CHINA—In the past week, several large-scale protests have erupted in China. From November 8-16, there were at least six incidents of group protests with tens of thousands of people.
The reasons for the protests include land seizures without payment, compulsory removal of dogs, and medical malpractice. News agencies such as AP, Reuters, AFP, BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian have all conducted interviews or in-depth reports on these incidents, which occurred in Fujian, Jinan, Guangdong, and Sichuan provinces and Beijing.
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promotes the “harmonious society” on the one hand, it intensifies its use of force to suppress protestors on the other hand. Recently, Beijing announced the Preliminary Proposal to implement the Military to Manage Emergency Situation plan, which authorizes the military to support the suppression of group protests.
This proposal, announced by the Central Military Commission, defines five types of serious incidents the military should become involved in:
1. Manage military conflict incidents
2. Assist local authorities to stabilize society
3. Manage serious terrorist events
4. Aid in disasters
5. Manage incidents that are in violation of public security.
