CHINA ARRESTS 800,000 FOR 'ENDANGERING STATE SECURITY'

March 9, 2005: China arrested more than 800,000 people last year for endangering state security or for being involved in activities regarded as separatist, terrorist or extremist, a top official.
In total, 811,102 people were held, an 8.3-percent increase from 2003.
Authorities last year prosecuted 867,186 people in connection with those crimes, said Jia Chunwang, head of the Supreme People's Procuratorate in his annual report to the National People's Congress (NPC), or parliament.
Details on sentencing were not given, although China liberally uses the death penalty.
China's security situation last year was "grave" and continuous efforts would be made to step up crackdowns on criminal activities, he said.
"(We were) resolute in smashing crimes which endanger state security and those criminal activities carried out by separatists, religious extremists and violent terrorists," Jia told lawmakers.
Endangering state security is a term China's communist leaders use to detain people who oppose its rule. (Sources: Afp, 09/03/2005)