The Chinese government is obsessed with suppressing free speech on the Internet — legitimately fearful that citizens speaking with each other could bring an end to its regime. The recent protests in Russia likely reinforced those fears for the Chinese. Thus, it should come as no surprise that when two men told people online about a huge police presence supporting a wedding, the Chinese government had them arrested.
The Chinese insist that it was just a coincidence — that the police were returning from an exercise and came upon the wedding party. Given the government’s long history of false claims, it will have to forgive us if we do not immediately take its word for it. I have been repeatedly to China and seen the Mandarin-like residences of party officials guarded by police. Notably, the
two men had uploaded a video clip showing crowds of police and the wedding convoy.
Even if true, it is outrageous to have any government jailing people for alleging misconduct by government officials or police. Even if this was a coincidence, these men had a legitimate reason to publish the video. However, in the worker’s paradise, only the government can print false stories. There it is called “news.”
Source: Guardian
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Blouise,
Send them to their rooms without dinner or TV!
The problem with allowing our elected and appointed officials to visit China and hang out with their officials is that our officials start getting envious of the complete control the Chinese officials have over their citizenry and come home with all these bad ideas as how to wield such control over us. I think we should ground ’em until they learn how to pick better friends.
“Experience has shown that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.” – Thomas Jefferson
Hmmm interesting news
Its not just the Chinese, only they are exposed, many other governments are doing the same.
http://topratedjuicers.net/
And we complain about them…why?
Hmmm….anyone want to bet some are being held in prisons or something like that because of speech against the government…..Hmmmmmm…..
China’s policies are just the canary in the coal mine. It is in the process of happening here unless somebody with the ability to foresee the consequences intervenes.
http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/can-the-stop-online-piracy-act-be-killed.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
The China model is getting around the thugosphere.