Factory Explosion Kills 12, Injures 300 in China

An explosion at a chemical factory in eastern China reportedly killed 12 people, injured hundreds others and knocked out windows as far as 1 km away. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said workers apparently breached a propylene pipeline beneath the factory in downtown Nanjing.



User name: erping888
Location: Nanjing, China
Date uploaded: July 28
Event date: July 28
Views: 1
User notes: On July 28, 2010, a huge explosion occurred in Nanjing, China, and it was censored by the authorities---here is a video recording of its aftermaths by a local Nanjing resident who risked his life to tape this.
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.




User name: erping888
Location: Nanjing, China
Date uploaded: July 28
Event date: July 28
Views: 4
User notes: On July 28, 2010, a huge explosion occurred in Nanjing, China, and it was censored by the authorities---here is a video recording of its aftermaths by a local Nanjing resident who risked his life to tape this.
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Riot Police Dispatched to China Protests

The Chinese government has dispatched paramilitary troops to the city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, to control protesters demanding compensation for land that was razed to make way for factories, according to the AP, which writes: "Such disputes are common in China as swaths of farmland are razed to make way for factories, office parks, golf courses and other urban sprawl."

Videos uploaded to YouTube show protestors clashing with police, and hundreds of security agents streaming into the city.



User name: canyureport
Location: Suzhou, China
Date uploaded: July 21
Views: 1,518
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: canyureport
Location: Suzhou, China
Date uploaded: July 22
Views: 322
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: shpzw
Date uploaded: July 23
Views: 96
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

China's Heavy July Rain Causes Fatal Landslides, Floods

Heavy July rains causing landslides have led to several deaths and missing persons in southern and central China. Flooding continues to plague the countryside and cities alike. A few videos capture the damage:

• 2010年7月14日 集中豪雨 広島市安佐南区①
• 2010年7月14日 集中豪雨 広島市安佐南区②

Demonstrations in Hong Kong Mark Return to Chinese Rule

Demonstrators marched through central Hong Kong today to mark the 13-year anniversary of the return to Chinese rule. They used the occasion to criticize recent electoral reforms which they said did not go far enough to ensure universal sufferage for Hong Kong residents.



User name: takmahk83
Location: Hong Kong
Date uploaded: July 1
Event date: July 1
Views: 120
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: ChoiKaiKwong
Location: Hong Kong
Date uploaded: July 1
Event date: July 1
Views: 73
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Flooding Devastates Southern China

More than 2 million people have been displaced by flooding in southern China, the BBC reports, and at least 200 people have been killed in landslides and other flood-related accidents since Sunday. This clip shows water washing away a bus and several cars.



User name: kills8877
Location: Fujian, China
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 4
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Violent Riots in Urumqi, China

Riots in the city of Urumqi in the Xinjiang province in Western China have allegedly killed at least 156 people and injured an additional 800.  Media access has been severely limited, making it very difficult for journalists to determine exactly what happened - but tensions between the Uighurs, an ethnic Muslim minority group, and the majority Han Chinese have been rising.  Some news organizations have reports from witnesses that the Uighurs were protesting to demand for an official investigation into racially-motivated violence that erupted in the area in late June, but had been violently repressed by state police.  

A few videos taken by eyewitnesses to the violence have been posted on YouTube: 

And here is the official news report by government-controlled Chinese news service, CCTV:

Rising Concern Expressed on YouTube as Olympics Approach

As the world prepares for the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and Olympians are using YouTube to draw attention to some of China's most pressing social and political issues. UNICEF, for example, has posted a video that shines the light on Chinese children affected by AIDS, leveraging former Chinese Olympians like gold-medal gymnast Lou Yun in their attempts.

Other organizations and individuals, however, are casting a more critical eye on China's policies, especially those surrounding human rights. Amnesty International recently uploaded a fourteen-video series chronicling human rights issues in China, while U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf has urged political leaders to boycott this year's Olympics in light of Chinese violations against human rights and religious freedom:



And just a few days ago, Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities just hours before he was scheduled to fly to Beijing. Cheek is one of the founders of "Team Darfur," an organization that aims to bring public awareness to the political situation in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The controversy around the Beijing Olympics is not a new phenomenon -- demonstrations for and against China's hosting of the Olympics have drawn much attention over the past year. But will they continue through the Games? Stay tuned to YouTube to find out.