Update: Video footage added below.
The Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay came to an end on Saturday without serious incident, but many Japanese bloggers who attended the event were left with lasting — and often bitter — impressions. The story of a Tibetan exile living in Taiwan, who jumped at the runner and was taken down by police, sparked hundreds of posts on 2channel, as did the choice of police to block protesters holding Tibetan flags from entering the area around the finish line.
Clash of flags at the Olympic torch relay in Nagano. (from Mousan's Flickr page)
Many bloggers pointed out how Nagano, for one day, seemed to transform into China. Blogger shuyan writes:
私の印象は「この一日だけ長野は完全に中国と化した」ということです。
テレビや写真などで確認できる映像は、とにかく赤い国旗のオンパレードでした。
物々しい警備などを見て「本当にこれが日本？」と思われた方も多いでしょう。
この異様な雰囲気は、平和の祭典とあまりにかけ離れているといった感じです。
The images confirmed on television and in pictures were at any rate that of a cavalcade of red national flags.
I suppose a lot of people, seeing the overbearing security, must have wondered: “Is this really Japan?”
This strange atmosphere had a feeling that was worlds apart from a peace festival.
In a post entitled “Nagano was red”, blogger Vasi (ヴァスィ) writes:
真っ赤に染まった沿道。
ぶつかり合うチベット支援者と中国人。
何重にも取り囲まれて走る聖火ランナー。
ゴール地点に中国人しか入れさせない長野県警。
弱腰で偏向なマスコミ。(これは異様ってこともないか…)
Clashing Tibet supporters and Chinese people.
The running torchbearer, surrounded by many layers [of security].
The Nagano prefectural police, admitting only Chinese people to the finish line.
The weak and biased mass media. (This is nothing out of the ordinary…)
Olympic torch relay in Nagano. (from Mousan's Flickr page)
Many bloggers expressed frustration at the police presence. Blogger ae0800 writes about their own experience:
僕はスタートの約2時間前、午前6時前後にスタート地点を通過したんですが、その際も持っていたメッセージボードをバッグにしまうよう、警察から指示を受けました。曰く「君たちをトラブルから守るため。それに従えないなら、ここを通すことは出来ない。」ということ。スタート地点周辺は既に中国の国旗が多数はためいている状況でしたが、それでも「埋めつくされている」という状態ではなくむしろスペースかなりがある状態だったにも関わらず、チベット支援者が国旗やボードを掲げる行為、あるいは「そこに留まること」は許されませんでした。同行していた何人かが抗議の声を挙げましたが、「それはここで話す内容ではない。説明や質問は一切受け付けない。」という形でかなり高圧的な対応をされていました。
Olympic torch relay in Nagano. (from Mousan's Flickr page)
An article at OhmyNews cast suspicions, however, on the motivations of some of the pro-Tibet protesters. As writer Fujikura Yoshiro explains:
26日、長野市で行われた聖火リレーのスタート前に見かけた「チベット側支援者」の小競り合いには、現場で取材していて、ある不自然さを感じた。というのも、その場の「チベット側支援者」の言葉や態度が、これまでオーマイニュースでリポートされてきたチベット人のデモ行進や関係者の発言とは、明らかに違ったのだ。
The article goes on to explain that these “Tibet supporters” were actually Japanese “fake Tibet supporters” deliberately trying to cause problems:
スタート地点にいたチベット側支援者たちは、中国人に向かって「帰れ！」「虐殺糾弾！」など、強い調子で非難の言葉を吐いていた。「帰れ」という言葉が、ここでの小競り合いの原因にもなっている。しかし、これまでオーマイニュースでリポートされてきたチベット人のデモなどには、これほどの攻撃性が感じられなかった。ただひたすら「フリーチベット」とコールしているだけで、中国への非難や恨みをモチベーションに活動しているといった印象をまったく受けなかった。
The article concludes with these thoughts:
チベット人グループと主張が違っていたとしても、チベット旗を掲げ、「フリーチベット」を唱えていた以上、チベット人を支援する意思はあるのだろう。しかし、果たして彼らの存在はチベット人のためになるのだろうか。
むしろ彼らの行動や態度が、「似非チベットvs中国人」のトラブルを「チベット人vs中国人」であるかのようにメディアや世間に見せつけ、チベット人の足を引っ張ることになりはしないか。
今回の聖火リレー騒動では、長野市が北京に見えてしまうほどの中国人の動員力と統率力に驚かされ、チベット人グループのまじめで悲痛な訴えにシンパシーを感じた。しかし同時に、“似非チベット”の醜さも見せつけられたイベントでもあったように思う。
Meanwhile, a 40-year-old truck driver, blogging at Kurukichi no hitorigoto, was fed up with both sides:
正直、中国人留学生とチベット支援者がバカ騒ぎするだけの集まりにしか見えませんでした。
留学生も支援者たちも行けばどんな風になるか、わかっているようなものなのに、現地に行って、いざ小競り合いになって怪我人出してたら世話ないですね。
Even though both the Chinese students and the Tibet supporters knew what kind of thing would happen if they came, they go to the spot anyway and quarrel with each other, so if anybody is injured, they don't deserve any help.
