1, Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue was under control, and Tiananmen Square was suddenly driven away and the people were forcibly cleared.
Police car loudspeaker: "Go to both sides, hurry up and leave the square."
News (2)
Authorities prohibit public mourning for Li Keqiang and various places clean up memorial sites
On the day of Li Keqiang's funeral, the Chinese Communist Party authorities have begun to prohibit people from mourning Li Keqiang and clean up memorial sites everywhere.
The memorial site on Hongxing Road in Hefei, Anhui Province, the former residence of Li Keqiang, has been blocked and people cannot enter to lay flowers. The flowers previously placed have been cleared.
In the People's Square in Chuzhou, Anhui, people also began to clean up flowers and cards in memory of the deceased. Plainclothes police officers were on site to check pedestrians and were not allowed to enter the square.
Some netizens revealed that at Qianxi Square in Zhengzhou, there were hundreds of "blue vests" standing guard at the memorial site. A bridge leading to the scene was guarded, and people were not allowed to cross the bridge while holding flowers.
On Weibo, pictures in memory of Li Keqiang have been blocked.
Another woman was caught in a police car and taken to the police station for laying flowers in memory of Li Keqiang.
News (3)
CCTV bans comments after flags are flown at half-mast, accused of guilty conscience
On the day when Li Keqiang’s body was cremated, CCTV, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, announced that flags in Tiananmen Square were flown at half-mast in memory of Li Keqiang. Some netizens noticed that the official media collectively closed comments, and the mouthpiece was accused of having a guilty conscience.
News (4)
After Li Keqiang’s funeral, colleges and universities convened an emergency meeting with counselors
On the day of Li Keqiang’s funeral, Chinese universities tightened public opinion control. Southwest University urgently convened a meeting of all counselors, saying that after being notified by superiors, units and individuals are not allowed to organize mourning activities on their own. Relevant mourning activities should be carried out in accordance with the unified arrangements of the central government, and voices that are inconsistent with the central government are not allowed to be made.
Counselors from the Sun Yat-Sen College of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of Guangdong also informed that they are not allowed to participate in any gathering activities, make inappropriate remarks, forward or comment on tweets and videos with sensitive content, even if they are viewed.
News (5)
Confidence crisis in the CCP: Li Keqiang’s widow’s solemn statement goes viral online
Li Keqiang's sudden death was shrouded in suspicion, but his body was hastily cremated. Due to the CCP's opaque black-box operation of information, doubts and conspiracy theories are flying everywhere. On 2 November 2023, self-media person "Lao Deng" forwarded the so-called solemn statement on YouTube by Cheng Hong, Li Keqiang's widow, saying that she did not attend the farewell ceremony for the body, denounced the authorities for finding a stand-in to play herself, firmly opposed the cremation of the body and fought to the end. In this regard, netizens generally said that although they did not believe it, this was everyone’s wish. Analysts believe that the spread of such news on the Internet highlights the crisis of trust facing Xi Jinping’s administration.
In addition, Cai Xia, a former party school professor who has left the CCP, also interpreted the scene at the farewell ceremony for Li Keqiang’s body. Cai Xia said that Xi Jinping's eyelids were drooped and his teeth were clenched; Professor Cheng Hong's eyes were extremely cold and she did not look at Xi Jinping. After Li Keqiang was cremated, will the matter disappear? No! Everyone understands that this matter is not over yet. Who will take the blame? Let's wait and see.
News (6)
Li Keqiang’s true cause of death remains a mystery. Chinese medicine doctor: He may have died from covid
After Li Keqiang's body was cremated, the investigation into the true cause of his death did not stop. Simpson Liu, a Chinese medicine practitioner, posted on social media that from the perspective of Chinese medicine, Li Keqiang had poor heart function and had early signs but they were ignored. It may also be that he was infected with covid and caused asymptomatic myocarditis, and went swimming again. His sudden death shocked everyone. So sad.
It was previously reported that Li Keqiang had undergone a liver transplant and his heart was damaged due to long-term use of anti-rejection drugs. The real situation is unknown.
News (7)
Li Keqiang's funeral "copied" Li Peng's manuscript, party media made a mistake and raised doubts
Li Keqiang's funeral was held, and the party media reported that it was suspected of "copying" the report of the late former Prime Minister Li Peng, and only changed the word "seriously ill" to "rescue", which was a mistake.
Some netizens commented on the Li Keqiang died suddenly in Shanghai. Did he say that he made a special trip to Shanghai to visit or express condolences to the body?
Some people also questioned, " Doesn't this just mean that Li Keqiang did not die suddenly, but stayed in the hospital for a long time? Xinhua News Agency, did you accidentally leak the truth? !"
News (8)
Li Keqiang: The "Man with Iron Chains" in Zhongnanhai
Editor : Tang Zheng / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/03/a103817637.html / Image : On 22 October 2022, the closing day of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Hu Jintao was forcibly taken away from the venue. Hu patted Li Keqiang on the shoulder before leaving. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The public opinion effect generated by the sudden death of 68-year-old former Premier Li Keqiang of the Communist Party of China has highlighted the fierce internal fighting among the top leaders of the Communist Party of China. The outside world uses the word "useless" to describe Li Keqiang's ten years of "political achievements." Some analysts even believe that under the CCP’s totalitarian system, Li Keqiang’s fate is like that of a “woman with iron chains” and he is the “Man with Iron Chains” of Zhongnanhai.
