Bad Press

The Uighur riots in western China are teaching the government how to spin.

By Mary Hennock | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jul 7, 2009

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: clu1984 @ 09/10/2009 11:43:06 PM

    OH MY GOSH, THOSE COMMENTS WERE MADE BY THE CHINESE WERE DOLTS... I AM ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED BY THEIR KNOW-NOTHING COMMENTS. WHOMEVER ARE READING THEIR COMMENTS PLEASE DO NOT GET MAD AT THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE DEEPLY POISONED BY THE COMMUNIST EDUCATION, SO THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE NOT SENSE OF RESPECT OR SENSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHIN THEIR COMMENTS.

    CHINESE ARE KIND ENOUGHT TO LET THEM IN? WHY DON'T YOU ASK YOURSELF WHY THE PLACE IS CALLED XIN JIANG? IT MEANS THE NEW LAND. IF IT WAS ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO CHINA, THEN WHY WOULD IT BE THE NEW LAND? IF YOU THINK THERE IS NO ETHNIC, THEN WHY WOULD YOU EVEN CALL YOURSELF HAN PEOPLE THEN? OR EVEN CHINESE? YOU SHOULD JUST CALL YOURSELF A PERSON FROM EARTH!

  • Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 07/17/2009 9:05:21 AM

    The Uighur Issues. In Order For China To Be Successful, All Chinese Must Make Sacrifice.

    ]By: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet of Environment

    In order for China to be successful, all Chinese must make sacrifice. I, Myself as Prophet of Environment has made the most sacrifice. Don't forget that the Uighurs and many other tribes in Chin's Xinjiang region or elsewhere, like gypsy, are only nomads. The Uighurs are really aliens believing their loyalty should be completely devoted to Islam. Their loyalty are neither to China nor the Chinese government. Due to rumours and false propaganda from Islamic terrorists, the United States and their allies, Uighurs felt that they have been ignored by the Chinese government and want to share China???s current ???growing prosperity??? without any contributions to its success. Most of you should already know that prosperity in China is really just a myth. Many Han Chinese people are currently suffering due to exploitation by private industries and businesses. Many laborers work much longer work hours for only slightly higher income. Some were not pay for their work and were cheated by crooked employers. Many other Hans are unemployed. While many of those Han Chinese were willing to take those abuses from their employers with cooperation and without complains for the good of the country, many ethnic minorities were dissatisfy for their already improve living standard.

    Among some of those minorities are the Uighurs. While China is already kind enough to let them pass through Chinese land as nomads, they still do not appreciate but continue to create chaos. If they are causing anymore troubles they might as well get, the hell, out of China. The Uigurs should now go to other places if they feel left out when the growing prosperity of the Han leaves them more alienated. By definition as nomads, they simply don't belong to any country. China should expel all of them ASAP! Protests and riots will create too much damages to natural resource and Environment therefore must be stopped immediately. Also, go to Hell will those false Western propaganda and wicked American journalists.

    In order for China to be successful, all Chinese must make more scrifice and stop complaining. By now, all of you could easily see that the entire China with more than 1.3 billions people even when they are all combined have no match to My Great intelligence and Power. Even the entire world has combined, they still cannot challenge Me. I always have the perfect solution for the most difficult problems. I am the indisputable leader of China and the world. As Messenger and Prophet of Environment, I roll the dice and make all judgements and decisions. I am the only person who can save this world..

  • Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 07/15/2009 6:51:06 AM


    The Uighurs Are Nomads.

    By: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet of Environment.

    Don't forget that the Uighurs and many other tribes in China's Xinjiang region or elsewhere, like gypsy, are only nomads. China is already kind enough to let them pass through Chinese land. If they are causing troubles they might as well get, the hell, out of China. The Uigurs should now go to other places if they feel left out when the growing prosperity of the Han leaves them more alienated. By definition as nomads, thy simply don't belongs to any country. By now, all of you could easily see that the entire China with more than 1.3 billions people even when they are all combined have no match to My Great intelligent and Power. Even the entire world has combined, they still cannot challenge Me. I always have the perfect solution for the most difficult problems. I am the indisputable leader of China and the world. I am the only person who can save this world.

  • Posted By: hucl891 @ 07/14/2009 7:25:27 AM

    I don???t know how you Americans think of your so-called civilization, freedom, democrat and human rights and how you value them. In my view, the story took place in Urumuqi is not the one about ethnical revolution or peace struggle, but the one filled with blood, murder and killing the innocent, no matter the old or the young.
    How do you think about your tragedy when Mr. Ben Laden attacked your New York and killed thousands of your people? Do you believe that is also a splendid miracle? Would you enjoy and applaud the crying of the dying people as they were killed by the terrorists in 9.11?
    Looking into your freedom I find nothing but empty and phlegmatic talk. And now are you very satisfied with the blood of Chinese, and intoxicated with the riots and with the bloodshed?
    Is this your so-called freedom or human rights, Mr. Americans?
    As a Chinese, I don???t care whether he is a Uighur or a Han people, and I???m not even interested in politics. What we Chinese care about, or we believe in, is that killing the innocent is an appalling and misforgiven crime to any human being, and we hate any violence on unsuspected victims, whether they are Muslim or Christ, black or white, Americans or Chinese.
    That is our view on human rights.

  • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 12:25:04 AM

    People in Mainland China do not have the cognitive ability to analyze things from different perspectives. Their traditional educational system, combined with the absolute power of the Mainland Chinese Communist Party have taught them that there is only one version of the truth. Whereas, people outside of Mainland China have the ability to criticize their own government and media on a regular basis, to look at riots in their own countries and ask questions from different angles, Han Chinese in Mainland China will almost without execption look for one 100% unquestioned version of the truth. They cannot help themselves. They are not used to a government and media that are forced to admit mistakes or that have multiple voices all talking at once. In China, information is disseminated from the top down. The media is a tool of the Communist Party. Unfortunately, Han Chinese pride, like the pride of people all over the world, prevents the population of China from serving as a check on the voice of their biased media and government. The only answer is for people outside of China to keep criticizing China. These people regularly criticize their own governments and media, but - never mind! - the Chinese Communist Party and its devoted citizens will never admit that. They will attack anybody who dares to criticize the 100% controlled message that they receive from their own authoritarian dictatorship government and its obedient media. Naitonal pride is the problem that prevents the world from getting on with self-criticism and reconciliation. America rejected Bush. Australia rejected Howard, The Japanese regularly reject their leaders. The people in Hong Kong march in the streets when the Hong Kong media is suppressed by the Mainland dictatorship. The people of Taiwan rejected the corrupt Chen Sui-Bian and his anti-unification policies. Will the Han Chinese in the Mainland ever be able to get over their national pride for more than 10 seconds and stand up to the 100% media monopoly that the Mainland Communist dictaorship owns? People in Mainland China need to look in the mirror and ask themselves why they think they are always right and why any problem that occurs in Mainland China is always the fault of somebody else. Whereas they are free to criticize other countries, and the other countries are used to this kind of criticism, if somebody outside of Mainland China criticizes the Han Chinese inside of Mainland China and their 100% dictator government, they will cry, "You are hurting the feelings of the Chinese people!". They are not politically mature enough to live in a system where political criticism is a way of life. They have been taught that there is only one version of the truth. Any criticism from outside must be an evil plot and the continuation of the Opium War.

    • Posted By: AsChi @ 07/09/2009 4:23:30 AM

      Your view is really laughable. Obviously, you are the one who viewed the world from only one point of view. I think that before you so arrogantly ask other to take a look at themselves in the mirror, you should do that yourself.

      From your argument, it is clear that you are the one who is not able to analyze things from different perspective. In each of the examples that you gave "America rejected Bush" "Taiwan rejected Chen Sui Bian", you are only viewing from one point of view. There are still supporters who support them. It's a matter of individual preference/support and it has nothing to do with the citizen of the whole country.

      If you follow the world news you will find that Chinese citizens in China are frequently voicing their disagreement or criticism against the government. Look at the Deng Yujiao case and Internet censorship protest. I don't see them submitting 100% to the government.

      There is no perfect government or political system. Not even America or European countries can claim that they have the perfect system. And 1 system that is applicable to a certain country might not be applicable to another country due to the different culture and history background.

      I am not Chinese citizen but I can see that there has already been a lot of improvements in China, not just the government, but the country as a whole. It's far from perfect, but it's improving.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:32:13 AM

        On this particular story and from the post on this site, it is clear that Mainland Chinese posters are not asking what happened first, what was the role of the riot police, or anything except, "Why is the foreign media biased?" There is no awareness of the bias in their own media. There is also a loud stream of racism coming from several of the posters, "Uighur barbarians". Somebody said he hoped that the foreign journalist was raped. No comment about Han Chinese taking to the streets in Urumqi with sticks and going on a vengeful vigilante raid. Don't expect sympathy for your bigotry or your narrow views. Everybody condems the violence. Any violence commmited by Uighurs against the riot police is to be condemned. The posters have not condemned the riot police, as they assume that this entire episode of ethnic violence is the fault of one side. They do not ask themselves why there is such hatred for Han Chinese. Americans asked themselves "Why do they hate us?" after 9-11. A large % of Americans understood that Middle-Easterners hate the effect that American government policies and American multi-nationals have had on their countries, including on Palestine. Will Mainland Chinese ever ask themselves why they are hated around Asia, in Tibet, in Xinjiang? When Mainland China rules the world, will they care? Good luck being loved, Mainland China. It's a big job! You'd better get used to the criticism. They don't like you very much in Manila or Seoul.

        • Posted By: AsChi @ 07/09/2009 6:14:24 AM


          I haven't read all the posters comment but there are a lot of extremist out there. In almost all comments in different articles you can find comments that are just downright rude, racist, and violence. There is no reasoning with them as they are narrow minded and unable to even try to think from the other point of view. If you condemned them, why do you scoop down to their level? Your comment is also racist. You are judging ALL the Chinese Han based on the actions of some. You are judging without understanding them and without looking from their point of view.

          In my response, I never indicate that in the Xinjiang riot, any certain party is to blame or is in the wrong. I do not support those bias/racist comment myself. I simply argued against your extreme opinion that ALL Chinese Han is this and that. All the Chinese Han has been trained to be submissive to the government, all the Chinese Han has too much pride to accept criticism, all the Chinese Han cannot evaluate the media reporting. That is what I think is wrong. As I pointed out, just do a quick google search for news report and you'll read about all those "opposition voices" from inside China.

