An unquenchable thirst for power (as in fuel) combined with a corrupt system in which local officials are payed to ignore hazardous working conditions once again brings catastrophe to Chinese miners.
Coal dust caught fire in a mine in northeast China, sparking an explosion that killed at least 68 people and left 79 missing, the government said Monday, as the country’s leadership called for tighter work safety measures.
Some 221 miners were underground when the blast occurred late Sunday at the Dongfeng Coal mine in Qitaihe, a city in Heilongjiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Seventy-four miners had been rescued by Monday, it said.
Xinhua said a 269-member rescue team was searching for the trapped miners and that Li Yizhong, minister of the State Administration of Work Safety, told them to “spare no efforts” to save the workers.
China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest. Fires, floods, cave-ins and explosions are reported almost daily, and thousands of miners are killed every year despite the government’s repeated attempts to improve its record amid lax safety rules and poor equipment.
Whether this was an unsafe or illegal mine or a safe mine that was the victim of an unlucky acident I don’t know for sure. But it got me thinking…
I’ve brought up this topic of unsafe mines before, and some argued that the unsafe, illegal mines are important for the local population – that without them, they couldn’t find work, and in fact the men want to work in these mines even though they know they are unsafe. This strikes me as one of those unresolvable ethical dilemmas, the kind where you just can’t come up with a solution. Like families in rural Thailand who depend on their 17-year-old daughter’s work as a prostitute in Bangkok. Like workers in southern China factories who risk having their fingers sliced off every day, but want to work there nevertheless because it’s better than the alternative. What’s the answer? In Ibsen’s Enemy of the People, the whistleblower is perceived as the villain, as the “enemy” because his uncovering the truth will threaten local business and jobs. Is he a hero or a villain? Just food for thought…
1
By sun bin
“…some argued that the unsafe, illegal mines are important for the local population….”
these are the same bullshit they said about eating civet cats are essential for local economy.
yes, the area needs economic opportunity, but it can survive with more safety procedure (hence higher cost). it is the pure greed of local businessmen and officials that killed these people.
china recently said it will punish the local officials for coal mine accidents and fine local governements. let’s see if they can put words into action.
November 28, 2005 @ 10:55 am | Comment
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By Battlepanda
Individuals are very bad at assessing long-term risk. It is hard to rationally conclude that the best thing for your family in the long run is to stay away from the mines when your babies are hungry even if you realize the dangers. In this case, I see no reason why the government should not step in, especially if it is to punish mine operators for deadly accidents rather than to shut down mines alltogether.
November 28, 2005 @ 3:05 pm | Comment
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By Keir
“(T)he country’s leadership called for tighter work safety measures….” They just came around to that idea now, have they? Seem to make the same pledge every day, sorry, disaster.
I do share your ambivalence though Richard. Just strikes me the regime spends so much more time and effort preventing news like this from leaking out than they do actually preventing such events from occurring in the first place.
November 28, 2005 @ 5:29 pm | Comment
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By Jeffery
According to one news agency, this death toll raises up to 134, and there are still 15 person are missing. because of the frquently ocurring of mine disasters, our common chinese are more and more insensible to the humane calamity. Today death toll of 134 means nothing for us. we fail to suffer from it any more. we fail to sympathize and pity the loss of our compatriot any longer. we are getting used to hear such painful news, and this kind of painful news make us more adapted to the bigger calamity.
but i have to say, a country without the concept of “human” is a horrible country, and this kind of country is to be alerted by our human.
November 28, 2005 @ 5:51 pm | Comment
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By Laowai 19790204
Here’s some perspective – 2.5 years in Iraq: 2100 americans dead. 1 year in china: over 6000 coal miners dead.
I’m not sure what the perspective should be, but it’s interesting to think about. Americans don’t like Americans dying of something that consistently, perhaps? not sure. any takers?
November 28, 2005 @ 6:16 pm | Comment
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By richard
Jeffery, thanks again for your insights.
Laowai, I don’t see the comparison. Anyone dying needlessly is always a tragedy. There’s no acceptable number for unnecessary, pointless deaths that could have easily been avoided.
November 28, 2005 @ 6:20 pm | Comment
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By Kevin
I don’t think it’s fair to say that there’s no sympathy in China (sarcastic). Imagine if one of those killed had been insulted by Japan or an American. The outcry would have been 1000 times bigger than anything you’re hearing now.
Seems like people don’t care when their compatriots die, just as long as it is other compatriots who are killing them.
November 28, 2005 @ 6:50 pm | Comment
8
By HongXing
According to one news agency, this death toll raises up to 134, and there are still 15 person are missing. because of the frquently ocurring of mine disasters, our common chinese are more and more insensible to the humane calamity. Today death toll of 134 means nothing for us. we fail to suffer from it any more. we fail to sympathize and pity the loss of our compatriot any longer. we are getting used to hear such painful news, and this kind of painful news make us more adapted to the bigger calamity.
but i have to say, a country without the concept of “human” is a horrible country, and this kind of country is to be alerted by our human .
Jeffrey, I know that you are a Chinese. As a Chinese, I can only say that I am too dissapointed in you. What are you trying to insinuate by saying “we are getting used to hear such painful news”. What painful news? A news is just a news! Why is it painful! You may say it’s a bad news, or it’s a serious news, but it is inappropriate to say it’s a painful news! If that is a painful news, then what about millions of Iraqi children who were gased to death by US soldiers??