The Chinese Communist Party official said that Li Keqiang, who went to Shanghai to rest, died of a "sudden heart attack" in Shanghai on 27 October 2023. On 2 November, Li Keqiang’s body was cremated in Beijing.
The Chinese Communist Party’s official political evaluation of Li Keqiang is “an outstanding proletarian revolutionary and statesman” and “an outstanding leader.” However, the announcement of the cause of his death triggered public doubts. Due to rumors that Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang did not agree, various conspiracy theories spread.
Wang Juntao, a former Peking University alumnus of Li Keqiang and a Chinese political scholar living in the United States, told DW that Li Keqiang should have been "murdered", but this murder was not actually a direct murder.
At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022, former General Secretary Hu Jintao, the leader of the Youth League faction, was forcibly removed from the venue. In March this year, Li Keqiang, who was promoted by Hu Yishou, also resigned early. Only half a year later, Li Keqiang died suddenly in Shanghai.
Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China for three terms, prime minister for two terms, and the number two figure for ten years, is known as the weakest prime minister in the history of the Communist Party of China. Under the shadow of the "Xi Core", Li Keqiang has made almost no achievements in political decision-making. .
Regarding Li Keqiang's evaluation, Wang Juntao said in NTDTV's "Pinnacle View" program that if he used two words to evaluate Li Keqiang's achievements in the past ten years, he would be too "cowardly". Xi Jinping has seized all power in his own hands, established a series of small groups, and sidelined Li Keqiang.
Wu Guoguang, another Peking University alumnus of Li Keqiang and professor of the Department of Politics and History at the University of Victoria in Canada, wrote in Voice of America that the tragedy of Li Keqiang’s life is another manifestation of the CCP system. Just like the "girl in chains", the fate of senior officials in Zhongnanhai is the same. Under the Communist system, who doesn’t live a miserable life and die a useless person?
Current political commentator Yuan Bin recently wrote an article in The Epoch Times, saying that the "woman with iron chains" is powerless and bullied lower-class; Li Keqiang is the superior premier and second-in-command of the Communist Party of China that was powerless and bullied. In terms of social status, the two of them are on the same level.
Yuan Bin believes that they have one thing that is very similar, that is, they are both tied by an iron chain. If the abducted Li Ying is the "woman with iron chains", then Li Keqiang can be said to be the "Man with Iron Chains" in Zhongnanhai. The only difference between the two is that the former is at the bottom of society, while the latter is at the top of society.
Yuan Bin said that after Xi Jinping came to power, "reform and opening up" existed in name only, and Chinese society rapidly regressed. As Prime Minister, Li Keqiang knows this well but he does not dare to openly oppose Xi Jinping. He often utters unintentional remarks and often talks about "under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core."
Yuan Bin believes that the reason why Li Keqiang "lived a miserable life and died a useless person" was not because of anything else but because Li Keqiang was tied by an invisible iron chain from beginning to end. What is this chain? On the surface it appears to be Xi Jinping’s dictatorship but in essence it is the CCP’s totalitarian system.
Li Yuqing, a legal scholar living in the United States, told The Epoch Times that the CCP’s totalitarian system will cause psychological changes in people, and they will rectify each other out of fear of losing power. It is all a matter of life and death to get the upper hand, and that is how the meat grinder comes about.
News (9)
Li Keqiang was quickly cremated. Cao Xingcheng: The CCP is suspected of annihilating evidence
Editor : Xiao Lusheng / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/11/3/n14108824.htm / Image : File photo of Cao Xingcheng, founder of Taiwan UMC. (Lin Shijie/The Epoch Times)
The body of former Chinese Communist Premier Li Keqiang was cremated in Beijing on 2 November 2023. Taiwan's UMC founder Cao Xingcheng issued an article on 3 November questioning that the CCP skipped the "judicial examination" process and quickly cremated Li Keqiang's body, which is suspected of annihilating evidence, proving that the CCP's handling methods are like those of a gangster.
On 2 November 2023, a farewell ceremony for Li Keqiang’s body was held in the auditorium of Babaoshan Funeral Home in Beijing. Li Keqiang's body was also cremated here that day. On that day, hundreds of people stood on the roadside near Babaoshan Cemetery and shouted to the passing hearse. A large number of police and men in black were present to monitor every move of the people. During this period, a woman was forcibly taken away by plainclothes officers covering her mouth on a nearby street.
Tsao Hsing-cheng, the founder of Taiwan's UMC, posted on Facebook on 3 November (link) that in normal countries, if someone is suspected of unnatural death, they must undergo a "judicial examination" to clarify the cause of death.
"Judicial examination" refers to the situation where the deceased died of non-illness or suspected non-illness. The prosecutor, prosecutor's office or judicial police officer will examine the body together with the forensic doctor or examiner to confirm whether there is any possibility of criminal offenses.