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:49:52 AM

            Glad to see that you are open-minded enough to critizie your own government and media. you agree that your media is 100% controlled by an authoritarian government that constantly blocks whatever information it doesn't want to touch your sensitive ears and eyes, locks up the Internet, shuts down mobile phone transmissions, blacks out TV broadcasts and forbids journalists from access to sensitive topics, people and places? You cannot make a serious comparison between a system that is fundamentally and structurally authoritarian and one that is subject to democratic checks-and-balances such as an independent media and an independent judiciary. If you don't totally agree with me, I certainly have no right to criticize that. However, I haven't heard a single peep out of one of you on this post that your country, yourself, your Party, your media or your friggin' Communist Party ever made a mistake in its entire existence. I doubt any of you are from a Chinese ethnic minority, and if you really want to know what your own citizens think about you, why not be-friend and talk with them, instead of listening to what a "foreigner" (we are ALL "foreigners" in this world!) thinks!

            • Posted By: AsChi @ 07/14/2009 5:52:18 AM

              Apparently, you didn't really read my post carefully. It makes me wonder how can you criticize something without reading/understanding the comment correctly. Perhaps you just read what you want to read.
              I wrote that "I am not Chinese citizen" so the Chinese government is certainly not my government. I don't live in China, I don't often watch their TV programs, news reports, etc. so I'm certainly not in the position to state whether the Chinese media is 100% government controlled or not. So I'll just ignore your blabbering about not being chinese minority, making friends, etc. as I totally had no idea what you're talking about.

        • Posted By: Atum @ 07/09/2009 6:16:23 AM

      • Posted By: zz333 @ 07/09/2009 9:41:24 AM

        AsChi , there is a wonderful country you are welcome to reside in.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:21:11 AM

    • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/09/2009 5:23:04 AM

      rsilverstrom is a coldbood and brutal AL QUATA member.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 7:14:58 AM

        Nope, I never supported a terrorist in my life, and I am vehemently opposed to angry protestors killing people, to riot police killing people who are just angry unless they become violent, and opposed to revenge killings. I opposed the iraq War, opposed Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, opposed North Korea, Burma, Iran, the US CIA's actions in Iran and many other countries. Oh yes, and I opposed the PRC government's murder of its own citizens (including one of my best Chinese friends) on Tiananmen Square on the evening of June 3-4th, 1989, something for which neither I nor his parents will ever forgive the PRC government. I will also not forgive the Dictators in Beijing for coddling the Burmese government, the North Korean government, the Iranians and the Sudanese anymore than I will ever forgive the American government for invading Iraq or the Japanese for invading China and slaughtering 300,000 innocent people in Nanjing. You, however, seem to support the activities of the PRC government and have blood on your hands. You are not a "terrorist" by the common definition, but you are definitely a trained fascist thug who thinks nothing of slaughtering innocent men, women and children.

        • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 9:36:38 AM

          You keep making one good point after another which makes me obliged to reply though I'm most unwilling to do anymore.
          If what you said is true, one of your student friend got killed in 1989, my condelences to your student friend's falimy. As I said, the Tiananmen incident is one of the blackest stain in the history of modern China. but if you use that to judge your blindness to the progress China has made since then, I find myself in a disagreeing position. If killing one friend is good enough to generate such long lasting hatred, what do you expect from the families of those 156 (maybe not all hans, but at least a majority) Hans who had been killed by the mobs towards Uigurs? Should they follow you suit? I'm a trained fascist, so I'm no good to give them advices. But our government's position is to isolate the extremists, have them duely punished but The hans and uigurs as a whole should try best to maintain good relationship. Given your anti-all-chinese stand, you sure will claim it's a no good commie propaganda, so any better idea?

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 6:47:21 AM

            You don't get it, do you? Your government is, today, the same government that murdered its own citizens in 1989. It is an authoritarian government that has no serious checks-and-balances from the media, the judiciary or ordinary citizen groups. Most recently, one of your key leaders said that China would never adopt an independent judiciary and media. You think I'm "anti-al-chinese stand"? I am more of friend of China than you are yourself. You are a coward who won't stand up to your own government. I want justice for my friends in China more than you do. One of my friends, a former PLA soldier was beat up by police officers who were physically harassing an old woman who was selling things on the street without a license. 8 policemen beat him up and left him in a ditch. Another friend of mine was locked up almost naked in a chair in a police station for 18 hours because he went back to a business that had cheated him and demanded his money back. The business had connections with the police and came to take my CHINESE friend away to be locked naked in a chair all night long until he would just shut up. PEOPLE NEED JUSTICE IN CHINA. ECONOMIC REFORMS HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY ANY LOOSENING OF THE CCP'S GRIP ON POWER. I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS, AS A FRIEND OF CHINA. IF YOU ACCEPT THIS, THEN THAT JUST SAYS WHAT KIND OF "CHINESE PATRIOT" YOU ARE. Just because you look Chinese, doesn't mean you really know how to love China!

        • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 9:16:02 AM

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:49:15 AM

        Wow, that sure makes you sound intelligent. Hey, I can accuse you of the same thing! It's fun! Dainzin Gyaco is a terrorist who works for the Iranian and Chinese governments. He is being paid to post on this site. Hehe, wow just saying it makes it true. Where was this person educated? Get a brain!

        • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 9:42:13 AM

          "Hehe, wow just saying it makes it true. "
          Are you trying to let us believe what you said about Commie China or not, then.
          You do make yourself look smarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt. This will be my last posting.

    • Posted By: joeydude @ 07/09/2009 3:23:11 AM

      Careful not to dislocate your shoulder patting western society on the back. Look at the last presidential election in america, where candidates were hand-picked by network executives. Look at 9-11, where the THREE buildings that collapsed are OFF-LIMITS to any independent investigation. Yes, there is an illusion that the American government is under criticism. But by who? Bill O'Reilly? Keith Olberman? Those twits? They rant emotionally about issues but don't really ask questions to authority. It's much easier for the western media to point the finger across the ocean than to draw attention to their own infidelity.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:45:33 AM

        Congratulations on missing the big picture. The "Western media" is not turned on and off like a switch whenever governments don't like the news. Nobody is "patting the Western media on the back". We admit to our bias. We criticize ourselves constantly. You will not hear that AT ALL from the Chinese Communist Party of the Mainland Chinese media. Whenever they don't like what's being reported, they just black out the TV screen. Now people in other countries, including the USA and Europe can receive Mainland State Government TV (CCTV) in their respective countries. Can you imagine the screen going dark in Germany is Angela Merkel doesn't like what CCTV is saying about them? This happens every week in China. Report on Tibet? No way! Screen goes black. Report on Taiwan? No way! Screen goes black. You people who blame everything that happens in China on other countries but who never, ever, under any circumstances would criticize the Mainland Chinese government and media are blissfully ignorant of your own shortcomings. Those of us who have been criticizing our own governments forever are not the ones who are blind.

        • Posted By: joeydude @ 07/10/2009 3:40:05 AM

          Yes, there is a big picture, and yes, the Western media is not turned "off and on" like a light switch. They're just too slick for that move. It's more like the media is on a slider. Reporting about politician's affairs and michael Jackson's death for months on end is their way of "going black". I'm surprised you don't know this. And I'm not sure about other western countries, but America is not a democracy, it's an Oligarchy. So the Fed, the banks and their holders are the ones choosing what you see and what you are even able to criticize. I guess i'm taking us off topic here, but anyways... Although China is a young government and is obviously not as open as the rest, I would really hate to see it follow in the footsteps of America - where the people are too fat and lazy to even consider acting against the government.

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 4:09:35 AM

            I know many Americans who are not fat, though that is certainly a problem there. Your comment about "oligarchy" is an unsubstantiated opinion, not a fact. America is an imperfect representative democracy. What is China? It is an Authoritarian dictatorship. Few people want their countries to be like China, in the political sense. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. And nobody wants to be like tha fat, smoking, nouveau-riche Baofahu in China who talk loudly on their cellphones and pratically run people over in their big BMWs when you're trying to cross the street in China. You think foreigners are arrogant? Ask the Han Chinese in Mainland China why they are constantly saying racist things about black people, Tibetans, Japanese, and Uighurs. I was with 3 Han Chinese one month ago in a restaurant. One was from Xinjiang. Suddenly they all started talking about "how dirty" Uighurs were. I don't support violence and believe that people should be thrown in jail or executed if they are guilty of murder. And that includes the Han Chinese who are now roaming the streets of Urumqi with sticks and seeking reventge.

            • Posted By: joeydude @ 07/10/2009 4:44:24 AM

              Ok, I'll change it to, "Americans are too satiated by facebook, myspace and twitter to even consider acting against a corrupt system". And still you see no problem with the statement "People in Mainland China do not have the cognitive ability to analyze things from different perspectives."? Is that not a gross generalization? Sounds like you've been hanging out with the wrong Chinese people. Probably the ones who threw themselves at you when you got off the plane. Of course there are no racists in America! Of course there is no greed in America! Of course there are no bad drivers in America! Of course there are no vengeful killers in America! Hooray for America! Cultural behavior is simply irrelevant if you can see beyond stereotypes and accept the oneness, not the discriminations, of humankind. If you're ever in Chongqing let me know, we'll go have a beer and continue the conversation.

              • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 5:37:24 AM

                We're used to being criticized for all of the bad things about our socities. That is our nature - we are open societies. You are just not used to being criticized. You can't stand it. You cry whenever you are criticized from the outside, "Don't hurt Chinese feelings!" Ask the parents of the 1989 students about their feelings towads your government and media why don't you? Ask the parents in Beijing how they feel about the Mainalnd Chinese media and the Chinese Communist Party who denied that the students who protested were patriotic and who denied that any sort of massacre occured. Shame on you and your entire generation for giving into the Chinese Communist Party and their cover-up of what really happened during your own history. Your entire generation is more hyper-nationalistic and arrogant that of George Bush and his supporters put together times ten!! If your bellies weren't full and you didn't have cellphones and high-payiing jobs and shiny new cars and health-club memberships and trips to Thailand at Chinese New Year, you might question their censorship of the truth. But you do not care anymore. They bought you off. And the Chinese Communist Party couldn't be happier that you are blaming the foreign media for the ethnic violence and hatred that their own "Go West" policy has helped to create!

                • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 6:08:09 AM

                  As a participant of the Tiananmen Square demonstration, I think I am more justified to comment on that thing, that's one of the blackest moment of modern China. But which country doesn't have things like this. I'm sure you didn't asked anybody as you said in your posting regarding the student's mom or what. to remind you, around the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen incident, there is a news reporter who interviewed a then student leader who then appeared on the cover of time magazine, since you trust you media so much, try go find and read it. in the end of the news report, the then student fall silent, which makes the news reporter wondering. Let me tell you, it's these people who voiced their anger at our government then that are now pointing their(including mine) fingers at your news media. Tell us we are brainwashed idiots, shame on you.

                  • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 6:40:15 AM

                    It is very difficult to follow the logic and supporting points in your writing. What article are you talking about? I am not going to search the whole Internet under some ambibuous key words. The student "fell silent"??? What are you talking about? This could mean any one of 100 things. I have plenty of negative things to say about my own media. I have a lot more negative things to say about a media that is 100% controlled by an authoritarian government that killed hundreds of its own citizens in 1989 and has never ever faced the truth about it. Don't expect me to believe anything the Mailand Chinese says until there are more political checks-and-balances in Mainland China.

              • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 5:37:13 AM

                Joey Dude, do you support the Chinese Communist Party's 100% lock on power? Are you a Communist? Do you support Authoritariansim? Do you want to see a media that is not in total lock-step with the Communist Party? Whose side are you on? The side of people to get more sides to the story that the "official Party line"? Or do simply not care about politics and reform in your own society? This whole set of events happened in China, not in other countries. Then the Chinese media reacted. And the foreign media reacted. Whereas I can admit that the Western media is biased, you cannot admit that the Chinese media and the government have absoultey zero balance in their coverage. Zero. They have the power to control the entire story, exactly as they see fit. Has the Chinese media investigated what happened with the riot police? Has the Chinese media asked the question (about the Uighurs and other minorities - not just the violent "protestors"), "Why do they hate us?" Some introspection would be nice for a change from the Mainland Chinese National Ego. I know how to knock and oppose the egos and demagogues in my own country when they become over-inflated. Do you? What you "guys" are intent on is blaming the foreign media for your own problems. This is not about all of the problems in Sweden or Canada or America. This is about China. If the event is a riot in Stockholm or Toronto or Los Angeles, go ahead and criticize whatever you want about those countries and their governments and media and the way they handle it. But don't blame your own ethnic conflicts and the reporting on the foreign media while saying nothing about the misinormation and misunderstandings created over a very long period of time by your own controlled and censored and one-sided media. Your own media is so locked up by the Communist Party, you ought to be more concerned about how they are perpetuating the Han Chinese hatred for Uighurs right now than whatever picture Newsweek chose to show at the top of their article. So sick of Chinese people blaming their whole history on other countries. Then muttering to me about how they hate Japanese, dislike black people, how Uighurs and Tibetans are dirty and "barbarian", etc.

                • Posted By: missvege @ 07/11/2009 12:48:11 AM

                  "Why do they hate us?" - An excellent question!!!
                  I don't think blaming a single party would be wise. It is a very complex social issue. However, why wouldn't the CCP blame foreign medias, formal Chinese bussiness women, and so on? CCP learned from your rational western media too.
                  Please ask the same question to the US citizens after "911". That's most of Chinese want to ask at that time too.
                  I admit the Chinese media 100% controled by the CCP, but it doesn't mean it speaks 100% lies. The 90% rational western media may have 90% false point of view, like this report (from my point of view.)

                • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 6:23:16 AM

                  fine. Tell me what your introspection of 911 tells you. I'm all ears to hear your answer and it might help us a little bit.

    • Posted By: missvege @ 07/10/2009 11:41:44 PM

      I'm a Han pepople and have been in the states for a long time. If you have seen both side of media, you would know that there are not free voice whatever in everywhere.
      No rejection to PRC leader by Chinese public? Are you kidding me? Only if you didn't hear thousands of jokes about current/formal leaders/governors in China. Taxi drivers openly talk to every passengers their complains about the government all the time.
      China does have long way to go to catch the western demacracy, but the western is not helping, and why would they? Why would US help her competitor? I would say both sides of media (China & US) get every chance to color each other for their own purpose.

    • Posted By: MattL @ 07/10/2009 12:30:19 AM

      Rsilverstrom, actually it is you who hold such a pride and have lost the cognitive ability to say they do not have the cognitive ability to analyze the different things from different perspective. Because of the Internet and more travels to the outside world, the Chinese have gained a better understanding of the world but you still stay in your own world. Whose life has changed dramatically in the past two decades and who is still in the same old mind-set?

      • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 2:08:18 PM

        rsilverstorm,
        I concur, excellent observation. Interesting how your detractors simply reinforce your point.

        • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 3:28:39 PM

          Sorry wrong reply button.
          Sylverstrom,
          I am in awe of your ability to stay on message through this unusually ferocious barrage of attacks. You must really have hit a very sensitive nerve to have them swarm this way. If nothing else you have at least cost the CCP propaganda budget to suffer from the overtime pay it will take to try to bury you.
          I salute your efforts.

          • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 4:24:16 PM

            I feel it absurd that someone claims "Chinese people are brainwashed" without even reading Chinese media / knowing Chinese language. How do you guys know? By imagination? Or by reading the "only objective media" - western media alone? I have lived in US for more than 10 years, and stayed in China for more than 20 years before that. From my own experience, Chinese media is biased, and western media is biased as well, as least not much less. For nowadays, normal chinese people have many ways of knowing the western viewpoint, as many of them can read English without much difficulty. How would you call somebody who only read one side of the story? "Brainwashed" - isn't that the exact description of people like you guys?

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:28:34 AM

        Oh really? Interesting. And so that is why you would say that your state-owned media is not 100% controlled by your corrupt authoritarian government and that you find their media coverage of events inside and outside of China highly-objective?

        • Posted By: MattL @ 07/10/2009 11:22:07 AM

          Did I claim the Chinese media coverage objectivity or the media coverage in this country? You are in your own mind-set to respond. I assume your access to your ???free??? and ???objective??? media coverage has not been limited or controlled all your life and you have the pride to think you are on the objective and the right side. However, the Chinese people???s access to information has dramatically changed due to the technology, traveling, motivation to learn and economical development. It is safe to say that the Chinese have gained a better understanding than you based on my cognitive ability. The world is changing and I can say the Chinese people have changed the most during the last two or three decades. Is that a fair analysis?

    • Posted By: final knight @ 07/09/2009 6:06:19 AM

      sir???your comment is just not justice to we chinese.since you know that Han chine is suffering from communist domination for 60 years,the people age above 40 used to be absolutely brainwash by the preachment of the good of communist and the evil of capitalist,it will be hard for these people who now in control of our country to change their mind that dominate them for nearly 40years ,and all of the bossy bureaucrats are trying their best to protect their lawless benefit piled by their elders(may be also illegal) . We chinese people of new generation born from 70s to 80s are not bound by the old doctrines,the situation of our country must change but not totally to the way like your western country,Also on the other hand we chinese people is disgusted with your snooty western people(no offense)that always think your civilization is the best in the world.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 7:08:49 AM

        Hey Final Knight, as I recall, it was your "snooty" compatriots who blamed the foreign media for bias while totally ignoring the bias and gross distortions of most controversial stories by the Mainland Chinese media. My own "snootiness" was unmatched until you came along. Mainland Chinese arrogance is the most delicious in the world!

    • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/09/2009 8:10:31 AM

      I think of you as a complete idiot beyond remedy. If we chinese really take information from one perspective, why would we see the news on this website?

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 7:06:45 AM

        You express yourself eloquently and intelligently. When all else fails to persuade, call the other person an "idiot". Its sure to win points from the debate judges. Yes, you bothered to look on this site. So you could blame the foreign media for bias. Because when you looked at the Chinese media, you forgot to accuse them of 100% manipulation of the story. I cannot imagine why else you would look at the foreign media. Since you get such a balanced perspective that doesn't upset you when reading the Mainland Chinese media, I can only conclude that you have a chip on your shoulder or you stumbled upon the Newsweek article via MSN.

    • Posted By: chinesesoul @ 07/09/2009 2:31:53 AM

      I assert that you are biasd.
      Perhaps,in some aspects what you said is the truth.But,at least,some Chinese,for example me,has the ability to distinguish right and wrong .
      But we are not able to give out our voices on the Internet,on Chinese sites,what a pity!
      Please,be more objective.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:40:09 AM

        Yes, I am biased. So is everybody. That was one of my key points. Every time any media dare to criticize or question what is going on in China, it provokes this response. What Mainalnd Chinese fail to understand is that it is the role of the media to criticize and question. In other countries, the media can question the government. And these media question their own governments every single day. When they dare to do the same thing with regards to China, the response is a loud scream from Mainland China. Mainland Chinese are just not used to a government that is forced to tell the whole story or forced to admit its mistakes. Mainland Chinese are not at all accustomed to hearing different sides of the story. In Mainland China, there is one political reality, and that is the Communist Party. The media couuld not possibly tell the story from any other perspective than that.

