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Taiwan: Go Taiwan Baseball Team, Toward Beijing Olympic Games!

Portnoy · 23:55

Mach 7, 2008 is a special day for Taiwan. It's not for the coming presidential election, but for 2008 IBAF Final Olympic Qualification Tournament(zh) The tournament is being played in Mid-Taiwan!

While soccer is the national sports of most countries in the world, baseball is the pride of Taiwan. Once the international baseball games held, Taiwanese could lay aside their works, even their family and lovers, just in order to cheer our pride in the field or at the television. If you think it's exaggerated, why not take a look at the game on Monday evening?

Taiwan baseball team met Canada on March 10. The massive fans watched the live broadcast, and relayed the progress on Twitter and PTT BBS (the largest campus internet service in Taiwan), to those who couldn't watch the cast, like me. As the situation was getting more and more intense, the fans were all nervous. When Kuo-Hui Lo(zh)hit a 3-run HR that helped Taiwan take the lead in the bottom of sixth inning, not only sportscasters and fans in the field went crazy, but also fans on the internet due to our loud shouts, “Go Taiwan Baseball Team, Toward Beijing Olympic Games!”

As the game came into the end,the catcher of Taiwan team, CHUN-CHANG YEH, was collided by Canada player in order to prevent Taiwan from being scored. I really doubted if any Taiwanese not patriots then. Chensumi(zh) said:

誰看到葉君璋以小號無敵鐵金剛之軀，護住本壘版的畫面，倘若不激動落淚的，那你就真得不是台灣球迷。那時的小葉，巨大如同一片天，替我們頂下那一分，多麼剛猛啊！

If you saw the scene that CHUN-CHANG YEH defended the plate with his body but not excited, then you must not be a fan of Taiwan. YEH was as giant as the sky. How brave he is!

Anchor Tsai Ming Li wrote in his blog, that as an anchor he repeatedly persuade fans no to throw cans and bottles into the field. But in the atmosphere at the moment he understood fans' feeling though he still discouraged the behaviors done by certain fans.

或許，部份球迷不像我們知道，太過於衝動會被沒收比賽，但是在那個當下，如果還能冷靜，還要控制EQ，我想，棒球就不可能叫台灣的國球了。就好像你看到你的親人或好友被外人侵犯，當然是先力挺再說，怎麼可能還考慮太多呢？這是台灣球迷與中華隊密不可分的感情所致，這也是加拿大等外隊永遠不能理解的事情。雖然，我們都知道不該丟瓶罐等進場。

Maybe some fans do not know like us that games will be called off if chaotic situations happen. At that moment, however, if people can still calm down or handle their emotions, baseball would never be the national sports of Taiwan. This is something that Canadian or other teams never understand, although we all know it is inappropriate to throw bottles and cans into the field.

The dramatic turn-over squeezed hearts of all Taiwan baseball fans. People yelled out and prayed and collect “Qi”(supernatural power…if existed), hoping that the Chinese Taipei can reverse the inferiority at the end the game. At this point, a cat was also a good object to ask for favor:

比賽一路打到延長，我忍不住把ＣＴ貓（是的，是毛咪）抱出去，跟她交換條件：每打一隻安打，就給妳一條魷魚絲～毛咪在王子揮出安打時順利地吃到了，於是我繼續跟她交換條件：如果全壘打，我整包都餵妳！

The game extended to extra innings, and I couldn't stand any longer. I carried Chinese Taipei cat(yes, that is my Maomi's new name) out and negotiate with her:you can have a strand of shredded squid for each hit. Maomi had her first strand while Prince(nickname of player Chang Tai-Shan) brought out a hit. Therefore, the negotiation continued: just one home run, you can have the whole pack!

IMG_0122+%282%29.jpg

Chyng's cat, Maomi.

但此時毛咪似乎被我因泰山安打的雀躍驚到，一直想落跑，正當我想去拿整包魷魚絲來安撫她而跳下椅子時，就，雙殺了。不誇張，我真的整隻趴倒在電視前然後被媽媽罵神經病，嗚嗚嗚～～

But Maomi seemed frightened by my joyful leap for Chang Tai-Shan's hit, and tried to runaway. At the very moment I decided to comfort her with the whole pack of shredded squid and jump down the chair…came a double play. No exaggeration: I really fell prone down on the floor in front of the TV set and then hence got scolded by my mom as nuts….(cry~~)

The words above are from dedicated journalist Chyng who covers social movement and environmental issues. The style in the quotes above are far different from her rigid news reports. She was not alone as a crazy fan. On the micro-blogging platform twitter, started by Benjamin who lives in New Zealand, the “Change your head to Chinese Taipei(Taiwan) Icon” had flooded the whole twitter page with red and blue. It looks spectacular when we were “all together”. Even though Chinese Taipei(Taiwan) lost the game for one point, they had won our hearts.

Just like Annpo put, the team that fought till the end lights the glory of Taiwan again, and unites Taiwanese.

奮戰進入了延長賽，依然不放棄，到了最後，雖然輸，也輸得漂亮。這是一個不畏強敵，穩穩地迎戰的比賽。每一局，都是經典的典範。很慶幸，我們都沒錯過這樣的一幕，在那一刻，一起哭，一起笑，一起祈禱，一起罵髒話，一起說：「中華隊加油！」我們是一起的，我們在同個島上，同個天空下，同個旗幟前，同個目標的起點，我們要一起說：「中華隊，加油！」

We fought to the extra-inning and didn't give up. Thought we lost at the end, we were still proud of it. It's a glorious loss. It's a game that we were not afraid of the enemy and fought bravely.
Every inning is an ideal. We fortunately didn't miss that moment at which we cried, laughed, prayed, damned, and said “GO! Taiwan Baseball Team!” together. We are united. We are on the same island, under the same sky, in front of the same flags, and at the same starting point for the same goal. We'd like to say, “Go! Chinese Taipei!” together.

Klairelee, who was working in Hong Kong on that day, also tied with people in Taiwan closely through web-casting. He said that we're so lucky to have Rock and Roll and Baseball.

