(May 6, 2001) Yunyang, China — He Kechang retired to a village above the Yangtze River hoping to spend his last years with his family working their half-acre of land. But as construction started on the Three Gorges Dam about 200 miles downriver, the former ship worker found himself slowly drawn into a morass of deceit and corruption.
China to seek public opinion on environmental affairs
Beijing: China’s environmental watchdog has issued a set of guidelines on public participation in environmental impact assessment, encouraging direct involvement from the general public in the country’s environmental affairs.
Wine maker blamed for panic over water supply
(May 6, 2001) An unknown substance found near the water source of Mudanjiang City, the third largest city in Heilongjiang Province, turned out to be a micro-organism that multiplied because of waste from a wine maker, according to local sources.
Amnesty International issues appeal for Three Gorges dam protesters
(April 23, 2001) Amnesty International issues urgent action appeal on behalf of four farmers, jailed after protesting the embezzlement of funds intended to resettle thousands of peasants displaced by the Three Gorges dam project.
China’s rivers: Frontlines for chemical wastes
(April 20, 2001) … Although China has stepped up efforts to clean up its rivers and crack down on plants that pose obvious environmental safety risks, progress has stalled due to a lack of funds and professional personnel.
SEPA releases new measure on public participation in EIA process
(April 20, 2001) The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), China’s top environmental body, has released a tentative measure on public involvement in the nation’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
Three Gorges dam threatens vast fishery
(April 20, 2001) China’s Three Gorges dam isn’t fully operational yet, but it is already threatening one of the world’s biggest fisheries in the East China Sea. A drop in the amount of fresh water and sediment reaching the sea is to blame.
Three Gorges migrants protest detentions, unfair treatment
(April 20, 2001) Following the arrests of four Three Gorges migrants last month, another five have risked their lives submitting a letter to China’s Communist Party leaders, in which they protest unfair treatment and appeal for justice.
China’s rivers: Frontlines for chemical wastes
… Although China has stepped up efforts to clean up its rivers and crack down on plants that pose obvious environmental safety risks, progress has stalled due to a lack of funds and professional personnel.
PRESS RELEASE: Imminent trial of Three Gorges dam protesters
Human Rights Watch and Probe International appeal for the release of farmers arrested for trying to petition Chinese authorities to end abuses linked to the Three Gorges dam project.
Dammed if she doesn’t
(April 7, 2001) Dai Qing lives for one thing: to stop China’s Three Gorges dam being built across the Yangtze river. Why? She says it will displace 1.5 million people and cause devastating environmental damage.
PRESS RELEASE: China’s Three Gorges dam resettlement turns violent, Press Release
Chinese officials are using police force and violent means to force reluctant migrants to make way for the Three Gorges dam, and to punish anyone accusing local officials of wrongdoing, reports Probe International.
Chinese expert says new resettlement rules won’t solve Three Gorges’ problems
(March 29, 2001) A Three Gorges Probe exclusive: Civil strife and corruption will continue to plague world’s largest civil works project, predicts respected sociologist Dr. Wei Yi.
The myths and facts of freshwater
(March 27, 2001) ‘A recent scientific report shows that over 60 per cent of the world’s 227 largest rivers have been fragmented by dams, leading to the destruction of wetlands, a decline in freshwater species … and the forced displacement of millions of people.’
Three Gorges Probe: Three Gorges dam petitioners abducted
(March 23, 2001) A Three Gorges Probe exclusive: Five farmers who helped organize petitions by communities being resettled to make way for the Three Gorges dam have been abducted by police in the last three weeks.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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