sorrow at Dongzhou

internet - The Dongzhou-shooting moves on

T-Salon points at this picture, and the story in the New York Times, describing how the local government tries to force people to tell people the victims were not shot but blown up by their home-made bombs. They can choose between a cash payment or a beating if they tell the outside world their story.
Says T-Salon:

The most disguisting part, which was not reported in the New York Times, but elsewhere on overseas Chinese news websites, was that the authorities bombed the bodies they found and kept, so that they have "evidence" on hand to show that villagers died by explosives.

These stories and the picturez of mourning Dongzhou villagers in white show yet again this coverup might be hard to work out, because of the internet.
For the Washington Post that is this weekend the lead story on Dongzhou. They conclude:

The government maintains enough control over the flow of information to prevent an event like the Dongzhou shooting from causing a major public backlash or triggering more demonstrations. But the Internet appears to be weakening a key pillar of the party's rule -- its ability to control news and public opinion.

What I'm missing in the story, and that is not new for western media, is the different interests in this case between local officials and the central government. To keep the story simple and digestable it talks only about 'the government', while it seems it is mainly the local government trying to hide the real story. The central government, who has most likely ordered the arrest of the commander in chief, might have a profound interest in smoking out this mafia-like local government. Although, that might also be a too simple view on the story.