Archive for July 7th, 2009
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More as we have it, but TechCrunch is reporting on an apparent Chinese crackdown on Twitter and Facebook access, plus search censorship, seemingly in response to the riots of ethnic Uighurs over the weekend. That China has no qualms about attempting to limit access and censor the internet is well known; witness the recent uproar over the planned “Green Dam”, currently on hold. Much of that seemed aimed at more generalized state control and was wrapped in the ‘porn prevention/social responsibility’ cloak that so many government censors use. (And many in the West see the targeting of Google and other Western companies in these crackdowns as an underhanded way to promote domestic Chinese companies.
This crackdown, however, seems to be attempting to limit the access of those involved in protests to the tools to spread and organize their message.
Techcrunch quotes Web2Asia:
Web2Asia’s George Godula writes:
“As of today 8pm Chinese time Facebook seems not to be accessible from most parts of China Mainland anymore. On the China Telecom connection of our Shanghai office the service vanished at around 7:45pm. Friends in Hong Kong are reporting that they can still access the website.”
China’s Uighur minority group has been rioting after a peaceful protest clashed with the police. Many have referred to the latest protests as being driven by concerns about ethnic identity and fears that a separatist movements dream of an independent state are fading. (Coverage of the riots.)
Xinjiang, where at least 140 people have died in China’s worst riots since the Tiananmen Square massacre, is a vast area of desert and mountains, as distinct from eastern China in history, atmosphere and geography as Turkey is from Britain.
With the death toll and number of injured mounting, China is trying to both stop the demonstrators and squash their message through control of social media. More as we have it.
10 things you have to know about China
1. Large scale forced human organ harvesting:
Organ Harvested from live Falun Gong adherents, in China Labor camps, hospitals, prisons and military facilities, started from 1999 till present
Reports:
- “bloody harvest“, by David Matas, Esq. and Hon. David Kilgour, Esq. Canada
- UN report on China organ harvesting
Video:
- CTV Newsnet Live: Press conference from Ottawa (on China organ harvesting)
(You need the latest version of Media Player to watch the video)
- Youtube Video: Press conference, by David Matas and David Kilgour:
Part1, part2, part3, part4
2. Largest wave of resignation from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations is happening:
More than 47 million Chinese have quit the CCP till Dec. 2008, people are continue quitting at a rate about 44,000 to 56,000 per day in April 2008.
This wave started from the end of 2004. People post their statements on the Quit CCP Statements website (in Chinese)
Details information can be found from following 2 posts:
- China: 35 Million Chinese Quit the Communist Party, Apr.13, 2008
- Statistics and Q/A: 20 Million Chinese Quit the Chinese Communist Party, April 3rd, 2007
3. “6-10 office”, a modern Gestapo organization exists
Formed by former leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Jiang Zemin, the “610 office” has its central office in Beijing, and branches in all the Chinese cities, villages, governmental agencies, institutions, and schools.
Details: China’s Modern Gestapo (1)- Preface
4. Torture widely used in more than 300 Foreced Labor camps located all over the country
Details: List of China Modern Torture Methods (slideshow)
5. As many as 80 million Chinese died after the Communist party gained power since 1949
This number exceeds the total number of deaths in both World Wars combined.
Details: On the Chinese Communist Party’s History of Killing (external link), by the Epochtimes
6. 5000-year-long traditional Chinese culture was destroied by the Chinese Communist party
Especially in the 10-year-period “culture revolution”, from 1966 to 1976
Details: On How the Chinese Communist Party Destroyed Traditional Culture (external link), by the Epochtimes
Youtube Video: First half, Second half
7. Tibetan shot to death by Chinese soldiers, October, 2006
Youtube Video: Olympic host China -Their Soldiers Killing Innocent Tibetans
Reports: Video footage shows Tibetans shot in the back by Chinese soldiers, October 13th, 2006
8. Armed police publically open fire to villagers in south China, December, 2005
Place: Dongzhou village, Shanwei City, Guangdong Province, southeast China
Date: Dec. 6, 2005
Reason: Farmers protest the government plans of partially infilling the bay and build a new power plant
Details: Dongzhou protests, from wikipedia
9. Gulja killing- Handreds, perhaps thousands of ethnic Uighurs killed by armed police, 1997
Place: Gulja (Yining) city, Xingjiang, northwest China
Date: Feb. 5~6, 1997
Reason: calling for an end to discrimination against ethnic Uighurs
Details: Torture Campaign Leaflets, Amnesty International
- Rebiya Kadeer’s personal account of Gulja after the massacre on 5 February 1997, Amnesty International
10. Tiananmen massacre – June. 4, 1989
Thousands of students shot to death by tanks and soldiers on Tiananmen square in capital city Beijing in 1989
Place: Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China
Date: June 6, 1989
Reason: University students protested corruption, appealing for democracy
Details &Video : Videos: Tiananmen Square Massacre 18 Years Ago in China
Pope Benedict on Tuesday called for a “world political authority” to manage the global economy and for more government regulation of national economies to pull the world out of the current crisis and avoid a repeat.
The pope’s call for a re-think of the way the world economy is run came in new encyclical which touched on a number of social issues but whose main connecting thread was how the current crisis has affected both rich and poor nations.
Called “Charity in Truth,” parts of the encyclical appeared bound to upset conservatives because of its underlying rejection of unbridled capitalism and unregulated market forces, which he said had led to “thoroughly destructive” abuse of the system.
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