Excellent account from CNN reporters in Bejing on how the government is controlling the “news” about the 20th anniversay of the Tiananmen Square demonstrations and crackdown. Listen for our key term “dissident” 20 seconds into the piece. Also, why are colleges and universities stepping up their “security” forces during the anniversary period? Which internet sites are being blocked by the Chinese government? Why these sites in particular do you think?
By the way, WordPress the site that hosts this blog is banned in China…..only once last year did my cluster map show a hit from China—and none so far this year.
And here is an account of one man, Bao Tung, and what he is doing to spread the truth about what happened at Tiananmen Square 20 years ago. Notice, that after this interview he is suddenly away from his apartment on a “government tour.” That sounds sketchy to me.
And finally, there is one place in China where they are remembering 1989—Hong Kong, SAR. Do you remember why the rules are different there? What is the Chinese government doing to keep these observations in check?
29 responses so far ↓
1
buell
// Jun 4, 2009 at 6:06 am
Nice….3 dots from China since I posted about Tiananmen. Guess the “Great Firewall” isn’t foolproof. Very cool…..made my day.
2
Shannon
// Jun 4, 2009 at 6:15 pm
You’re right. That is wicked sketchy that after all of those years on house arrest he is suddenly sent on some vague tour to southern China. I also don’t understand how a government with so many people in its country can contropl the media and prevent things like this from being found out. It boggles my mind.
3
Julie
// Jun 4, 2009 at 6:17 pm
That’s weird that they aren’t letting reports into Tiananmen Square. Do the Chinese not want us to see it because it would bring up bad memories or are they hiding something? Websites like twitter are probably blocked because when people go on them, they have a connection to people all over the world. Since a large amount of people still don’t know what happened 20 years ago, the Chinese want to keep it that way. As for the guy that was interviewed, I’d definetly want to read his last piece just to see it from his point of view.
4
jess heapes
// Jun 4, 2009 at 7:36 pm
i think its kinda stupid how they wont let the guy who made the sculpture come and see it. if its his own work, then he should be able to see it when he wants to. and also all the other people being sent back home is stupid too. and why is everything about tiananmen so secretive?
5
matt griffin
// Jun 4, 2009 at 7:57 pm
thats really strange their blocking the square. There on constant look out too. Thats really sketchy. I wonder whats up and what their planning? Its also weird how their bloking all the sites like youtube and twitter.
6
Belinda
// Jun 4, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I agree with Shannon. It doesn’t make any sense that the Chinese government would keep this man in jail, or under house arrest or surveilance for such a long time, then suddenly send him on vacation for no apparent reason. What if they “removed” him because he’s a threat? Is that even legal?
7
Kristen C.
// Jun 4, 2009 at 10:15 pm
why shouldn’t the sculptor be able to see his work ?or even the former protestors? it makes no sense. Hong Kong shouldn’t deny entry into Tiananmen Square just because they are afraid of what happened in the past.
8
Paige
// Jun 4, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Why does the government not want the media into Tiananmen Square. You would think it would bring popularity and money for the people buying the newspapers. Also, it’s crazy that a man under house arrest for so long is suddenly being put on a random trip? This doesn’t make any sense and blocking twitter and youtube isn’t going to do much. This is going to backfire somewhere in the near future..
9
sumaira chagas
// Jun 7, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Its weird that they aren’t letting reports into Tiananmen Square.Its strange that after all of those years on house arrest he is sent on some vague tour to southern China. Its weird that they wont let the owner of the scupture see his own work. why that happended?
10
Steve
// Jun 7, 2009 at 3:44 pm
The man who made the sculpture should abviously be able to see it. Blocking people from seeing it is probably not going to end up well because the people will probably get mad and cause destruction which probably would have never happened if the goverment just let the people see it.
11
sara gilberto
// Jun 7, 2009 at 9:59 pm
wouldnt they have more security on colleges and universities because “those college students” are always up to something. if anything were to happen, they would be the ones to start it.
12
Travis Herring
// Jun 9, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Ms. Buell why are they doing that to that man. he cannot even see his own work. Thats terrible. They say something about security but you could easily have an escort of police with a group of people or that man so he can see his own sculpture. i just dont like that idea.
