Freedom of expression still be a hot issue on newspaper all the time. I usually heard that expression in politic and religion or even sex issue are risk to talk among group of friends. It would risk to your relationship when you think different. That's what i always heard. I keep wondering, why's that?. I am not sure what the answer would or should be. It such the controversial issues. An article in BBC news hit my interrest. Refer from an article about Ai Wei Wei in BBC news,China artist Ai Wei Wei's Shanghai studio demolished. It is a short article after i finished reading, i still need more detail of what he had done then deserve this pain. Then i kept reading other articles which is Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei in UK rights plea., Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei says he in under house arrest., Sunflower seed carpet fills Tate., and i watched a few clips via youtube that interviewed Ai Wei Wei on CNN's Amanpour part 1-3.
At the beginning i don't understand why government have to torn down his studio. Why he is under house arrest in Beijing and government demolished his studio during the night in Shanghai. I would like to sum up the a storyline of situation before talk about my opinion. Ai Wei Wei is an artist who is an activist in his country. At first he had permission from government to build studio in art area since he had highly vocal about human right issue to the government. it leads to demolish his studio before his party was hold. In the mid years his art work present in London and Berlin, both works were criticize on politic aspect. One is critic Mao's society via 100 millions hand painted sunflower seeds and another one is critic on corrupt politician that allowing to build a school which was under standard leads to student's death when it has an earthquake in Sichuan province on 2008. It is a big billboard that write a word so sorry via a student school bags. He believe that the authority want to prevent him from holding a party. That he has a hidden agenda to critic government about wording “harmonise” that government used as an euphemism for censorship. This party will be hold as a respond to the government when they announced to be closed and demolished his studio because of his building was illegal. And they tron down the building before due date and also before the party. The director of the construction said that his building was illegal because his studio have not had an application procedure.
Beyond controversial topic that the artist keeps fighting for, he is Chinese who lives in China where is rule by communist politician, the land that facebook never connected , youtube is not allowed, twitter is need a specialize to get an access, google had been censored, many influent medias are shut down. Clearly that he is standing in a danger spot while being provokative activism. It is hard to reach to the human rights under Mao's flag because all of chinese citizen are forced to stay only in their own cave. In the modern world how could government do such a thing like that? It just because he has an provoking idea to protect human rights. So what is freedom of expression in Mao's futures? And how long that Chinese government will be hidden a media from their citizen?.
Does this might couse a revolution? I my opinion government can't hind media forever. In the future there will be more educated people try to speak for this issues again and again. Like Burma's government, they house arrested Aung Saan Suqui for so long before release her and along the period government get a pressure from other nation that disagree with their decision. For Ai Wei Wei's case i believe that he can't fight alone. His aim won't be get an accomplishment easily. I though it not even quite close to his goal. I though it just the beginning of revolutionary. The next generation have to move on and i do believe that Ai Wei Wei won't stop his act because of the lost. This lost might be more loud and strong than his own speech. I think it was the sound that urge other nation take a look at Chinese government carefully on the human rights aspect.
Ai Wei Wei is the one who dare to tell other people the fact and shout out loud that he thinks different. I like the idea that we are respect when other thinks different. Because we are concern that we are sharing our idea together for make new thing and better than the old one which would be more effective.
Num has the same problem I have - it's very difficult to limit yourself to a single source when you start to follow up a topic that interests you.
ReplyDeleteNum,
I think your solution is the right one - refer to and cite more than one source if it helps. (What does refer to mean here? How is it different to cite?)
Several other things also came to mind as I read Num's very thoughtful, and thought provoking, post, but since they will probably go better in a separate comment, and I'd like to give others a chance to comment before I jump in, I won't write any more just now.
Num! Your respond wonder me. It is a lot sources which you read.
ReplyDeleteI’ve not know this man before, but I can guess his story from your information and my idea. First of all, I agree with you about the media intervene of Chinese Government (Actually, I think “intervene” is too polite words for this situation). Yes, that happen but in my opinion I think it is not important. I don’t mean media intervene is right, but I just think that because you (and Yes! me too) see this situation from an aspect of a person in a democratic country as Thailand (Um.. at least in official term), so we think freedom of media is very important. However, I think for poor people in most countries this is not importance. Do you think poor farmers in Yunan or in Nan concern about this topic? Do you think homeless in London care a media policy in UK? I think freedom issue is important for some people, especially middle-class
I don’t want to persuade you to abandon this issue and I really like to talk about political issue, but I just offer in other aspect that Don’t pity them about their situation because they might be OK. For the example, for Chinese people, I think they might not demonstrate for democracy because now they know that it is not necessary as long as they have food or infrastructures. Moreover, the political movement in China after event in Tiananmen Square, tend to require in other issue such as the separation of Tibet or Uyghur in racial issue.