Let me live, and make a brand new start！

這不也就是中華隊跟我們這些球迷的心情嗎？每次遇到人生的低潮時期，我總會很慶幸，還好我們有搖滾樂！
這次的《八搶三資格賽》來得正是時候，不管亞錦賽讓我們有多麼挫折，也不管這大環境讓太多人感到侷促不安，我們都該很慶幸地說：「還好我們有棒球！」，我們可以在這個時候放下彼此的成見，用共同的信念來替中華隊加油！這是多麼熱血的一件事啊！

Isn't that just heartfelt wishes of fans like us and Chinese Taipei? Every time I'm caught in low tide in my life, I'm always grateful that we still have Rock and Roll.
This tournament is just at the time. Whatever frustration Asia Baseball Championship brought to us, and however squirmed the environment made us feel, we should gratefully say, “We still Have baseball!” We could lay aside all the prejudices to cheer for Taiwan with common faith. How hot-blooded it is!

Yes, we still have Baseball.

Go Taiwan Baseball Team, Toward Beijing Olympic Games!

0 comments · »»

Syria: Silence Over the “Bigger Holocaust”

Amira Al Hussaini · 19:26

lingua → mk · pt · es · sq

On February 29th, Israel's Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai warned of “a bigger Holocaust” for the Palestinians. Syrian blogger Ayman, from the Damascene Blog, compares between the world's silence to that comment and the fuss made over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged call to “wipe Israel off the map.”

Ayman (Ar) explains:

تقوم الدنيا ولا تقعد عندما يتحدث أحمدي نجاد عن إفناء إسرائيل. يعلّق على الموضوع رؤساء الدول والصحف والمجلات بل حتى الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة، ويستدعى سفراء إيران في عواصم العالم لتبليغهم الاحتجاجات. أما عندما يهدد مسؤول في الحكومة الإسرائيلية بإقامة هولوكوست جديدة في غزة، يتم تجاهل الموضوع كأن شيئاً لم يكن.
حكومة تدعي أنها تمثل الشعب الذي عانى ويلات الهولوكوست تهدد شعباً آخر بـ”هولوكوست أكبر”، كما جاء في تصريح الوزير الإسرائيلي، والأمر -مع ذلك- لا يستحق الشجب أو الإدانة أو التعليق، حتى عندما تشرع إسرائيل بتنفيذ التهديد.
ما تعرض له الفلسطينيون من تطهير عرقي وجرائم حرب (بدءاً بالمذابح والترحيل الجماعي في 1948) وما يتعرضون له اليوم من حصار وعقوبات جماعية وقتل للمدنيين، يشبه -بلا شك- ما تعرض له اليهود خلال الحرب العالمية الثانية. وقد جرت العادة على أن يتعرض كل من يرسم هذه المقارنة للاتهام بمعاداة السامية.

The world stands and doesn't sit, when Ahmadinejad talks about wiping Israel off the map. All the heads of states, newspapers, magazines and even the head of the United Nations comment on it and the Iranian Ambassadors in all capitals are called to hear protests. However, when an official in the Israeli government threatens of a new Holocaust in Gaza, the issue is ignored as if it were nothing.
A government which claims it represents the people who suffered the agonies of the Holocaust is now threatening another nation of a “Bigger Holocaust” - as announced by an Israeli minister. Despite that, it is an issue which doesn't raise a condemnation, or even a reaction, even when Israel moves on to implement its threats.
What the Palestinians are being subjected to is ethnic cleansing and war crimes, starting with the massacres and group exiles of 1948. What they are being subjected to today in terms of border closures, sanctions and the killing of civilians, is without doubt, similar to what the Jews suffered during the Second World War. And it has become usual for anyone drawing that comparison to be referred to as anti-Semitic.

9 comments · »»

Brazil: User-customized Football Media

Jose Murilo Junior · 16:23

A new arena is gathering steam and significance in the Brazilian Internet space: the football blogs. It should be no surprise given how natives are impassioned for the game, and how the latest results of the many championships become part of the casual chit-chat everywhere. Day by day, fervent fans are finding out that blogs and other media possibilities — podcasts, webcasts, foruns and chats — are invaluable tools to display, promote and exchange opinions about the many games, and also to express their passion for their favorite football club teams.

The most evident feature brought by the wave of new entrants in the sports chronicle on the web is the customized report and commentary produced by teams' fans. Since TV transmissions of football games started in Brazil, referees are not the only ones to be sujected to biased scrutiny of the fans. The obligatory account of the games by speakers and commentators from major TV networks, regular owners of exclusive broadcasting rights, also suffer the sharp analysis — and fiery reactions — from the opinionated crowd of the many clubs' supporters.

…a torcida do Palmeiras se encheu. Aliás, há muito tempo. Só que a onda da internet finalmente atingiu um ponto onde quebrou-se monopólio dos meios de comunicação dos grandes grupos. Em seus primórdios, há cerca de dez anos, o HTML puro fazia da internet um canal de uma via só. Hoje, qualquer manezinho pode fazer um blog, como este que você está lendo, e a comunicação, democratizada, não precisa ser disfarçada. Não é preciso simular imparcialidade, já que na Internet, há espaço para todos e todo mundo vai atrás do que quer. Hoje, existem sites de palmeirenses para palmeirenses. Cheios de paixão, falando a mesma língua. Elogiando com o entusiasmo que vem junto com a paixão, e quando vem a crítica, ela vem para melhorar, não para achincalhar. É tudo o que um torcedor cuja inteligência vem sendo afrontada quer.
A mídia palestrina - Parmerista!

… fans of Palmeiras [a club from São Paulo] had enough, and there is nothing new in it. But the Internet wave has finally reached a point of breaking the big media monopoly. When it all started, around 10 years ago, HTML could only build a one way channel. Today, any dumb person can do a blog as good as this one that you are reading, and in this democratic media space there is no need to mask your true opinions. There is no need to fashion an unbiased attitude as long as there is room for everybody, and each one will find what they really want. Today, there are websites made by ‘palmeirenses' ('Palmeiras‘ fans) to ‘palmeirenses', full of passion and communicating through their own dialect. They are able to praise enthusiastically as only passionate fans can do, and when it comes the moment of criticism comes, it is done in a positive way, not to crush the team. This is all a team supporter, who has until now had his intelligence and desires abused, wants.
The palestrine media - Parmerista!

