Foundinchina.com

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. 

Perhaps the Chinese mob that attacked an American who was simply doing some shopping should reflect on their actions and apologise. Read all about it here.

More importantly, China needs to act immediately to get their house in order before things get completely out of control.

This is how insensitivity and short-sighted ignorance can make a mountain out of a molehill. In response to the torch protests in Paris and the boss of Carrefour holding a different view of the Dalai Lama than the Motherland, Chinese anger has led to the French tricolour being adorned with swastikas.

As commenters at Zhongnanhai and Peking Duck point out, it is not hard to imagine China’s response to their flag being covered with the symbol of their WW2 occupiers.

I’m neither French nor Chinese, but this action is far more worthy of an apology than the disruptions of a few protesters in Paris. I suspect France will be waiting for a long time.