        • Posted By: chinesesoul @ 07/09/2009 9:10:44 AM

          I used to believe our Communist Party.But gradually ,by viewing Youtube(before banned) and some abroad sites,I found out what the government announced was not what it really was.
          However,what can we do?Maybe,Premier Hu is definitely a dictator,so what? You know,from ancient time,we Chinese have been living under arbitrary.Most people have been used to it. While you Europeans have the sense of liberty and equality in your mind. That's a issue on history.
          What I what to emphasize is that, you can be biased against our government,out media and others like that,but you should not be biased against the people from China,who deeply love their motherland.
          All in all,it's a collision in IDEOLOGY.
          My poor English my disappoints you. Hope you never mind

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 7:04:01 AM

            Yes, I should not say that all Mainland Chinese are this or that. You are the only Mainland Chinese poster on here who has admitted that in addition to the bias in the Western media, there is incredible bias and distortion of the truth - deliberate story-telling the Chinese Communist Party. I am sorry for having said something that was too general and really over-the-top about all people in Mainland China. You have a Motherland and so do the minorities in your country. Hope they feel as much a part of it as you do. Doesn't seem like it. Are you curious about that, or does it matter to you that some of your compatriats feel left ouf of that good old fashioned "Mothreland" thing? I have my country, though I do not refer to it as my "Mother". I love my country, too, though I love the Earth and life even more. I do hope that Mainland Chinese citizens will be able to express themselves more freely in the future and demand more checks-and-balances in China. My key point throughout this debate has been this: these events occured in China. There are Mainland Chinese people who are not Han. They probably do not agree with the viewpoints of your compatriots about the Mainland Chinese media. But nobody even asks the question whether or not media freedom in China matters to the people - whether a minority ethnicity or the majority! Nobody even seems to care. Instead, a domestic event, with serious ethnic conflict exposed, is somehow blamed on "splittist forces abroad" and the foreign media. A serious introspective look at the root causes of ethnic conflict in any country would tend to blame ones own government, majority racists, minority extremists and media distortion BEFORE it would blame the foreign media. It's been years since I heard very many people iin China complain about the media here. They seem to be too busy getting ahead to care about political freedoms. Feel free to complain about the foreign media. There's plenty to complain about - I would be the first to agree! LOL And then turn around and ask yourselves why you complacently accept a domestic media that does not ask the tough questions of your government about its policies of migration that may, and I say "may" just have one little eency-weency bit to do with the animosity that ordinary Uighurs and Hui and others in Xinjiang feel towards the Han. Having said that, I agree with all of you that all of the Uighurs and Han who are out beating people up or who have killed people should be locked up or executed, regardless of race.

        • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/09/2009 8:30:43 AM

          The western media is so great?
          how about the news frenzy before US going to war in Iraq?

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:51:29 AM

            I never said the Western media is so great. I said that the Mainland Chinese media is 100% controlled by your government. You ought to know that even better than I do. But you could never admit it!

    • Posted By: hkmcs @ 07/09/2009 3:27:39 AM

      rsilverstrom : whatever, man. In a decade or so, your biased, tainted and ill-advised "world views" will be ashes-to-ashes. Did you physically go and fight and lose in Vietnam, or did the Viet Cong invite you there? Or similarly in Iraq? Did your spy plane flew to Chinese airspace and got captured there for days? Did you secretly take pictures of the South China military base, wet your pants seeing how the technology has advanced, and sound the alarm immediately so that you might keep your super power status? China is rising, baby. In 15 years when the US is broke and China becomes the new super power, maybe then you'll learn perspectives.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:34:55 AM

        Good reply. Full of vengeful thinking and cocky self-assuredness. Love that way of thinking. It implies that whatever anybody says to challenge the 100% righteousness of your views, you can always win the argument by bragging about how much money you have in the bank and how many factories you've built, how smart your scientists are and how you've never invaded anybody in 5,000 years of your bloody history.

        • Posted By: hkmcs @ 07/09/2009 6:22:30 PM

          "It implies that whatever anybody says to challenge the 100% righteousness of your views, you can always win the argument by bragging about how much money you have in the bank and how many factories you've built, how smart your scientists are and how you've never invaded anybody in 5,000 years of your bloody history."

          You don't hear yourself, do you? You, sir, in your "100% righteous" mind, are stating *all* Chinese people are brainwashed, only listen to government propaganda, and stubbornly xenophobic. You only have 233 years of history, and let's just see how bloody it has been. Korea, Vietnam, Afghanist, Iraq? People there don't really see you as liberators, you know. You feel you're entitled to be judgemental from all the biased opinoins you're fed because you think that you're a "righteous" citizen from a strong country, have a "good" economy and advanced techonology. That's why you think you can be pompous. Why don't you respond to what I said about Vietnam, the spy plane or the military base? It's because you know I'm telling the truth about those events. Don't change the subject to how Chinese brags about the long history, long-sighted views, talented people and good economy. I'm just telling you the kettle is black, and I or any reasonable commentors need not change your mind because China will soon outpace and leave you and your prejudiced views behind.

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:42:07 AM

            I am not American, but I know all about America's misdeeds as well as its many contributions to the world. Unfortunately, you continue to miss the whole point. You have not said one single thing about your own media. This whole blog is about the media. My point has been and will continue to be: we are used to bias. Bias is all around us. When it comes to bias, the Mainland Chinese media takes the cake! Rather than admit this (something you are incapable of doing), you will continue to gloat about taking over the world and having more pigs in your barn. That simply reveals a deeper and more troubling aspect of your ego. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder. Regarding spy planes, yes that was terrible that the Americans spied on China, whether or not it was in international waters or not. If an American plane were spying on my country, I would want it shot down or driven away. How do you feel about Chinese spies in America and other countries? As for the 1999 bombing of the embassy in Serbia, I do remember my friends in Beijing telling me that the university students took out their revenge by assaulting foreigners on the streets and by burning down the American Consular General's residence in Chengdu. Is that what you suggest? That the Uighurs should kill Hans because some Hans in Guangdong killed some Uighurs? And now you would want the cycle to continue by having Hans kill some more Uighurs - and on and on like that?

            I hear Americans constantly criticizing their government's foreign policy, talking about the horrible racism practiced by some people against others and even the systemic racism in America, not only in the past but today. It troubles the American friends that I know. I do not see any bit of the same introspection from Han Chinese towards themselves, their government, their media, their society. Most foreigners in China, including other Asians, are really turned off by the hyper-cocky arrogance and hyper-nationalism that is now popular among the 20-somethings in the Mainland. It is ugly. The fact that this is also part of your story doesn't bother you. Blame the foreign media for bias on the Xinjiang story. Sneer at America. Look at China and never find a fault. Your rhetoric is not credible because you are incapable of criticizing yourself. We have seen a more humble Amreica. Doubt we are going to see much humility out of Mainland China. As you continue to rise, don't expect the world to love you. You'd better get used to it.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:09:12 AM

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/09/2009 5:09:10 AM

    • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/10/2009 12:54:16 AM

      This rsilverstorm must be paid by EAST TURK ORGANIZATION to write. He may weite the artical to praise Bin Laden.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:26:45 AM

        Actually, no I am a private citizen who has far more experience in China than you will ever have abroad, and who has vast experience criticizing my own government on almost a daily basis. At the same time, it appears to many of us that you are a Party Hack for the Chinese Communist Party and that you could never, under any circumstances criticize your own government, media or society. Your national ego is so huge and tightly strapped to your body that you probably would tip over a boat if you stepped onto its bow. Did the Communist Party's military kill hundreds of innocent civilians in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Could you please answer this question? And when are you going to demand the truth from your own government. Sorry, I forgot. Tiananmen was an evil plot by Taiwan and "foreign interests".

    • Posted By: timhan33 @ 07/09/2009 11:20:11 PM

      hi rsilverstrom,

      your insight is quite interesting...but i fail to link your arguments with what happened at tian-an-men...
      you know as well as i do that the biggest critics of the commies are the Chinese themselves.
      however, when a minority starts raping and killing innocent women and men, what do you want the Han Chinese to do? Sit back and enjoy the show?
      Right now, the biggest enemy of the government is the Han Chinese. Why? Because the commies are hindering their attempts to fight back

      rsilverstrom, you are not very bright are you? neither is this article's writer. I pity all those ppl on the forum for wasting their time with the likes of you.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:21:58 AM

        Tim Han, Master of "Brightness", you need to follow the bouncing ball. I'll be sure to provide one next time, as you're probably used to writing your term papers while listening to Iggy Pop and texting friends on your cellphone simultaneously. I do not condone the killing of innocent people, nor do you. Are you sure of how these events unfolded? Is it fair for a journalist to ask the question? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No, I do not expect riot police to sit there with flowers in their guns and a pink popsicle up their rear-end; but do you naively assume that the riot police in an authoritarian country are restrained and would not fire into a crowd of angry protestors? Are you willing to accept what the media in a controlled society have to say about all angles of this story. If you were a Uighur mother whose son was just killed by the riot police, and the media's version of the story were that her son instigated the violence, would you want all questions to be open for consideration and a free rendering of the truth? Do you even want to know how these events unfolded? Do you care whether or not the Chinese media breaks or perpetuates ethnic conflict in the future? If you think that the foreign media is one-sided, how do you think the Hui and Uighurs who did NOT protest and who did NOT commit any crimes feel about the Chinese media? You think they feel the Chinese media is telling their story of the past few decades, let alone the past one week? Do you care that the Chinese media has completely re-written Tiananmen and that hundreds if not thousands of Chinese families are still mourning the loss of their sons and daughters who saw themselves as patriotic young citizens? If you can't draw the lines between the dots, I suggest you change your bulb from incandescent to flourscent. At least you won't waste my energy explaining the connection.

    • Posted By: wahwah888 @ 07/10/2009 3:55:56 AM

      The Chinese people believes in UNITY- UNITED and you are STRONG.
      MAO has united China and defeated all foreign invasion which the Chinese has suffered and weakened
      in the history of Old China. Modern China will stay United, not because the Chinese is a silence majority, but because of Unity and national pride and Security.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 5:10:09 AM

        Chairman Mao. Yes he unified China. So did the Qin Emperor. Killed millions of people. Under Mao, millions starved during the Great Famine. Then there was the "Great" Cultural Revolution. Maybe you'd like to ask some of your fellow Han Chinese, as well as China's Buddhists and Muslims and Christians and Capitalists and all of the other "ists" what they thought about that. Wonderful. Mao gave you back your arrogance. Your defiant attitude. Gave you the Authoritarian dictatorship that you still have today. Terrific.

    • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/10/2009 12:50:47 AM

      rsilverstrom is a member of AL QUATA or East Turkstan Orgnization. So the reader does not need to believe the wording of a terrorists.

    • Posted By: timhan33 @ 07/09/2009 11:20:45 PM

      hi rsilverstrom,

      your insight is quite interesting...but i fail to link your arguments with what happened at tian-an-men...
      you know as well as i do that the biggest critics of the commies are the Chinese themselves.
      however, when a minority starts raping and killing innocent women and men, what do you want the Han Chinese to do? Sit back and enjoy the show?
      Right now, the biggest enemy of the government is the Han Chinese. Why? Because the commies are hindering their attempts to fight back

      rsilverstrom, you are not very bright are you? neither is this article's writer. I pity all those ppl on the forum for wasting their time with the likes of you.