Cao Xingcheng said that the cause of Li Keqiang's death was suspicious, and many people at home and abroad believed that he died of murder. As a result, the CCP authorities quickly cremated his body without any "judicial examination" procedures, which is suspected of disregarding human life and then destroying evidence. His death and the so-called "rescue" process not only prohibited media interviews, but also strictly suppressed online comments, which further revealed his weirdness and guilty conscience.
Li Keqiang was once the second most powerful figure in the Chinese Communist Party. Cao Xingcheng believes that even the death of the No. 2 figure was handled so hastily, which proves that mainland China is by no means a normal country and handles everything like a gangster. The characteristics of the underworld are lawlessness, those who follow me prosper, and those who go against me perish, ignoring judicial procedures and the people's right to "know".
In the morning of 27 October 2023, CCTV news stated that Li Keqiang suffered a heart attack on 26 October while resting in Shanghai and died at 0:10 on 27 October at the age of 68.
Epoch Times commentator Zhong Yuan said at the time, why did Li Keqiang go to Shanghai to rest? If the weather gets colder, it would be better to go to the south, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or Hainan. If you go to Shanghai for treatment, wouldn’t Beijing Hospital be able to do it? There may be some hidden secrets in this matter. Zhong Yuan believed that the cause of Li Keqiang's death was strange, and it was also strange that the CCP announced his death notice so quickly, because it usually would not be so quick.
Current affairs commentator Li Linyi told The Epoch Times at the time that Li Keqiang's death was unreasonable. The Standing Committee members would be surrounded by specialized doctors and guards, and they would immediately administer medication even if they had a heart attack. The medical level of Shanghai hospitals is the highest in the country. Li Keqiang's sudden death is obviously unreasonable.
News (10)
Peng Liyuan made a rare appearance at Li Keqiang's farewell ceremony, sparking suspicion
Reporter : Xiao Lusheng / Editor : Li Muen / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/11/3/n14108799.htm / Image : On 2 November 2023, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan bowed at the farewell ceremony for Li Keqiang’s body. (Screenshot from CCTV News)
On 2 November, at the farewell ceremony for the body of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping’s wife Peng Liyuan appeared, that is really rare. Analysts believe that Xi Jinping's move was to show the harmonious relationship between Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang. However, because there are many doubts about the cause of Li Keqiang's death, it only deepened the outside world's suspicion of the relationship between the two.
On the 2nd, Li Keqiang's body was cremated. Xi Jinping, the current Seventh Standing Committee member, and Han Zheng went to Babaoshan Cemetery to bid farewell. Hu Jintao sent wreaths to express condolences. Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan also appeared at the farewell ceremony, that is quite rare.
CCTV news footage showed Xi Jinping looking indifferent when shaking hands with Cheng Hong, Li Keqiang’s widow. Behind her, Peng Liyuan looked sad and was about to cry at one point. When the two bowed three times to Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping's expression remained indifferent. When Peng Liyuan bowed, her body almost bent at 90 degrees.
Image : On 2 November 2023, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping shook hands with Li Keqiang’s widow at the farewell ceremony for Li Keqiang’s body. Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi Jinping, looked sad. (Screenshot from CCTV News)
Previously, Peng Liyuan did not accompany Xi Jinping to express condolences at the farewell ceremonies of former Chairman of the National People's Congress Wan Li and former Prime Minister Li Peng, but this time she went to Li Keqiang's funeral. After the death of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin, Peng Liyuan and Xi Jinping greeted the deceased at Beijing Airport. Peng Liyuan did not attend the farewell ceremony.
Hong Kong media analysis believes that Xi Jinping and his wife attended Li Keqiang's farewell ceremony together, which was an "exceptional" move.
Current affairs commentator Li Linyi told The Epoch Times that there are two major highlights of Li Keqiang’s memorial service. First, Peng Liyuan and Xi Jinping appeared together. Li Peng was a princeling, and his daughter Li Xiaolin and others grew up together with Xi when he was a child. Even with this friendship, Peng Liyuan was not seen attending Li Peng's memorial service to emphasize the friendship between them. With Peng Liyuan's appearance this time, the Xi authorities obviously want to emphasize the harmony between the Xi and Li families, and may want to use this to refute rumours of infighting between Xi and Li but the problem is that there are many doubts about the cause of Li Keqiang's death this time. Xi's move means that there is no silver 300 taels here, which in turn deepens the outside world's suspicion of the relationship between the two.
Li Linyi said that another interesting point is that in the officially released videos and photos, in addition to the Seventh Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Han Zheng, the officials currently identifiable are Li Xiaopeng, the son of former Premier Li Peng, and the well-known entrepreneur Yu Minhong. CCTV did not even give a clear shot. It is estimated that the authorities do not want people to be associated with factions but these actions actually have the opposite effect.
Previously, photos circulated online showed Cao Weizhou, Li Keqiang's old ministry and former deputy secretary-general of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Jiang Daming, Li Keqiang's old subordinate and former Shandong Provincial Party Committee Secretary. Members of the so-called Youth League went to Li Keqiang's mourning hall to express condolences.