What do you mean by “and this kind of country is to be alerted by our human ” ? What kind of disgusting insinuation is that? I know people like you, who dance every day when bad things happen to China and go out and say to Americans “Look! Look how bad my country is! Look how terrible Chinese are! Look how inferior Chinese culture is! Oh! I don’t want to be a Chinese! Oh, I want to be an American! Oh I am ashamed of Chopsticks! Oh I wish I have white skin!!!” You are absolutely too disgusting!!!!! You think Americans will respect you by sounding like a dog?!?!
Mine accidents happen everywhere, there’s no reason to feel excited when it happens in China. It’s just a small news, don’t concentrate on it too much and invite all kinds of political attacks! I did not even read that news today! It’s too unworthy of news!!
Anyway, we know that the Beijing Olympics is quickly approaching. I have made some poems and slogans for the Olympics, here they are”:
1) Civilized Olympics, Human Beijing
2) Watching the Beijing Olympics, Creating the World Peace
3) One blue sky, one big dream
4) Creating the Olympics, Uniting in Beijing
5) Beijing Welcomes You, Olympics has Chinese heart
6) One World, One Beijing
7) Olympic Road, Beijing Heart
8) Tie your emotions to Beijing, fully expressing the stylishness of China
9) You and Me, creating Olympics Together.
10) Harmonious Olympics, Civilized Beijing
I am going to buy some of the gold-laced Beijing Olympics Gold Bars when I go back to China for my vacation next month.
November 28, 2005 @ 8:13 pm | Comment
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By richard
Jeffrey, HongXing has admitted he plants disinformation all over the Web to fool people into believing the Party is good and its critics are bad. Please do not let him intimidate you. He is a dangerous guy, making it sound as though China’s safety record in the coal mines is like every other country’s. This is a plain and simple lie and we all know it. China is a great country and has a lot of wonderful things going for it. Coal mine safety is not one of them.
November 28, 2005 @ 8:20 pm | Comment
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By Thomas
Honestly, his comments are far too outlandish to be credible, once you read enough of them.
November 28, 2005 @ 8:29 pm | Comment
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By Kevin
Great idea, comrade, I’ll help you out.
11) You and me, spreading lies and propaganda thru the web
12) You and me, ignoring the death of hundreds of people, because we care more about political correctness than human beings
13) Not talking about mining accidents, let’s talk about Iraq
14) Distaining my own people, and pretending I’m patriotic
15) One world, one Beijing, and one fascist bastard (me, redstar)
16) Creating the Olympics, uniting in Beijing, joining hands to oppress the common people and bury them in coal mines.
November 28, 2005 @ 8:45 pm | Comment
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By richard
Thanks for that, Kevin.
November 28, 2005 @ 8:47 pm | Comment
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By Jeffery
Richard,
thank you for your tip. i won’t be angried by Mr.HongXin’s remarks because we democrat should tolerate any dissidence, including homo-sexual, including CCP and its concept. we won’t repress anything although we hate them very much. that’s the difference between democrate and dictator.
I’m a chinese, as i stated before in one post. i have nerver been regret for my identity of chinese. so Mr.Hongxing, please tell me how you can know that i am shameful to my identity?also, please don’t mislead others that i pose strong loath feeling agaist my mother country. you left-wing guys are always liking to use such disgusting weapons to attack others. if someone says that they don’t like your leader(like Mao,Deng, or HuJingTao..), what you guys will do, is attacking them by saying that they not like mother-country. the country is not belonged to LEADERs, it’s not the leaders’ private property. disliking leaders is not equal to dislikng our mother-country. hating goverment also isn’t equal to hating our country. they are two different things, right?
November 29, 2005 @ 2:16 am | Comment
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By Jeffery
As one friend said to me, that he could not see any difference between the dead chinese slaughterred by Japanese Army during the darkest 1940’s and the dead chinese caused by Mao’s policy during the 1970’s. what we should respect, is not the abstract concept of “human”, but the “individual” and concrete human. we pay our honor to those who died in our anit-japanese invasion era, we also should pay honor to those who died in NATURE DISASTER caused by irresponsible govt or employers.
November 29, 2005 @ 2:33 am | Comment
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By Laowai 19790204
Not sure I was trying to say anything, although I guess if I was it was just that it is interesting how 1000 deaths a year in the US is a total tragedy and in China, 6 times the number is acceptable for growth, or acceptable enough not to drastically change. Gets me thinking.
And Hong Xing, I really think you and Cheney should get together. What a romance it would be. The fascism! The nationalism! The idiocy and declamations!
November 29, 2005 @ 3:49 am | Comment
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By richard
Jeffery, you are really amazing. Thanks for commenting on my site, it’s a real honor.
November 29, 2005 @ 4:17 am | Comment
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By Raj
“(T)he country’s leadership called for tighter work safety measures….”
Why is the CCP calling for anything. I thought that they made the law.
So either they have no control, in spite of the propaganda that they spread.
Or they can’t be bothered.
So which is it?
November 29, 2005 @ 12:51 pm | Comment
18
By sun bin
Raj,
they are incompetent and ineffective.
the incentives and interests were not aligned.
corruption is widespread.
November 30, 2005 @ 4:59 pm | Comment
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By Ming
Lets face it these tragedies will keep on happening in the drive to produce energy and cheap goods for the consumer outside China! So all those of us living outside china benifted from these unnecessary deaths!
We are all responsible! Time to put pressure on the rulers in Beijing and hope that less death will occur in the future.
But then if the West keeps on blaming China for causing high oil/energy price then what else can China do but to sacrifice some lifes to extract energy and to produce cheaper goods for the Western consumers.
November 30, 2005 @ 9:28 pm | Comment
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By richard
Ming, that’s a realy dumb question and unworthy of you. China can make its mines safer, like those in most other countries, and enfore standard safety codes.
November 30, 2005 @ 9:34 pm | Comment