【新唐人2011年8月17日讯】在超过八万民众上街示威的强大压力下，大连市委书记唐军答应关闭“福佳大化工厂”，并承诺尽快搬迁这家生产剧毒PX的工厂。而正当各界欢呼民意的胜利的同时，《路透社》踢爆，化工厂其实没有停产，依旧运作。民众关注，“关厂的承诺是否只是当局权宜之计”？
当大连市委书记唐军周日爬上警车，与八万上街民众对话时，民众高呼要求当局将 PX化工厂迁走，并给出时间表。由于群情汹涌，当局当天下午开会紧急研究，作出关闭化工厂的决定。舆论欢呼这是民意的胜利。
不过，据《路透社》引述行业知情人士消息透露，“福佳大化工厂”周一运作如常，也没接到政府要改变工厂营运计划的通知。“福佳大化”继续从供应商输入来自伊朗、巴布亚新几内亚的石脑油，生产 PX。而且，工厂每月入口 12万吨石脑油的计划没有任何改变。
“福佳大化”究竟会不会搬迁？北京宪政学者陈永苗认为，大连市官员的承诺可能只是“金蝉脱壳之计”。
陈永苗（北京宪政学者）：“大连市委书记的承诺可能是想把老百姓哄回家，到了深夜之后他还动用警力，甚至从沈阳其他地方调来。看来如果是这样的话，实际上他只是把老百姓哄回家的一个骗局。可能不是一个真正的，所谓网上声称的民众的胜利，或微博的胜利，或民意的胜利。”
不过，大连理工大学教师韩延义认为，这是大连市人民多年来最大规模的抗议行动。官员不敢冒天下之大不韪。
韩延义（大连理工大学教师）：“是老百姓没有办法了，逼到街头上了。如果没有个交代，第二次，第三次，第四次，可能不是这种场面了。他可能就失控了。所以从政府的角度他考虑到民众的感受，他也得搬，他不敢不搬。”
据报导，被民众要求迁出的 PX化工厂，是由市政府重点扶持的房地发展商“福佳集团”，以及由市国资委直接监管的“大化集团”合资而成，后台十分强劲，不但是当地的纳税大户，也是内地石脑油最大的入口商之一。
中国政法大学教授杨阳表示，这次参与示威的人士来自社会各阶层，包括专业人士，甚至共产党员、公务员，这显示，中国社会中相对富裕阶层，开始用他们的影响力，左右政府的决策。
但中共喉舌媒体却把这次和平示威看成如洪水猛兽，《环球时报》发表评论文章，声称示威不是表达不满的正确方法；《人民日报》的评论文章则反对将有争议的事件搬到街上，说大连民众的表达方式不应推广。
目前“大连”、“ PX”等字眼在大陆互联网上成为敏感词。周日示威的微博、照片，及媒体对 PX化工厂的报导遭到删除。另外，周日当局拘捕大批尝试采访示威的日本记者，扣留一晚后，日本记者周一才陆续获释。
据《21世纪经济报导》引述当地业内人士的话指出，在大连“大孤山临港工业区”的数十家化工厂中，可能发生重大事故的化工企业还有不少。与“福佳大化”仅几步之遥的“逸盛大化”，厂房离海不足百米，储罐距离海面只有20米。报导说，大孤山的多数企业都属于一级风险企业，如“西太平洋”、“齐化”等化工企业，一旦发生事故，影响范围将覆盖整个大孤山开发区的居民。
新唐人记者秦雪、薛莉采访报导。
PX Factory Operates After Protest
Facing pressure from a mass protest of over 80,000 people,
Tang Jun, Secretary of the Dalian Municipal Committee,
promised to close and move the Fujia Chemical Plant,
which produces PX, a toxic chemical, as soon as possible.
While the protesters celebrated their success, Reuters exposed
the fact that the plant is still operating and producing PX.
The public asked, “Is this promise only a means to make it
easier for the authorities to get their way?”
When Tang Jun, Secretary of the Dalian Municipal Committee,
climbed up on a police car and talked to the 80,000 protesters,
people demanded that the authorities move
the PX chemical plant and offer a timetable for this to happen.
Facing pressure, the authorities had an emergency meeting and
decided to close the plant.
The media touted the move as “the public opinion’s victory.”
However, according to Reuters, some informed insiders
revealed that the chemical Plant still operated on Monday.
And they were not notified by officials to shut down the plant.
The Fujia Chemical is importing naphtha from Iran and
Papua New Guinea to produce PX.
Also, the plant’s importing quota of 120,000 tons of
naphtha, per month, has not changed.
Will the Fujia Chemical Plant still go on operating?
Chen Yongmiao, a constitutionalism expert in Beijing,
believed that the promise that Dalian officials made
was not true and it was only made to buy time.
Chen Yongmiao, a constitutionalism expert in Beijing, said:
“The Dalian authorities gave their promise but it may have
been given only to fool the people into going back home.
After midnight, they dispatched police and even transferred
security forces from Shenyang.
If so, then this promise was only made to fool the people
so they will leave the area.
This is not a real victory of micro-bloggers and protesters,
as claimed by netizens.”
However, Han Yanyi, a lecturer from Dalian University of
Technology, believed that
this is the largest protest in Dalian, in many years.
Officials there dare not go against the public will.
Han Yanyi, a lecturer from Dalian University of Technology,
said: “People had no choice but to take to the streets in protest.
If their voice isn’t heard, they might protest a second, third,
or fourth time, then the situation might get out of control.
From the officials’ perspective, they have to consider
the people’s will, so they have to take affirmative action,
and not go against their will.”
It was reported that the PX plant, which people wanted
removed, belongs to the Fujia Group,
and is a joint venture partner with the State Assets Admin
Committee, which is controlled by Dahua Group.
Thus, it has strong political backing.
It is a large local taxpayer and one of the largest importers
of naphtha in mainland China.
Yang Yang, a professor from China University of
Political Science and Law, said that those who participated
in the protest came from different classes, including
professionals; even Communist Party members and officials.
This indicates that the relatively rich classes in China have
started to use their influence to affect official decisions.
But the communist party’s media consider
the peaceful protest a scourge.
The Global Times published a critique stating that the protest
is not the right way to express one’s dissatisfaction.
The People’s Daily commented that controversial issues
should not be brought out into the street
and that the Dalian people’s way of airing their grievances
should not be popularized.
Currently, words like “Dalian” and “PX” are sensitive words
on China’s Internet.
Micro-blogs and photos of the protest on Sunday and
the media’s report about the PX chemical plant were removed.
The authorities detained many Japanese journalists, over night,
because the journalists tried to conduct interviews on Sunday.
They were later released on Monday.
According to the 21st Century Business Herald, some
informed insiders said that among the dozens of
chemical plants in the Dagushan Industrial District in Dalian,
many operate under loose safety standards and
the potential for severe accidents to occur are ever present.
The Yisheng Chemical plant, which is very close
to the Fujia Chemical plant, is within 100 yards of the sea
and its storage tanks are only 20 yards from the water’s edge.
It was reported that most of the plants in Dagushan are at risk,
like the Western Pacific, the Qihua, etc.
Once an accident happens, residents in the
entire Dagushan area will be affected.
NTD reporters Qin Xue and Xue Li