    • Posted By: Morris618 @ 07/09/2009 7:01:32 PM

      You are telling jokes, man !
      Do you know Chinese ? or will you have any chance to learn Chinese ?
      If so, I hope you work hard and understand Chinese language as soon as possible, so that you can go to Chinese web sites ( Yes, inside China, not those outside), then you will, at least, see how Chinese people are thinking differently from the "only version" you mentioned.

      We believe whatever our government said or are saying ? You must be insane when saying that, this is 2009, not 1960 when China was isolated from the world. Hey, man, I have an iphone, and I hanve an internet, hahaha !

  • Posted By: Atum @ 07/09/2009 2:02:36 AM

    Why? Why BBC and CNN reporters only want to see that they want to see?

    I am a Han, I was born in Xinjiang, my parents are doctors, graduated and distribution to Xinjiang in the 60's , and their job is service the Uygur, One of colleague eat by the wolf when he rush to a Uygur patient family.

    My sister is working in a hospital in Urumqi now, with the phone she said, what she saw been more serious than the government reported, the dead people in the first day, more than 90 percent of the Han race, this is easy to distinguish, but the goverment control the information,
    Why, to prevent the retaliation of Han, the Han are not sheep, also could desperate resistance. that's what West media want to see.

    Foreigners not living in Xinjiang, they do not know to enjoy the preferential policies for ethnic minorities, there is no family planning/bornning control, , like the ethnic minority in US, there are a fixed proportion of the job position for them, have the right to take knives in the streets,
    Preferences of ethnic minorities and even in the law, just as "two small a width" policy, theft, robbery, get nothing, killing Han people just 5 years in prison,

    In China's college entrance examination, the the ethnic minority will get additional point, You konw , one point has obsoleted tens of thousands of people. In my university, Han chines's mark must over 560,
    Uygur student just need 300!! Once an Han ordinary students been stabbed by a an drunk Uygur student to death, and just send him back to the autonomous region, the stupid policy!! when I back to Urumqi, I seen him. very rich,
    Why? he has been educated, He saw the world outside Xinjiang

    Uygurs riots were a lot of the poor, just like most people in China, language for them is a problem, But same thing happened in my working companies, the first class speak English, because the boss is American, the second class speak Cantonese , because the management team are all Singaporeans, low level is Putonghua.
    As i talk to my Uygurs friend, they feel unfair that sell a car of raisins can not buy moto bike, raisins is very cheap in Xinjiang, but ask them sold the raisins to other places in China, their first reflect is the language barrier, One of friend came to Beijing business trip, what even he said that people here do not speak Uighur, unfair

    I must work now, back soon

    • Posted By: christoph413 @ 07/09/2009 5:57:40 PM

      Thank you for your insight Atum, please bear with us, most people in the West have no idea how the world really is, we are buried under (instant gratification and what have you done for me lately attitudes) Most people do not know that China was old when Rome was young. I appreciate the way Chinese take the long view on things, in America at least, WWII was a long time ago, and meanwhile Chinese have not forgotten their Warring States period and the Han Dynasty. Communist government or not the Chinese people are a great and deservedly proud people and will not allow themselves to be treated like the Sudanese, Somali, Bosnia or Serb people they will resist terrorist threat and violence till the end. Show us the way China not everyone in the West is simple enough to fall for Western Media spin and some of us know that our Media is extremely biased and driven by their own agendas.

      • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 3:12:34 PM

        "Preferences of ethnic minorities and even in the law, just as "two small a width" policy, theft, robbery, get nothing, killing Han people just 5 years in prison,"
        Yes, great insight !!!
        This would be funny if it were not for real..

        • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 3:53:47 PM

          Can you read Chinese? I guess you can't, so you can ignore anything that is not in your favor. Anyway, here's a website mentioning the policy favoring ethic minorities in China. There are tons more if you understand Chinese and just search for it.

          http://www.farmer.com.cn/news/spll/200703130078.htm

          • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 4:35:16 PM

            Sorry I forgot. If it is Written in Chinese then it is Thruth. Got it.

            • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 4:45:33 PM

              I found the exact opposite is true for you - if it is published in newsweek then it is truth. That attitude doesn't in anyway increase your credibility.

              • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 5:01:17 PM

                So you admit to believing your CCP version is completely thruthful ?

                • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 5:08:08 PM

                  Did I ever say that? what we are discussing here is "whether the western media is biased". "CCP version is biased" doesn't make the western media more objective.

                  • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 9:57:53 PM

                    Sorry I lost track. Where do I go to post on the Newsweek story about how the "Uighur Riots Teach CHINA to Spin" article?

                    • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/13/2009 11:34:24 AM

                      If you don't want to spend time to read other sources, I won't waste more of my time educating you. The main points I'm trying to make are:
                      - Most of the victims are Han Chinese, they are attacked by Uighur extremists. (Most of the Uighur people lived peacefully with other ethic groups, no blame should be put on the whole ethic group)
                      - It has nothing to do with CCP government. The CCP government has its own problems, but not everything in China can be attributed to the "evil CCP government". I'm sick of this biased view.

                      If you don't want to read my posts, fine. I just hope other people will read them and give them independent thought.

                      • Posted By: linkin @ 07/14/2009 5:13:49 AM

                        Thanks everyone whoever from China or western countries posted the truth and just views!!! When I browsed this article at the first time, there were only two or three comments to argue those biases and lies. Now most young Chinese can analyze and judge a thing by knowledge and free and independent thinking. If the western mediums continue mistake, and blinding people, the western countries would be not far away to collapse.

                    • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/13/2009 11:36:22 AM

                      This is a post from NYTimes, which I think is pretty objective.

                      -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      This situation is complicated, and like most stories, perhaps the truth is somewhere in between. While each case has its own specific background, parallels to this incident can be seen in other inter-ethnic conflicts around the world (Chinese - Malay), Fiji (Fijian - Indian), Indonesia (Chinese- Indonesian), United States - LA, Watts (Black-White), Spain (Basque-Spanish)etc. etc

                      These incidents are all unfortunate, and due to inequalities (real or perceived) or perhaps by historical rivalries or unexplained racial hatred.

                      What is clear however, is that when such incidences occur in China, the West seems to exploit them to push its agenda against the Chinese government, justifying and excusing the rioters excesses (Uigher or Tibetan).

                      On the contrary, I don???t think I recall the western media using the LA riots to indict the US government for its oppression of minorities or support / ignore some of the thuggery of the rioters against innocent people
                      , often white (recall truck driver Reginald Denny), in the same way they gloss over violence against Han Chinese.

                      Furthermore, lack of ethnic violence or strife in Western countries, is not an indication of perfect non-discriminatory societies.

                      In fact it could highlight the fact that the Maori in NZ (Maori up until the 70s were often caned at school for speaking their language), Aboriginal in Australia (Tasmanian aboriginals were wiped out by the middle of the 20
                      Century) or North American Indian or Black people in the US, or indigenous and black people in Brazil have been so disenfranchised due to the genocide against their culture and language, that they no longer even understand the
                      notion of independence.

                      While there are probably genuine grievances in China among certain minorities, I feel it is incorrect and hypocritical for Western governments and media to get behind / support any outburst of riotous violence, in order
                      to take the moral high ground against China. Inter-ethnic violence is a terrible thing, and should not be used by West (media / government) as a tool for advancing self-interest.

                      Furthermore people should have a look in their own backyards before rushing to judgment on what is happening in their neighbours.

                      ??? Mark Tierney

              • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 5:24:21 PM

                Actually my view on Newsweek articles on China is that they are necessarilly incorrect/incomplete for the very reason that your PRC government does not allow them to properly investibate the voracity of the information. It is difficult enough to do so in open societies let alone the beaurocratic,secretive,xenophonic dictatorships.I particularly distrust their reliance on "official" data ... they should do their job and confirm the accuracy and relevance first.... then yes, you would be correct I would tend to lend more credibility to their reports of contravercial topics within China.
                Perhaps we should co-operate in our common goal to have foreign media be more accurate by urging the CCP to give unrestricted access . If it is the "Thruth" we both seek I say let's not hide it.

                • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 5:59:47 PM

                  Another article which shows both normal Han Chinese and Uighurs are victims.

                  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6677379.ece

                • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 5:58:42 PM


                  The whole article is too long, search for "Elvis Esparza" on the following page:

                  http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2009/07/chinas_muslim_w.html

                  Elvis Esparza
                  July 8, 2009 03:43 AM

                  So many here on Businessweek are misinformed about China. Imperialism? Cultural Genocide? Racism? Colonialism?

                  For starters the area of Xinjiang (with Mongolia) has ALWAYS either being a part of China or has posed a threat to Chinese civilization due to nomadic barbarians (Xiongnu, Ruan, Turks, Mongols, & Tatars). Traditionally the Chinese were forced to pacify those regions via either outright conquest (Han &Tang dynasties) or punitive expeditions (Han, Sui, & Ming dynasties) to force them into vassal status, otherwise they had to "hold the line" so to speak by using the Great Wall. Today's PRC has decided on outright rule both due to its natural resources and so that is serves as a buffer region. Completely and totally understandable and in realpolitic terms justifiable. Since one of the ways to secure a territory is to settle your own people there (see the Romans, Incas, the United States, and of course Imperial China) the Chinese government is doing the same thing encouraging Han Chinese to migrate to Xinjiang (as well as Tibet - also for purposes of natural resources and to serve as a buffer region).

                • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 5:56:41 PM

                  Sure, now I think we have some common ground. "The truth" is too big a topic for me. I'll forward some articles written by other western people, as a starter. I don't claim they are the truth. They are just from other perspective.

    • Posted By: zz333 @ 07/09/2009 9:48:04 AM

      Then why did your parents go there in the forst place?

      • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/09/2009 4:42:11 PM

        The Han Chinese has been there for more than 2000 years, as well as many other ethic groups. Actually it is the Uighurs who moved there much later, from the Mongolian Plateau. Don't blindly believe everything CNN says, go learn some history.

        • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 2:59:07 PM

          So the DNA data to the contrary is wrong ? When was this discovery made ?

          • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/10/2009 3:35:35 PM

            What DNA data are you talking about? source? Or it only exists in your mind?

            • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/11/2009 12:07:47 AM

              "The purpose of this particular study is a reexamination of two sites from eastern Central Eurasia: Linzi in China (Liangchun site), dated to about 2500 years B.P. (Wang et al. 2000); and Egyin Gol in Mongolia, dated to about the last few centuries B.C. to the first few centuries A.D. (Keyser-Tracqui et al. 2003).

              Linzi is in Shandong Province in northern China, near the Yellow River and the Ordos region. It is presently part of the city of Zibo. Sixty-three individuals were examined in the original study from the Liangchun site in Linzi, dating to about 500 B.C. (Wang et al. 2000). However, only 34 gave good results for mitochondrial DNA. Although the original study extracted longer sequences (287 bp), only the 185-bp segments (nt 16194-16378) actually used in Wang's analysis were available in GenBank. The date places the material during the Spring and Autumn period in between the fall of the Eastern Chou dynasty and the rise of the Han dynasty. Wang et al. (2000) also included 50 modern Han Chinese individuals from Linzi (labeled Qidu here).

              Samples also have been examined from the more recent Yixi site at Linzi (2000 years B.P.; Oota et al. 1999), although these were not included here because of inconsistency in the Yixi data in GenBank (nearly half the samples lacked sufficient data for inclusion). Because the length of the sequences available is only 185 bp, accurate comparative genetic analysis with other populations is difficult. Wang et al. (2000) reported that they found the Linzi material clustered closely with modern Europeans, particularly Finnish, Turkish, and Icelanders. However, as we will show, this analysis may be imprecise [as suggested by Yao et al. (2003)]. In addition, we examine the fact that the putative "cousins" of the Europeans, the so-called Indo-Iranians, are known to have been widespread in Central Eurasia at that time.

              Cont..

              • Posted By: chicagolionking @ 07/13/2009 11:26:12 AM

                Can you explain why this study supports your argument? Do you know where Shandong province is? It is at the coast of Pacific Ocean. You are not suggesting the whole China belongs to the Uighurs, aren't you? Plus it is well known that many ethic groups lived in where the modern China is, why is this DNA result a news for anyone? Uighurs formed as a ethic group around 700AD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghur_people), why is the DNA test here has anything to do with Uighurs?

                Most importantly, even if all your claims are true - the Uyghurs lived in Xinjiang before anybody else (which clearly is wrong), the other ethic groups have live there for more than 2000 years as well. Who gives the rights to the Uyghurs to attack innocent people, to behead them, to smash their head with stones? When somebody attack the world trade center, you call it terrorism, when somebody attack innocent people in China, why is it suddenly peaceful demonstration?

              • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/11/2009 1:09:48 AM

                Sorry the last three posts are in the wrong order. The last one should be first, etc.

            • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/11/2009 12:09:19 AM

              Table 5 clearly shows a differential pattern in the genetic relationships of Linzi and Egyin Gol to other populations. First, we see that the Egyin Gol and Linzi populations do not share a close affinity with each other, or at least not more so than they do with modern populations (although see earlier results). As for the Linzi individuals, they seem to be most highly related to Near Easterners (Turks, Iranians, and Iraqis), Armenians, and Eastern Europeans (Slavs, Hungarians), although others, such as Catalans and Iraqis, are mixed in.
              What is clear is that the Linzi material does have an affinity to the West, most highly to the groups mentioned. The East Asians that made the list are generally toward the bottom, save for the Vietnamese. The other interesting thing is that the few Central Asian Turkic peoples are generally toward the bottom, with only the Uighur appearing in the middle of the top half (but still outside the top 10 matches). It has been noted that Near Eastern Turks actually bear more affinity with Europeans and Near Easterners than with their linguistic cousins in Central Asia and that the Turks came to dominate Turkey through an elite dominance process, meaning that the effect on maternal heritage should be minimal (Comas et al. 1996, 1998). Thus we may be able to include them with the Iranians and other Near Easterners, who bear a close affinity with Linzi, although the relatively high distance between the ancient Linzi sample and Central Asian Turks may actually be from more recent East Asian admixture. The other high-affinity groups, mostly from Eastern Europe in the Slovakians and Hungarians, may be related either directly or through the indirect process of east-west settlement in Central Eurasia that has been occurring in Eastern Europe for at least the past several thousand years, beginning possibly with the Indo-Europeans and definitely by the time of the Iranian Scythians and Sarmatians, as well as with later Turkic groups (although we have noted the distance between modern Central Asian Turkic peoples and Linzi). "
              Reanalysis of Eurasian population history: ancient DNA evidence of population affinities.: Human Biology. Aug 2006.


              Hope this is conclusive enough for you.

            • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/11/2009 12:09:02 AM

              Egyin Gol is a necropolis in northern Mongolia. The original study successfully extracted DNA from 62 specimens, ranging from about the 3rd century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D., including mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (Keyser-Tracqui et al. 2003). In this study we examine the mitochondrial DNA (nt 16009-16390). The Egyin Gol site sits along the Egyin Gol River, a tributary of the Selenge River, which flows into Lake Baikal. The site has been attributed possibly to the Hsiung-Nu, who Keyser-Tracqui et al. (2003) described as an ancient "Turkomongolian" tribe. However, the exact relationship of the Hsiung-Nu to either Mongols or Turks [who do not definitively appear until the first few centuries A.D. with the Jou-Jan and their "blacksmith slaves," the Turks (Sinor 1990)] is not clear. Moreover, the Chinese records of the Hsiung-Nu have proven them difficult to classify culturally and linguistically, and the origins of the Hsiung-Nu are not clear (Di Cosmo 2002).
              Materials and Methods

              For the purposes of this study we examined as wide a range of variation as possible at the population level. For this analysis we compiled 3,703 mtDNA HVSI sequences from 51 modern populations (including the Qidu samples) from across Eurasia in addition to the two aforementioned ancient populations (total populations = 53). Most of the populations were included regardless of whether they were thought to be related to the two ancient populations, although a few populations were added because of hypothetical relationships, and the African Biaka were included as an outgroup. Limitations in computer power and software design placed restrictions on the total number of populations used in the analysis, but populations were included up to reasonable limits of this constraint. For example, DNAsp, a program used in the analysis, consistently failed at about 2,500 sequences (other programs, such as Arlequin, are written specifically to handle a maximum amount; in Arlequin's case that amount is 1,000 sequences).
              In East and Central Asia, the Kazakhs, KirghizLL (lowland), KirghizHL (highland), Uighurs, UighursXJ (Xinjiang), and KazakhXJ (Xinjiang) represent some of the diversity seen in Central Asia and Xinjiang today. The Mongolians, Ewenki, Koreans, and Japanese along with the northern Chinese populations of Liaoning, Qidu, and Shandong represent the northern part of East Asia save Siberia. The Yunnan, Guangdong, and Guangdong2 populations represent the southern part of China

          • Posted By: MattL @ 07/10/2009 3:29:06 PM

            Ask the questions to the people currently live in South America, North America, Australia, Hawaii..Isreal... and the natives of those lands.

      • Posted By: dannysiu @ 07/09/2009 9:55:26 AM

        why you, your parents, grandparents or ancestors end up moving to a town other than their birth place? Han Chinese people moved to Xinjiang, so what?

  • Posted By: shovonc @ 07/13/2009 10:21:18 AM

    As an Indian, I'd have to say the events in Xinjiang are sadly familiar. Doesn't look like a conspiracy involving Al Qaeda, or the Chinese government, or anyone else -- just a good old fashioned communal riot. It takes just a spark to light the flame, and before you know it, things go out of control.

    To my Chinese friends of any ethnicity, I'd say count yourselves lucky that you have no politicians busy fanning the flames and making it worse, like we do. But the fact that there's pretty much a media ban except for official media is not good either. At a time like this, independent media can tell the country what is going on. Without it, rumours fly, passions get inflamed, and resentment forms in many hearts. So free media is not in that sense 'Western' or 'Eastern' -- in this case it just really makes sense. China is a great nation. It's people deserve to know what is going on, so that they can form their own opinions at times like this. Otherwise the wounds just get worse, and speculation rules over facts. I really don't think there's any argument against it.

  • Posted By: ipfreak @ 07/11/2009 4:48:07 PM

    btw, chinese on the scene has captured with their cameras that how the photo of "heroic' woman in the middle was created by the western journalists...

    chinese media has long way to meet the western standards of spinning news...


    • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 6:25:44 AM

      Well thanks for telling us that. Now please tell me how the Chinese Communist Party has been so successful at controlling every single message that goes to the Chinese people via their media? Why is it that all we hear from the Mainland Chinese media when we listen to the news in China is sugar-coated nonsense about how grateful the Xinjiang people should be for all of the schools and roads and bridges that have been buit? Not much analysis in the Chinese media about the roots of ethnic conflict, the racism that most Han Chinese openly express towards Japanese, blacks, Tibetans and Uighurs or the effect that mass-migration of Han Chinese to Xinjiang might have, nor is there any coverage of the history of police corruption and brutality under Communist rule, nor is there any self-reflection on why the Chinese Communist Party continues to deny that it killed its own Han Chinese citizens on Tiananmen Square after they staged a 6-week protest for less corruption and greater political freedoms. Will we ever get the truth ouf of the Chinese Communist Party and its 100% controlled media on this topic? No, we don't think so. Well, don't expect the truth about what is going on in Xinjiang from the Mainland Chinese media. All we can do is have sympathy for all of the people who were hurt in Xinjiang, regardless of their ethnicity.

  • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/13/2009 3:40:53 AM

    Opinion: Who would plead guilty in Xinjiang riot
    Nearly a week after the deadly riot bruised Urumqi and sent residents fleeing its major streets, it was quite a relief to see people gradually return to normal life.
    The first weekend after last Sunday's riot seemed peaceful in Urumqi, with residents strolling in downtown parks with their families, banks reopening after a five-day business suspension and business owners looking to the future. Some people began holding funeral rites for the dead, while soldiers in riot gear stood guard nearby.
    A group of photos filed by my colleagues in Urumqi Saturday showed snow white pigeons, the symbol for peace, swaggering in a square near the city's major bazaar. On one of them, a woman was crouching, reaching out an arm to cuddle one of the birds while a baby rests in her other arm. From the looks in their eyes I read lust for life as it is.
    Canadian teacher Josph Kaber said he sensed tension when some Uygur-run stores on the campus of Xinjiang University were closed after Sunday's riot. "The very next day, young couples were seen strolling by the artificial lake again, and I knew things were getting better."
    But for those bereaved of their beloved ones in last Sunday's riot, the worst to have hit the Uygur autonomous region in six decades, the trauma would probably take a lifetime to heal.
    Chinese people customarily think the seventh day after death is an important occasion for families and friends to mourn the deceased.
    Now on the eve of this special mourning day, as shock and terror at the bloodshed give way to anguished quest for the cause of the tragedy, we all feel their grief and are ourselves eager to find out the black hand behind the terror.
    It is not surprising that Rebiya Kadeer is in the spotlight. If not for what happened in Urumqi last Sunday, most Chinese people knew little of the former businesswoman who built a fortune in Urumqi and became a rising star on the country's political arena, got jailed for stealing national secret, and fled to the United States in 2005.
    People continued to bombard Kadeer Saturday: some said the World Uygur Congress leader was seeking to become a Dalai Lama much needed by the East Turkestan, while others made a mockery of her photo with the exiled Tibetan monk.

    • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/13/2009 3:42:09 AM

      In an interview with Xinhua Saturday, former chairman of Xinjiang's regional government Ismail Amat said the woman was "scum" of the Uygur community and was not entitled to represent the Uygur people.
      For most people, the Uygur woman's profile was blurry, stuck in the dilemma of her rags-to-riches legend and her separatist, sometimes terrorist, attempts.
      Kadeer took advantage of China's reform and opening up policy to build her fortune, but ended up building connections with East Turkestan terrorists and selling intelligence information to foreigners.
      When the rioters in Urumqi's streets, in an outrageous demonstration of violence, slaughtered innocent civilians and left thousands fleeing or moaning in agony, the "spiritual mother of Uygur people" touted by East Turkestan terrorists insisted they were "peaceful protesters".
      To illustrate her point Kadeer ironically showed a photo in a Tuesday interview with Al Jazeera, which later proved to have been cropped from a Chinese news website on an unrelated June 26 protest in Shishou of the central Hubei Province.
      Until Friday, she was still spreading rumors in an interview with AP, most of which centered on what she called "Chinese brutality".
      As I read this I recalled vividly a text message a friend sent me via cell phone from Urumqi shortly after the riot. "I feel like crying," wrote the man of 26, "to see the mobs beating up and killing the innocent, and setting fire to vehicles and stores... I hate myself for not being able to do anything to stop them. Even a police officer is crying."
      I worry what Kadeer and her World Uygur Congress are doing will worsen the situation for folks in Xinjiang, already bruised by the deadly riot.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 6:15:25 AM

        You might actually make progress in ethnic relations in Mailand China if you would not blame your own problems on some person outside of your country. Sometimes, in fact, the problems that occur inside of China mostly have to do with what occurs inside of China. It is very convenient to stoke the anger of ordinary Chinese by blaming your problems on people outside of China. Although you may say that people from other countries don't understand Mainland China, it can also be said by many people in your own country that you in the majority do not understand them. If your government continues to suppress people's local culture by deliberately re-locating millions of majority Han-Chinese to their region and by suppressing their language, religion and culture, and through blatant discrimination and racist remarks (I hear them frequently coming from the mouths of Han Chinese), you cannot expect racial tensions to lessen. You need to know who was directly responsible for this violence. Everybody wants to know what happened when the Uighurs marched. Most of us can imagine that the Uighurs got out of control immediatelly and started killing Han Chinese. On the other hand, knowing the history of brutality by Mainland China's own military and police, we can imagine that the police started firing on Uighurs as they were protesting, or that there was some combination of the two. As for the revenge killings by Han Chinese towards Uighurs, we will never know what happened. We do not have great faith in a government that is authoritarian in nature and that controls its media 100% to tell us the truth or to grant us access to the facts.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 6:05:44 AM

        Hey Dainzin Gyaco! How you doing today! Are you working for the Communist Party as a member of the "Propaganda Brigade!" Shame on you people! Your own media tells only one side of the story, and you have the gall to accuse other countries' media of causing problems in China!

        Could you please tell all of us why educated, 20-something university graduates in China do not know that your government killed hundreds of people in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and why these same young Chinese think that the whole thing was "invented" by Taiwanese? Nobody outside of China believes the Mainland Chinese media. You should ask yourself why this is so. You can accuse the foreign media of lots of things, but we will never expect to see you criticize your own sugar-coated, government-controlled media's horrible bias and cover-up of historical events. Don't expect people to trust your media any time soon. Just because you have the power, doesn't make you right.

  • Posted By: toytony @ 07/11/2009 8:40:58 PM

    To the editor:

    One simple thing, Why the western media choose ignore the fact that most of the 186 death are Han Chinese??

    Also why the west media did not investigate how the 186 people die? Why the shouldn???t that be the center of the story instead of empty moral posturing?

    Typical

    I know the traditional media have been suffering from financial problem in recent year, but should that be an excuse to downgrade the quality of investigative journalism that you proudly proclaim??

    You are writing the article as if you are suggesting the police have no right to crack down on the rioters and just let the Uighurs kept on kill innocent people.Any government have a duty to maintain public security and order!!

    • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 6:00:54 AM

    • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/13/2009 5:58:15 AM

      Well if your Authoritarian government would grant access to people and facts, the media from countries other-than-Mainland China would be able to report these facts.

      At the same time, why does you media only repeate sugar-coated government-fed statements about how many schools and roads and bridges and shopping malls they have built in Xinjiang? Do you know why the local people in Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia have complaints about your government and Han Chinese prejudice? Do you even care? No, probably you just think that everybody should love Mainland China under Authoritarian rule and accept everything the Mainland Chinese media says as truth.

  • Posted By: toytony @ 07/11/2009 8:40:30 PM

    To the editor:

    One simple thing, Why the western media choose ignore the fact that most of the 186 death are Han Chinese??

    Also why the west media did not investigate how the 186 people die? Why the shouldn???t that be the center of the story instead of empty moral posturing?

    Typical

    I know the traditional media have been suffering from financial problem in recent year, but should that be an excuse to downgrade the quality of investigative journalism that you proudly proclaim??

    You are writing the article as if you are suggesting the police have no right to crack down on the rioters and just let the Uighurs kept on kill innocent people.Any government have a duty to maintain public security and order!!

    I believe deep down you Sir are just another self-obsessed Racist American who thinks the Chinese are the yellow peril of the world and afraid of China overtaking the US.Huh Some piece of Cold war relic you are!

  • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/11/2009 10:39:51 AM

    Presenting the truth on the riots Source: Global Times.cn [00:59 July 10 2009]
    If not cropping photos intentionally to misrepresent the facts, or not using outdated material to fabricate news, can be considered progress in news reporting, the coverage of the recent violence in Xinjiang in the Western media has progressed, compared with the coverage of the March 14 protest in Lhasa last year.
    This time the Western media didn???t have the opportunity to produce rumors, let alone spread them. Rumors were prevented by the timely transmission of the truth.
    Thirty minutes after the bloody violence erupted, Xinhua News Agency filed a story suggesting the seriousness of the riots. On the following days, the government granted full access to foreign media. Major Chinese news channels ran footage showing horrifying violence, and some segments were run on foreign news channels.
    But hoping the greater openness would result in objective and truthful reporting turned out to be wishful thinking. Imbalanced coverage and opinionated commentating far outnumber fair reporting on the incident. As one Chinese commentator put it, the Western media has shown excitement to see discord in one of China???s most ethnically diverse regions.
    China faces a tough challenge to maintain ethnic harmony, as many other countries do, and it needs to reflect on its ethnic policy. Complicated causes led to the riots. While most ethnic groups are at peace with each other in Xinjiang, certain dissatisfaction arises due to the underdevelopment of the region.
    But media members should do their homework, and follow the basic reporting rules before making conclusions on the cause of the unrest.
    Through carefully selecting which quotes and photos to use, and making a prejudiced choice of sources, many stories wrongly implied the incident was an example of a mistreated minority asking for justice, with people dying because of a police crackdown.
    On the front page of today???s Global Times, we publish a letter from a Han Chinese student at Stanford University, who was born and raised in Urumqi. During the riots, her cousin was thrown out of a fifth-floor window by two men, and her cousin???s mother is now clinging to life in the hospital after being stabbed.
    Any media outlet interested in furthering justice should condemn the atrocities committed in Urumqi, regardless of what sparked them. It troubles us to see some biased media, out of a deep-rooted hostility against the Chinese government, choose to excuse the mobs. Western media, which many Chinese regard as respectful and credible, is again doing a disappointing job.
    We welcome sincere suggestions and advice. But finger-pointing is irritating and agitating conflict is shameful.

    • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/11/2009 4:59:59 PM

      The title of this story is spot on. The tactics are not limited to information control (Blackout of texting,internet and other communications) and guided (with "minders") to gov't. selected ethnic majority purported victims areas (I am still confused as to how the logistics of having an "independant" pool of reporters go through all the beaurocratic hoops let alone the timely travel logistics to witness the aftermath at gov't selected sites) . The fact that most Western media are using Chinese Gov't provided video as their prime source for "news" without identifying the source of these selected video scenes (just as US Army provided video would be identified in any disputed Iraq civilian "incident" ) coupled with the orchestrated tours is indead "spin" and rather basic.
      To use a sport analogy (and giving grudging compliment to the PR firm hired last year whose product we are now witnessing) the strategy of controling the "message" in both direct and increasingly more subtle fashion and in both defensive (blocking alternate or contrary data) and offensive (controlling the selection of factual available information coupled with direct and indirect calculated actions to reinforce these selective "facts" such as anecdotal unverifiable claims .) are but various components of a well orchestrated spinning of an issue.
      Irrespective of the propaganda efforts and paranoia (spinmaster's note ; post a retort mocking "just who's paranoid ?" to discredit this guy) aimed at western reporters the fact remains that no amount of spinning can counter the blatant disparity of resources at the disposal (and historical willingness to use such) of the CCP .
      The issue is quite simple : until all parties are equally able to freely participate and the game is not fixed in so many ways my sympathy is indead tilted towards the opressed disatvantaged party.
      I love my freedom to speak out and will even defend the right of the thousands of PRC "information diseminators" to spew their venom in western media as in the end it simply magnifies the hypocriisy and the fact that the exact same right is forbiden by the very system they are defending. They can attempt to revise history and manipulate opinion but fortunately logic is not so easilly manipulated .