The opportunity to express the full passion for their teams in a public sphere, free from the politically correct ‘impartiality' and ‘fairness' of the big media narratives of the games is also a feature for the enthusiasts.

Nada é mais importante que o livre direito de poder esculachar um rival derrotado! Nada. Nem o jogo dentro das quatro linhas, perguntarão os leitores? Nem o jogo! Que graça tem um clássico se a gente ficar preso a detalhes do tipo “o time jogou com duas linhas de quatro”… Futebol, minha gente, não é apenas um jogo. Sei que parece óbvio, escrito dessa forma. Mas a reação de muita gente ao gesto do Souza me deixa na obrigação de lembrar isso. Quer falar apenas de jogo, “de linhas de quatro” (não agüento mais ouvir essa expressão)? Então acesse um blog de gamão ou de xadrez (e olha que sou bom nisso…). O futebol só é futebol porque tem um motor chamado “rivalidade”. Chega de caretice. Não deixem o esculacho morrer!
Não deixem o esculacho morrer! (André Rizek) - Flamengo Eternamente

Nothing is more important than the freedom to crush a defeated rival! Nothing. Some readers will ask if it is even more important than the game itself, and I say: Yes! What is the joy of a classic duel of traditional rivals if we get stuck into details such as “the team played with two lines of four…” Football, my friends, is not just a game. I know it seems obvious written this way, but the reaction of the people to Souza's gestures obliges me to say this. Do you want to talk just about the game, about the “lines of four” (I can't stand this expression anymore)? So go to a blog about backgammon or chess (by the way, games that I also master…). Football is football because of a potency called ‘rivalry'. Enough of straight laced football media. Don't let the rival-crushing die!
Don't let the rival-crushing die! (André Rizek) - Flamengo Eternamente

Amidst the hot exchange between rivals, the ‘impartiality' and ‘fairness' of the mainstream media sports coverage is also a disputed issue. A recent survey has showed that the carioca club [from Rio de Janeiro] Flamengo, with 32.6 million followers, has the biggest club fan base in the world. In this context, the predictable trend of the media to please the majority of the audience has generated its proper counter reaction in the blogosphere.

[full disclosure: I am honored to be part of this intelligent and valuable crowd that follow and support the world's most cherished football club, Flamengo]

Não é novidade pra ninguém que acompanha o futebol carioca que a imprensa tem uma predileção pelo Flamengo. Pelo fato de ter a maior torcida e conseqüentemente o maior potencial de consumo, jornais, revistas, emissoras de rádio e televisão e sites da Internet têm a tendência de maximizar os feitos do Urubu para agradar à grande massa e minimizar os fracassos para não espantar a freguesia. Se fossem vendedores de bananas, isso não faria mal algum, já que faria parte do negócio. Mas, como vendedores de informação e formadores de opinião, esses meios deveriam ser imparciais e retratar a realidade, fosse ela boa ou ruim, sem maquiagem. Infelizmente, porém, não é isso o que acontece. Por isso, aproveitamos esse espaço para completar e denunciar as lacunas intencionalmente deixadas pela imprensa em nome de seus lucros.
Flapress - SecaFla.com

It is not news for anybody who follows ‘carioca' football that the press has an inclination to favor Flamengo. Having the biggest fan base, and consequently the biggest consume potential, all newspapers, magazines, radio and TV networks, and Internet portals show a trend to maximize the deeds of the ‘Urubu' [black vulture, Flamengo's totem animal] in order to satisfy the masses and keep the consumer base. If they were selling bananas, that would do no harm as it would be part of the business. But as information sellers and opinion builders, these media should be more neutral and report the truth. Unfortunately, this is not what happens. Therefore, we created this space to complete and dennounce the intentional coverage gaps of the sports media in its pursuit of ever bigger profits.
Flapress - SecaFla.com

Apart from the steamed up aficionado debate, blogs and forums are accomplishing clever hacks to customize their own media experience of the games. As illegal as it can be, the use of web video streaming services that offers video/chat interfaces to relay the [copyrighted] games' images has been a hit among supporters of Sport [a club from Recife].

Torcedores do Sport estão transmitindo ao vivo pelo site www.justin.tv os jogos do Leão para rubro-negros que moram fora de Pernambuco. Exibições, que começaram com webcam, agora estão com mais qualidade já que são feitas com placas de captação de TV… “Comecei a fazer isso só pelo prazer de ajudar as pessoas de fora do Recife, que não conseguiam ver o Sport. Não ganho nada, é uma ação 100% amadora. Tudo o que conseguimos até agora foi com muita troca de informações entre os usuários do fórum”, disse T.A. Ele recebeu instruções sobre o assunto com um amigo que mora em Portugal, também apaixonado pelo Sport e que é um dos principais beneficiados pela transmissão paralela. Além de Portugal, a ‘audiência’ é formada, em sua maioria, por torcedores que moram na Inglaterra, Canadá, e nos estados do Pará e Goiás. Ah, alguns desses usuários se prontificaram a ajudar numa ‘cotinha’ para a compra da placa de captação.
Comentário de André Ferreira em Vote nos Brazucas - Fundamental Vídeo-Conteúdo

Fans of Sport Recife are broadcasting live the games of the Lion [Sport's totem animal] to other supporters who live outside the state of Pernambuco. The viewing, which started out as webcam captures directly from the TV, are now produced through TV capture boards… “I've started doing this for the pleasure of helping people from outside Recife who could not watch the Sport's games. I don't profit from this, it is a 100% amateur activity. Everything was accomplished through the intensive exchange of information among the forum users”, declared T.A. He received instructions on the issue from a friend living Portugal, who is also passionate for the Sport Recife and much interested in the parallel transmission. Besides Portugal, the ‘audience' is formed in its majority by fans link in the UK, Canada, and in the Brazilian states of Pará and Goiás. Some of these users agreed to collaborate with the money to buy the TV capture board.
André Ferreira's comment in Vote for the Brazucas - Fundamental Vídeo-Conteúdo

Although a relatively recent phenomenon, the growing intensity of the networked exchange among like-minded football club's fan bases is bringing a new dynamic to the game. The shouted opinions that used to come from the anonymous crowds in stadiums can now reach new audiences, and start making a difference in the now enlarged sports chronicle's market of opinions. Players must now be responsive to a much larger group of loquacious coaches.