13
Ryan Hopkins
// Jun 9, 2009 at 3:14 pm
i don’t get how nobody knows what happened to that gut in the famous picture of Tiananmen Square, even after 20 years. sounds like a conspiracy to me…
14
katrina melanson
// Jun 9, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Colleges and universities are “stepping up” on security becuase college students are the poeple who would most likely start a revolt
15
Dan Kelly
// Jun 9, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I agree with Shannon about how the fact that Bao Tung was on house arrest for so many years and after this interview he is suddenly sent out on this goverment tour…I found it strange that the “plain-clothed police” where blocking the camera views in the first video. I realize that they are trying to prevent them from going to Tananmen Square, probably because this would inspire Nationalism in the other Chinese people in other places [and the firewall is surpassable you proved that}, but blocking the camera is a strange why of doing it. In class we went over the blocking and censoring of site, but I didnt realize that they censored news. They are cracking down on colleges because the students in college now, just like the Czechs, are young enough not to really remember the defeat at Tanamen Square. But the goverment officals not letting in the artist or some other people to Hong Kong to celebrate the anniversary shows how strict they are. They censor everything even art…but where will the statue stay?
16
kristin reardon
// Jun 9, 2009 at 8:32 pm
i cant believe that they wont let that poor man see his sculpture.then they start blocking the square trhat entire thing just doesnt make any sense.
17
dannywhite
// Jun 9, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I think that it is really unfair that the man that built the sculpture can’t come and see it on the 20th anniversity. China’s government wants nothing to do with this anniversity as you can tell. They won’t let any body do an interview or even use the internet to blog about it. There trying to make it as if it never even took place..
18
Gianna S.
// Jun 10, 2009 at 5:35 am
It’s super odd how those people with the umbrellas don’t say anything, they aren’t violet or anything; just like walking corpses blocking the view. It’s also strange how they wont let the sculpture man into HK, why does he need a reason? I would think they wouldn’t have a problem letting the artist of a sculpture that stands in their country back into that country, but apparently it isn’t so.
19
Tim H
// Jun 10, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I dont think that what the Chinese Government was right to massacre these people. The people were just speaking in what they believe in. Take the “tank man” for example he was shot to death for stopping a line of tanks.
20
Jasmine Vo
// Jun 10, 2009 at 8:18 pm
i think that it was ridiculous that they would keep bao tung in jail for 7 years then in house arrest for talking about Tiananmen Square. this did happen 20 years ago, whats wrong with telling people what the truth is? they deserve to know the truth. also it does sound sketchy that he was sent off on a “vacation” after this interview, would the government really “remove” him from the society for just telling the truth?
21
Caitlyn
// Jun 10, 2009 at 8:44 pm
don’t understand how a government with so many people in its country can control the media and prevent things like this from being found out and maybe china is hiding something from the rest of the world? i guess we will never find out.
22
Zack L.
// Jun 10, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Hey Belinda, it doesn’t matter if it’s legal or not, they have supreme power and they occasionally need to assert themselves. The whole nation is ruled by fear. If there was one little slip up in that regimen, like for example that earthquake that happened recently, people would jump at the chance to “flex their muscles” so to speak.
Oh, and Mrs. Buell, I thought that the video about the plainclothes cops was funny. The reporter kept touching the officer and he didn’t do a thing about it.
23
Andrea McDonagh
// Jun 10, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I think that the colleges are steppin up the security because college students are the ones who will revolt. This 20th anniversary could be a big inspiration for the young revolutionaries. I think it’s sketchy that the Chinese government never releases the truth, or at least all of the truth. Who knows what’s really going on over there?
24
Tommy Vo
// Jun 11, 2009 at 7:01 am
China’s government has great censorship and they dont even have youtube which is a bummer. they have one of the best but their capital isnt so great. they should have to make some changes in their culture though it might be hard for the future of their country. how would their country be if they were not socialist and if had been no opium war.
i wonder how many umbrellas were out there
25
julie w
// Jun 11, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I also agree that it’s stupid that the sculptor couldn’t see his own sculpting. He should be able to have some say over what becomes of his sculpture, and shouldn’t allow it to be displayed in Hong Kong where he is denied entry. I understand the importance of security for the country but it’s ridiculous how tight security has become.
26
julie w
// Jun 11, 2009 at 2:01 pm
sculpture*
27
Jesse
// Jun 11, 2009 at 2:14 pm
thats amazing how after like 20 years we still havent found out what rerally happened
28
Jes W.
// Jun 11, 2009 at 8:45 pm
the ‘plain clothes’ polic are not sublte at all!! and i was thinking, wouldn’t it be easrier to feed CNN wrong information instead of tryin to block the flow of TV and internet?
note- i alo blog with WP and i find it interesting that its blocked by China since it the safest blog host out there.
29
Jeffy Trudeau
// Jun 11, 2009 at 9:19 pm
i agree
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