News (11)
Li Keqiang’s wife shakes hands with Xi Jinping, body language leads to speculation
Reporter : Li Enzhen / Editor : Wen Hui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/03/a103817763.html / Image : On 2 November 2023, the wife of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang shook hands with Xi Jinping. (Screenshot from CCTV News)
On November 2, former Premier Li Keqiang of the Communist Party of China was cremated in Beijing. Subsequently, the Chinese Communist Party officially released a video of Li Keqiang's farewell ceremony that day. The body language of Li Keqiang's wife Cheng Hong when shaking hands with senior Chinese Communist Party officials sparked discussion among the outside world. Especially when Cheng Hong shook hands with Xi Jinping, she only glanced up at Xi Jinping and then turned her head to the side.
At about 9 am that day, Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Han Zheng, etc. appeared at Li Keqiang's funeral and shook hands with Li Keqiang's relatives.
Subsequently, the official broadcast of the CCP showed that Xi Jinping and Cheng Hong shook hands for a very short time, and neither party said a word. Cheng Hong glanced at Xi Jinping and quickly turned his head to the side; while shaking hands with other members of the Standing Committee, Cheng Hong mostly Respond with a nod. Cai Qi and Zhao Leji shook hands with Cheng Hong with one hand.
The outside world has also seen some clues from the interaction between Li Keqiang's wife and senior CCP officials.
Current affairs commentator Li Muyang said in the "News Watch" program that Xi Jinping's expression was relatively serious. When Cheng Hong shook hands with him, she only glanced up at Xi and then lowered her head. It is impossible to know her mental state at that time but she took a glance at Xi and it should be said that she understood everything.
In the evening of 2 November 2023, Cai Xia, a former professor at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, posted on the social media.
Cai Xia said, "If Li Keqiang was cremated, would the matter disappear? No! Just look at the people watching the hearse along the street, just look at the woman who was forcibly dragged away by black thugs covering her mouth, just look at Xi Jinping's face with lowered eyelids not meeting Cheng Hong's eyes, just look at Cheng Hong's sadness. With her face and the extremely cold eyes when facing Xi, everyone knew that this matter was not over yet. Who will take the blame? Let's wait and see."
"Flying in Rain" said, "The Chinese Communist Party is acting from top to bottom, and these are all performed for the common people. But they must be objective and cannot rely on feelings to say, 'Cheng Hong's eyes are extremely cold and she does not look at Xi Jinping." Cheng Hong's eyes are unable to open yet she still looked up at Xi. She was not like the legend: Li Zhao, wife of Hu Yaobang, said to Deng Xiaoping after the memorial service: 'It's all your fault. ’”
Others say that Xi Jinping only had brief eye contact with Cheng Hong, which shows that his psychological hostility and alienation towards each other are very strong. It can be concluded that Cheng Hong believes that Xi is primarily responsible for Li Keqiang's death, regardless of the specific circumstances.
"Cheng Hong's eyes clearly show resentment."
“Professor Cheng Hong is so disgusted that she doesn’t want to take another look at Xi Jinping!”
"I missed one thing: I didn't give Cheng Hong a frontal shot."
"It's all an act! Have you ever seen several members of the Standing Committee buy a wreath together? Isn't it ridiculous?"
(Video screenshot)
The Chinese Communist Party official said that Li Keqiang, who went to Shanghai to rest, died of a "sudden heart attack" in Shanghai on October 27. However, the announcement of the cause of his death triggered public doubts. Due to rumors that Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang did not agree, various conspiracy theories spread.
Wang Juntao, a Peking University alumnus of Li Keqiang and a Chinese political scholar living in the United States, recently told The Epoch Times that Li Keqiang at least did not stop the Chinese Communist regime from doing bad things or break with them. Instead, he agreed and endorsed them. This is a tragedy.
"I think Li Keqiang's tragedy fully demonstrates that in the 1980s, a large number of promising Chinese people hoped to enter the Communist Party system and then use the Communist Party to change China. Now it has fully proved that this road is unworkable. We must withdraw from the Communist Party, and it is the only way of finding another way out for China besides the Communist Party so that China can have hope."
News (12)
Li Keqiang was not allowed to wear white flowers as a gift. A woman was escorted away by plain clothes covering her mouth
Editor : Zhou Guihang / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/02/a103817397.html / Image : On 2 November 2023, police officers were everywhere outside the gate of Babaoshan Cemetery in Beijing. (Pedro Pardo /AFP via Getty Images)
The body of former Chinese Communist Party Premier Li Keqiang was cremated on 2 November 2023, and everything in Beijing was deserted. Taiwanese media photographed a woman being escorted away by plain clothes covering her mouth among the crowd seeing Li Keqiang off. Citizens said that the authorities did not allow sending flowers, not even wearing white flowers.
A video released by "TVBS News" on 2 November showed that near Beijing's Babaoshan Cemetery where Li Keqiang's body was cremated, hundreds of people stood on the roadside and shouted to the passing hearse to see Li Keqiang off. There were also many people holding up their mobile phones to take pictures.
The reporter asked people at the scene if flowers could be sent here. One man replied, no. They are not even allowed to wear flowers on their bodies.
