China report outlines quake rebuilding problems

2009-06-25 11:06:02 -

BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese government report says problems ranging from a shortage of bank loans to lingering mental health issues are hampering the recovery from last year's devastating Sichuan earthquake.
The tone of the Cabinet report, outlined by the official Xinhua News Agency on Thursday, contrasts sharply with the generally upbeat view of the recovery process put forward by state media, with its emphasis on rebuilt infrastructure and visits to happy quake victims in their newly built homes.
The tragedy left nearly 90,000 dead or missing and 5 million homeless, many of whom remain in government shelters more than one year after the May 12, 2008, disaster rocked southwestern China.
The report says poor communities have had the most difficulty recovering, beset by loss of income, manpower shortages and lack of access to loans. Rebuilding has been especially slow in rural areas and in places where damage was moderate and hence government financial support weaker.
Despite central government policies promoting funding, few small and medium-size industries have managed to obtain loans, it said. Rural credit cooperatives have provided 90 percent of the funds for rebuilding farm homes, despite suffering losses of more than 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion) in the quake.
Shortages of building materials, specialized equipment, and skilled workers also pose obstacles to rebuilding, it said.
Quake victims, meanwhile, were in dire need of psychological treatment and «spiritual succor,» the report said, pointing to conditions blamed for a sharp rise in depression, suicide and domestic disputes.
Unmentioned in the report was the fact China's underfunded medical system has little mental health infrastructure and Beijing strictly limits the work of non-governmental and religious groups among refugees.
Also passed over was the volatile issue of lingering bitterness among parents over the large number of children killed when shoddily constructed schools collapsed _ even while surrounding buildings stayed standing.
Local law enforcement officers have threatened and detained parents who have tried to sue or petition authorities, as well as the activists and lawyers seeking to help them. Government figures released in an apparent response to public pressure showed 5,335 students were killed in the quake _ a figure parents and activists say is too low.
China has set ambitious targets and considerable funding for rebuilding, including 1 trillion yuan ($14.5 billion) out of a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) economic stimulus package.
Xinhua said the Cabinet report has been submitted to the standing committee of China's national legislature, the National People's Congress, for review.