| Hu Jintao takes personal charge of fight against Charter 08 |
| Written by Mark O'Neill | |
| Wednesday, 07 January 2009 | |
|
Page 2 of 2 The authors of Charter 08 picked their moment with great care. It was in 1908 that the young Guanxu emperor and a group of reformers presented a series of reforms to the Empress Dowager Cixi, who then controlled China. They included a change from absolute to constitutional monarchy and democracy and the abolition of official sinecures. After 100 days, Cixi ordered the arrest of the emperor and the execution of six of the reform leaders. Except for 1949, all of the anniversary dates that occur in 2009 have in common the protest of ordinary people against the failure, corruption and brutality of their government. While those in 1989 were spontaneous, initially disorganized and expressed a variety of causes, Charter 08 was written with care and well argued. Its model is the Charter 77 that started as a petition by Czechoslovak intellectuals in 1977 and grew into a social movement that played an important part in overthrowing Communism and building the society that followed. “All kinds of social conflicts have built up and feelings of discontent intensified,” reads Charter 08. “The current system has become backward to the point that change cannot be avoided. China remains the only large world power to still retain an authoritarian system that infringes on human rights. The situation must change. Political democratic reforms cannot be delayed any longer,” it said. “After experiencing a long period of human rights disasters and a tortuous struggle and resistance, Chinese citizens are increasingly recognizing that freedom, equality and human rights are universal common values and that democracy, a republic and constitutionalism are the basic framework of modern governance.” One of the demands that most infuriates Hu and his colleagues is the charter’s call for a federal republic to replace the highly centralized state that has existed under the Communists. “China’s future is a federal state,” said Yan Jiaqi, an advisor to Zhao Ziyang in the 1980s and one of the leading intellectuals to support the student movement. After the crackdown, he fled to the United States, where he lives in exile. “This proposal for a federal system will be welcomed by the people of Taiwan, the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet. It is the way to achieve democracy and peaceful unification,” Yan said. The authors of the charter argue that the authoritarian system allows few channels for people to express their grievances, leaving violence and street protest as the only alternative. A petition by 56 overseas Chinese in support of the charter said that, while the reforms of the last 30 years had brought greater freedom and remarkable economic gains, the authoritarian political system, monopoly of the news and control of the legal system had made it impossible for groups in society to express their views. “There is lack of supervision of power, allowing corruption to flourish, the wealth gap to widen, moral values to decay and the environment to be destroyed. With such injustice, social conflicts worsen and violence is frequent. We worry for the future of the Chinese race,” it said. The government wants to nip this protest in the bud and prevent it gathering support among the wider society – intellectuals, students, workers and the middle class. Many expect 2009 to be a year of turbulence. The authors of Charter 08 have given those who need it a blueprint for protest. Comments
(19)
 written by jedyoong , January 23, 2009  written by Mao Tse Dong , January 08, 2009
Communist China must reform or be removed.
Votes: +6
The power of the people will overcome any acts of violence by the Chinese communist party against people who do not believe in communism. report abuse
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written by Hu , January 08, 2009
Chairman, I am very proud of your achievements in proving that the Western barbarians are nothing but Paper Tigers. Our PLA volunteers armed with your Thoughts in Korea and Vietnam brought Victories to our motherland.
Votes: -1
Sarkozy and other Scums should reflect on the Great Napoleanic advice to not to s**t-stir the Chinese Nation. report abuse
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written by Mao , January 08, 2009
President you dont need to hide your claws. If the s**t-stirrers come looking for troubles, make sure you give them a bloody nose like our hero Wong Fei Hong.
Votes: -1
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written by Future , January 08, 2009
You'll get what you give. Sooner or later, you will have to pay the price. Now you have the power, you give people ugliness, let's wait and see the outcome.
Votes: -2
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written by Wordsworth , January 08, 2009
"...Sarkozy and Merkel to plot the 2nd Opium war"
Votes: -2
There has in fact already been a 'Second Opium War' (also called The Arrow War - 1856 to 1860), my friend. And yes, you lost that one, too. report abuse
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written by Mao , January 08, 2009
China is the only real supra-ethnic state where all 56 Chinese ethnic groups can develop themselves. We need a steady hand to prevent the West s**t-stirrers like Sarkozy and Merkel to plot the 2nd Opium war with China using the Dalai scum of spliting China.
Votes: -3
With Hu in charge, my heart is now at ease. report abuse
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In 2008, Chian had happened several big events. But Chiese people carried it through under the Hu Jintao and other leaders leading. surpporting Hu! Surpporting China!