  • Posted By: ipfreak @ 07/11/2009 4:45:27 PM

    but the western media still the master of spinning.

  • Posted By: Dainzin Gyaco @ 07/11/2009 10:38:15 AM

    Turkey, another axis of evil!? After the riots in Xinjiang, many governments around the world are very cautious making comments, including the American government. But the Turkish government is an exception. As Urumqi is on its way to recovery, this arrogant country has never stopped lashing out at China.
    In fact, both the Turkish government and its nongovernmental organizations were harsh on China. Speaking to foreign ministers of the Persian Gulf who were visiting Istanbul as part of the Gulf Cooperation Council activities, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo??an said, "We have always seen our Uygur brothers, with whom we have historical and cultural ties..."
    He said Turkey, a member of the UN Security Council for 2009 to 2010 will raise this issue in the United Nations. Turkish Minister of Foreign affairs Ahmet Davuto??lu also said, "Turkey has concerns about developments in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. It cannot remain silent in the face of what is happening there."
    At the same time, its trade unions and business associations are ridiculously calling for a countrywide boycott of Chinese products. Turkey is staging an anti-China strategy from politics to business.
    Because of the close historical, cultural and religious links between the dominant group in Turkey, the Kurks and Uygurs in China and many Uygur immigrants living in Turkey, the Turkish government always shows great interest in China's internal affairs about Xinjiang and is ready to meddle in it. The government even allowed its local Uygur separatists to protest against China. All these lead Turkey to an anti-China path.
    Five years ago, when terrorist bombings hit Turkey in November 2003, China took its firm stand on the side of Turkish people and condemned the violent act. However, when the riots happened, inflicting casualities and property damage in Urumqi on July 5, Turkey stands by the side of the thugs, reavealing its shame to the whole world and repaying China with evilness.
    Turkey's support for the Uygur separatists and terrorists can only cause public indignation in China. If it does not want to ruin the relationship between two peoples, please stop standing behind those mobs and separatists, stop being an axis of evil!

  • Posted By: ewin99 @ 07/11/2009 1:26:16 AM

    While US State Department says that it hasn't any clue of a brutal crackdown in XInjiang, Turkey Prime Minister began to use the term "ethnic cleansing." Mary seems to be taking a middle ground. Western journalists have seen the prime minister's move as dangerous. I see it as STUPID because it is too early to say that. He should've used the term when he had the evidence of many gunned down in the street or several hundred executed (according to law).

    Many became murderers because they let themselves controlled by anger; here we have a prime minister letting himself controlled by anger, unable to think of consequences of his words.

    Of course, Mary lets herself controlled by her "rationality," automatically standing against a Communist China, blind to truth and facts. Her virtuosity would amount to nothing but pushing China towards a position being taken now by North Korea.

    This world is being turned into a dangerous mess (as envisioned by Thomas Pynchon) by hotheads controlled by anger, by calculating neo-cons, by "smart" journalists like Mary, and also some "cool" Chinese.

  • Posted By: missvege @ 07/10/2009 11:03:37 PM

    What I got from this article is "if you are CCP, everything you did is wrong." I do have a a lot of complains about CCP myself from my personal experience, but this writer sees things with fixed lenses. Just imagine if there are 100 whites got brutally killed by Muslim in the united states, the government probably gonna start another war in another country. I didn't see any sympathy for any of the victim from this article.

  • Posted By: ipfreak @ 07/10/2009 3:18:57 PM

    i sent the translated version to my friends there so it is a great proof that how nasty the western media is. more and more chinese are waking up from the delusional image of the western media.

    thanks to the newsweek, this give me a perfect example. we need more...

  • Posted By: roomsmfg @ 07/10/2009 1:36:02 PM

    Interesting that on a story about the innacuracy of Chinese news reports the author choses to rely solely on the very same "spun" data perpetuating the very spin they are supposedly exposing. (ie. the stated " 22 deaths" in Tibet last year is the "official" CCP number with no mention of documented deaths well in excess not to mention the several "dissapearances" beling those figures.
    If you are going to report on misrepresentation dont also perpetuate these missre[resentations.

  • Posted By: Poisonpen @ 07/10/2009 4:14:28 AM

    I think the spinner here is Newsweek rather than the Chinese Government. Nothing they do will ever please you. So far I think they have done a much better job than anticipated. Think Los Angeles riots years ago. A stronger government military action will rule the day when anarchy challenges.

    • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 5:47:30 AM

      Oh yes, three cheers for the Authoritarian Dictatorship and its obedient media!! Yes, they shut down the Internet, forbid journalists from traveling to tell the story, blacked out TV reports, shut off mobile phone networks. Yes, let's applaud the Mainalnd Chinese version of the truth! Bravo to the duped younger generation of China who thinks that great riches come from Authoritarianism! That is the lesson that the past 15 years have taught them! How could you expect them to care about political reform or media independence when they have everything they want, and they can arrogantly flaunt their new national ego at any artist who sings a song of defiance, any filmmaker who questions authority or any media who says something that doesn't make them, the majority Mainland Han Chinese feel absolutely flattered and pleased. Yes, Newsweek must be evil. After all, they raised questions about what actually happened. And they dared to mention that the government of Mainland China, like so many other governments, is spinning the news. As if news-spinning was a commentary that really shocked us. When you start criticizing the repressive and controlling and manipulating nature of your own government, maybe you'll be doing something that could actually improve the lives of all of your citizens, Han and others alike. As for the rest of us, we hope that someday China will have real political reforms like an independent media and judiciary. Oh, I forgot. To get rich is glorious. Yes, that's the only important thing.

      • Posted By: emmaliu.monsoon @ 07/10/2009 7:01:33 AM

        I am Han Chinese, nowadays If you log on any of our domestic website, you can see that there are countless critical comments on our current political system and everybody is calling for political reform or media independence; you bet but we want things go peacefully; we do not want to see riot happen here and there in China, the communist party is improving that is why you can see so many Chinese defending their government. Once a corruption case revealed, millions of people criticize the party on net; and finally you will see someone get severe punishment; So to be honest we have some hope that the party is to improve to a certain level that we can live with, Do you mean we have to go to revolution to show our disagreement? no, I admit I am selfish and I will not forgo current peaceful life and fight in real war, I bet if you were Chinese you will not choose to do that too.

  • Posted By: kph99 @ 07/09/2009 4:53:57 PM

    If these commenters spent have the time and energy criticizing their own government instead of the Western media maybe they would be able to make a positive change in their own country. Why are you so consumed by how the rest of the world views you or writes about your country? Your country must be right and we all are wrong. Your country has all the facts and we are just the ignorant biased media, keep telling yourself that. I'm not saying America or any country has all the answers or the right culture or way of life, but at least differences of opinion are tolerated in these countries.

    • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 3:44:12 AM

      "but at least differences of opinion are tolerated in these countries."
      KPH99, If someone hails the terrorist attacks in US soil as Al Queda righteous fight for religious oppresion, You are sure you will be tolerante????
      As human beings, we all should respect a moral baseline, that is do not pursue your course at the expenses of innocent lives, if you trespasst it, you are unhuman. As simple as that.

      • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 5:18:40 AM

        Wang Min, nobody is saying that we should be tolerant of the murder of innocent civilians or even the murder of soliders or police. What people are questioning is why Han Chinese on the Mainland love to blame the foreign media for their own problems. If your own media and government would not censor the news and would not show everything from one perspective, maybe your ethnic minorities would feel they had more of a voice. Maybe if there weren't such common racism coming off the lips of Han Chinese, ethnic minorities in China would hate you less. Anyway, it's your country. You own the mess. Stop blaming you country's history on the West and Japan. It's time you grew up and took ownership for the policies that your Authoritarian Dictatorship (Communist Party) has created for itself. It's not enough to give people cell phones, McDonald's, and a new shopping mall. Economic reforms and development are not a substitute for social respect and political freedom. Sooner or later, your Authoritarian Dictatorship government is going to have to stop censoring the Internet, stop shutting down Websites, stop blacking out the foreign news, stop controlling and restricting anything that is at odds with its 100% grip on power.

        • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 5:33:07 AM

          rsilverstorm, you keep saying china is a dictatorship and undemocratic country, can you tell me what is democracy, if the majority of the chinese support this government, does this government have the right to exist, chnaging our political regime according to your wish is democracy? You're the rightous one to teach us how to manage our country, stop daydreaming.

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 6:05:56 AM

            Two generations your own fellow citizens poured into the streets to protest Guandao / corruption, inflation, the treatmeent of Hu Yaobang, the lack of openness, the lack of an independent media, and other perceived and real problems. That was your own citizens. Later, your media and government blamed these acts of brave patriotic defiance on Taiwan and foreigners. Your generation has totally forgotten about this and has not held you own government accountable for their slaughter of its citizens and for lying to new generations of school children about what happened then. What is democracy? Let me tell you what is Authoritarianism. It is China. It is a country where people have basically bought into the notion that political reforms are not necessary. Riches are what counts. Wait 50 years until China "takes over the world" and has a higher and higher standard of living. Then we can talk about an independent media and an independent judiciary. About holding the police accountable for arbitrary brutality towards innocent Han and other civilians alike (many not innocent in the case of these riots, of course!). Maybe if you had ever been in trouble in China and were falsely accused of a crime and then tortured, perhaps then you would understand what is Authoritarianism. That you don't even care about this is sickening. That all of you have forgotten that without the Tiananmen "incident" as your dictators like to call it, they would never have faced the pressure and embarassment that led them to accelerate the economic changes. You ought to thank the students of 20 years ago for forcing those old Party Hacks to accelerate economic opportunity in China. You should pray to their ghost every day, or go to Beijing and get on your knees and thank their poor old parents, Han Chinese parents, for not having been grateful to that most patriotic generation of contemporary Mainland Chinese.

        • Posted By: Wang Min @ 07/10/2009 5:39:31 AM

          A few more words, we are not blaming the western media for our problems. It is our problem which actually shared by many countries to different degrees,We just express our view that your media deliberately missing the essence of this brutal incident. if you think those reportings good, as you wish. I'm just trying to make clear my perspective of this incident.

          • Posted By: rsilverstrom @ 07/10/2009 5:58:09 AM

            No Wang Min, other countries' media have not missed the essence of this brutal set of events. