Chinese woman sentenced to 1 year of 're-education' on her wedding day for re-tweeting a joke on Twitter

[Humodour]

I'm going to keep making people (here and elsewhere) aware of news items like this because people need to wake up and see China for what it really is if we're going to do business with them (and even if we're not, because they comprise 1/6th of the world population - they impact on us whether we like it or not)

 

"A woman in China has been sentenced to a year of 're-education' in a labor camp for the crime of 'disrupting social order' after retweeting a joke on Twitter (which is entirely banned in China, but popular nonetheless). Cheng Jianping had repeated a Twitter comment suggesting that nationalist protesters smash Japan's pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, adding the words 'Charge, angry youth.' At the time, China and Japan were feuding over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, and groups of young Chinese had been demonstrating against Japan, smashing Japanese products; the tweet amounted to gentle chiding of the protesters. Ms. Cheng may also have been targeted because she is a human rights activist: she had signed petitions calling for the release of China's jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. She has been detained in the past for several other 'crimes,' including criticizing China's Communist Party."

 

Slashdot commentary: http://politics.slashdot.org/story/10/11/1...n-in-Labor-Camp

Original news item: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post...ence_a_yea.html

 

Is stuff like this a recent phenomenon? Not at all - it has been happening since the foundation of China as a communist state, and the number of these sorts of arrests really ramped up once China won the Olympics bid (what a joke).

 

If mods feel this should be merged into an existing thread then go ahead. I obviously feel otherwise but given the spike in China-related threads lately I would understand.

[Moose]

Preaching to the converted

[RPGmasterBoo]

Anyone who thinks the US and the west in general are much different than China is kidding themselves. They're nothing but two different brands of authoritarianism (and imperialism). China is more openly authoritarian and less of a cultural imperialist than US/EU.

 

China is also much more honest about its policies than the double standards "human rights and democracy" drivel of the west. Which is nothing but a revamped "pax romana".

 

Also, I've never been wronged by the Chinese which I can't say for the other lot.

 

Also: matters like this are China's internal policy. Are they to be faulted for not allowing the west to tell them what to do in their own back yard? How is it that they as a civilization (as old as human history) - are obliged to follow the west's ideals and rules?

 

Nonsense.

 

China does as it has done since the dawn of time. Keep to your own affairs.

Edited November 19, 2010 by RPGmasterBoo

[Moose]

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Good and evil are subject to debate.

[Walsingham]

Good and evil are subject to debate.

 

Really?

 

Two men enter a house in the dead of night. They tie the husband to the furniture and force him to watch while they rape his wife and daughter for more than 24 hours. They then defecate in the living room, murder the family and exit the building.

 

This is a true story I was told Minnesota police officer back in the 90s.

 

Now tell me, young fellah: what part of that is debateable?

[Moose]

Good and evil are subject to debate.

 

Some people might think its good to send a woman to a labour camp for a year for using Twitter, but I'm not going to debate that with them.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Let me rephrase: good and evil are subject to debate when discussing political matters that include vested interests of both parties.

 

@Moose: some people might think that imprisoning people on a whim and torturing them is a bad thing too. Like in guantanamo bay. For example.

 

In short: the us good, them bad mantra does not correspond to reality.

[Moose]

Guant

[Masterfade]

Early this year a guy in Britain complained about delays at an airport on Twitter and basically tweeted he'll bomb the airport if things don't get sorted out. British police arrested him and fined him a huge sum for making 'terrorist threat'. He lost his jobs for that too, twice.

 

Similarly, this year a Chinese physics student in the U.S had a heated argument with his professor and yelled he'll burn the labs down. He also got arrested for making terrorist threat and could potentially serve jail time in the U.S if he didn't manage to flee back to China.

 

In both cases the defendants argued they're only employing a figure of speech, but police disagreed.

 

In this latest case in China, someone made a tweet asking people to smack down Japanese pavilion in the Shanghai expo, and this girl retweeted and urged people to charge on. Whether it's a joke or represents a terrorist threat is for the police and the legal system to decide. It's unprofessional for the media to simply dismiss it as a joke without presenting the view took by the police. But, hey, it's some country far away in Asia. So such sloppy journalism is to be expected.

Edited November 19, 2010 by Masterfade

[RPGmasterBoo]

@Moose

I urge you to say with an honest face that you think that its the only institution of its type.

I'd also like to hear you say that they want your political system as much as you want to see them adhere to its rules.

 

@Masterfade

Its a slowly fostering anti Chinese propaganda. Washington is starting to perceive the Chinese as a threat and the media machinery is in full swing to make the public feel the same. A dangerous mix considering the factual inability of the US and EU to do anything concrete against China (that would not result in MAD).

 

Ms. Cheng may also have been targeted because she is a human rights activist.

 

Hahahaha, we know those from personal experience in these parts.

Edited November 19, 2010 by RPGmasterBoo

[mkreku]

I bet China are less democratic than Iraq and commit more human rights crime. Oh, and they sure as hell have a lot more WMD's than Iraq (seeing as they had none).

 

Why aren't the US trying to bomb China? A bit easier to bomb tiny Vietnam, Iraq and Grenada, huh?