Votes: -4
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Dalai is selflish and crual. In 2008, China had happened several big events. I hope the financia cirisis can be contronled.
Votes: -2
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written by Bangkok , January 08, 2009
Are you not enough with western aggression? Vietnam and China in fact are no longer communism or liberalism. They are Confucianism. Sudden change would bring disaster to both nations. Leave them alone!
Votes: +0
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written by Bangkok , January 08, 2009
Foreigners, especially the Red-Haired wannabes, leave China alone!
Votes: -1
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written by Ho Chi Minh , January 07, 2009
I agree with what Karma has written
Votes: -2
"Human Right and Democracy ensures right to dignity, freedom to express, right to movement and hold on your personal beliefs without fear of persecution." Regarding Khanh Le's comment on unequality, racism, many protests to increase wages, bonus, etc., it's important to know that inequality happens everywhere no matter what political system you believe in. There is no doubt that your personal net worth is much less than that of Nguyen Tan Dung, the PM of Vietnam. Talking about racism, would you like to vote for a non-native Vietnamese to become the President of Vietnam? Will you let a Thais or Laotian who is a naturalized citizen of Vietnam to become its Prime Minister? Racism is human nature and at least in the US, there are laws against it, not like in China or Vietnam. Wage protests? You can do it at anytime in western countries but cannot do it in communist China or Vietnam without fearing that the police will take you to jail for disturbing social order (sic). To ensure their survival, communist China and Vietnam must reform or be removed to allow an open and democratic election in which only the qualified people are elected to lead the countries in the new century. report abuse
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written by Khanh Le , January 07, 2009
The chapter 08 appeals to reform such as more freedom, more democracy, and setting up a federal state, perhaps like western countries. I think the requirements are right and suitable in the modern time; however, we must look at the western countries, what is happenning? there are economic crisis, unequality, racism, many protests to increase wages, bonus, ec. If we believe blindly in the chapter, it means that chaotic, unstability will appear in China, so the situation will be likely to be worsen, and maybe China will be the second Russia when they chose a wrong way to innovate.
Votes: -4
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written by karma , January 07, 2009
Human Right and Democracy ensures right to dignity, freedom to express, right to movement and hold on your personal beliefs without fear of persecution.
Votes: +2
I would welcome such change without any reservation. Life is precious, it is not just a vase to fill in. Karma report abuse
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written by Bangkok , January 07, 2009
I would throw all-out of support on the Chinese Communist Party. It is clear that the West is behind this to destabilize China, knowing full well that a sudden liberalization spells disaster as it happened to Russia.
Votes: -5
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written by Wordsworth , January 07, 2009
"Western liberal democracy will invariably result in a small elite amasing untold wealth at the expense of the majority."
Votes: +2
Isn't this what is currently happening in China anyway? And don't forget, Communism is also a Western invention. report abuse
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written by Awakened , January 07, 2009
China must resolutely deflect such demands for rash democracy but follow its own path to democracy with Chinese characteristics, best emulating the successful & tested S'porean styled autocracy of clean, effective & efficient governance. Democracy will not put food on the table but political stability will. Western liberal democracy will invariably result in a small elite amasing untold wealth at the expense of the majority. The economical meltdown of Wall Street proves the bankcruptcy of the Western model & it is time the rest of the world stop worshipping the failed West but instead find a workable alternative.
Votes: +0
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Although it had lagged behind in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the greater scheme of its thousands of years of history, the period prior to CPC imperialism is normal.
I agree with comments that say China has a different philosophy and ideas llike equality, freedom and human rights have to be re-examined from a non-Western worldview, which has created societies with declining family values, obsessive individualism, directionless drifting.
What is the purpose of modern Western society? The "pointless" pursuit of "profits" by forcing "trade", nothing more than daylight robbery in the late 1800s to early 1900s in China, and "democratising" countries with key raw materials and energy sources?
In my view, Western science and technology have caused more gruesome, bloody wars and environmental damage than good.
If you observe the West, parts of society are embracing Eastern spirituality. Is it because life is so hollow in Western societies and science failed to explain many things, which Chines traditional beliefs have long discovered since ancient times?
This Lu Xiaobo, has he received funds from the National Endowment Agency? Apparently so. What's the NED?
http://www.ned.org/grants/07programs/grants-asia07.html
I really think the West should solve its problems in their own backyards and stop trying to be saviours of the universe.
Thank you very much but is Obama even good at calligraphy?