David and Goliath

By the end of the year, China will have 2000 missiles aimed at Taiwan.
The little island 160 km away that refuses to accept China's rule.
China has stated in the past that it might use force to bring Taiwan into China, much like they did and continue to do in Tibet.

China, a Goliath by world standards.
China is now the world's larget oil consummer.
One of the world's largest exporters (of everything).
One of the world's largest importers (of anything).
And many a small economy (such as Taiwan's) would collapse without China's buying power.

Seems to me that someone should say something if China invades a denicratic country such as Taiwan. Maybe Canada or other G8 members? Maybe the UN can say "please stop or we;ll attack you", but they can't say that because China is a member of the Security council and would veto the motion. Maybe we can place economic sanctions on China if they invade Taiwan... But that would be even more crippling to our economy then to theirs. So I'm sure that no one will say anything.

No one wants to take on Goliath when there is no hope of winning.

Chinese Dissident Faces 15 years of Prison

Liu Xiaobo, a university professor and prominent Chinese dissident, will find out in 30 days if he will face charges for "inciting subversion" and if he is likely to face the maximum 15 years in jail that comes with the charge.



Liu Xiaobo was arrested on December 8th 2008 because of his online petition called Charter 08 which was based on Charter 77 (written by a former Czech president). Charter 08 was signed by over 10,000 people, including over 300 journalists, writers and intellectuals that were all subsequently arrested and/or questioned by the communist authorities.

Mr. Liu is no stranger to Chinese jails seeing as he was jailed following his participation in the Tienanmen Square protests of 1989. Later he also spent 3 years in a re-education and labor camp.

Charter 08 might seems very inoffensive to those of us living in democratic countries, but in a place like China where the government has the very last word on everything, it is a very provocative essay that challenges the very foundation of authoritarian rule... Here are a few excerpts from Charter 08:

" Human rights. Human rights are not bestowed by a state. Every person is born with inherent rights to dignity and freedom.(...)

Freedom. Freedom is at the core of universal human values. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom in where to live, and the freedoms to strike, to demonstrate, and to protest, among others, are the forms that freedom takes. (...)

Democracy. The most fundamental principles of democracy are that the people are sovereign and the people select their government. (...)

Civic Education. In our schools we should abolish political curriculums and examinations that are designed to indoctrinate students in state ideology and to instill support for the rule of one party. (...)

Freedom of Expression. We should make freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and academic freedom universal, thereby guaranteeing that citizens can be informed and can exercise their right of political supervision. (...) "

Human Rights, Freedom of Expression and the Right to Self-Government are things that we often take for granted and seldom take time to appreciate unless we've seen first hand the repression that people face in countries where thoughts on government have to be whispered behind closed doors to very close friends.

At the end of the day, Mr. Liu arrest and the pending charge have probably brought more attention to Charter 08 than it ever would have gotten if the communist authorities would have left him alone. Mr Liu's voice from behind the wall is now being heard around the world and hopefully others inside China and other countries will follow his lead and "incite subversion".

Hopefully the international media will continue to cover the story of Mr. Liu and inspire others to join his cause.

Chairman Mao, The Abe Licoln of Asia?

In a press conference held by China's communist party prior to the long awaited arrival of US President Barrack Obama equated China's invasion of Tibet in 1959 to Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves in America.

That's right folks, the communist regime that limits speech, screens the internet, massacred people in Tienanmen Square and portrays the Dalai Lama as a "violent separatist", did not in fact (as well all previously thought) annex the peaceful nation of Tibet in 1959. No, we were wrong, they liberated Tibet from under the oppressive thumbs of the Nobel Peace prize winning Dalai Lama.

It's a good thing that China's government is there to clear things up for me, because up until this point it appears that I had misinterpreted the photos of Chinese soldiers executing monks in the streets and burning buildings; it appears that world news agencies also doctored the footage of Chinese military violently silencing peaceful protesters in Tibet prior to the Olympics.

China is entitled to their opinion on the matter and I'm glad that it is being shared with us, especially prior to the arrival of the "leader of the free world". Because, to paraphrase Beijing: "The President should really understand China's point of view, seeing as how he is black and black people were slaves... And they were liberated right? So yeah, that's what we did in Tibet! Only we just thought of it now, like 60 years after the invasion...sorry I meant Liberation. See? We really care about the people of the world. So Mao is a really cool guy, no worries there."

For my part, I'm just not buying what Beijing is selling. Mao might be a lot of things but the one thing he is not is a caring liberator of oppressed people.

China: Race riots rock Xinjiang

(photo Globe and Mail)

156 people were killed in race-riots in the Xinjiang region of China... The tensions between Uighur minority and the Han majority seem to have boiled over again, prompting China to send over 20,000 police, army and firefighters to the area to reclaim the streets.

The Communist party has said it is detaining over 1400 people in connection to these riots. Gangs of Uighur are reportedly marching in the streets beating anyone who is not Muslim and gangs of Han Chinese are marching the streets beating Muslims.

Amazing! Didn't we just have the Olympics in China? Where peace and a harmonious society was supposed to prevail? Perhaps not everyone in China shares the "government's" point of view on harmonious living, especially in the ethnic (for lack of a better term) regions of the country such as Tibet and Xinjiang, where tension between the natives and the Chinese has been constant, or so it seems to us in the west.

China has slowed mobile phone and Internet services, tried to block Twitter and many social networking sites in order to attempt to put out the fire in the area and prevent those fighting from communicating. China is also saying that outside influence sparked the deadly riots.

I'd really like to say that one side is wrong and one is right... But my understanding of this whole business just isn't enough to render an educated judgment, so I'll just leave it by saying:
156 dead? because of race? It. is. utterly. stupid.

Muchacho Enfermo

Punishment from the US and the UN?

So I'm going to go ahead and miss the boat on this one and I'm going to post something completely off-topic, well maybe a little bit off-topic... you be the judge

I was reading this article this morning: 2 U.S. journalists on trial in North Korea from the Associated Press. While reading the article and thinking of how to post about it, a sentence really jumped out at me and made me veer off the topic of the sad story of these two journalists. First here's the sentence:
"As discussions continued at the United Nations and in Washington on how to punish the regime for its defiance..."

Wow... the US and the UN are trying to find a way to punish North-Korea for its defiance? It's really easy for the UN and for the US to try and tell a small essentially bankrupt nation what to do isn't it? And when they don't listen the world gets all upset and scolds that country the way you would scold a 4 year old for drawing on the walls of your kitchen.

But when a big country like China jails people for supporting Tibet before the Olympics or bans hotmail or jails local journalists for having opinions the UN and the US would never EVER dream of imposing sanctions or punishment on them... I wonder why?

Or when a small country close to them like Cuba has political prisoners and more jailed journalists per capita than any other place on earth (according to Reporters without Borders) all they do is keep the embargo and don't demand anything else.

Or when in Burma bloggers are jailed for 58 years and the opposition leader awaits trial in her hospital room because an American swam to her home/prison thus forcing her to violate the terms of her house arrest; no one says anything.

So what makes North-Korea so damned special? Why does anyone care? Oh yeah: nukes! They've threatened to attack the US... that's what makes them special. That's what warrants the UN's attention. Threatening the world largest and most powerful military (that could probably destroy NK in like 17 1/2 minutes) is definitely something that is infinitely more important than the defense of the innocent people that live in these countries that are jailed, tortured and starved on a daily basis for being different.

Not that they'll listen to me but here's my message to the UN: If you want to be taken seriously start taking action and demanding justice for ALL innocents jailed and tortured and living under repressive regimes that ignore Human Rights. And please PLEASE kick China and Cuba off your Human Rights Council. Seriously it's just shameful that they're there...

Muchacho Enfermo

Human Rights Improving In China?

In the Globe and Mail this morning there was a short article about how our foreign minister Lawrence Cannon said that China “has made progress” on human rights.

