links for 2008-04-03

• EastSouthWestNorth: A Photograph From Lhasa
  Roland Soong debunks claims by FLG media and others that photo of man appearing to be a knife-wielding Tibetan is really a policeman in disguise.
  (tags: china media tibet internet photography propaganda)
• China Digital Times » Zeng Jinyan: Gratitude
  Jeng Jinyan updates her blog, concluding: "Unless the general situation improves, there is no way for us to truly escape our predicament. I sincerely hope that technological and economic advancement is used to promote human happiness, and not to bring abo
  (tags: china freespeech humanrights internet hujia)
• AIUK : China: Silence of the International Olympic Committee and world leaders is tacit endorsement of abuse, says Amnesty
  "The report, China: The Olympics countdown - crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy (PDF), shows a human rights situation that is getting worse, not better, in the run-up to the Olympics."
  (tags: china humanrights olympics)
• The China Beat: James Miles on Media Coverage of Tibet
  "What happened in Lhasa from midday on the 14th to late on the 15th did not fit the normal pattern of unrest in Tibet. It was not monk-led, it displayed little explicitly-stated political purpose, and it was violent....
  (tags: tibet china)

Comments

[mahathir_fan]

"AIUK : China: Silence of the International Olympic Committee and world leaders is tacit endorsement of abuse, says Amnesty"

R,

If you know anyone in Amnesty International, then please tell them to dig up their old files on Dr. mahathir from 20 years ago. Its time to prosecute Dr. Mahathir in the court of law for all his power and human rights abuses, and we can conveniently do it in Malaysia now that PM Badawi and him are open enemies.

If they don't go after past dictators, then that's a real indication that their past accusations were baseless. To prove that their past accusations were true, they need to prove them and go after those past dictators in the court of law and show that they were right and tell their critics - "I told you so". After listnening to them for 20 years, they sound more like a PR machine that one that really takes action.

[Charles Liu]

Finally a little bit of justice. The new media in general has been giving Falun Gong a free pass.

That's while they have faked news like live organ harvesting, using photo of breast cancer to make "sexual torture" claim.

But hey, as long as it is anti-China no problem right? Never mind that such false image promotes anti-Chinese sentiments.

[Charles Liu]

The freelance photographer Roland mentioned, Ken Speckle, has confirmed the "disappearing man with knife" photo is forgery:

http://kadfly.blogspot.com/2008/04/back-to-tibet-though-not-physically.html

"the real photo shows the man holding the knife. The version without him is photoshopped."

[Charles Liu]

Just so I'm not talking smack about Epoch Times misrepresenting breast cancer photo, here's the blog from a surgeon in India that noticed ET was passing off a photo of a woman suffering from late stage breast cancer as evidence of sexual torture:

http://rambodoc.wordpress.com/2007/09/17/is-the-falun-gong-going-wrong/

ET claims the scars from the necrotic tumor is "electric baton burns", while Dr. Ramana and his colleagues have stated otherwise.

[Chan]

Tibetans seeking greater human rights and freedom in Tibet. It's terrible to see the violence but it shows the desperation. They wish to their freedom.

[Charles Liu]

Finally, a fair word about demonization, disruptive, violent protest tactics.

From Berkeley professor Wang Lin Chi (on CNN, wow):

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/09/commentary.wang/index.html

"Sadly, most Americans know little about international issues and for that matter, China, as demonstrated by the conspicuous absence of information regarding historical context and complexity. Instead, the media, politicians and organized groups prefer to use only sound bites and, frequently, disinformation to perpetuate ignorance, instill fear, and incite racial hostility, or worse, hatred toward China."

"China has yet to learn how to understand and treat its minorities -- such as Tibetans, Uighurs, Muslims, Hmongs -- as equals.

In this respect, they are not that different from us. We are still learning how to treat minorities such as Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, Chinese-Americans and others as equals."

"I am opposed to using the Olympics to demonize China and its peopleand disruptive, confrontational, and violent tactics. Such actions have the effect of desecrating the Olympics and humiliating and insulting the people of China. No good can come of them."

[roger]

I don't know the exact specific on Chinese demographics in Tibet, but let's just assume that Tibet is being basically absorbed and assimilated into China, and that their culture is being more or less erased by their being swallowed by China. I think the Tibetans should at least have some autonomy returned to them if they want to be fully recognized as a legitimate international player.

-Steve
my political forum