On May 12, 2008 a strong earthquake, comparable to that occurring in Tangshan in 1976, hit Wenchuan Country in Sichuan, China. The quake waves were felt in far away places, from Beijing and Shanghai to Bangkok in Thailand. The epicenter was just a little over 100 km from Chengdu, a city with a population about 10 million. The quake induced heavy damage. It is impossible to estimate the magnitude of the loss, since rescue teams have not yet reached all the disaster area. However, some most puzzling and outrageous events have already been exposed: for more than two days, no emergency rescue teams, especially no special troops, entered the disaster area. Instead, TV footage was filled with flattering glorification of the ruler's virtue and accomplishments from the edge of some less affected areas, where the threat was far less serious.

Within a few hours of the news, concerned people, not even experts, started calls on the Internet to suggest the Chinese government to immediately send special teams like disaster relief troops, especially airborne troops, into the Sichuan quake areas along with air dropped food, water and medicine. However, some pro-communist Internet mouthpiece quickly argued that it is too difficult for troops to get in, because the roads were blocked, and the weather was not cooperating. Others suggested that if it was too much trouble to send in troops, then how about just airlifting of food and supplies? The pro-communist Internet mouthpiece answered that air dropping of food may cause some disorder in the disaster areas. Such an excuse suggests the Chinese government caring nothing about the life and death of injured and displaced people, in order to merely keep some order.

Such explanations are both shameless and irrational. Unfortunately, it is exactly the communist officials' way of thinking. Very soon after the news of the Sichuan quake, Beijing officials declared that, no matter how big the quake disaster would be, the Olympic torch relay will go as planned, with big celebrations and boasting. No wonder ordinary Chinese people would curse the government as cold-blooded. Some Internet users finally realized that the decision to not send parachutists and airdrop supplies, was directly from the top level of the communist regime, and has nothing to do with the local conditions of the disaster area. Some even reported that even Primer Wen Jiabao would not be able to change that cold-blooded decision.

The facts proved that our friends on the Internet are correct in predicting what the communist government would do. Under huge pressure of the public opinions, finally two days after the major quake did the government symbolically send out 100 personnel airborne force. It was said that they were sent just to test the possibility of airborne relief. Since it was intended from the top, they only needed to show it was not possible to make a safe landing. The commander on site only needed to fully understand the boss' intention and do what the boss wanted. As a result, 83 of the 100 returned to base.

According to the rules in the Chinese army, such a cold-blood commander will be awarded with medals and promotions, because he satisfactorily accomplished the expectation of his bosses. Will the Chinese people be angry? Probably not, because the people would not know anything at all. The communists blocked the truth and replaced it with a blanket of singing of praises. People would be numbed by illusions that communist officials were on the front line with brotherly troops to save people from suffering. The Communist party and its army are crowned as liberator of the deceived people.

Many friends were asking a question, after seeing the events unfold during the last few days: why could not those professionally trained young troops find ways to enter the quake-affected area, especially if equipped with top modern technologies? The only reasonable answer is that they were ordered not to move. An order, from the top commander, forced the troops to halt and wait, disregarding the army soldiers' good will and tradition of providing disaster relief.

Many of those who once served in the army would know a fact that, whenever there is a huge natural disaster, troops from all ranks would actively request hard work assignments from their supervisors. Some might do this because they sympathize with the people, while some might go after an award and/or promotion, through meritorious service. No matter what the motivation is, officers and soldiers all alike tend to request to go to the front line. There is hardly any person who fears danger rather than being looked down upon by the others. Under such situations and peer pressure, fearing hardship or death is no reason for troops to hesitate. Unfortunately, after the order from the prime minister was given, the troops were still halted. There could be only one reason to explain why the troops remained idle: there was a higher order to override everything. Otherwise, a soldier with no action will not only face punishment for disobeying orders, but also the cursing finger pointed from his comrades.

Why, then, would the top communist leader issue an order so ruthless and devoid of human feelings? Many friends could not understand it. Normally, such order is against human nature and will be condemned by history. Even Mao and the Gang of Four, famed dictators and murderers as they are, were not that stupid during the Tangshan earthquake in 1976. How would Hu Jintao, the current communist leader, make such a decision? The clue can be found in the pro-communist Internet mouthpiece: he fears public disorder. When the Chinese communist government is entertaining a supposition of rebellion, sufficient troops, especially rapid response forces like airborne troops, must be reserved to put down any threat. This is the real reason that no troop is available for a quick, massive rescue work.

Connecting this factor with the un-interrupted Olympic torch relay, now the train of thought by the communist leaders is clear. In terms of their own interest and their representing their own group's interest, it is far more important to put a golden touch on their face than to make relief efforts for the millions of people in the disaster regions; it is far more important to protect their dictatorship against any disorder than to save people's lives. After all, the armies are prepared to protect the ruling party, not to protect the people. That is shown clearly in how earthquake relief is handled.

It is no wonder why, when president George W. Bush called Hu Jintao to express condolence to the Sichuan quake victims, Hu mentioned nothing but international politics. Hu wanted to use people's sympathy toward the quake disaster to save communist government from diplomatic difficulties. From the phone conversation and the actions over the past few days, one can clearly see that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime cares more about its own interests than people's lives.

We just talked about the abnormal behavior of the CCP government in the quake disaster relief process, especially not providing quick movement of the troops into the epicenter area and remaining aloof and indifferent while watching people cry for help. These phenomena reflected the thinking of the CCP's top-level leaders, which is beyond normal people's comprehension. The basic starting point for their thinking is always to protect the vested interests of the few, to put down any possible rebellion by the masses. People's safety and human lives are far less important on their agenda.

