links for 2007-06-19

• China Confirms Demolition of Giant Buddha Statue At Tibetan Monastery
  The Chinese authorities have acknowledged the ‘removal’ of a giant gold and copper plated statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) donated by Chinese Buddhists to Samye monastery in Tibet and demolished by Chinese People’s Armed Police in mid-May.
• China’s rural labor force shrinking fast
  China will begin to feel the pain of labor shortages nationwide in the next couple of years – much earlier than previously forecast – as the country’s seemingly ample supply of rural migrant workers dries up, say latest studies by state think-tanks.