スタート前、右翼の関係者ともめて、怪我をした留学生もいるようですが、これは右翼側が悪いにしても、そんなところに行って御騒ぎすればどうなるかわかると思います。
また、チベット支援者も物を投げたり、乱入しようとしたりと、ただただ迷惑をかけているようにしか見えませんでした。
Also, these Tibet supporters throwing things and trespassing, all I see here is people trying to create trouble.
いろんな言い分はあるにしても、私は双方どちらともいいことをしたとは思えません。
正直、このリレーより善光寺で行われた、チベット騒動の犠牲者の追悼法要の方が落ち着いた感じで視れました。
Honestly, more so than the relay itself, the Buddhist memorial service at Zenkoji mourning victims of the Tibet uprising seemed to have a feeling of calm.
Finally, blogger OTO tried to move beyond the dispute and hoped for a resolution of the conflict:
北京五輪聖火リレーで少し問題があったみたいです。でも、日本ですから大丈夫です。中国とチベットの問題は２国で解決してし欲しいです。聖火リレーはみんなの人たちにして欲しいです。
Video footage of Nagano torch relay from Channel Sakura. (via i-morley.com [ja])
The Japanese at prewar days completely believed information on the government
announcement.
They was thought that we were the justices.
China today is in the same situation.
Please doubt information you believe.
Please recall Tiananmen Square prodemocracy protests.
Wake up! chinese!
Both sides really need to show more restraint in my opinion, especially when they’re outside of their country. I expect with the sensitive relationship between China and Japan, thousands of Chinese demonstrators screaming nationalist rhetoric and waving Chinese flags isn’t going to win over the hearts and minds of the Japanese much more than Tibetan protestors attacking Chinese paralympians in wheel chairs would.
I was actually of the opinion that when you come to a country as a foreign student, you’re not allowed to take part in political protests?
I mean, on the one hand, I do understand the Chinese students reactions. This whole torch relay has just been a mess and their perspective has gotten little media coverage. However, some of the things I’ve read and seen were clearly very provocational on both sides, I just expected more restraint from students in a foreign country. As a foreigner living in Japan, I would never consider, for example, throwing rocks and bottles at local people (as was done in Korea), irregardless of what kind of emotional investment I had in the issue.
What’s a bit ironic about all of this is nationalism from both sides seems to fuel nationalism on the opposing side. From the video I saw, I’m willing to bet that the Chinese student knocked unconcious from a kick, was in fact attacked by one of the 右翼 militants over here. There were articles confirming that was the case otherwise.
But I digress. Sad scenes to watch. Now let the biased, angry people on both sides tear my opinion apart.
WATCH THIS VIDEO. IT’S WORTH BEING WATCHED.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j-MZtbpEVQM
This is not made-in-China torch relay, but it shows us how the relay should be. As the slogan of Beijing Olympic Games tells us, One World Watches One Dream. “Free Tibet.” We are all the witness of the victims.
