Floating population needs equality, freedom

On a recent forum, an expert on disaster consequence assessment released his estimation for the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on May 12. According to him, at least 100,000 residents of the quake-affected zones must be resettled.

Doubtless, this is a figure less than the estimate of most people. After the strong tremor reshaped the mountains and rivers in Sichuan, so many people lost their homes as well as the land they lived on. The destruction of the local ecological system also threatens the residents' lives in the long run.

Therefore, a dozen of counties, towns and villages must be rebuilt in new locations to make free from future geological risks. And a huge number of people might not settle down properly for many months.