Foundinchina.com

A good question for many - if not most - people living outside China, for whom ‘Everest’ is a household name that conjures up images of Hillary and Tenzing, Mallory and Irvine as they braved inhospitable conditions on route to the summit. But China wants nothing to do with such days of ‘imperialist’ mountaineering glory, stubbornly refusing to use ‘Everest’ in their English language media sources. Until today, that is.

Before I get bombarded with calls to get my facts straight, I’m sure that ‘Everest’ must have been uttered or written before by China’s state manacled information outlets; it’s just that on all previous occasions that I’ve seen or heard their references to the daddy of the Himalayas, it has always been called the tongue-twisting ‘Qomolangma’. Quite right, too, I might add, although Tibetans prefer ‘Chomolungma’ and the Nepalese have a fondness for ‘Sagarmatha’.

Today, however, marked a new milestone of symbolism that called for the world to know exactly what had been achieved. The only way to convey this important message was to grudgingly acknowledge that the world’s highest peak has a more recognisable and less phonologically challenging moniker: Everest.

So, what was this remarkable feat that the Chinese wished communicated to the English-speaking world? It could only be the latest claim to greatness of the torch relay. China’s very own superlative-laden global tour (longest, angriest, loudest, most protested, most politicised etc) came of age this morning at approximately 9am local time when it also became the highest.

Once the summit had been achieved, all that remained to do for China’s Olympic PR machine in order to secure the positive coverage and global accolades it desired, was to get the word out. Unfortunately, ‘Qomolangma’ is not a word that currently has any hope of achieving such an objective. To secure the prize, therefore, it was necessary to swallow the bitter pill of imperialism and utter the hitherto unthinkable ‘E’ word.   

Australian anchorman Edwin Marr made a valiant effort with his pronunciation of ‘Qomolangma’ before adding an officially sanctioned “…known in the west as Everest.” His relief was palpable.

Not so clear were the pictures of the torch expedition’s assault on the summit. I guess that’s not surprising given the unpredictability of conditions at 29 000 feet. The perfect propaganda shot would have been a gallant climber astride the roof of the world holding aloft a flaming torch against a stunning backdrop of blue skies and lesser Himalayan peaks. As it was, we saw a dozen people in climbing gear struggling against the elements in a nondescript icy wilderness.

It really could have been anywhere, and it didn’t look like anyone was standing on top of anything. There’s certainly nothing conclusively ’summit’ about the pictures at China Daily. Let the conspiracy theories begin. For the record, I’m prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. After all, it’s been done a thousand times (without the torch) in the last 55 years.

One nagging question: having gone to all that trouble, why not plant an Olympic flag atop the world’s highest peak and give us a picture like this. Nagging questions could be avoided, of course, if members of the international media had been allowed a little more access to information than this diary of events on the mountain indicates.

Read this initial report from Australia’s ABC news about today’s torch relay in Canberra. I’m sure more will follow. The only positive thing I saw was that the so called ‘torch guards’ were kept at bay by Australian police.   

The rights of the individual and minorities have been trampled on by Chinese mobs in recent weeks. This isn’t negativity or bias; it’s simply the truth. I refuse to allow CCTV to give their usual rosy account of their citizens’ behaviour abroad without taking a less blinkered look at events.

Australia, in company with all ‘western’ countries, defends the right of the individual, or the minority, to express themselves. Chinese citizens abroad have abused their own right to gather in protest by acting in concert to deny smaller numbers from expressing views or displaying banners/flags that their government doesn’t like. And far from doing this in a peaceful way, as seen in Canberra this morning, there have been instances of harassment and aggression against people exercising the birthright afforded them by their nationality; the right to non-violent free expression. It is absolutely not the place of anyone, Chinese or otherwise, to interfere in that process.

China is unique insofar as it has such large numbers of citizens spread around the globe who respond almost in unison to their country’s call for action. That is a problem, because they are not acting out of a sense of injustice, personal sentiment, or free will, but rather through a centrally orchestrated groupthink mentality. Add a liberal sprinkling of induced nationalistic fervour to the dynamics of group behaviour and you’ve got yourself a militia.

And yes, I fully acknowledge that it is not every overseas Chinese behaving aggressively towards those with opposing views, although China seems more than happy to blame all French, British, and Americans for the indiscretions of a few.

Chinese people at home and abroad must grow up to the fact that declaring themselves a tolerant people doesn’t make it true. Only their behaviour can demonstrate that. Today, and previously in London, Paris, and San Francisco, intolerance and intimidation was used to drown voices trying to be heard in their own country. Now that’s intolerable.  