Jogamos mal e porcamente, principalmente por causa dos vacilos mentais do Toró e do Léo Moura. Aliás, Toró, espero que a tragédia que seu descontrole engendrou te sirva de lição para o resto da vida. Sabe aonde que você começou a dar mole, menino Toró? Foi antes da bola rolar, na hora em que os abnegados torcedores do Mengão lhe saudavam e você, ao contrário do que sempre fez, não saudou a arquibancada... A primeira obrigação de quem veste o Manto Sagrado em partidas oficiais é saudar a torcida que lhe homenageia com sua presença e aplausos. Nem você, Toró e nem o Souza fizeram isso antes do jogo começar. E TODO O TIME SE ESQUECEU DE AGRADECER A TORCIDA AO FIM DO JOGO. Um tremendo desrespeito com quem não mede esforços para apoiar o Mengão Fuderosão Pentacampeão. Que essa palhaçada não se repita jamais, em campo algum.
Homem que é homem não chora por Arthur Muhlenberg - FlamengoNET

We played badly and ugly, mainly because of the mental faints of Toró and Léo Moura [Flamengo players who were expelled with red cards from the game with Nacional of Montevideu last week, lost by 0-3]. By the way, Toró, I hope the tragedy that followed your ill temper has served as a lesson for the rest of your life. Do you know where you've started to fail, young Toró? It was before the ball rolled, when the indomitable supporters of Mengão [big Flamengo] were greeting you and you, contrary to what you've always done, dit not salute the fans… The first obligation to anyone wearing the Sacred Mantle in official games is to salute the supporters who pay homage to you with their presence and praise. Neither you, Toró, and nor Souza did that before the game started. AND THE WHOLE TEAM FORGOT TO THANK THE FANS AT THE END OF THE GAME. This is a big disrespect before those who don't measure the efforts to support the five times national champion Mengão Fuderosão [big f…ing Flamengo]. We demand that this clowny performance is not to be repeated, ever, in any field.
Real Men don't Cry by Arthur Muhlenberg - FlamengoNET

As already reported here at GVO, Brazilian alternative sports media is also focusing on corruption involving club and league managers, player agents, politicians and sports promotion companies, as well as the big sports media outlets. Surely a good sign of what we can expect from the nation's blogosphere, given the fact that the 2014 World Cup is coming to Brazil.

1 comment · »»

Iranian Bloggers on international women's day

Hamid Tehrani · 16:07

lingua → mk · jp · es · zht · zhs · sq

Women's rights have been severely restricted in the last two years in Iran. Some women activists have been jailed, and Zanan Magazine, a leading women's magazine was banned. Many others have been victims of security forces violence for the way they dress.

The Iranian government does not recognise March 8 as International Women's Day and there is no official public celebration.

Despite very difficult circumstances, Iranian women continue their progress in many areas and activists have supported the jailed women activists.

A few months ago, Kosoof, a leading photo blogger, published some photos showing a solidarity action of women for two arrested activists. Several bloggers, women and men, remembered this day and share their thoughts and feelings about women in Iranian society.

Asieh Amini, an activist for women’s equal rights, says[Fa] March 8 is a day of protest against any gender discrimination.

Freekeyboard says March 8 makes him compares [Fa] his dreams to reality. He says:

It is not my March 8. In my March 8 people would be happy and I would dance in the streets. On March 8 there would be no difference between man or woman, all people are equal because all are human beings. In the March 8 that I like, there are no cops to repress. Men and women are happy and dancing. No woman shouts we want equal rights… this March 8 is not here, but only in my mind, and in my dream.

The blogger adds that in his March 8, women aren't sent to jail because they ask people to sign a petition for equal rights between men and women.

The Association of Iranian bloggers, Penlog, says [Fa] in a statement, that Iranian women are considered as second class citizens by the Islamic Republic’s laws. Despite all pressures and discrimination, Iranian women continue their presence in all professional fields.

Z8un has published several photos of working women.

Maryam Majd, blogger and photographer, has also published several photos showing Iranian women involved in different sports. She showed Iranian women's activities and problems in another set of photos here.

0 comments · »»

Anonymous Blogging guide now available in Chinese

John Kennedy · 14:08

lingua → es

Thanks to one very gracious individual who unfortunately insists on remaining anonymous, Global Voices Online co-founder Ethan Zuckerman's guide Anonymous Blogging with Wordpress and Tor is now available in Chinese, bringing years of experience in combining technology with activism not only to yet another part of the world but also, at just under 5MB, in a handy package designed specifically to be shared.

Coming later this month will be the translation of Blog for a Cause!, the Global Voices Guide of Blog Advocacy, a perfect next step for those soon to be—and those who already are—equipped with the basics of what it takes to keep safe while doing certain kinds of work online. As with Anonymous Blogging, Adobe Acrobat Reader might be needed to view it and can be downloaded for free here.

And back to Ethan for the last word:

If you don’t really need to be anonymous, don’t be. If your name is associated with your words, people are likely to take your words seriously. But some people are going to need to be anonymous, and that’s why this guide exists. Just please don’t use these techniques unless you really need to.

Please certainly do feel free to help build this project by translating either Blog for a Cause! or Anonymous Blogging into your own language.