I really hope in some day all the people who live in China can speak of their own religion and history freely. Free from the fear of Han Government.
Isn’t it hillarious when people want to talk about human attrocities , especially those that happens decades ago. Japanese killed millions of chinese. Why no peep from the western media?
Also to the 1st posters. Do you speak on behalf of chinese? ’cause Tianmen square survivors has seen the changes that the chinese government now are currently undergoing. And if you think that americans are pro democratic country , think again. They don’t think singapore is a democratic country.
In conclusion, there is no way of satisfying the standard of the left wing liberals.
Maybe if america will stop “torture” and improve the standard living of the native indians and expose their hidden prison cells than maybe there is something to follow on democracy. So far raping Iraq resources under the name of democracy while using Iraq blood oil is rather confusing
The Olympic torch should not have been carried to Japan, simply because the descendants of murderers and ethnic cleansers do not deserve the honour of hosting such an event. Burn the Yasukuni shrine to the ground before you talk about human rights.
Oh, the Japanese people are OKay. I’m Chinese, and to be honest, if the torch relay has to become some sort of chaos where I can’t take my girlfriend and just have a peaceful day, I would think “don’t bother!” as well.
I guess some people have got a point - don’t look for trouble so desperately.
If more communication can be done like this on GV, things will get better in the future. By the way, Ms. Fukuhara Ai has quite a number of fans in China, too:)
David Chan:
Shame on you for your big lie. Japanese killed Chinese, so did Chinese killed 1.2 million Tibetans out of 6 millions.
Mao killed more Chinese than all combined foreign invasion of China since the dawn of 5000 years of Chinese history. So don’t forget to mention 70 million Chinese killed since 1949.
David Chan>>>
Absolutely. And on that note, keep it out of China, America and virtually every other country in the world.
I might also advise you to research the Yasakuni Shrine. What should be done is that the 13 or 14 Class A War Criminals be removed. The other two million Japanese, Korean, and Chinese and Taiwanese should remain and continue to be honoured.
e-mu,
Thanks for the advice. The Internet has been great for democracy, we do have a critical mind, we live in the West for a period of 10 - 20 years and have exprerienced the pre- IRAQ war period of media irresponsible reporting and now again.
We are not saying Chinese government is great. The very present of all the anti-China centiment globally by an extremely small group of people shows how naive the Chinese government has been.
here is a post from ireport.com and we would like people like you in Japan and the West to understand our point of view also:
When We were called Sick man of Asia, We were called The Peril.
When We are billed to be the next Superpower, We are called The
threat.
When We were closed our doors, You smuggled Drugs to Open Markets.
When We Embrace Freed Trade, You blame us for Taking away your jobs.
When We were falling apart, You marched in your troops and wanted
your “fair share”.
When We were putting the broken peices together again, “Free Tibet”
you screamed, “it was an invasion!”
( When Woodrow Wilson Couldn’t give back Birth Place of Confucius
back to Us, But He did bought a ticket for the Famine Relief Ball for
us.)
So, We Tried Communism, You hated us for being Communists
When We embrace Capitalism, You hate us for being Capitalist.
When We have a Billion People, you said we were destroying the
planet.
When We are tried limited our numbers, you said It was human rights
abuse.
When We were Poor, You think we are dogs.
When We Loan you cash, You blame us for your debts.
When We build our industries, You called us Polluters.
When we sell you goods, You blame us for global warming.
When We buy oil, You called that exploitation and Genocide.
When You fight for oil, You called that Liberation.
When We were lost in Chaos and rampage, You wanted Rules of Law for
us.
When We uphold law and order against Violence, You called that
Violating Human Rights.
When We were silent, You said you want us to have Free Speech.
When We were silent no more, You say we were Brainwashed- Xenophoics.
Why do you hate us so much? We asked.
“No,” You Answered, “We don’t hate You.”
We don’t Hate You either,
But Do you understand us?
“Of course We do,” You said,
“We have AFP, CNN and BBCs…”
What do you really want from us?
