China's repression on freedom of speech

[bushbush]

well, like Garb said in the other thread, Chinese members here are too eager to jump on America's apparent media propaganda but fails to address China's lack of freedom of speech.

well, i hope this thread serves its purpose.

a bit of background.

Even though CHina has made great improvements in freedom of speech in the past 30 years, in both private and public sphere, there are still very very heavy restrictions in many areas. Sure we can a lot more newspaper, Tv channels and magazines to discuss pretty much all aspect of life, but anything that's considered politically sensitive are still repressed at the present.

[s.rwitt]

So what exactly do you want to talk about? I don't think anyone will deny that China represses freedom of speech.

[bushbush]

So what exactly do you want to talk about? I don't think anyone will deny that China represses freedom of speech.

hm....yes it is a bit too obvious, consequences?

I know in the intellectual circle there are a lot of freedom to discuss various topics. When i was a kid, i got my hands on some inner-circle publications that talk about a lot of China's problems pretty frankly, pollution, crime, corruption, lack of transparency, state-owned enterprises' issues and etc.

however, I think it's really the middle-class who needs to get educated, censorship in the public is making it difficult, not impossible, but difficult for them to develop political consciousness, which is crucial for eventual democratic movement.

[Emperor Taizu]

Come on BushBush. You know this thread doesn't belong in the Political Mudpit. It should be moved to the Political Academy.

[Garbarsardar]

Come on BushBush. You know this thread doesn't belong in the Political Mudpit. It should be moved to the Political Academy.

Not really, it is a thread about current events since the restrictions of the freedom of speech in China is current.

I assume that this was your contribution to the thread...

And here you can see a list of words that are fully or partially blocked by the Golden shield project.

[danzig]

hm....yes it is a bit too obvious, consequences?

I know in the intellectual circle there are a lot of freedom to discuss various topics. When i was a kid, i got my hands on some inner-circle publications that talk about a lot of China's problems pretty frankly, pollution, crime, corruption, lack of transparency, state-owned enterprises' issues and etc.

however, I think it's really the middle-class who needs to get educated, censorship in the public is making it difficult, not impossible, but difficult for them to develop political consciousness, which is crucial for eventual democratic movement.

Thing is I dont get why the goverment would want to censor these things. Pollution? Corruption? I mean you have 1 billion people in the country and a huge resource pool that to draw from solutions, ideas etc. Yeah you'll have the nutcases who will scream and shout but that is outweighed by actual discussion of the issue. Just makes no logical sense. I can see an totalitarian goverment seeking to supress comments about itself but issues like the one above seem like perfect bait to distract people with

[bushbush]

Thing is I dont get why the goverment would want to censor these things. Pollution? Corruption? I mean you have 1 billion people in the country and a huge resource pool that to draw from solutions, ideas etc. Yeah you'll have the nutcases who will scream and shout but that is outweighed by actual discussion of the issue. Just makes no logical sense. I can see an totalitarian goverment seeking to supress comments about itself but issues like the one above seem like perfect bait to distract people with

well, as far as i can remember, (now i haven't been back in 2 years), it's fine to report those as long as you don't go "therefore, we need to have democracy" at the end .

but seriously, I agree with you that a lot of China's problems can be solved with free press...i.e. corruption. I mean who catches corruption better than free-lance reporters. If Hu is really worried about it, he should let the public do the job of his anti-corruption squad, who is itself a bunch of corrupted goons.

but I think, in his mind, keeping himself and his buddies in power is still the highest pirority, that's why anything negative about the regime is repressed in the media.

truly, i thought Hu wuoldn't be like this when he first came in power, guess he didn't turn out to be more than another China-educated loyal commie...

[danzig]

well, as far as i can remember, (now i haven't been back in 2 years), it's fine to report those as long as you don't go "therefore, we need to have democracy" at the end .

but seriously, I agree with you that a lot of China's problems can be solved with free press...i.e. corruption. I mean who catches corruption better than free-lance reporters. If Hu is really worried about it, he should let the public do the job of his anti-corruption squad, who is itself a bunch of corrupted goons.

but I think, in his mind, keeping himself and his buddies in power is still the highest pirority, that's why anything negative about the regime is repressed in the media.

truly, i thought Hu wuoldn't be like this when he first came in power, guess he didn't turn out to be more than another China-educated loyal commie...

So basically in the end it would come down to people out there might do a better job then the people in charge and then people will wonder...hmm why doesnt this person have that job? Alot of current Chinese goverment officials might have to actually find a job then.

