Still no reports in the Chinese media.

My experience here leaves me with a nagging feeling that the Chinese authorities help will be limited to some trite quotes to satisfy foreigners.

If they were concerned then a phone line number would be given and information published in the newspapers and on national TV. It has not been.

I will talk to Chinese friends about getting the phone numbers posted on some of the main web sites.

The government interest here will be in trying to catch the Snakeheads, if they are caught then the leaders can expect a bullet in the back of the head.

Much of the Snakehead activity is centered around Xiamen in Fujian province. An investigation there two years ago resulted in many top local government officials being arrested, tried and shot for their involvement. Those that did not get the death sentence received life sentences. However the investigation petered out when it started to get rather close to those in power in Beijing with connections in Fujian.

So yes there is government help offered but it will be done in a way to suit the powers that be here.

Those illegals that survived and are returned will be in dire trouble with the authorities. As I said in an earlier post they can expect prison sentences, however it is not just those who left China will have problems. It is the nature here to punish the families too. This is done by adding comments to a document called a danwei. It is held by the authorities and every registered Chinese citizen has one. They cannotread it or et access to it. So all have a secret file held on them. Adverse comments on a danwei can affect the chances of education for their children etc.

A fitting punishment for those Chinese who employed and killed these people would be to deport them if they only hold a visa and not a British passport. Then they can be placed in the hands of the police here. Providing the police handling them are not themselves corrupt (not unknown) then they too could well recieve the 'peanut' as the bullet is euphemistically called here.

My wife and I discussed this tragedy and she said that if the government was more open with the media then the problems would be illegal emmigrants face might deter some. But for the government to admit that people want to leave China is a loss of face.

True many Chinese are studying overseas and returning. These are young, savvy and itelligent. But they are able to leave only becuase they have an education and can speak the language of the country they will go to.

The Morecombe Bay victims were most likely from the provinces and would never be allowed to travel legaly overseas because of their lack of education and work skills and language capability. Hence they are open to be exploited.