Think Hard first, then Answer…
Because you only get so many chances,
Enough is Enough, Enough Hypocrisy for this one world.
We want One World, One Dream, And Peace On Earth.
This Big Blue Earth is Big Enough for all of Us.
This is not the Japanese fight! When Asia was trapped in financial crisis? Who lifted these countries out????? CHINA!!!! Why would Japan want to be a poodle of the U.S.A after being the only nation in the world to receive a bomb from America????? Japan is doing the right thing! Let people protest and let people support the Olympics!!!! Japan is smart for not acting like France, Brittain, U.S.
I believe the reason Japan was selected as one of stops for torch relay is due to the wish that China wants to show their friendly attitude towards Japan, which was disliked by quite a number of Chinese by historical reasons.
However, it has been changed since the systematic disturbance along the torch relay. If China ever anticipated this kind of situation, they would have not selected Japan as a stop.
It is a typical case that goodwill goes to drain. China should learn the lessons from now on.
There is one thing that surprised me, that is when Chinese tried to pull up the force together, the neighbor countries like Japan and Korea were so nervous. In the future, Chinese government should be more sensitive to this kind of Fear and Nervousness.
Clearly it is a wrong decision to torch relay in Japan and Korea. Instead, it should be stopped in country like Cambodia, Laos, Singapore etc.
Very sad about our Asians.
Thanks for the informative post. I pulled up yahoo news last week and read that one of the Tibetans was arrested in Japan for attacking and kicking the Chinese protesters, so Fujikura Yoshiro’s article’s made good sense to me.
Matt Y,
I think so too. Lack of dialogue results in nothing other than mistrust. Anyway, Ai is cute. She will beat out Chinese athletes in summer… don’t you think so? :-)
Concerning to Yasukuni, the situation is much worse. Yasukuni Shrine ignored request from Taiwanese bereaved families who, for the sake of the victims’ honor, demanded to delete the name of their relatives from shrine’s List of Divinities. Yasukuni defines Divinities as deceased solders who “fought for The Emperor”. Whatever bereaved families felt, the shrine collected the name of solders secretly without any permission.
Anyway, this entry is NOT FOR YASUKUNI PROBLEM, so I will stop talking about it now.
Karze,
Thank you for anchoring URL. I saw your photos. It makes me so sad. Nobody can close one’s eyes on what has been going on in Tibet.
Peace On Tibetan Monks In Jail.
Give Peace A Chance for Tibet.
BTW, in the first picture, is that a Blue Turkish flag?!
That’s the “Eastern Tukistan” flag…they are the people who wants xinjiang to be independent.
ur chinese friend:
No, but it’s East Turkistan’s flag.
Mind you! If you raise it in China, you will be arrested and sentenced to imprisonment immediately.
It is thus quite natural we do not know what it is and what it is all about. That way, we’re going to disregard our neighbors.
I just wish you and we be aware of aptness to do a bad thing.
Thanks for responses. I will admit that I am completely clueless when it comes to Xinjiang independence issue. I do not believe there are many articles on this topic, from both Western and Chinese media. It appears that the Tibet independent movement has overshadowed many other Chinese rights issues especially in Western media.
Oneworld
1 May 2008
Toelung Dechen (Ch: Duilongdeqing) County, Lhasa Municipality-Evidences being destroyed by the Chinese army
The Chinese armed forces in their attempt to wipe out any kind of evidence related to the recent protests in Tibet are burning all the dead bodies of people who have been killed since the March 14 protest in Tibet.
On 28th March, around 83 corpses were burnt altogether in an electrical crematorium, which was built by the Chinese government a few years back in the Dhongkar Yabdha shang town in Toelung Dechen county under Lhasa Municipality.
Moreover, some eyewitness accounts confirmed that at around10.30 pm (Lhasa local time) on March 17, dead bodies of several were seen in two army trucks near a petrol pump located towards the west of Lhasa [this petrol pump has been one of the most restricted sites since the protests began in Tibet]
Due to a heavy traffic jam around this petrol pump, a few Tibetans reported having seen blood discharges from the two trucks that were carrying dead bodies. In addition to this, there are more reports of dead bodies being transported to Toelung Dechen County in army trucks.