Cannon does tell the G & M what that progress is, on what he thinks China has improved or on what time frame he is basing this statement because if you read the Amnesty International report for China 2007 and 2008, there are no marked improvements.

Cannon also said: “You're much better working on the inside with the Chinese leadership to get things done, than to be outside and criticizing.” Which I might be inclined to agree with, being inside and having a dialogue beats the heck out of throwing rocks at the from Vancouver Island and hope they reach Beijing.

We must all remember that when Stephen Harper was asked about China he had said "I don’t think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values. They don’t want us to sell that out to the almighty dollar."

The bottom line is going to have to be whether we prefer China's money and influence or we prefer to hold on to our Canadian values.

Muchacho Enfermo

Dalai Lama Banned from South Africa

(Also posted on Ashin-Mettacara.com)

The Dalai Lama has been refused a travel visa to South Africa, in fact he will be banned from entering the country for the next 16 months. The ban comes following pressure from China to stop the Buddhist spiritual leader of Tibet to attend a peace conference.

The peace conference was to be held in Johannesberg and was organized by Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela. The list of attendees included Archbishop and Nobel prize winner Desmond Tutu, Nobel prize winner Nelson Mandela, Nobel prize winner his Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Archbishop Tutu and the Committee are now refusing to attend the conference in protest of South Africa's move. Tutu is quoted in the Globe and Mail as having said in regards to the ban: “We are shamelessly succumbing to Chinese pressure,” and that he was “distressed and ashamed” by the “disgraceful” decision to prohibit the Dalai Lama from entering South Africa. The move is “a total betrayal of our struggle history"

South Africa says it stands by its decision and says it is due to the World Cup of soccer being held there next year. Government officials have stated that having the Dalai Lama visiting would take the spotlight away from the World Cup preparations.

It's clear to me (and apparently 86% of South Africans polled this week) that the South African government caved under China's influence. A country that considers itself an example of freedom and a beacon of Human Rights for all other nations of the world living with intolerance and ethnically biased policies, should now be holding its head in shame. South Africa has given in to pressure that is ethnically and religiously and monetarily motivated, something they fought so hard against to defeat Apartheid.

In a move fueled by money and fear South Africa has tarnished its image. Its people are losing faith in its government. The world is watching and waiting to see what happens next.

Evil never rests...

While the rest of us are enjoying our Turkeys and exchanging gifts with loved ones on the other side of the side of the world injustice and government crackdowns still rules supreme. The Associated Press reported today that 59 Tibetans have been arrested on charges of spreading "rumors" about the Chinese occupation of Tibet and "rumors" against the communist party. Of these 59 it was reported that 5 of them are being held on charges of selling "reactionary music"... whatever that was the authorities just aren't saying.

In addition, China has accused Tibet's leader in exile the Dalai Lama of inciting these people to spread rumors and they also maintain that he was responsible for the March uprisings in Tibet, the largest anti-China protest in almost 50 years. The Buddhist monk, currently residing in India, has denied these accusation and stated that he wants what he has always wanted: a greater autonomy for his people.

I wish I had better news for everyone on Christmas day. Please keep Tibet and all oppressed peoples of the world in your hearts and minds today and think of how lucky we are here in are homes far from the fears of government reprisals.

Muchacho Enfermo

China block access to NY Times website

As of late last Friday the New York Times website has been unavailable in China and could only be accessed from a virtual private network. As we all know China has taken great pains to try to explain to the world that it has the right to censure material it deems illegal or offensive. I'm guessing the Times had reported on something China didn't like.

For more see the Globe and Mail or Reuters.

Muchacho Enfermo

Human rights day

Today being International Human Rights Day, something we often take for granted here, I feel the need to be reminded by others of how lucky I am to live here. that being said here's some reminders that I think we all should read:

Message from a Cuban dissident
A brave monk from Burma
How China celebrates Human Rights Day
In Belarus

And that is just to name a few...

Muchacho Enfermo