2008 Woodie Awards
Hu Jia's the example: Fight against Chinese narrow-mindedness is uphill battle
Dan Keenan
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Opinion
Since writing my column last week on the forceful action China has been taking toward the Tibetan people in attempting to crush the spirits of the Tibetan people, the Chinese government was reported, by the foreign press, to have released a partial "solution" of sorts. To properly deal with these ordinary citizens (young and old) as well as monks and nuns, the Chinese picked up a copy of George Orwell's book "1984" and offered up their own take and remedy.
In a very "Orwellian" manner of speaking, the Chinese strongly proposed that the Tibetans simply be "re-educated."
Yes, what the Tibetans need is a re-assimilation into Chinese society, and lessons on how to behave and how to speak.
And these "meetings" or "sessions" -- I guess I would call it -- would take place in the monasteries and convents, or all places.
Sorry China, but this is nothing new. A lot of people have read that book, too.
And as this is the case, we cannot relate to "friends," the Chinese, because we come from a country that not only prides itself on the freedom of speech, but also the freedom of the press and, most importantly, the freedom of the existence of the dissenter.
In a country whose borders may not be defined on color-coded maps, Tibet still exists on the minds of millions of its people, as well as people around the world. The country has always been the icon of the "oppressed state," but over the past decades has fallen, unfortunately, into obscurity and been forgotten by many people
The past few weeks have grabbed the attention of all forms of foreign media, it seems. And although they are in the business of sensationalism (like all media), the missteps of the Chinese government toward their most outspoken citizens.
According to The International Tribune, a Chinese court sentenced a man named Hu Jia for three-and-a-half years for writing and publishing scathing and critical essays on their Communist Party. The court ruled that his essays amounted to having the potential to cause subversion within the country.
In a very "Orwellian" manner of speaking, the Chinese strongly proposed that the Tibetans simply be "re-educated."
Yes, what the Tibetans need is a re-assimilation into Chinese society, and lessons on how to behave and how to speak.
And these "meetings" or "sessions" -- I guess I would call it -- would take place in the monasteries and convents, or all places.
Sorry China, but this is nothing new. A lot of people have read that book, too.
And as this is the case, we cannot relate to "friends," the Chinese, because we come from a country that not only prides itself on the freedom of speech, but also the freedom of the press and, most importantly, the freedom of the existence of the dissenter.
In a country whose borders may not be defined on color-coded maps, Tibet still exists on the minds of millions of its people, as well as people around the world. The country has always been the icon of the "oppressed state," but over the past decades has fallen, unfortunately, into obscurity and been forgotten by many people
The past few weeks have grabbed the attention of all forms of foreign media, it seems. And although they are in the business of sensationalism (like all media), the missteps of the Chinese government toward their most outspoken citizens.
According to The International Tribune, a Chinese court sentenced a man named Hu Jia for three-and-a-half years for writing and publishing scathing and critical essays on their Communist Party. The court ruled that his essays amounted to having the potential to cause subversion within the country.
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