Chinese petitioners prepare written statements of their of their grievances in the cramp quarters they share, as they in hopes to have her case seen by the petitions office in  Beijing, China, Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Widespread frustration with the petition system is simmering and in several recent cases has boiled over, with a handful of people making desperate bids for attention. The peak season for the pilgrimages is the beginning of March, when China's lawmakers gather in the capital for their once-a-year legislative session. In an acknowledgement that the petition system is in crisis, China's Premier Wen Jiabao vowed to improve legal channels for grievances.
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