On the evening of March 15, an eyewitness source confirmed seeing dead bodies being carried in a truck towards Toelung County.
Many Tibetans who have been injured since the starts of the protests in Tibet continue to die in Peoples Hospital with no immediate medical care.
Moreover, one monk who was arrested from Drepung Monastery on 12th April also died in prison. But there are no further details explaining his death. Two more women are also reported dead immediately after their release from a prison in Lhasa.
Following is the list of four new names* we can confirm for people who have been killed since the March protests in Tibet.
Lobsang Tenzin 24 years, Gongkar County
Gyaltsen Yarphel 43 years Gaden Monastery
Ngawang Sherab Migmar 24, Gaden Monastery
Both of them are brothers and died around the March 14 protest in Tibet. No further details are available.
* In addition to the already released 61 total names and details of Tibetans killed during the recent demonstrations, here we are releasing 3 more names (with details) from the current death toll list which stands well over 140.
Lhakpa Tsering (his name already reported on the death toll list) was killed after a gun shot to his forehead by the Chinese Armed Forces on March 14 at Lugug Street. He was a resident within the premises of gate number 11 (external boundary) ; gate no 1 (internal boundary) in Lugug Street. He is survived by his 2 year old child. He worked as a tourist taxi driver in Lhasa. Although his family did receive his dead body, but the local security forces took the body with them claiming that they needed to investigate the body at the Peoples Procuratorate. His body was later burnt in Toelung County. His family was just given a bag containing some ashes with his name written on it.
I wasn’t there, but if it is true that Chinese won’t let others to rise different voice or “remain there”, I’m sure those protesting Chinese students were doing it inappropriately. Whatever your politic view is, you got to let others to speak and locate freely. I’m a Chinese and I feel uncomfortable about those brothers and sisters behave.
Similar thing happened in Korean, when some Krean people were impolite and burnt up Chinese national flag, some over-emotional Chinese students got invoked and made a chaos, I feel sorry about that, too. Poor angry kids.
On the other hand, people got to calm down, and do something about their blind hateness to China! Normally these people tend to be gentle, or even soft. Only this time, some foreigners really crossed the line, I mean, burning flags? What’s that all about…..
I believe Chinese are forced to bring all those red flags to the torch, or else something like torch-attack in Paris might happen again. Who knows what those violant “Tiibet youth congree” people would do next?
Athough, I do think maybe it’s better that they bring many Olympic flags, rather than red Chinese national flag. This should be about the great games, and less about politic.
I understand that many foriegners feel uncomfortable with all these red flags and Chinese widely spreaded angriness. After all, communist China is not totally accepted in the rest of the world, and China does face a lot of internal problems, like democracy and free speech. I figure many of you guys still think that Chinese still see chairman Mao as a god, which is totally not the true situation.
We may have many problems awaiting to be solved, and our people may have many flaws, but after all, I look forward to your understanding and respect to my people. It sucks when somebody don’t even know me, and just assume me as a “brainwashed idiot” just because my Chinese identity. That is racial discrimination.
peacefuldream said
I really hope in some day all the people who live in China can speak of their own religion and history freely. Free from the fear of Han Government
——————————————
No affence, but in the way you are saying, all the 56 enthic groups in China should be set free, because they have some unsatisfaction toward the government. Han should be set free from the government especially, because they suffer the most.
Martin Luther King didn’t try to set all the african-american free and build another independant country, instead, he worked all his life to help creating a pleasant environment living in US together with white people.
China is far less strong and powerful from the US, that’s why people always try to split this country in parts, using all kinds of excuses.
