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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 1 March 2023
China purging ‘Western erroneous views’ from legal education

BEIJING (AP) — China has at the village level have
ordered closer adherence sputtered in the face of
to the dictates of the rul- the party’s overwhelming
ing Communist Party and power and the authorities’
leader Xi Jinping in legal willingness to use force and
education, demanding coercion to achieve their
that schools “oppose and desired outcomes.
resist Western erroneous Apart from a tiny and be-
views” such as constitution- leaguered dissident com-
al government, separation munity, the Chinese public
of powers, and judicial in- has been largely been will-
dependence. ing to accept total party
The order was dated Sun- control in return for consis-
day, a week before China’s tent improvements in qual-
ceremonial parliament be- ity of life. That arrange-
gins its annual session and ment has at times been
reinforces the leading role challenged, however,
on ideology assumed by Xi, amid a drastically slowing
who is named no less than economy, a crisis in local
25 times in the document. government finances and
Already China’s most pow- heavy handed enforce-
erful leader in decades, Xi ment of COVID-19 contain-
was granted a third five- ment measures that have
year term as party leader In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech for prompted rare public pro-
last year and has removed a Spring Festival reception the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 20, 2023. tests.
Associated Press
term limits on the presiden- Criticism of the party and
cy, effectively allowing him The legal profession has international order that ad- “comprehensively imple- government policies is
to rule for life. been a particular target, vocates for multiparty de- ment the party’s education much more lively online,
Similar directives have been and in the early hours of mocracy, civil society and policy, insist on educating despite censorship and the
issued in past, with students July 9, 2015, three years into human rights. people for the party and threat of punishment for
encouraged to report on Xi’s first term as party gen- The directive from the par- the country, and focus on those who create and dis-
professors who speak posi- eral secretary, a series of ty’s General Office said cultivating builders and seminate them.
tively about Western con- raids nationwide resulted in teachers and students of successors of the cause of The annual session of the
cepts of governance. the detention of some 300 law and legal theory work- socialist rule of law.” National People’s Con-
Despite the intertwining of human rights lawyers and ers must be guided to have “Oppose and resist West- gress, comprised of 2,977
the Chinese and global associated activists. Under a “clear-cut position and ern erroneous views such handpicked members,
economies, Xi has sought such relentless pressure, take a firm stance in the as ‘constitutional govern- opens Sunday with an an-
to purge liberal Western activist lawyers have been face of issues of principle ment,’ ‘separation of three nual report on the work of
concepts from the educa- intimidated into silence, and major issues of right powers,’ and ‘indepen- government presented by
tion system, ordered that effectively preventing the and wrong.” The General dence of the judiciary,’ it outgoing Premier Li Keq-
foreign religions be “sini- emergence of dissenting Office circulates informa- says. iang.
cized” in order to operate voices and public intellec- tion within the 96 million- While China’s constitution The chairman of the body
in China. He has also at- tuals independent of the member party, including pays lip service to ideas is also due to issue a report,
tempted, with limited suc- party. drafting directives and such as freedom of speech which in past years has
cess, to reorganize popular Such approaches are in memos. and religious observation, it also contained pledges to
culture along more conser- line with Xi’s more muscu- In a section titled “Adhere places the interests of the eschew Western political
vative lines, going so far as lar foreign policy that seeks to the Correct Political Di- party above all. Past at- government such as sepa-
to ban “effeminate” men to challenge and possibly rection,” the directive says tempts at promoting even ration of powers and an in-
from the state broadcaster. supplant the American-led teachers and students must grassroots democracy dependent judiciary.q

Pakistani court orders arrest of former

premier Imran Khan

By MUNIR AHED ing his assets. Judge Zafar One of Khan’s supporters
Associated Press Iqbal’s order came on a was killed and a dozen oth-
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Paki- day of political drama in ers were wounded in the
stani court on Tuesday is- Pakistan, as three other attack, which drew nation-
sued an arrest warrant for courts on Tuesday ruled wide condemnation.
former Prime Minister Imran Khan was immune from ar- Khan has been leading pro-
Khan, as the cricket star- rest on separate charges tests for months now calling
turned-politician called on relating to allegations of for early elections to oust
his supporters to keep up terrorism, attempted mur- the current government
protests amid a roiling po- der against a rival politician, of Prime Minister Shahbaz Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan
litical crisis. and graft. Tight security Sharif, who says polls will be gather outside a court, where their leader Khan appeared, in
Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.
The court in the capital Is- and thousands of support- held later this year when Associated Press
lamabad that ordered the ers greeted Imran Khan, 70, Parliament completes its
former premier’s arrest said as he made his first appear- five-year term. said there was “a serious around the capital. He said
Khan had skipped a hear- ance in Islamabad since Fawad Chaudhry, a senior threat to the security of Im- Khan was being paraded
ing on charges of selling being shot in the leg during leader from Khan’s Paki- ran Khan and thousands from one court to another
state gifts and conceal- a protest rally in November. stan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, of people” as he moved in “fake cases.”q