So, I really like yours news and your respond and I agree every think like you about freedom in China, but I consider that Chinese people might not concern issues like us. Do you agree with me?
Num,
ReplyDeleteI think you picked the interesting news that we can discuss for so long. I like that Ai Wei Wei expressed his opinion about human rights in China, which may be a reason why his studio was demolished. That's terrible. Why can't people talk about politics in their home? I think that Chinese government restricted too many things, like you mentioned. People have different thought against politics or any thing, even if they live in the same country or have the same culture. They have rights to do things, but complying with the justice laws as well.
If Ai Wei Wei’s idea is supported by many people, it can lead to a revolution. Otherwise, it is just a sound. What the government fear is an action against it conducted by mass. So, how can it protect another generation to believe in what they tell only? It’s definitely a more difficult task. In fact, secrets will come out or be discovered some day. And when it happens, there may be more violent actions from that generation.
Poome and Praw,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. your idea help me to concern other perspective in the situation as well.
After i read the first news. i am not sure who is right or wrong? It would be the artist or the government. At first, i am sort of had a negative feeling for the artist because i found another news said that he is the one who was part of designer team for create Beijing National Steadium, which was hold olympic game 2008, i kept searching news and found that he is the part in the team of designer at the beginning and he quites because he thinks different from the goverment that tried to hind the truth about the problem of a construction that course to worker's death. Later, he comes back in team again and said to the media that he comes back because he loves designing. It made me question on his action. There must have a story behind that. After reading more and more, I found that he has an interesting life. He graduated from new york and lived there for almost 12 years and his father was an poetic. who was arrested by chinese government because of the politic aspect.
Poome,
I would recommend you to read his biography in wikipedia you may understand his background clearly than read my article. All that background made me believe that it coursed him having an provoking behavior and never stop fighting to the government about human right issues.
I think i might not write clearly in my respond post about human right issue so it leads you confuse about my idea. The media is just a part of human right issues that i try to point out that chinese government is control very thing to prevent thier people from worldwide knowlage.
Yunan people or other chinese argiculture who base thier life with farming may not interrest in this issues until the government cheat on them. If the government cheatting on thier own citizen all the time while the citizen didn't notice it. If an educated people knows the truth why they have to be ignore? If he can help his friend in his own nation.
Corruption issues is the big problem in many country even in our country. I thought media is the tool that might help the system. The corruption process may happen harder, if the media was clearly and strong enough.
I'm enjoying your discussion on the points that Num has raised.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Poome made a good point, I don't really agree with him. It is probably true that very poor people are more concerned with some economic progress more than less edible rights like being able so say what they think, but I think they are wrong to think that way: understandable, but wrong.
Part of the reason they are poor is that officials, the well off, and even the entire system in their country keeps them poor, and if they cannot complain about real problems, if they cannot openly and freely say what is being done to harm them and thier communities, if they cannot share and compare ideas, opinions and information, then their chances of better lives are not good.
China has certainly made very impressive gains since it got rid of the worst elements of Mao's evil socialist policies; however, those gains have been in the areas which have become most like capitalist countries where human rights are respected. Most parts of China do not share the limited capitalist - democratic freedoms, and most parts of China remain poor and much less developed. There seems to be a strong correlation between democracy with respect for human rights and socio-economic development. I don't think that it's an accident that the US, whose constitution guarantees very strong legal protection to the right to free speech, quickly became and has remained the richest, most highly developed, innovative and progressive nation the world has ever seen.
I think that more human rights is likely to lead to greater economic development. China and the Chinese people might be much better off today if their overly centralised, controlling and distrustful government allowed the Chinese people the dignity, responsibility and freedom to pursue their dreams under guarantees of human rights.
BTW, I am not American, I'm Australian. But I am a great admirer of the excellent US Constitution which has stood the test of time very well. Perhaps more nations should copy such an obviously successful example? (I like the Australian Constitution, which is more than 100 years old, but I think the US version is even better.)
Num,
ReplyDeleteI think you've explained your ideas well, but if others seem to get them wrong, that's not a big problem - you can come back and clarify them, as you have done. That sort of to-an-fro discussion is normal and a good thing.