In the riot of Tibet, as all the infromation I’v got (and not all from CCTV of course), I believe this was planned by some violent people from “tibet youth congress”, they beat people in the street, and burnt houses down door by door. Innocent civillian, both tibetan and Han, were killed in the chaos. Who are the victims? I suggest you to think over more carefully before you jump to any judgement. Your medias are not so trustable also, see the following website if you don’t believe me.
http://www.anti-cnn.coom
karze; my deepest condolences on the deaths of your brothers and sisters. my heart weeps for tibet…
ur Chinese friend:
For your reference on this topic,
http://www.uyghurcongress.org/En/news.asp?mid=-2139923529
Perhaps, what they would like to say is reflected by this
http://www.uyghurcongress.org/En/news.asp?ItemID=1209231116&rcid=803688565&pcid=1110134820&cid=803688565&mid=-2139923529
hm, before you try to fight for Tibetan people, why don’t you try to fight for Native Indians, and African Americans and other minorities? American police are let go after shooting 50 bullets to an African American unarmed bachelor just about to get married???? Where are the Human Rights Activists? Don’t tell me you will use money to buy the victims’ families!
Knights:
I would like to answer to your figurative questions, explaining why people are calling free speech for Tibetans.
There is an important difference.
I believe United States as well as Japan is a country where nobody can arrest and sentence to any penalties the native Americans and the African ones just for their own sake, or any person who stands by them for doing so.
Nobody can unilaterally declare anybody else to be ILLEGAL in Japan and U.S. This sounds hypocrite, but this is a critically important prinicple for our free, happy living. So that IS stipulated by an objective law, not according to temporary policy of a government, nor in accordance with a ruler’s way of thinking. If you are illegal, you know, you have to be eliminated from your society. I have a question. Do you really believe somebody just saying what they think DESERVES to be declared illegal and to be removed?
There have been lots of pains and fights in order to acquire this important principle of free speech here and there. Without them, I doubt we would be able to make it our own.
We are not fighting for Tibetans in general, but for a free Tibet, that is, to establish a state of things where the Tibetans can say anything they like without a fear of being legally accused of what they are saying.
I always remember that when Reuter reporters visited a monastery in Lhasa after the incidence, that the monks suddenly came up and told them that they just need a free happy life there. What happened to them? This tells you what China is being like.
Ha, with the Eastern Turkestan movement I may have something to say ’cause I’m 25% Turkic! I think when it comes down to an individual, the most important thing is self-identification. I identify myself as a Chinese, so does my best friend in uni, who is an ethnic Kazakh boy. I also have lots of Shanghai friends, Chengdu friends in China, predominantly Han. People are quite divided on this matter so I would NOT recommend you to take any one-sided stories as the “one and only” opinion.
Just think about it, when you are feeling so sorry about some people, they may look at you and ask “what’s wrong?” That’s a bit ironic but… well, I hope I’ve got my point through.
Ypokuda wrote :”We are not fighting for Tibetans in general, but for a free Tibet, that is, to establish a state of things where the Tibetans can say anything they like without a fear of being legally accused of what they are saying.”
First of all, thanks for the links on Uyghur info. As a Chinese I am personally against splitist activities but it’s always good to explore viewpoints from those who disagree with you.
I do not want to write too much on the tibet issue as this thread is more about japan, but I am curious to your reasoning here behind your position to support Tibet. As you know, China itself does not have free speech and religion, yet most people have came to accept that. So you will achieve little in trying to convince the ordinary Chinese that Tibetans are suffocating under free speech and religion because most will tell you that they are okay with it.
Second, from the ordinary Chinese’s point of view there is little or no benefit in giving more special rights to minority groups. If you have been to China before, you will surely hear from many Hans that they already think the government is playing favorites against Hans for the minorities.