[Humodour]

BOO: it's all about degrees. Human rights breach happen in the Western world. They always will. The difference is, in the West as free, open societies, we always seem to manage as societies to move towards more freedom and rights over time, not less (it's often a case of two steps forward, one step back I will concede - the Twitter case in Britain with its remarkable similarities is an abhorrent breach of rights... but at least the press isn't all government run and at least voters can kick **** parties out of office).

 

In China, it's a case of, if anything, one step forward, two steps back. They breach human rights daily, consistently, and with impunity. And the Chinese citizens do not have an elected government beholden to voters or a free press to fall back on drive change for the better. So it is up to underground thinkers like this poor woman who was jailed for a joke.

[Moose]

I remember reading an article by Charlie Brooker in the Guardian saying he would strangle every human in the country dead because of the guy that was prosecuted for posting that joke on twitter.

 

That's another example of just how different we are. Our media is free and able to thoroughly mock government for its ludicrous decisions.

 

@Boo - I don't know if there are more of these institutions running in the west, but I think the burden of proof lies with yourself to show that they do. I've seen China march prisoners into a courtyard without trial, have them kneel and shoot them all in the back of the head - I would rather think our politicians wouldn't be willing to risk the backlash if that sort of thing was found to be going on over here, because unlike China our politicians can be held to account.

 

Now I'm pretty sure this woman and her fiance who originally mocked the protests aren't happy about having their wedding day destroyed, so yes I think the Chinese as a whole would welcome our system with open arms given the choice.

[Thorton_AP]

I bet China are less democratic than Iraq and commit more human rights crime. Oh, and they sure as hell have a lot more WMD's than Iraq (seeing as they had none).

 

Why aren't the US trying to bomb China? A bit easier to bomb tiny Vietnam, Iraq and Grenada, huh?

 

 

Weren't you the one equating moving in in defense of a sovereign nation asking for help and the United States' 2003 invasion of Iraq as being the same thing?

[Jorian Drake]

poor woman, sadly it isn't just in China that you may get harassed or worse if you speak up for Japan and its culture

[pmp10]

China is also much more honest about its policies than the double standards "human rights and democracy" drivel of the west. Which is nothing but a revamped "pax romana".

Do you have any idea what "pax romana" involved?

Today societies are a lot lighter on institutional enslavement, crucifixion and massacres.

poor woman, sadly it isn't just in China that you may get harassed or worse if you speak up for Japan and its culture

If it's safe anywhere to voice negative opinions of Japan then it's in China.

Given their history there seems little love lost between those countries.

Said protesters are much less likely to suffer legal repercussions for attacking Japanese than the woman in question for making fun of them.

[Guest The Architect]

My first response to this was to laugh.

 

Has China always been this messed up? How did it become this way? Who, or what, was responsible?

 

All I know is, that Mao guy has a bad, bad reputation.

[Orogun01]

I bet China are less democratic than Iraq and commit more human rights crime. Oh, and they sure as hell have a lot more WMD's than Iraq (seeing as they had none).

 

Why aren't the US trying to bomb China? A bit easier to bomb tiny Vietnam, Iraq and Grenada, huh?

Not to burst your bubble but if you still think that WMD had anything to do with Iraq you must be slow in the head. No offense but the main driving force behind war has always been economics and it's the main reason why we don't attack China. That, and that it would be a strategic mess that would end on WW3.

[Humodour]

My first response to this was to laugh.

 

Has China always been this messed up? How did it become this way? Who, or what, was responsible?

 

All I know is, that Mao guy has a bad, bad reputation.

 

Mao is every bit as repugnant as Stalin and Hitler.

[Wrath of Dagon]

In spite of tremendous economic growth, China is still per capita one of the poorest nations on earth. I have to think that it's impossible to have a modern society while maintaining dictatorship and repression, thus I hope eventually the pressure for reform will become irresistible.

[Rosbjerg]

In spite of tremendous economic growth, China is still per capita one of the poorest nations on earth. I have to think that it's impossible to have a modern society while maintaining dictatorship and repression, thus I hope eventually the pressure for reform will become irresistible.

 

Eventually it will - it always does, when millions of voices demand to be heard.

[pmp10]

In spite of tremendous economic growth, China is still per capita one of the poorest nations on earth. I have to think that it's impossible to have a modern society while maintaining dictatorship and repression, thus I hope eventually the pressure for reform will become irresistible.

 

Eventually it will - it always does, when millions of voices demand to be heard.

That's a very optimistic outlook.

Countries like Saudi Arabia show that wealth and modernization of society does not necessarily lead to a rise in democratic tendencies.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Saudi Arabia is wealthy, but modern? I wouldn't say that. And at least China is secular. Also I think Saudi Arabia is reforming, very slowly.

[Calax]

I can see where both sides in this are coming from and think that you guys are dismissing some of what is said out of hand. While the punishments may not seem as bad in the US for similar things, they can possibly end up worse. After all, I personally was nearly put in Juvie for "terrorist threats" by mentioning something everyone already knew as people have pointed out. As was mentioned another guy was arrested, fined, and then lost his job for things on twitter. Imagine you loose your job and can't find another one for that? And you end up stuck working McD's for the rest of your life because you got arrested and charged as a terrorist by the government. And you can't fly anywhere because you're now on the watch list, or get a loan.

 

Right now it feels like there's probably more verbal freedom in China than there is in the US in terms of discussion of violence. Deciding they're worse because your only exposure to their lifestyle is the Media which is decidedly anti-china is a bit short sighted.