Great Regulars: The sculpture comes on the crest

of a wave of Confuciana to sweep mainland China, where the 2,500 year-old sage was once reviled as a tyrant during the political turmoil of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

Analysts say his message of harmonious social order and deference to authority is once more resonating with a government facing a widening gap between rich and poor and growing social unrest.

from Luisetta Mudie: Radio Free Asia: Confucius on Tiananmen Square

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"No one in this village will speak a word about [Chen]," she told RFA. "I buttonholed some of them and asked if they knew Chen Guangcheng."

"They averted their eyes and walked away without saying a word," said He. "None of the villagers I spoke to, nor the police, was even willing to utter his name."

from Luisetta Mudie: Radio Free Asia: No Let-Up For Activists

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