I’ll say it again - protesting as legitimate visa/passport holders overseas is fine, but not when it interferes with the right of other people to express their contradictory opinions. The sad thing is, I’m sure that very few Chinese will be anything other than proud of their countrymen’s behaviour in recent weeks. If I’m right about that, ‘one world, one dream’ is beginning to look like a very distant prospect. 

One of the arguments I hear a lot from Chinese lately is that Tibet has been a part of China for hundreds of years. Although I don’t want to get into that particular debate here, I would like to know why on Earth the Chinese government has such a problem with the Tibetan flag.

Go here and you will read exactly how much Tibetan symbolism and culture is wrapped up in the flag’s design. It is no exaggeration to say that the flag is an integral part of Tibetan culture, the very thing that the CCP would have us believe they are committed to protecting.

The origins of the Tibetan flag, which adopted its present form in 1912, date back nearly 1200 years, longer than the Chinese claims that Tibet has been part of its territory. If anyone has more information about the history of the Tibetan flag, please let me know.

So why do these new CCP boys have such an issue with the Tibetan flag when previous dynasties just looked on admiringly at the lovely design (the PRC flag is very young by comparison).

Of course, the CCP’s jealous nature views the flag as a symbol of a Tibetan identity outside of their control, and Beijing has never displayed tolerance for anything or anyone that challenges them for popularity. Just ask the Falun Gong.

On a related note, I’ve been appalled at the weakness of foreign governments in bowing to Chinese pressure and harassing or arresting those protesters waving the Tibetan flag in countries that are supposedly defenders of free speech. Equally troubling to my mind have been the enraged reactions of overseas Chinese at the sight of the flag, often chasing down and fighting with those displaying it.

I have this message for all Chinese for whom this beautiful design induces hysteria: It’s a flag for Christ’s sake, and it’s been around for centuries longer than your own. It really is time to grow up on this issue. 

The flag will remain on this site as a symbol of the tolerance the world demands and expects (but is so often denied) of a powerful country. If Tibetan history is intertwined with that of China and its people, then the flag is a part of their cultural heritage too. And yet, anyone daring to display these colours risks certain arrest and imprisonment. 

Many people will be taking this flag to Beijing. How China chooses to deal with its display will say more to the watching world about China’s progress as a nation than gold medals or large buildings. If you’re in China, of course, delayed coverage and censorship will certainly deny people the right to see such images. 

The Tibetan flag is full of meaning; it is a rich tapestry of history and culture dating back centuries. In the name of peace, harmony, and tolerance, let it fly.    

Unbelievable

This can only lead to trouble in my opinion. Beijing needs to grow up to the idea that when you invite the world’s people to visit, many different opinions come with them.

You can’t say to athletes, tourists, or journalists that they are welcome in China as long as they only say, do, and think what we tell you. That is simply a recipe for disaster.

I rarely bother with the annoying drivel disseminated by China’s English language channel. In the interests of seeing the unfolding torch troubles from all angles, however, I switched on this evening to watch old wooden-top Edwin Mar squirm his way through some truly juvenile propaganda. Everything was going swimmingly we were assured, despite the efforts of a few separatists on route. No mention of the widespread criticism of the Chinese torch guardians and their aggressive behaviour on foreign soil; no word about the scuffles; and silence surrounding the fact that the torch was extinguished three times in Paris.

Next up was Aussie PM Rudd delivering a speech in Beijing. We heard about his view that Olympic boycotts don’t work, but heard nothing about his warning to Beijing about rights abuses in Tibet. Nor was there ant mention of Rudd’s noncommital stance on attending the Games or his praiseworthy refusal to allow the Chinese entourage in blue anywhere near the torch in Canberra.

Just imagine for a second a 30-strong team of trained henchmen from foreign shores, acting without authority, and shoving locals around in Beijing. London and Paris showed zero inclination to confront the Chinese on this issue, allowing the ’thugs’ (go here) to fuel the chaos and mayhem while preventing anyone from getting a look at the torch. Hats off to Rudd for laying down the law; in Australia, security is the responsibility of Australians.

The news hour was cut short for a special report from Tibet. It defies credibility that any educated Chinese can possibly swallow this patronising shit. Sadly, if the comments I’ve been reading recently are a guide, credibility has indeed been defied. In one typically pathetic piece of CCP theatre we saw the smashed windows of a hospital van and a close-up of a rock lying inside the vehicle. Next, in one of the poorest amateur performances I’ve ever witnessed, a tearful nurse described the anguish of being prevented from attending to the needs of a six-year-old boy by the stone-throwing ‘Dalai clique.’

Any criticism of western media lacks credibility when it emanates from a government still spoon feeding its citizenry with increasingly dodgy-sounding party rhetoric. It really is time for the CCP to stop treating its people like fools, even if that means the end of comedy hour on CCTV9.   