The live video (link) also showed a woman being escorted away by two men. The woman seemed to be trying to shout, but the two men tightly covered her mouth. Two more men followed and took control of the woman. The men were all wearing plain clothes, and one of them was suspected of pulling up a miniature microphone on his collar to talk. These people are suspected to be secret "stability maintenance" personnel deployed by the authorities at the scene.
The sound in the video also showed that a woman at the scene was trying to stop people from filming: "Stop filming, you will be taken advantage of after you post it, don't post it..."
In addition, there are multiple online videos showing that Beijing was in turmoil that day, as if it was facing a formidable enemy. In some sensitive areas, uniformed personnel are stationed at three steps, one post, five steps and one sentry, and there are countless people in black scattered around. Especially in places where citizens gathered to see Li Keqiang off, the "stability maintenance" personnel were particularly nervous, fearing "trouble".
There is a video showing that a man who was preparing to take a video on the street was knocked off his mobile phone by "stability maintenance" personnel.
The news about Li Keqiang's cremation that day once topped the list of hot searches on Weibo, which shows how much the Chinese people pay attention to this matter. In order to "maintain stability", the CCP tries its best to suppress "sensitive" information.
According to web page screenshots, as early as 30 October 2023, the video of flowers at Li Keqiang’s former residence in Hefei had been blocked.
Image : Webpage Screenshot
A Chongqing public security "summons certificate" circulated online showed that a Chongqing man was summoned on 1 November and was not released until 9.55 am on the 2nd. The person summoned refused to sign. The whistleblower claimed that the man was summoned simply because he appealed online to "send Li Keqiang off" and was accused of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
Image : Web image
At the farewell ceremony for Li Keqiang's body on the 2nd, only eight senior leaders including Xi Jinping, the Seventh Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, and former Standing Committee member and current Vice President Han Zheng showed up. Hu Jintao and other former Standing Committee members only sent wreaths.
News (13)
Media: Myanmar military takes 500 foreigners hostage
Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/02/a103817317.html / Image : On 10 March 2017, the burned remains of a car were parked on the street of Laukkai, the capital of Kokang, Shan State, northern Myanmar. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
At the end of October 2023, multiple anti-government armed forces in Myanmar engaged in fierce exchanges of fire with government forces on multiple fronts, including areas bordering mainland China, causing huge casualties. As the fighting escalated, there were reports that about 500 foreigners were detained by government forces in Laukkai, the capital of Shan State's Kokang Autonomous Region.
According to a report by Myanmar's anti-military media "The Irrawaddy" on 2 November 2023, the hostages include 189 Thais and hundreds of nationals from Nepal, Ethiopia, Laos and other countries. The foreigners were recently rescued from online fraud enterprises in the area.
However, humanitarian workers said the junta-controlled anti-trafficking unit sent the foreigners to military camps rather than handing them over to authorities in their countries.
"The army forced them to build bunkers, dig trenches and transport wood. They were effectively human shields," a person involved in rescuing the victims told The Irrawaddy.
Humanitarian workers said the foreigners were being held at frontline posts where fighting could break out at any time and their lives were at risk, stressing that they needed to be handed over to their home countries or China.
"They keep foreigners on the front lines and use them as human shields," said the aid worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The "Operation 1027" on 27 October 2023 was launched by the "Brotherhood Alliance" composed of the Arakan Army (AA), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). They carried out attacks in several towns in northern Shan State. The Alliance has a base.
Analysts said the offensive surprised Myanmar's military junta and caught the army off guard. As of the beginning of this week, coalition forces have captured more than 40 military posts in the northern region, and dozens, if not hundreds, of police and military personnel have been killed.
The operation also blocked the lucrative trade routes between CCP China and Myanmar - the Lashio-Muse Highway and the Lashio-Qinruihu Highway - to prevent the junta from using them for reinforcements.
According to reports, all trade routes with mainland China, including the busiest border checkpoint in Muse, are currently under the control of the Brotherhood alliance and are closed due to ongoing fighting. Chin Shwe Haw, a trading town on the border with China, has not been spared.
The junta has tried to fight back with drones and artillery but has so far failed to recapture bases and outposts.
TNLA spokesman Colonel Tar Aik Kyaw said: "In the past, ethnic minorities fought against dictatorships alone but today all ethnic minorities are resisting the military junta. If people across the country join this action, we can overthrow the dictatorship."
Shortly after the launch of "Operation 1027", the "Brotherhood Alliance" stated that in addition to realizing the common aspiration of all Myanmar people - "eradicating the oppression of military dictatorship", one of the goals of the operation is to eliminate online fraud organizations in the Kokang area.
Laukkai is notorious for online gambling and scamming businesses. This year, Beijing put pressure on the junta to crack down on Lao Cai. Myanmar has failed to tackle online fraud and thousands of Chinese nationals are believed to be living in border areas controlled by ethnic insurgents and militias affiliated with the regime.
The electronic fraud armed groups, mostly composed of Chinese or ethnic Chinese, have established hundreds of electronic fraud parks in Kokang, Wa and other places, employing tens of thousands of young people smuggled from China. They have a large number of weapons and ammunition, and are closely related to local Casinos, drug traffickers and armed groups colluded to form a huge syndicate.
