One of the questions that has often been discussed following the unrest in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain and now Libya has been whether China could be next. Certainly, Chinese authorities were concerned enough about the implications of the protests in the Arab world to try to suppress online discussion of the events in Cairo, with many Internet users in China reporting search results for certain key words returning zero results.
And while authorities show no sign as yet of getting as heavy handed as they have in Libya (the death toll has already topped 100 there, with reports of protesters having machine gun fire turned on them), China is still starting to crack down further to stamp out potential dissent.
I’ve been hearing a number of reports from Beijing today about the heavy police presence there after Internet posts, apparently largely from Chinese overseas, appeared urging citizens to launch their own Jasmine revolution.
According to AP: ‘Authorities detained activists, increased the number of police on the streets and censored online calls to stage protests in Beijing, Shanghai and 11 other major cities. Citizens were urged to shout "We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness"—a slogan that highlights common complaints among ordinary Chinese.’
According to the report, the campaign originated with the Chinese-language, US-based advocacy site Boxun.com, and I’ve been sent a link from the site that includes some images taken today (ignore the date at the top of the page – the pictures are from today, not yesterday). Anyone interested in taking a look at the site (in Chinese) can take a look here.
One writer I heard from today on the ground in one of the cities said police were taking pictures and video of the crowd that had gathered at one location, presumably to keep tabs on any ‘troublemakers.’
I’ll keep you posted if I hear any more. In the meantime, on a related note, I highly recommend an opinion piece we have in our China special, entitled ‘George Orwell’s China?’ It’s a powerful look by a professor based in China at some of the reasons for the current discontent.
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Janman
Go ahead, Brave men of the Jasmine Revolution.
However do remember to wear some protection shield lest you will be beaten by your countrymen. It’s not an intimation but concerned about your safety and sanity.
Mu Chunshan
99% of Chinese population doesn’t know the so-called Jasmine Revolution in China, even my colleagues who are journalists. Let alone the ordinary people.
I have to say the controlling is effective.
I went to Wangfujing Street of Beijing, one of 13 sites for gathering, to see it, but in my view, the situation is just like a market. Maybe Chinese need more time and skills to learn.
Anyway, I want to send my wishes to people arrested by police. They are keeping rights given by constitution for freedom of speech.
About the influence of the incident, I will write later.
harry
“apparently largely from Chinese overseas, appeared urging citizens to launch their own Jasmine revolution”= oversea falun gong cult members who think Chinese governemnt is the devil and the superman/billionair Li Hongzhi is their saviour, hense they sat themselves on fire after they followed falun gong cult’s teachings in Tiananmen square.
china doesnt have the widespread problems the middle east has. The arab countries that expericanced the revolutions are the ones that is a dictator in power for decades, compared to China’s more liberal bureaucractic system. if a maoist type leader is in power today then revolution will happen, otehrwise any socio-economic problem is the cause of phase of development rahter than the type of political system.
jim1980
And there were only a handful of people showed up for protest. It was mean to be a internet joke.
Mark C.
In Iran in 2009, an interesting development was that people would chant out their windows into the night. It was a way of protesting without having to gather in a single place where they could be rounded up. And you can’t censor the sky as easily as you can censor the internet. Just an idea for a tactic in China.
Keir
China is ruled by a corrupt, unaccountable regime that would rather its people die of SARS or endemic pollution than to inconvenience itself. As someone who teaches history 10km from Dachau KZ (after having lived in China for 8 years), I ask what the point of teaching the course is when we appease such an odious regime in the 21st century.
http://www.tracesofevil.blogspot.com