For further information please contact me at: chinese [ at ] globalvoicesonline[ dot ] org, or Global Voices Advocacy Coordinator Sami Ben Gharbia at: advocacy [ at ] globalvoicesonline [ dot ] org

0 comments · »»

China: Fire on the streets of Lhasa, Tibet

John Kennedy · 13:59

lingua → pt · es · fr · jp · mg

Tuesday update:

Zuola the former pioneering citizen reporter has made a monstrous effort in aggregating links to Chinese-language coverage and discussion of the ongoing situation in Tibet.

From Tibetan writer Woeser's blog, one reader writes at 00:17 on March 18:

作为藏人，决不能就此放弃
让汉人在西藏和奥运之间做出选择吧

As a Tibetan, I can never just give up
The Han have to choose: Tibet or the Olympics

Looking through Twifan for reports of unrest having spread to the provinces surrounding Tibet comes news from the Tibetan quarter in Chengdu, Sichuan's Wuhou district:

7:21 pm Monday, Fanfou user Qianlan:

晕，看来真要打仗了。洗面桥街和武侯祠横街都被封锁了。

Faint, it looks like we really are at war. Ximianqiao St and Wuhouci Rd. are all blocked off.

7:55 pm Monday, Fanfou user o8o8o8:

刚刚在群里收到的最新消息! 成都军区已经一级戒备了，正在往西藏调兵。武侯祠横街南北两个方向路口完全交通管制，车辆不得进入；洗面桥横街东西两个方向完全交通管制，车辆不得进入；蜀汉街和另外一条小街直接就路上横了两辆警车把路堵死了。大概估算了一哈，有超过200名警察，超过100辆警车，包括各种警牌的和川OA，还有大概50辆左右的警用摩托，三个一组的编队在不间断巡逻，在武侯祠横街南北两个路口，各有一辆消防车。武侯祠横街和洗面桥横街已经完全变成步行街了，没有任何地方车辆。走到街上全部是警灯的闪烁。这段时间不要到人多的地方去打堆堆,西藏运来的好多吨炸药运到成都来已经不见了，消失了警报日前接内部消息：一{BANNED}分子潜入成都，妄图从事恐怖活动。此人在国外学习爆破多年，技术出众，手段残忍。成都各区已抽调得力干警

I was just in the crowd and got the latest info! Chengdu's military district has already gone on highest alert, and troops have now been dispatched toward Tibet. Wuhouci Rd. going both north and south have been completely sealed off, cars aren't allowed in. Ximianqiao St. going both east and west has been completely sealed off, cars aren't being allowed in. Shuhan Rd. and another side street are completely filled with police cars which have stopped all traffic. A rough estimate, there's over 200 police, and over 100 police cars of every kind. There's also around 50 police motorbikes, patrolling the streets non-stop in formations of groups of three. Where Wuhouci Rd. E meets Wuhouci Rd. W, there are also fire trucks. Both Wuhouci and Ximianqiao streets have completely become pedestrian streets, not a single car on either. Walking down the streets all you see are flashing police lights. Right now, you do not want to go into crowded areas and start pushing around. The tons of explosives they shipped here to Chengdu from Tibet aren't to be seen now, they've disappeared. Police sent out an internal notice warning a few days ago, that [bleep]ists had entered Chengdu in an attempt to carry out terrorist strikes. These people have spent years overseas studying demolitions and are highly skilled at it, with cruel methods. Experienced police from all over Chengdu have been transferred here.

and:

超过500人组成专案工作组开展紧急排查工作，目前此人尚未抓获。奉劝各位这几天尽量减少外出，避免发生意外。从昨日起成都警方以及军区已经对城区部分地区实施封闭检查不要往人多的地方去活动 , 没事请呆家里!

Over 500 people have already been used to set up an emergency inspection working group, and at present nobody has been arrested. It's advised that everyone do their best to not go outside over the next few days and prevent the occurrence of any accidents. Starting yesterday, Chengdu police and the army have already locked off parts of the city and are doing inspections. Keep your activities away from areas with large numbers of buildings; if possible, please stay at home!

And from MSN Live Spaces user XK83 at 9:21 am:

反恐第一线(一)
两会期间，拉萨发生骚乱。官方说达赖集团煽动闹事。死亡13人（截至3月17日），伤多人。
公元2008年，3月17日，西藏驻成都办事处，康定酒店，成都西藏人聚集地——武侯祠横街实行交通管制，武警配枪上街巡逻。
而这条街的一号，就是我单位的所在地。我租的房子，也在这条街。
虽然我在外面出差，但是妈妈还在成都的家里，单位还在那条街上。经过电话联系询问，整理的信息如下：
17号开始这条成都藏民最多的街实行戒严，不准车辆通行，10多辆汽车上下来许多穿迷彩服的武警士兵，配枪巡逻。
我单位作为这条街上最重要的国有单位，门口已换成武警把守，进出单位需要工作证和身份证，并在单位保安的确认下才可进入，院内不时会有武警进来巡逻，
单位上班开始不计迟到，晚上所有人不许加班，早点回家。
我家对面的康定酒店（西藏人开的3星级酒店），据谣传，已经关了一些重要人物，而且发生了流血事件(未经证实，大家口头相传)
有从西藏传来一说，10吨炸药带入成都，消失~~~有同学的同学在西藏告知，少去广场、火车站人多地方。
慎重使用公共交通工具。
…
后续报道会即时更新

Anti-terror, front line (1)

Lianghui is on, riots in Lhasa. The official statement is that Dalai Groups are inciting riots. 13 dead (as of 03/17), many injured.
March 17, Tibetan Affairs Office to Chengdu, Kangding Hotel, gathering place for Tibetans in Chengdu–traffic controls on Wuhouci St., PAP armed and doing street patrols.
And at #1 on this street just happens to be where I work. The apartment I rent? Also on this street.
Though I'm off on business, mom is still at home in Chengdu, and my office is there, so through regular phone calls back I've gathered the following information:
Beginning on the 17th, this part of Chengdu, which is where the most number of ethnic Tibetans live, has been under lockdown; no cars allowed to enter, and many camouflage-wearing PAP who came in on over 10 vehicles are armed and doing patrols.
The office has stopped counting if people show up late, and nobody is allowed to do overtime at night, and people are going home early.
Kangding hotel right across from my home (a 3-star hotel opened by a Tibetan), according to rumors, has already had some of its higher-ups arrested, and there've been incidents of bloodshed (unconfirmed, this is just what everyone is saying)
There's word out of Tibet too, that ten tons of explosives were brought into Chengdu and then disappeared……a friend of a friend in Tibet told him that. Stay away from plazas, the train station, or places with lots of people.
Use public transportation with caution.
…
More updates coming soon.