Chinese state media announced on 31 October 2023 that following violent clashes on the CCP China-Myanmar border, Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security of the Communist Party of China, went to Myanmar for talks with the military junta.
News (14)
Conflict in northern Myanmar: Myanmar army loses control of Chinshwehaw, a key border town
Reporter : Liming / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/02/a103817511.html / Image : Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for Myanmar’s military junta. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
The Myanmar Junta regime recently confirmed that the Myanmar army has lost control of Chinshwehaw, a town in the Kokang Autonomous Region in northern Shan State, Myanmar. Chinshwehaw is the busiest trade port on the China-Myanmar border. Losing control of the town is a serious military setback for the Myanmar army.
The conflict between local armed groups of ethnic minorities in northern Myanmar and the Myanmar government forces has continued for many days. In the evening of 1 November 2023, local time, Myanmar military government spokesman Zaw Min Tun issued a statement saying that in Chinshwehaw, which borders China's Yunnan Province, "the government, administrative agencies and security agencies no longer exist."
Zaw Min Tun said in a statement that in the past six days, fighting broke out between the military and three ethnic local armed groups (referred to as local armed groups) in 10 locations in Shan State in northern Myanmar.
Zaw Min Tun accused local armed groups of blowing up power stations and bridges and damaging transport corridors but he did not disclose the casualties or other details of both sides in the battle.
Previously, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army released a video on 30 October 2023, claiming that their "soldiers" had occupied Chinshwehaw.
On 2 November 2023, AFP interviewed a resident of Hsenwi Town, about 90 kilometers away from Chinshwehaw. The resident said they could hear gunfire outside the city and that thousands of people had sought refuge in his town in recent days.
Data from the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce quoted by media controlled by the Myanmar military junta show that from April to September this year, the total border trade between Myanmar and China reached US$1.8 billion, of which more than a quarter of the trade passed through Chinshwehaw.
The report quoted Bangkok-based military security expert Davis as saying that losing control of Chinshwehaw is a serious military setback. This is the "unprecedented pressure" the Myanmar military has faced since the 2021 coup.
Last Friday (27 October 2023), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the Arakan Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army suddenly launched an attack on the Myanmar Army in northern Shan State. The side launched an attack and claimed to have captured dozens of outposts and multiple main roads, and now further controls the strategic town of Qingshuihe.
According to public information, the total combat strength of the above three ethnic minority local armed organizations is estimated to be more than 15,000 people. These local armed groups have been having friction with government forces for years over issues such as autonomy and resource control.
The armed conflict in northern Myanmar has forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes, with hundreds of them crossing the border and seeking asylum in CCP China.
News (15)
Israeli troops siege Gaza City, Wagner aids Hezbollah, war may escalate
Reporter : Yu Liang / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/03/a103817666.html
On Thursday (2 November 2023), Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that the ground war record was remarkable and the Israeli army had encircled Gaza City. However, Washington has expressed concern that Russia's Wagner Group's military aid to Hezbollah may force Israel to fight on both the "North and South" fronts at the same time.
Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Halevi said on Thursday that Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City from multiple directions and killed 130 terrorists in the past few hours and attacked the headquarters, rocket launch sites and weapons storage sites of the Hamas organization. and other infrastructure.
However, an Israeli battalion commander died while resisting a night ambush by Hamas. Currently, 19 Israeli soldiers have been killed in ground battles.
During a fierce battle, Hamas forced nearly a hundred women and children to serve as human shields to protect its hiding place.
An Israeli military officer said: "We are ready to deal with more inhumane actions by Hamas."
In addition, Israeli Defense Minister Galante also said that the Israeli army has a "unique solution" to dismantle Hamas's huge network of tunnels under Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces also released a video on Thursday showing a cruise missile flying toward Israel from the southeast and being intercepted by the Israeli Air Force. More details have not been disclosed yet.
On the same day, Washington stated that the possibility of Hezbollah's intervention in the Hamas-Israeli war has greatly increased. There is news that the Russian Wagner mercenary group may be providing "Armor" air defense systems to the Hezbollah organization supported by Iran in Lebanon.
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it attacked 19 Israeli positions and fired rockets into Israel, after which the IDF launched a massive counterattack.
On Wednesday, the Saudi Arabian Defense Minister visited Washington and held talks with Defense Secretary Austin and Secretary of State Blinken. Both sides stated that they did not want the war between Kazakhstan and Israel to continue to escalate and hoped that Hamas would release the hostages immediately.
On Thursday, Blinken set off for another visit to the Middle East. Before boarding the plane, he said the United States was determined to prevent further escalation and spread of conflicts in the region.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu threatened on Wednesday that the Russian air defense system has the capability to shoot down all F-16 fighter jets supplied to Ukraine by the United States and its Western allies within 20 days.
News (16)
US sends drones over Gaza to search for hostages
Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Li Muen / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/11/3/n14108839.htm
Two U.S. officials said on Thursday (November 2) that U.S. unmanned reconnaissance aircraft have been flying over Gaza recently, searching for targets captured by Hamas as hostages.
One of the officials said drones had been searching for more than a week.
U.S. officials said that among the more than 200 people abducted to Gaza, 10 Americans may be missing and are believed to be held in Hamas's vast tunnel network.
