Foundinchina.com

A friend alerted me recently to the this site, where well-wishers were invited to voice their support – in no more than 64 words - for one of the world’s most inspirational figures for her 64th birthday. Aung San Suu Kyi, whose 19th year of on-off incarceration was recently extended through a sham trial, had, at time of writing, received in excess of 11 000 messages. These included contributions from Bono, Yoko Ono, George Clooney, many world leaders, MP’s, and fellow Nobel Laureates.

Despite attempts by Burma’s junta to bring down the site, words of solidarity continue to pour in; from Morocco to Sweden, Malaysia to Finland, Indonesia to Mexico, Australia to India, Britain to Bhutan – and on and on - words of support have arrived from all walks of life and nearly every corner of the globe.

Nearly.

I haven’t read all 11 000 messages, but among the numerous pages I flicked through not one response emanated from China. Not a single word of encouragement or vestige of hope for Aung San Suu Kyi and her people; and not one shred of evidence that Burma’s powerful neighbour has the will, the integrity, or the moral responsibility to change or educate its people about the suffering going on in her own backyard.

Why am I not surprised?

Today is Igor Stravinsky’s birthday.

How do I know this? Is it that I have a penchant for hoarding useless factoids? Perhaps it’s been hardwired into my brain by my old music teacher, who mocked my lack of talent by calling me “Stravinsky Stu”.  Or is it because I’ve spent too many hours watching trivia-based quiz shows on TV?

http://www.google.co.uk/

No. None of these. I know it’s Stravinsky’s birthday because Google tell me it is by the fancy artwork (and the caption) incorporated into their homepage logo. This is common practice on notable – and not so notable – anniversaries. And I think it’s a nice touch, often interweaving the day’s theme in subtle and artistically intelligent ways. The resulting logos are both informative and visually appealing.

Barely two weeks ago there passed an anniversary that escaped few people’s notice. So where were you Google? Where was the clever tank, wheels creatively derived from the standard logo? Where was the abstract Tank Man, bags of shopping represented by one ‘O’ in each hand as he confronted a menacing line of armoured vehicles?

Exactly. You knew what day it was. You knew the significance. And you ducked it.

Next year is the Tank Man’s 21st birthday. Call your artwork people now so they’ve got plenty of time to make it as subtle as you need them to. If you can give us Stravinsky, the structure of DNA, and the anniversary of a breakthrough in the understanding of fractional geometry, then you can surely remember something of far greater significance. After all, you have nothing better to offer as a 6/4 anniversary. Because that’s what you did: you offered nothing.

Foolishly perhaps, I expected more from Google.

Hong Kong stands up

Two decades ago on this very evening the world was watching in hope, anguish, and ultimately disbelief as a peaceful demonstration in support of a better tomorrow was about to end in bloody tragedy.  The Chinese leaders have been trying to wash the blood from their hands ever since.

The indiscriminate massacre of innocent civilians twenty years ago in the heart of China’s capital cannot be quite so readily extinguished from the records as the CCP leadership and their apologists would like. This is not to say that the efforts made in that direction have been without success, rendering 1.3 billion people mute with apathy, fear, and ignorance.

History has yet to measure the debt of gratitude that all Chinese people owe to that brave outpost of residents in Hong Kong. For they, and they alone among the wider Chinese community, have never forgotten. They choose not to forget in defiance of Beijing’s revisionist policy, for they love their country as much as any Chinese citizens do and appreciate the importance of truth and accountability better than their mainland counterparts.

The bloody end to the ’89 mass protest is, and – so long as 6/4 is denied its place in Chinese history – will remain, a litmus test of China’s willingness to embrace responsible governance and grant its citizens, among other basic dignities, the right of free expression.

It’s difficult to imagine that China could have made greater economic progress had 6/4 ended differently. Sadly, among so many mainland Chinese who have found their circumstances much improved in the last twenty years, this is proof positive that the government was justified in its actions 20 years ago. This illogical thinking is the way that many Chinese try to rationalise the guilt of their silence. Martin Luther King Jr said it best:

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.

Others will write far more eloquent and moving memorials to the fallen of 6/4 this week. I will link to their sites as the articles and op-eds begin to appear – a kind of roll of honour. I salute them all for remembering. But most of all I salute the people of Hong Kong, because it is only through their efforts in keeping the flame alive that the Chinese people will finally find, and accept, closure on this issue.

Don’t forget to light your candles.

Roll of Honour (in no particular order)

Boston Globe (must see pictures)

Froog

LA times

Peking Duck

The Guardian

Philip Cunningham

The Useless Tree

China Digital Times

James Fallows

Ai Wei Wei

BBC (+video)

John Simpson

Dan Edwards

Black and White Cat

Chinageeks

Frog in a well

The Australian

Timesonline

Amnesty International

New York Times

Invisible Tibet

Granite Studio

Under the Jacaranda Tree

James Fallows

Zhongnanhai blog

Time China blog

Frontline

Guardian (+video interviews/footage)