From Sunday, independent blogger Mr. Jun aims for a more rounded perspective in his post ‘The Lhasa Riots–How are we to look at them?'

常常认为，从不同的角度看一样东西，会有不同的景色。从正面去看一个人，有可能会觉得他有点面目可憎，可是如果从旁边看，他或许是个心地善良的人也说不定。就像是拉萨暴乱事件一样，从那方面看，就有不同的结论。

如果以….
中国的方面来看这个拉萨暴乱事件
- 拉萨暴乱是有阴谋的。
- 达赖图谋藏独。
- 拉萨暴乱的另外意义是阻止奥运的进行。

国外的方面呢？
- 阻碍奥运是错误的，根据过去的经验显示，杯葛奥运是一定会失败的。
- 没有任何一个国家会接受西藏是个独立的国度。

拉萨与西藏的看法又如何呢？
- 以暴力阻止暴力，是很没有说服力。

I often feel that when you look at something from different angles, you get different views. If you look at someone from front-on, you might think he looks a little obnoxious; but then you look at him from the side, and you might just see someone with a heart of gold. Just like the riot incidents in Lhasa, depending on which way we look at them, we have different conclusions.

If…

..looking at this from this Chinese side:
-there's a conspiracy behind the Lhasa rioting.
-it's the Dalai Lama's plot for Tibetan independence.
-another purpose to the Lhasa riots is to prevent the Olympics from being held.

…and from overseas?
-interfering with the Olympics is a mistake; past experience shows that boycotting the Olympics is guaranteed to fail.
-there isn't a single country which would accept Tibet as an independent nation.

And Lhasa and Tibet's views?
-Stopping violence with violence, there's nothing persuasive about it.

[…]
和平是很难维持的，因为那是双方面的。如果有单方面和平的破坏，双方也不会就次罢休的。不少喇嘛被囚禁了，这就是单方面的和平破坏的开始点。暴乱事件就是另一方对于喇嘛被囚禁的不满而做出的抵抗。双方面没有得到共识是错误的起源，因为不了解而分裂，那是历史很清楚地告诉我们的。而奥运又要利用这事件来表达，奥运本身就是如此地神圣不可侵，没有人该推翻它！

人民醒觉运动，我个人认为人民应该拥有权利，不把所有的权利都给于一个领导人。就以古中国来说，皇帝的决定是绝对的，包括战争。人民的反对票无法达到皇帝的认同，因为人民没有选择权。可这不表示人民应该拥有所有的权力，所以权力的分配必须达到平衡。

最后回到‘从那方面看？’这话题。如果是中国的新闻来看，那可能会有点夸大其言，毕竟现在以武力镇压拉萨的是中国，中国是其事件的起端者，所以中国的话还是别全信比较好。西藏与拉萨方面，他们是其事件的起端者之一，可是同时也是受害者。他们有可能会夸大其言，但他们是受害者，所以可信度比较高。

[…]
Peace is hard to maintain, because there are two sides to it. If peace on one side is broken, neither side will be able to just let it go. A lot of Lamas have been imprisoned, this is how one side began to destroy the peace. The incidents of rioting are the other side's resistance due to dissatisfaction with seeing Lamas imprisoned. That neither side has reached a consensus is the origin of the mistake, and that division comes from lack of understanding, this is what history tells us clearly. And with the Olympics this incident will be used to say just how sacrosanct the Olympics themselves are, and that nobody should touch them!

A people's awakening movement, as I see it, is a right a people ought to have, and that not all powers should be given to a leader. In ancient China, the emperor's decisions were absolute, including going to war. People's opposition votes weren't recognized by the emperor, because the people had no right to choose. But this doesn't suggest that the people should have all the power, and this is why division of power must be balanced.

Back to the topic of ‘which side?'. If one looks at Chinese media, well, there might be some exaggeration, especially now with China suppressing Tibet with military power, and China being the source of these incidents, which is why it's better to not completely trust what China has to say on this. For Tibet and Lhasa, they are one of the sources of these incidents, but at the same time they are the victims. They might also be exaggerating, but as they are the victims, their degree of reliability is still much higher.

Ken at Kadfly, one of the last few foreigners to enter Tibet before the violence broke out and the area shut down, has added to his earlier collection of tourist photos of the unrest and destruction with an update Monday that the Tibetan violence had generally stopped:

Today people returned to the streets of Lhasa in droves. There are tons of Chinese police and army in the city but they are letting people wander without too much difficulty. Schools were also open today - hopefully all this means that there will not be any further escalation of the situation. Since the 14th things have quieted down dramatically - aside from a few booms and bangs we haven't been able to hear much from where we are. We have heard, however, that the authorities have been conducting night-time arrests in other parts of the city, but this is not confirmed.

Original post:

Protests in Lhasa set to coincide with the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people's unsuccessful uprising against PRC occupation of the former theocracy which began on March 10, the day on which what was being called the worldwide Tibetan people's uprising was stopped at the Indian border, turned violent on March 13 and may now be spreading to neighboring Gansu province.

As mainstream media struggle to bring out the latest developments, bloggers on the ground in Lhasa have been able to provide ongoing updates on the situation. Earlier in the week, the Time China blog linked to one European tourist's writing, photos and video from Lhasa just as the rioting had begun.