When facing pressures from public opinion, the CCP government cares about how to stage a show, with a purpose to glorify and justify the dictator's greatness. They do not really care about the interests or safety for ordinary people. Such thinking pattern is best revealed by CCP's quick and decisive refusal of international teams to enter the disaster area immediately after the quake.

This sounded really inconceivable. Let me use an example. If one's house collapsed and his neighbor rushed to tell the owner: I have experience and best techniques and tools, please let me help you to save the people who got buried underneath. Without a blink, the owner answered, I am sorry, leave your best tools and donations at the door, but do not come in and I am not allowing you to come in. The good neighbor will wonder: why? Is the house owner wishing a quick death to the people buried underneath? Or, maybe the victims are not the owner's kinsmen at all?

The neighbor has guessed correctly, this time. The people buried under the collapsed houses and buildings are truly not the CCP's own people. Instead, they are all potential rebels that the communist government has always been on guard against. To the dictators, such a big natural disaster could often ignite peoples' anger that would turn into the CCP's most feared disaster -- rebellion against dictatorship. That is why their first reaction is to keep the army in their hands, waiting for their order in case of sudden rebellion, instead of disaster relief.

But still, people would not understand why international rescue teams are not allowed to reach the disaster regions. The first reaction, from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, is to deny applications by international teams to help rescuing victims in the quake areas. Rescue experts from Western countries and other areas, although ready for immediate dispatch, were dismissed after waiting because of the Chinese government's refusal. The official explanation given by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs was that the roads were damaged, the regions were very dangerous, and conditions were not suitable to receive or take care of rescue personnel. It sounded like that international rescue teams were tourist groups, not helpers at all. When the roads are damaged, the regions are very dangerous, and conditions are not suitable for other people to access, it should be exactly the time and area for rescue teams to use their expertise, right? Moreover, those international rescuers have better techniques and equipments and will cost not a penny to the Chinese government. In such urgent situations, the more help, the better. There should be no reason to complain that you have too many helping hands at this moment.

Are the CCP's brains damaged? Obviously not. They acted exactly like Myanmar's military junta. When a disastrous cyclone hit there on May 2, 2008, the junta opened the door for the flowing of cash and materials, but refuse to let in any international rescue experts. It appears that their brains functioned very well. When natural disaster occurred, especially at such a large scale, they cannot claim self-reliance. They know very clearly that they have no excuse to refuse international help. However, no matter what, no international rescue teams were welcome.

Pro-communist Internet mouthpiece revealed the truth again. A rather popular explanation on pro-CCP web sites is that imperialists never give up the plot to overthrow the Chinese red government, and they would use this opportunity to disguise as rescue teams to get into Chinese land and thus change the color of the country. No wonder the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs gave a very firm and quick refusal. It is true that the first thing the CCP government considered is not the millions of lives in the quake region, but rather the need to maintain its dictatorship. The problem is always small concerning how many people are dying or dead, when they fear the biggest worry of being overthrown by the people's revolution. All dictators in history would do and say the same, right? The dictators tried everything to dupe the Chinese people, in the same way, throughout Chinese history.

CCP Chairman Mao used to make implicit statements in this regard. Deng Xiaoping turned out to be much more straightforward in 1989: killing 200,000 people can get 20 years of stable power for the CCP in exchange. It is almost 20 years past by now. Their principle remains unchanged: CCP dictatorship must be above human rights and is more important than hundreds of thousands of lives. This is the CCP's most basic principle. From this point, the human rights problem is always with the Chinese people, face to face, not far away at all.

Of course, there can be other excuses for the CCP, such as mishandling due to neglectful and carelessness by some individuals not representing the CCP government, etc. We can tell all the truth by just comparing how the CCP government has been guiding its little colleagues in Sudan and Myanmar.

When famine was spreading in Sudan, the local government accepted lots of relief materials but never allowed international and U.N. workers to enter its territory. The results were government corruption and abuse of relief materials and funds, while many people died of starvation.

On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit the Myanmar coastline, causing a disaster comparable to the Sichuan earthquake with already at least 100,000 people killed and/or missing, and lots of houses and towns destroyed. When the international community extended hands to help, the military junta there had the same tune: turn in the cash and materials, but no entry for any personnel.

Repeated events and similar governmental attitudes, within a very short period, do not happen by mere coincidence. These three governments are modeled from the same stamping, so they always behave in the same way. This stamping is the dictators' basic way of thinking and reasoning: people are always the dictator's potential enemy, never its kinsmen. The dictators care nothing about this enemy's life or death, because they are only concerned about the power and profits of the dictatorship.

If sometimes the dictators do become concerned of the people, it is only because they fear the uprising of angry people, which might harm the dictator's interests and threaten their dictatorship. They only care how to more effectively dupe the people and put down any uprising, instead of caring for peoples' interests. This is the same thinking pattern for all the dictators in the world: dictators' power first, human rights last, or nothing at all.

Wei Jingsheng (written on May 14, 2008, broadcasted by Radio Free Asia)

A big and sunny smile of TAN Li, the Chinese Communist Party chief in charge of MianYang (the city with the highest death toll from May 12's earthquake), during the tour of the disaster area after the quake on May 16, 2008 (photo credit: XinHua News Agency, Chinese Communist Party’s official news agency)