Interesting few days.

China revealed that the Dalai Lama’s terrorist codename among those notorious wild boys the Tibetan monks is ‘uncle’ (no, I’m not joking). No evidence was presented with this latest nugget.

What else? Oh yes, Kim Jong Il and his merry men threatened to blow their South Korean buddies off the face of the Earth. Seriously, it’s about time that crackpot got himself a new hairdo.

Next, the IOC decided to flex some muscle (luckily, they managed to locate some), telling China to stop blocking internet sites and fulfil one of their Olympic promises in the process. Listen very carefully and you can hear the laughter from Beijing.

Finally, there were contrasting fortunes for the two old pals in this photo:

The man on the left is officially a gonner; the guy on the right is officially a torch bearer. Well, we can’t have everything!  

Let’s consider that most important of ceremonial and symbolic moments - the lighting of the Olympic flame by the final torchbearer. It’s a moment full of meaning and passion. But who should have this honour? Who could Beijing choose to best embody China’s hopes for the Games, to best symbolize China’s regard in the international community, to best represent Chinese culture and history? Can one person achieve all these things? Here’s my shortlist:

Liu Xiang. One of the favourites and China’s big hope to get the flags waving and the anthem playing in the stadium; a reigning Olympic champion and worthy of consideration.

For: my students assure me that he can sing as well as jump.

Against: arguably a bit of a prima-donna and not so recognisable to a wider audience.

Yao Ming. China’s vertically gifted NBA star is another leading contender and comes across as a people’s man with an image recognisable the world over.

For: will have no problem reaching over the rim of the cauldron and has proven more reliable than other Chinese exports.

Against: has developed a tendency to fracture lower extremities under pressure.

Liu and Yao are the hot favourites, but what about the chances of the old guard?

Mao Zedong. An interesting ‘dark horse’. This could be China’s chance to stun the world with its advances in cryogenic technology.

For: everyone knows that lovely smile and history tells us he has a 70% chance of getting it right on the night.

Against: as Icarus discovered, when wax gets too close to something hot there can be disastrous consequences.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A rank outsider. Although still very much alive, reliable sources indicate he has less chance than either a Japanese revisionist or the aforementioned Mao. After all, who wants a Nobel Peace Prize winner when we can see a brutal dictator in action?

For:  Loved by everyone except China.

Against: Loved by everyone except China.

None of the candidates mentioned so far create enough of a spark for my liking. What about this man?

Hu Jia. A no-hoper for Olympic flame duties, but more deserving of the honour than any mentioned above. A true winner in life.

For: he’s presently incarcerated and could do with stretching his legs.

Against: he’s too good, too selfless, too honest, too pleasant, too humble, and too hard-working in campaigning for the rights of the disadvantaged, the dying, and the dispossessed. Clearly not the sort of person China wants as a symbol of the nation. 

Did I miss anyone?

Updated to say that the wise men of Beijing have decided to jail Hu for three and a half years - an unjustified, undeserved, petty, senseless sentence. Hu Jia should be held up as an example of how far human rights have come in China, not a victim of its suppression. I suspect this will turn out to be a regrettable move, and not just for Hu himself. 

Timesonline today runs an article about Yang Chunlin, an unemployed factory worker who exercised his right to petition the government on behalf of farmers who have had their land swiped by local authorities. He was protesting that the Olympics ought not to be the government’s priority in light of so many injustices. One would have thought that such an act of goodwill would bring praise from the party who came to power on the back of a peasant insurgency. After all, it is the People’s Republic of China; right? Apparently not:

China has sentenced a man to five years in prison for protesting against the Beijing Olympics. The sentence was passed only a month after the Foreign Minister of China told David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, that police would offer a cup of tea to any Chinese protesting against the Olympics.

That ‘cup of tea’ offer sounded a bit hollow, if not sinister, at the time. Another remark made by Yang Jiechi, China’s Foreign Minister, during Miliband’s visit can only be regarded as a lie:

“No one will get arrested because he said that human rights are more important than the Olympics. This is impossible.”

Beijing’s capacity for making the ‘impossible’ possible is truly amazing. Five years in jail for a legitimate protest on behalf of the nation’s backbone! That’s one year for every millennium of civilization in this part of the world.

Of course we can’t forget another of China’s greatest heroes, Hu Jia, at this time either. I’ll have more to say about his case later. In the meantime, if the Chinese Foreign Minister offers you a cup of tea, run away as fast as you can.

China Daily’s Olympic spotlight page brings us news of the latest security measures to be implemented at the Games’ venues. Let’s take a closer look:

Guns, drugs, explosives, and poisonous and radioactive materials will be banned from Beijing’s Olympic venues, a security official said Thursday.