IMO, Free Tibet movement’s us vs them mentality worsens this problem because it fuels nationalistic sentiments from both sides. The Free Tibet movement also divides and puts people who otherwise share similar goals to be against each other. Take freedom of speech for example, if there is Freedom of speech in China then Tibetans AND Chinese could both benefit, but if you only argue for free of speech for Tibetans, you will appear one sided and thus your cause will be lost. Chinese Netizens were largely for Free speech, yet because of the whole Free Tibet movement now many Chinese netizens support government’s crackdown on free speech. I am obviously against Tibet independence, but I do share some fundamental goals with those of the Tibetans. It’s a pity that the Free Tibet movement could not exploit the commonality between Hans and Tibetans, instead the movement is becoming East vs West, Chinese vs Tibetans, China vs. Everyone else. In such an environment, even when I do understand Tibetans’ pain I will side against them in order to defend myself and my kind.
ur chinese friend:
I think I see your viewpoints. Thank you for sharing them with me.
I am for Tibet just because they have something to say and are physically suppressed or legally prohibtted from saying it. Somebody thinks they have rights to prohibit others from saying what others would like to. And everybody admits it. It’s awful. Nobody has any rights to silence anybody.
You wrote, “As you know, China itself does not have free speech and religion, yet most people have came to accept that”. This I cannot admit. This is not the case. I sound arrogant, just wishing I am not, by asking: Do you know the meaning of not having free speech and religion? That means force everybody to lie, to say what they don’t really think. It’s real hypocracy, corrupting everybody. Even if you say Chinese accept that, I will never believe it. I never believe Chinese people accept that their beloved country does not have free speech. My hope is on your saying not all people accept the situation.
Lacking of free speech unstabilizes your society and give pains to many people. The Tibetan incident is just an example of this. I believe this warns Chinese people that you need free speech and religion. All these things happened to us, Japanese, several decades ago. Our fathers and mothers suffered terribly between around 1930 and 1945.
This is it. And this is not a thread for free speech, but for the torch relaly in Japan. Incidentally, Japanese were totally frustrated with the conducts and words by Japanese policemen in Nagano. They don’t have fear at all of any arrest and imprisonment for saying so. They can say whatever they would like to in Japan. We can thus have a clue to our own reality. This is a free speech. As you say Chinese netizens may be for this, but I doubt if they know what they are for. If you are giving up free speech for any cause, I must say you’re going against yourself and your kind. I believe in free speech, the ultimate value in our society, as it will pave the way for not telling a lie but be honest to each other. I will stop here.
In deed, We need free speech, NOT from China, but from people who want to split China and cover the sky with lies.
-We need free speech to educate the prejudice westerners only if they are willing to listen, otherwise it’s pointless. It’s like singing to cows
-We need free speech to get our voices heard by western medias,
-We need free speech to practice patriotism to our country in time of crisis (i.e. westerners sabotaging the torch relays) without being called names such as brained-washed CCP machines/goons/thugs/yellow perils.
YES, WE NEED FREE SPEECH from people who only allow free speech to people who are pro-double standard systems ~democratics!!!!!
Karze,
Do you have a source of your “News”? or you may stop spreading the lies.
Why don’t you sub it to CNN & BBC, they will be more than happy to spread you lies to a much wider audience.
People here is trying to carry a sincere dialogue to understand each other, nobody has time to waste on your lies.
[…] voorbeeld van de kracht van Global Voices Online is een blogpost van Chris Salzberg van maandag 28 april. Hij voegt aan de normale nieuwsstroom over de tocht van de olympische fakkel […]
“”Isn’t it hillarious when people want to talk about human attrocities , especially those that happens decades ago. Japanese killed millions of chinese. Why no peep from the western media?”" -Jankovich
Millions? And the western media DOES pay a lot of attention, however, there have been far bigger slaughters in the world to pay attention to. Nazis, Stalin, and most of all….MAO, all killed far more people than the Japs did in China. Before anyone in China can expect any sympathy on for the Japanese invasion, they have to confront the more recent (yet somehow conveniently forgettable) slaughter that was Mao’s rise to power.
Oneworld:
Look at this add and read. I cannot read mandarin and judge yourself. I am neither interested in telling lies or propaganda like communist is bent on doing.
The so called dialogue has been going on since 1979 without any result. Chinese have been using it just to fool the Tibetan and world.
http://www.rfa.org/tibetan/multimedia/employment-agency-ad-in-lhasa-05062008105002.html