Love and kisses to you, Mr Hu
Something's bothering me about the Chinese president, Hu Jintao's visit to this country.
Amnesty International tell us that the people of China continue to suffer human rights abuse under his leadership. These include such matters as the arrest of so called "cyber-dissidents", including bloggers, trying to use their fundamental rights of freedom of expression; the thousands of people sent every year without trial to the "re-education through Labour" camps; and the plight of North Korean asylum seekers in China forced to return North Korea despite threat of imprisonment, torture and execution, and the detention of journalists trying to help their cause.
And of course there is also the small matter of the fifty odd years of occupation in Tibet, and the ongoing imprisonment of Buddhist monks and nuns.
So, what bothers me is that the only demonstration that greeted him came from a small group of Chinese protestors.
Where be the others? You know, all those thousands who came out in force when President Bush came to town, holding up banners calling him a war criminal, and demanding an end to the "occupation" of Iraq. Where were they, when Happy Hu rode down the Mall, all those dedicated, die-hard protestors against oppression and occupation?
Did they have an important lecture to attend, do you think? Or perhaps their rainbow-coloured chunky-knit sweaters ran in the wash? Maybe their dread-locks needed a trim, or their bongos broke?
Or maybe, just maybe, the oppressive regime in China is just not a fashionable enough cause. Anti-Americanism is the order of the day is it not? That's where it's at these days.
The only thing that surprises me more than these people not turning out to protest, is that with their love of dictators they didn't turn up to greet him with a big loud cheer.
6 comments:
We are a smug nation who believe 1/3 of the world should still be pink. It staisfy's our national character to be superior about the Americans and their thick president - and somehow we believe if everyone hates the Americvans it will help us forget how much everyone used to hate us.
On top of that ignoring dodgy sides of foreign leaders is a recent as well as historical phenomonen. From Pinochet to Hitler our history is not always glorious
just read this post (or a section of it) in the Guardian. It's a good point. Although I think there are lots of factors involved, it definitely does seem to be fashionable to bushbash when other injustices are ignored. I think maybe the sad fact is that many people don't actually care very much. Also though, China's awful treatment of people remains something you have to want to find out about to many, the images and information aren't as available as the barrage of evidence of US injustices. China has made a very good job of keeping prying eyes out really, it's been a secretive nation throughout history.
The reason that a great mass of popular opinion follows the line of anti-Americanism, is because that line has been so well laid down the idiot collective can follow it without having to consult a single brain cell.
The silence that met Hu Jintao was as shaming as the silence that met the capture of Saddam Hussein.
Have a go at Bush if you must, and Blair if that is your thing, but some of us might suggest that there are other leaders on this planet more worthy of being hated.
...oh yeah, and what, this blog was in the guardian?
yeah, I thought they might've left a little comment or something to let you know?
Yes, you'd think so wouldn't you?! But, no.
Post a Comment