QQ blogger 24K Pure Love at 2:58 pm Friday:

拉萨暴乱

Lhasa Riot

今天是2008年3月14，白色情人节“也是我到拉萨的第25天。可今天的拉萨并不太平，外面到处是暴乱份子，以前在内地从来没见过这种场面。用恐怖也来形容也不为过。
杀人，放火，仍石头““ 外面一片黑暗。到处冒烟。
武警都出动了“ 大街上面空无一人，店面全部关门了` 马路上都是暴乱份子扔的石头“`

Today is March 14, 2008, White Valentine's Day..it's also the 25th day since I came to Lhasa. But something's not quite right in Lhasa today. There are rioters everywhere, the kind of scene I'd never seen before back inland. To say this is terror doesn't even cover it.
People killed, fires lit, rocks thrown….it's all black outside, smoke everywhere.
The PAP are out in force..there's not a person to be seen on the main streets, shops are all shuttered up, and the streets are full of rioters throwing rocks…

QQ blogger ‘I Love Blue Sky', who appears to be involved in the travel industry, 4:01 pm Friday:

拉萨的动荡３月

Lhasa's March Upheaval

昨天开会了，说是几个寺庙不让去了，
珠峰也不可以去，　
哎，那这旅游还咋做啊　，
那游客来拉萨还有什么好看的呢
　　　　　
今天，听说大昭寺那边又有动乱了，
很恐怖的，朋友们都打电话来，
让我不要到处乱走，
真是的，你说安定团结那里不好，
非要搞点事出来，
客人来了拉萨，还不让乱走，你说这旅游还咋做吗

Starting yesterday, there was word that several temples had been closed off,
Even Mt. Everest
So what am I supposed to do for this trip?
What else is there for tourists here in Lhasa to see?

Today, I heard there's been another disturbance at Jokhang Temple,
It's terrifying. Friends keep calling,
Telling me not to go wandering around,
Please, what's so bad about Stability and Unity?
Do you have to go making trouble?
The clients are here in Lhasa, but they're not allowed to go wandering around, what am I going to do for this tour?

现在是搞的人心惶惶的，
组团社那边，问出了什么事，
拉萨这边又让说是维修寺庙
世上那有不透风的墙呢？

We're all on edge here now,
The tour company is asking what's going on,
Here in Lhasa they're telling us to say that the temples are being renovated
Do they really think the walls are that air-tight?

Another QQ blog, Friday, 6:01 pm::

拉萨是个好地方

Lhasa is a great place

拉萨暴动…学校禁校…生日泡汤… 市里面打的那叫一个猛!军车一辆一辆的，手榴弹一颗一颗的扔，大昭寺周围被炸开花了，步行街被武警封了，温州商贸诚也被封了，石油公司貌似炸毁了… 长这么大没见过这世面…达lai真ta妈牛b!真希望赶紧把我们学校炸了!我转到人大去我!

Lhasa is rioting…school was closed…spoiled my birthday…fighting in the city is brutal! Army cars keep going by, hand grenades keep getting thrown around, the area all around Jokhang is being blasted, pedestrian streets have been closed by the PAP, Wenzhou Trade St. has been closed too, it seems the gas stations have been blown up…old as I am I've never seen anything like this…the Dalai is really fucking something! I hope he hurries and blows our campus up too! I'll transfer to Renmin U!

From another QQ blog at 6:25 pm:

圣地的暴政【拉萨】

Lhasa, tyranny of a sacred place

今天的拉萨没有莪想的那么圣洁了,在拉萨一直被人尊敬的拉萨成了暴政的源头,今天呆在岛里真的很郁闷,拉萨市好几家服装店被烧毁,全岛的居民都不准出岛,喇嘛扪跟警察打起来了,死伤现在还不知道,说实话长这么大莪真实是见过那么多的装甲车,还有那么多的坦克和大部队,莪想不明白眼前的这一切是为什么? 还说把莪扪汉人杀了`?全岛和拉萨市里的店都关门大吉了,因为都是莪扪汉人开的店…

Lhasa today doesn't have the sanctity I thought it would; the Lhasa people once always revered has become a fountainhead of tyranny. I'm quite bummed to be staying on the island today; a good number of clothing shops in Lhasa have been burnt down, and everyone here on the island isn't allowed to leave. The lamaists have been fighting with police, don't know if any have been killed. To be honest, as old as I am I have never seen so many armored vehicles before, so many tanks and so much military. What I can't figure out is just what all this that I'm seeing is for. People are even saying they're killing us Han Chinese? All the shops on the island and in Lhasa are closed or are going to go bankrupt, because those shops were opened by Han, us…

中国政府每年对西藏拨款发展,到现在得到的是什么?这样的国内暴政会让中国更会发展吗?来到拉萨的时候感觉这朴实,是个适合自己发展的地方,也是赚钱的殿堂…因为这商机大机会也多,比如这两年开采矿物质,也给西藏带来了财富,青藏线的开通就跟不是新闻了.

The Chinese government allocates funds every year for development in Tibet, but to this day what has it really gotten? This kind of domestic tyranny is supposed to make China more developed? When I first came to Lhasa my feeling was that this place is simple, a place suited to personal development, and a palace suited to making money…because there were too many big business opportunities here, like mineral extraction over the past two years, which has also created a lot of wealth for the Tibet and makes the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway not even look like news.

Also on QQ, ‘Ice Dragon' at 6:26 pm:

08年3月14日拉萨喇嘛造反

今天下午武警，交警，特警全部出动于布达拉宫广场与拉萨百货大楼交界处
坦克，装甲车，消防车全部出动在布达拉宫前
到目前`特警伤几十人死几人
消防车被炸一辆
轿车被炸N辆，商店被烧几十家
四川人士死伤上百
大昭寺和小昭寺已经被烧毁！
朋友刚才来电说：现在拉萨各大小医院已经住满了病人！
（昨晚，在大昭寺几百名四川人士被打，13名当场死亡，80多人重伤）

March 14, 2008: Lhasa's Lama's rebel

This afternoon, PAP, traffic police and riot police all marched into Potala Palace Square to the Lhasa Department Store tower junction
Tanks, armored vehicles and firetrucks all moved into the front of Potala Palace
At present, ~~riot police have injured dozens and killed several~~correction:dozens of riot police have been injured and several killed
One fire truck has been blown up
Countless civilian cars have been blown up, and dozens of shops have been torched
Over a hundred Sichuanese have been killed
Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple have both already been burnt down!
A friend just called to say: all small and large hospitals in Lhasa are already full with patients!
(last night, several hundred Sichuanese got beaten in front of Jokhang Temple, 13 died at the scene, and 80 more were seriously hurt)

