(Clearwisdom.net) [Editors' note: Throughout history, the theme that a nation's fate is closely tied to the virtue of its leaders and people has been prevalent in both Chinese and Western culture and lore. Many wise, virtuous kings have led their nations to peace and prosperity, while conversely, moral decay in high places has led to the downfall of great empires. These articles are meant to serve as a reminder and wake-up call for those who are leading or participating in large-scale acts of violence and injustice. As Teacher Li Hongzhi said in Essentials for Further Advancement, "When people do not have virtue, natural calamities and man-made disasters will abound."]
Jiangxi Province faces Yangtze River's largest flood crest this year
The Central News reported on August 27, 2002, that the largest flood crest this year would soon occur in Jiangxi Province. It was anticipated that the water level in Jiujiang will surpass the warning mark by 1.35 meters, and the water level in Wukou, Boyang Lake will exceed the flood security line by 1.27 meters. The shores along the lakes in Jiangxi Province face a severe flooding crisis.
Anhui Province's largest flood of the year was expected on August 30, 2002
The Central News reported on August 27, 2002, that at 2 p.m. on August 26, the water level of Anqing in Yangtze River exceeded the warning mark by 0.42 meters. The water level of Maanshan went beyond the flood safety line by 0.69 meters, and in Datong, the warning mark was surpassed by 0.6 meters. The water level along the shore was steadily rising. More rainstorms were imminent in the Jianghuai Region, and the water level was expected to exceed the safety level by 1 meter by the end of August.
The most severe drought of the century in Shandong Province
The Central News reported on August 28, 2002 that Shandong Province currently faces the most severe drought of the century. The size of the affected farming area is 7.4 million acres, and 2,470,000 people are having difficulty obtaining drinking water. According to a preliminary report, the drought has incurred 700 million Yuan in economic loss.
Redirecting water to address the problem of floods in the south, and droughts in the north
Huanghuai Prairie, where Beijing and Tianjing are situated, is densely populated. Its need for more water is the most urgent, and the region is planning to regulate the industrial use of water. Due to a lack of rainfall, the vast northwestern territory is turning into deserts. This has prompted the Chinese government to initiate the largest engineering project ever in China, which will redirect water from the south to the north. The project will cost 58 billion US dollars, which is twice the cost of the Sanxia Project along Yangtze River, and will have direct consequences on the environment. The plan is to build three tunnels, each one 1,000 miles in length, to transport water from the south to the north. It is estimated that 370,000 local people will have to be relocated. Like the Sanxia project, this plan is controversial. However, the department in charge of the project seems to be downplaying the challenges that they will face with the project.
Editor's Note: We are greatly saddened and troubled by the large-scale loss of life and property in China due to the raging floods. Even though China's state controlled television programs are repetitiously chanting empty political slogans while various levels of government officials put on a show of "disaster relief," we see clearly that Jiang and his corrupt officials at each level of government are concentrating their efforts on embezzlement, fraud, bitter power struggles, and persecuting innocent people. Each year there are disastrous floods, followed by "disaster relief efforts" that are too little, too late. Yet these tragedies have been turned into opportunities by Jiang and his cronies to glorify and promote themselves. If they had a shred of a sense of responsibility for the welfare of the common folk and the future of the Chinese people, then the tragedies occurring as a result of the floods in Hunan could have been avoided to a large degree.
The ancients in China emphasized the relationship between man and the heavens, and often drew a direct correlation between a despotic regime and natural disasters. Whenever large-scale disasters occurred, it was commonly believed to be caused by the ruler's greed and atrocities, and the rulers themselves were often forced to admit their culpability, at least in name, to the heavens and to the people. Over the past three years, the disastrous floods in Mainland China have become more and more severe. Meanwhile, over the same period of time the Jiang regime's persecution of the kind people who cultivate "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" has become more and more vicious -- Jiang's political group has exhausted great amounts of the country's and the people's resources in order to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, creating countless bloody tragedies. Can this be a coincidence? The widespread suffering caused by the floods in China can certainly be attributed to the corruption and incompetence of Jiang's regime, but the deeper reason may well be the persecution being carried out by this evil gang against innocent Falun Gong practitioners. While the dictator is desecrating the laws of heaven, it is the people under him that suffer as a direct consequence.
No matter from what angle, it is clear that under Jiang's despotic rule, the victims are not just limited to Falun Gong practitioners but all innocent people, inside China or abroad, that are within his reach. For the sake of our collective future, let us stop the violence being perpetrated by Jiang's regime together.