This is a true hero.
A Chinese human rights activist has been camping out at Tokyo’s international airport since 4 November because Beijing has barred him from re-entering China.
Feng Zhenghu, a Shanghai-based activist, said in a phone conversation that he had been sleeping on a couch near the immigration checkpoint and surviving on food and water given to him by passing travellers.
His sister, Natsuki Suzuki, who lives in Japan and is married to a Japanese national, said today Feng arrived in Japan in April. Since then, he has tried unsuccessfully to return to China eight times.
Four times airlines prevented him from boarding, and four times – including his most recent attempt earlier this month – he got as far as Shanghai’s Pudong airport, but Chinese authorities refused him entry and sent him back to Tokyo, Suzuki said.
Fumio Ikeda, an immigration official, said Feng arrived from Shanghai on 4 November with a valid Chinese passport and a visa to enter Japan – but he has refused to leave Narita airport.
“I want to go back to China. I have no reason to stay in Japan,” Feng, 55, said by phone. He declined to say how long he would stay at the airport.
Ikeda said Japanese officials cannot force him to leave the airport.
Amnesty International has called Feng a prominent human rights defender in China. In 2001 he was sentenced to three years in prison for “illegal business activity”. Since his release in 2004 Feng has written critical pieces highlighting alleged malpractice by local governments and forced evictions, according to a 2009 report by the London-based rights group.
Cash for Clunkers
Monday, July 27th, 2009What about us folks who have been concerned about the planet for more than month? You know, the ones who have been purchasing eco-friendly automobiles our entire lifetime but are looking to upgrade?
We get no incentive?
I propose this: What if we give our still-fuel efficient clunkers to those dipshits who are taking advantage of the new program and we get the newer vehicle?
Oh well. Another opportunity to take it in the rear by big brother.
For those of you interested, here are the guidelines:
* Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
* Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify
* Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
* Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in
* You don’t need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase
* Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
* The program requires the scrapping of your eligible trade-in vehicle, and that the dealer disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in. The scrap value, however minimal, will be in addition to the rebate, and not in place of the rebate.
The URL is cars.gov.
Peace
(more…)
Tags: big brother, bullshit, cars.gov, cash for clunkers, government, new car, obama
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