Another QQ blogger's post from 6:56 pm:

关于发生在今天的拉萨暴乱

Regarding the riots today in Lhasa

经常在新闻中看到伊拉克战争，或是哪里又发生袭击事件，当时我就在里面感慨，还是做中国人幸福，至少是和平的，至少不会会有战争，至少人们不用生活在对战争的恐惧中！但今天发生在西藏的暴乱事件，却让我深深的感觉到，原来也有些人不想让我们中国平静、和平！不知道以后别的国家的人在看到我们中国的战争新闻时，是不是和我当初看伊拉克战争时的心情与感慨一样！

I often see the news about the war in Iraq, or attacks happening somewhere, and at the time I just sigh inside, reminded how lucky I am to be Chinese, where here it's at least peaceful, at least there are no battles, and people don't have to live their lives in fear of battle! But the riots which took place in Tibet today just make me see very clearly that in fact some people don't want our China to be a calm and peaceful place! I wonder, when people in other countries see the news about our battles here in China, will they feel the same thing that I did when I saw the news on Iraq?

当今天那些疯狂的达赖教众在街上围堵殴打过往的汉族人时，当他们用打火机点燃一处又一处商铺时，当他们将火苗扔向停靠在路边的汽车时，我真的感觉到很害怕且不可思议。你们在毁坏的可是你们自己的家园，你们不是信仰活佛吗？难道这些是你们的活佛指示你们做的？是活佛指示你们尽情毁坏你们的家园的吗？我想这些大部分人都是没有想过的，大部分人都是被某些想分裂祖国的人的言辞所欺骗！但你们可以想想，是谁让西藏发展成今天的模样，是谁架起了西藏与全世界人民的桥梁，又是谁每年从内地调派各类人才到西藏来教与西藏孩子知识与文化，更是谁每年从祖国的各个发达城市播款来援藏！这些我想你们都已经忘记……

When those insane dalais gathered in the street today and surrounded and viciously beat those Han Chinese, while they used lighters to light fire to shop after shop, while they threw molotovs at cars parked on the sides of the road, I really felt afraid, and that this is inconceivable. What you are destroying is the very place that you live in. Aren't you followers of the Living Buddha? You think this is something your Living Buddha instructed you to do, to destroy the very place that you live in? I think that most of these people haven't thought about this, and that most of them have been deceived by the words of certain people who would see the motherland split! But if you just think about it, just who was it that made Tibet the developed place it is today? Who set up the bridge between Tibet and the whole world? And who is it that sends qualified people each year from every sector to educate the children of Tibet with knowledge and culture? AND who is it that sends aid from every developed city in the motherland each year to assist Tibet? I think you seem to have forgotten all this……

At 9:18 pm on Zoer's QQ Space:

拉萨暴乱了！刷机失败了！

Lhasa is rioting! System reinstall has failed!

3.14拉萨的喇嘛终于又“起义”了
砸车、放火、还干了点别的什么我不得而知
即使是我的体形
都不能轻易穿越武警和陆军人墙的间隙
更不想成为装甲车履带下的炮灰
哎~喇嘛，你怎么就不能像人家和尚那么安分点儿呢？
谁都知到你丫的做不了个啥
楞老在那起哄
学芙蓉JJ搏出位？代价也忒大了点儿！

March 14, Lhasa's lamas have finally “uprisen” again
Smashing cars, lighting fires, and other stuff I don't even know what
Even with my build
I can't easily get through the gaps in the PAP and army human wall
And I definitely don't want to end up cannon fodder beneath the tracks of the armored vehicles
Sigh..Lama, why can't you be more law-abiding like other monks?
Everyone knows you don't do anything
Just always making a commotion
Been learning from Hibiscus Sister on how to get attention have ya? The price is a little high, don't ya think?

Sunday update 2:

Davesgonechina at Tenement Palm continues his translation roundups of microblog posts on the situation in Tibet which people continue to put onto sites like Fanfou and Jiwai; on the latest batch he has now written:

Special Note: This is the perfect opportunity for Tibet internet activists like Oxblood Ruffin and concerned netizens everywhere to engage Chinese people on the Internet in discussions about what is going on. As I previously outlined in a primer to engage Chinese people, these are channels where one can register a free account and launch dialogues with Chinese individuals about Tibet. Many of the people I've included below are neither kneejerk nationalists or xenophobes, and some of them know some English too. It wouldn't hurt to try. You can respond by clicking on the username link at the beginning of each tweet, sign up, and talk back.

**One reader has written in asking to know why there are no apparent Tibetan voices in this post. This of course is not a deliberate omission but a problem of not being able to find them. Any such related links if left in the comments or sent to chinese [at] globalvoicesonline [dot] org will be translated swiftly and everyone's help is most welcome in this.

Update: Sunday, March 16:

QQ blogger ‘Zuoer' had a post of a series of apparently civilian photos taken at 2pm Sunday afternoon which have since been deleted but can be seen here (scroll halfway down).

As of Saturday, YouTube has been blocked in China. Little information seems to be coming out of Lhasa now, although micro-channels remain open. Phayul.com has cellphone video of a large number of monks demonstrating in the early afternoon of March 15 around Labrang Monastery in neighboring Gansu province.

Also on Saturday, EconThink MSN Spaces blogger Robert posted a notice from the local law authorities calling on those responsible for the “smashing, looting, burning and killing” to turn themselves in before March 17, saying that those who do may be exempt from punishment, and those who don't will be severely punished, the same for those who are found to be covering up for or harboring criminals. Protection is being offered for those who turn “criminals” in.

Further 03/16 update: Roland Soong at EastSouthWestNorth provides further translations, including one detailed eyewitness account of the extent of the violence that has been reposted on many Chinese blogs.

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