On Thursday, Israeli forces surrounded Gaza City and launched an offensive against Hamas, which is waging a guerrilla war from underground tunnels.
The city in northern Gaza has become the focus of an offensive by Israel, which has vowed to destroy Hamas's command structure and ask civilians to flee to the south.
Israeli officials said that Hamas militants launched a raid on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians. This was the deadliest day in the 75-year history of the state of Israel.
According to health authorities in Hamas-controlled Gaza, Israeli air strikes and ground offensives in Gaza have killed 9,061 people. The Epoch Times was unable to independently verify that number.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for the Middle East for the second time and will hold talks with Israeli leaders.
Before departure, Blinken told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base (link) that a focus of his trip will be to secure the release of all hostages in Gaza. In addition, he will make every effort to protect Palestinian civilians and discuss how to create conditions for lasting and sustainable peace.
News (17)
U.S. House of Representatives passes resolution condemning U.S. universities for supporting Hamas
Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Li Muen / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/11/3/n14108894.htm / Image : On October 3, 2023, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution on 2 November condemning U.S. universities for their use of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorists organizations, noting that this could result in a hostile environment for Jewish teachers and students.
The House of Representatives passed the resolution with 396 votes in favor and 23 votes against (PDF). In the resolution, the House members called on campus administrators to condemn anti-Semitism on college campuses and ensure that Jewish faculty, students, and guests can exercise the freedom of speech enjoyed by others without intimidation.
The resolution noted that both Hamas and Hezbollah are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department. In addition, Hamas launched a raid on October 7, deliberately killing and kidnapping Israeli civilians. Hamas claims to completely destroy Israel and kill Jewish civilians.
"It is disturbing that student organizations at many higher education institutions blame attacks solely on Israel and glorify violence and use anti-Semitic rhetoric in support of Hamas' terrorist actions," the resolution reads.
"While acts of anti-Semitic hate spread like wildfire on campuses, universities that champion diversity, equity and inclusion remain silent," said Republican Representative Burgess Owens, the sponsor of the resolution. "
“Today, the House of Representatives sent a clear message to the nation: We stand firm against evil, we stand firm for Israel, and we will eradicate corrupt ideologies from our higher education system,” he said.
The resolution cites numerous examples of professors or students on campus supporting Hamas.
One example occurred at George Washington University, where pro-Palestinian students projected the words "Free Palestine from River to Sea" and "Glory to Our Martyrs" onto library walls during a vigil on 24 October.
On 9 October, the national organization Students for Justice in Palestine declared the 12th as a "Day of Resistance" and called on student chapters across the United States to "not only through slogans and rallies, but also through armed confrontation oppressors" to demonstrate.
On 15 October, at a pro-Palestinian rally at Cornell University, a professor named Russell Rickford said that Hamas’s attacks on Israel were “invigorating.” ", he declared that "Hamas challenges the monopoly of violence." He later apologized for the gaffe in a statement.
Jewish Rep. Kathy Manning blasted the rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses during the Israel-Hazra war.
"Anti-Semitism is an enduring, ever-changing form of hatred that is an affront to our values as Americans. It should be condemned by all. It has no place on college campuses or in our society," she said Wednesday on the House floor. said during the debate.
"When anti-Semitism and prejudice against Jews flourish on campus, it denies students an equal right to an education and harms everyone in the campus community," Manning said.
The atmosphere on campus has been tense as anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiments rise.
On Tuesday, law enforcement authorities arrested Patrick Dai, a junior at Cornell University, accused of posting a series of messages targeting Jews on the school’s network on October 28 and 29. Threats to students.
According to the federal indictment, Patrick Dai posted violent anti-Semitic remarks on a Cornell University online discussion site, called for the murder of Jews and suggested bringing a gun to a Jewish restaurant and shooting up.
News (18)
To prevent Russia from fighting against Ukraine, the United States sanctions Turkey, China, and Arab entities
Editor : Xia Mingyi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/03/a103817730.html / Image : On 15 August 2023, a man walked past the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile launch system on display at the Patriot Park Expo in Kubinka outside Moscow. Schematic diagram. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
The United States announced sanctions on multiple entities in Turkey, China (Communist Party), and the United Arab Emirates on 2 November 2023, accusing these individuals and companies of helping Russia in its war against Ukraine and trying to block Russia’s supply chain with sanctions.
Agence France-Presse reported that the U.S. Treasury Department said that Russia’s military technology, equipment and other supplies have been produced overseas and relied on suppliers in other countries to obtain these items.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement: "Russia relies on willing third-country individuals and entities to resupply its military and continue its heinous war in Ukraine, and we will not hesitate to hold them accountable. .”
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February last year, triggering the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The U.S. Treasury Department stated that entities in China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates shipped dual-use goods to Russia, such as important parts that Russian weapons systems rely on.
The latest wave of sanctions involves 130 new targets.
In addition to the Treasury Department, the U.S. State Department has also announced nearly 100 sanctions, targeting areas such as Russia's future energy production and revenue, metal industry and mining, and defense procurement.