Now really!! How can we be expected to enjoy ourselves without a bit of unstable uranium isotope to elevate the spirit? OK, alright, yes, yes, fine! I can live without an encounter with critical mass, but what’s all this nonsense about banning poison, guns, drugs, and explosives? These security boys are a bunch of real joy killers. Must be a cultural thing.

Animals, drinks, radio equipment, and banners and oversized flags will also be prohibited…

Australians can be totally out of control, and we don’t want any kangaroos putting Liu Xiang to shame in the 100m hurdles, so fair dinkum to that policy. Oversized flags could be more problematic. Given that colour contrasts can produce optical illusions and security personnel will have two decades of anti-Japanese rhetoric behind them, it may be that a red circle on a white background suddenly looks bigger than it really is. We’ll see.

What next? Radio equipment. I’m not sure about this one. Many people attending venues, both foreign and Chinese, will want to keep their own record of events. Some may have some pretty fancy equipment unfamiliar to security staff. It’s possible that a South Korean’s state-of-the-art minidigicam type thingy could be a Chinese police officer’s idea of sabotage electronics. This will be win-win for China, whose top reverse engineers will be on hand to ‘take good care of things while you’re enjoying the synchronized swimming.’ 

That leaves drinks. What’s to say? August in Beijing: a seething cauldron of humidity and trace elements and no water to wash it all down with. Lunacy. Total fucking lunacy. Or greed. There will, no doubt, be drinks available inside venues at ten times the price of the identical items withheld moments earlier by security. If this suspicion is anywhere near the mark, the BOCOG would do well to have a rethink now. That assumes, of course, they’re not in on the scam.

And finally ….

If everything is okay, a person can pass through a standard security check in about five seconds. But that might be longer for media workers if they are carrying a lot of equipment. 

So, to be clear: if you are not in possession of firearms, drugs, toxins, grenades, plutonium, livestock, electrical devices, big flags, or drinks, you’ll be through the turnstile in a jiffy. Unless you’re a reporter, in which case anything more than a notebook and pencil is going to result in a messy confrontation. This will provide entertainment and photo opportunities for the spectators kept waiting by those thoughtless bastards who brought their own water to the stadium on a day when it was only 90 in the shade.

Just a few thoughts.

I suppose it had to happen. How can you marginalise an entire culture for half a century without breeding resentment? That resentment is more likely to find a voice when the world is watching. On whichever side of the political divide you find yourself encamped on the Tibet issue, it is an issue; and there is trouble relating to that issue happening right now. A good account of events as told through various media outlets can be found at chinadigitaltimes.

If you’re in China you might have problems accessing that link without a proxy, one of the reasons I choose to raise the issue here. The CCP could be a lot smarter in handling its coverage of these incidents in the months preceding the Games. But nobody should hold their breath waiting for that to happen.

A reasonable discussion of current events is underway at Peking Duck. However, some of the party faithful seem unable to contain themselves:

Chinese governement should crush tibetan people as hard as possible. If you have to drop a bomb in the crowd, do it.

We should set an example. Now is the Opportunity. Just crush Tibetans. Maim them, burn them, destroy them. And make the world know, it if you want to take the advantage of Olympic games to destabilize china, you shall pay with your life, your family’s life and your country men’s life!

A more sober and detailed account of events to date can be found at the timesonline:

In the Barkh_r market that winds around the J_khang temple, Tibet’s holiest site, they reported the bodies of two Tibetan men and two Tibetan women. The body of a Tibetan man was seen in the Lugu district and a Tibetan woman lay dead on Qingnian Road, near the city centre. They said all appeared to have been shot but no monks were seen among the dead.

Many ethnic Han Chinese, a minority in Tibet, were wounded in attacks by Tibetans hurling rocks and bricks as they vented their anger against Beijing rule. Residents said a number of Han had been killed but no figures were available as the city was engulfed in chaos.

China Daily predictably puts a slightly different spin on events:

Xinhua reporters in Lhasa saw many rioters were carrying backpacks filled with stones and bottles of inflammable liquids, some holding iron bars, wooden sticks and long knifes, a sign that the crowd came fully prepared and meant harm.

The mobs assaulted passersby, sparing no women or children, witnesses said.

I can just imagine the glee of the Xinhua reporters who found ‘witnesses’ telling them that protesters were “sparing no women or children”. It would be nice if Xinhua reporters could exhibit the same level of journalistic enthusiasm with regard to the police and military excesses against Tibetan people.

That said, there does appear to have been some needless violence directed towards those regarded as occupiers by Tibetans. This will not help their cause. And the Chinese government needs to restrain the brutal inclination of its recent history if it is to keep its Olympic dream alive.