[ChineseManchurian]

Thing is I dont get why the goverment would want to censor these things. Pollution? Corruption? I mean you have 1 billion people in the country and a huge resource pool that to draw from solutions, ideas etc. Yeah you'll have the nutcases who will scream and shout but that is outweighed by actual discussion of the issue. Just makes no logical sense. I can see an totalitarian goverment seeking to supress comments about itself but issues like the one above seem like perfect bait to distract people with

The freedom of speech will cause the cease of the authority of CCP. Which possibly cause another struck like TiananMen Square that'll eventually ruin the economic development and threaten some interests of the CCP bosses.

in 1970s yes, in 2008 no.

I think the person will be executed, but his family will be send into the Country side, some go to reform camp, but I never heard of any stories about who's family is being executed because of one person.

[Dunecat]

So what exactly do you want to talk about? I don't think anyone will deny that China represses freedom of speech.

I do.

"Freedom" doesn't really exist. It's an illusion of the mind.

[Garbarsardar]

I do.

"Freedom" doesn't really exist. It's an illusion of the mind.

In PRC illusions are forbidden and the perpetrators of illusions will be executed. Together with their families. That will teach them.

[bushbush]

In PRC illusions are forbidden and the perpetrators of illusions will be executed. Together with their families. That will teach them.

in 1970s yes, in 2008 no.

[Garbarsardar]

in 1970s yes, in 2008 no.

You may want to read this:

Gao Zhisheng, an outspoken human rights lawyer, had his law practice suspended in November 2005. He was detained in August 2006 and remained in incommunicado detention at an unknown location until his trial in December 2006. In October he was formally arrested on charges of "inciting subversion", and in December he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, suspended for five years.

Chen Guangcheng, a blind, self-trained lawyer, was sentenced in August to a prison term of four years and three months on charges of "damaging public property and gathering people to stop traffic". He had been arbitrarily confined to his home since September 2005 in connection with his advocacy on behalf of women undergoing forced abortions in Shandong Province. On appeal, the guilty verdict was overturned and the case sent back to the lower court for retrial, but the lower court upheld the original sentence.

Xu Shuangfu, the leader of an unofficial Protestant group called "Three Grades of Servants", was executed along with 11 others in November after being convicted of murdering 20 members of another group, "Eastern Lightning", in 2003-4. Xu Shuangfu reportedly claimed that he had confessed under torture during police interrogation and that the torture had included beatings with heavy chains and sticks, electric shocks to the toes, fingers and genitals and forced injection of hot pepper, gasoline and ginger into the nose. Both the first instance and appeal courts reportedly refused to allow his lawyers to introduce these allegations as evidence in his defence.

The family of exiled former prisoner of conscience Rebiya Kadeer continued to be targeted by the Chinese authorities. On 26 November her son Ablikim Abdiriyim, detained in Xinjiang awaiting trial on charges of "subversion" and tax evasion, was seen being carried out of Tianshan District Detention

And remember that for every incident that bypasses the censorship there are dozens that do not.

[Thanatos]

How ELSE could the leader of China be, considering the fact that China is repressive as hell?

[s.rwitt]

"Freedom" doesn't really exist. It's an illusion of the mind.

Stop it. You know what I'm talking about.

[Scorch]

Sure we can a lot more newspaper, Tv channels and magazines to discuss pretty much all aspect of life, but anything that's considered politically sensitive are still repressed at the present.

Aren't most of the newspapers and TV stations owned by the government anyway?

[bushbush]

Aren't most of the newspapers and TV stations owned by the government anyway?

actually since the 80s, private owned magazines, newspapers and radio programs have really flourished.

the government controlls it through the self-censorship mechanism...they dont send censors to everywhere anymore (consider how many media outlets are there). they set up a guide line and periodically punish some of the editors who are playing with "fire" a bit too much.

[s.rwitt]

the government controlls it through the self-censorship mechanism

So the government dosen't "own" the media, it just controls it.


Right?

[bushbush]

So the government dosen't "own" the media, it just controls it.


Right?

back in the old days, they own everything, now even the formerly state-owned ones have to operate on its own incomes...so if they keep up with their communist BS...no one will subscribe them.

that's why you see a great increase of media freedom because editors trying to make money are exploring the boundaries of government censorship as much as possible, gradually a lot of the restrictions have been eroded. Looking back, the difference has really been huge.

[Scorch]

Oh right. Well as admirable as freedom of speech is, there plenty of other human rights that China abuses on a regular basis. In fact, the CCP basically wipes its ass with the UN Declaration on Human Rights.

Freedom of movement - that is, the freedom to not be shot to pieces by Chinese border patrol for trying to leave the country. Freedom to self-determination. The right to a fair and balanced trial. The list goes on.