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a separate statement on the 2nd saying that it has blacklisted 13 entities that support the Russian military with drones, 12 of which are located in Russia and one in Uzbekistan.
In his evening speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for imposing new sanctions, saying that this is what is needed at the moment, and called for the thorough implementation of every sanction.
News (19)
Chinese people smuggling into the United States surged 13 times during the same period
Editor : Tang Zheng / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/02/a103817278.html
As the political and economic environment of the CCP continues to deteriorate, more and more Chinese people are fleeing to other countries. There are reports that more and more Chinese people have been smuggled into the United States via Central and South America this year. The number of Chinese arrested by the United States from January to September was almost 13 times that of the same period last year.
According to a report by the Associated Press on 30 October 2023, the United States is facing the problem of Chinese nationals traveling through many countries through Panama’s Darién Gap, a new pipeline, and finally arriving in the United States. The Chinese relied on step-by-step instructions in social media videos to reach the United States.
Panamanian immigration authorities said that among foreigners who used the Darien Pass to smuggle into the United States in the first nine months of this year, Chinese ranked fourth, behind Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Haitians. The Chinese first flew to Ecuador and then traveled north through many countries to reach the border between Mexico and the United States.
The number of Chinese crossing the Darien Pass has gradually increased each month, from 913 in January to 2,588 in September. A total of 15,567 Chinese citizens crossed the Darien Pass in the first nine months of this year; 2,005 in 2022, and only 376 in total from 2010 to 2021.
At the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested 22,187 Chinese who came to the United States illegally from Mexico from January to September, almost 13 times the number in the same period last year. The highest number of people was in September, with 4,010 people, which was 4,010 more than in August. 70% more. The vast majority are single adults.
Chinese wirerunners interviewed by The Associated Press said they were seeking to escape an increasingly repressive political climate and bleak economic prospects.
Chinese migrants have crowded makeshift camps in the California desert in recent weeks, waiting to turn themselves in to U.S. authorities to make asylum claims.
On 26 April 2023, the Chinese Communist Party passed new amendments to the Counterespionage Law. It expanded the definition of espionage and the powers of so-called "national security agencies" to allow the imposition of exit restrictions on any Chinese or foreigners under investigation.
Reuters reported on 2 May 2023 that according to a report released by the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders, the Chinese Communist Party is increasingly banning people from leaving China, including foreign executives.
The report notes that since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, China has expanded the scope of laws restricting travel abroad and implemented them more frequently, even using them without legal basis, including for transnational repression and other coercive practices. Anyone from activists to foreign journalists could be targeted.
Those banned from leaving China include ordinary Chinese involved in financial disputes, rights activists and lawyers, as well as ethnic minorities such as Uighurs, the report said.
Ms. Zhang, a human rights activist who has fled China, once told NTDTV that under the CCP's suppression, they have no freedom of speech and no living space in CCP China. Many people have fled CCP and come to the United States.
Ms. Zhang said: "Human rights defenders are subject to border control, and it is more difficult than others to say that we are dissatisfied with the Communist Party and say bad things about the Communist Party. In China, if we speak, we will be jailed and sentenced. Many people I know have run away. The U.S. government is very benevolent. Anyone who comes here and enters the country illegally can get an employment card."
News (20)
Trump lawyers ask D.C. Circuit Court to suspend gag order
Reporter : Zeng Ziheng / Editor : Li Muen / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/11/3/n14108837.htm / Image : On 2 November 2023, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump visited Trendsetter Engineering Inc. in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
On 2 November 2023, Trump’s defense lawyers appeal against the gag order imposed on Trump in the 2020 election interference case.
U.S. federal judge Tanya Chutkan reinstated the gag order against Trump on Monday (30 October), preventing him from publicly bashing prosecutors, court staff and potential prosecutors before the case begins. Witness, he is also prohibited from making public statements on the 2020 election.
Trump’s legal team questioned the ban as “extraordinary” and allegedly “suppressing” Trump’s right to speech.
"This gag order violates the First Amendment rights of President Trump and the more than 100 million Americans who listen to him." Trump's lawyers wrote: "Never in the history of the United States has a (judge) ruled against a gag order was imposed on a criminal defendant who was actively running for office, let alone a presidential candidate who was leading (in the polls)."
Chatkan had previously argued that the ban did infringe on Trump's rights to free speech, but she said those rights "must be conceded when necessary to ensure the orderly operation of justice." The judge argued that Trump, as a political candidate, should not make "defamatory attacks" on witnesses or prosecutors.
"I can't imagine any criminal case in which a defendant would be allowed to call a prosecutor a lunatic or a thug," Chatkan said.
"Capitol Hill" reported that Trump often questions and criticizes the statements of prosecutors and witnesses, especially the special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is responsible for leading many Trump prosecution cases. Specifically, the order prohibits Trump from making certain public remarks about witnesses and evidence in the case.
Trump denounced on the social media Truth Social: "The corrupt Biden administration has just deprived me of my First Amendment right to free speech. This is unconstitutional! Make America Great Again."
Trump's lawyers have asked the judge to rule on the request to halt the proceedings by 10 November 2023. The case is scheduled to be heard on 4 March 2024, just as the presidential primary season is heating up.
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