2. Girl's dream of "returning" to university
   http://www.chinanews.com/news/9605/01/050109aa.eng
  
  Beijing, 1 May (CNS) -- Last month, a tertiary institution in
  Shenyang, the Shenyang Engineering College,  received a letter
  written by a girl from a rural village in Hubei Province. She
  recounted that her kidnapping whilst on the way to report to the
  college in 1991 caused her to miss the chance of tertiary
  education. She pleaded for another chance of going to the
  university.
  
  Shortly after her letter was received, the dean of student affairs
  disclosed to the press that this was the second letter from the
  same girl who had suffered a big change of fortune and had
  been forced to face cruel reality over the past few years.
  
  One week after the orientation seminar for freshmen in
  September 1991, college staff discovered that one female
  candidate had not yet reported to the admissions office but that
  strangely her baggage had already arrived. Sensing that
  something ominous had happened, the college reported the
  matter to the provincial government and the State Education
  Commission who later learnt from the Public Security Bureau
  that the girl had been kidnapped.
  
  When the girl was set free two years later, she wrote to the
  college requesting re-admission. College officials responded by
  applying to the government department concerned for special
  permission. This was turned down on some minor technical
  reasons or bureaucratic ground.
  
  The college officials felt embarrassed when they received a
  further letter  from the girl. They found it unkind to reject her
  but were powerless to enrol her. The officials said they would
  take the matter up again with senior government officials to
  find a way to help the poor girl.
  
  --end item
  
  CNS 0501-09