Protests in China: Nothing New

Protests in China are nothing new. Years before the Olympic Games, before the recent protests in Tibet, in China significant and even violent protests have been going on for years, as the Chinese population has continuously demonstrated its profound dissatisfaction with government policies and with the Communist party.

Since 2000, the protests have increased in an alarming number, while also becoming more violent and aggressive. From the 8,700 "mass incidents" of 1993, in 1999 we reach a number of 32,000, which in 2002 become 50,000, 58,000 in 2003 and 74,000 in 2004.

In 2004, the Chinese Ministry of Defense has revealed some dramatic statistics: the number of participants in these popular revolts increased from 730,000 in 1994, to 3 million in 2003, to 4 million in 2004. The Chinese people protest against poverty, loss of employment, pollution, illegal confiscation of land, forced migration and subsequent ghettoization of entire village populations due to the construction of dams, and government corruption in general. Protesters are shot at, beaten – sometimes to death - arrested, and imprisoned without trial. Clearly, television coverage in China edits out any images of protests. News journalists are told not to report them.

The Chinese people’s protests have continued, now including the protests of parents of earthquake victims who are protesting the criminally substandard construction of their children’s schools (due to government corruption). The Chinese dictatorship desires fervently to legitimize its position at the international level through the Olympic Games, especially because export is so important to its economy. Therefore, a positive international public opinion of their country is vital to the Chinese leadership.

Instead of attempting to truly institute tangible improvements in China (which would be more human and therefore less "controllable" by the regime, which is something that their "party" mentality does not permit) the authorities have increased their use of censorship and repression. Any voice in China which rises up and speaks out is silenced as quickly as possible. This does not mean that they are simply censored, it can mean being sent to a forced labor camps or being murdered. The priority of the dictatorship is the image projected to the world, not the well-being of the Chinese people.

If today we are aware of a small percentage of the protests that are taking place in China, if some news has been able to get past the various forms of the regime’s censorship, we owe it to the attention which China is receiving due to the upcoming Olympic Games.

But when the Olympics are over, do we dare imagine what will go on in China?

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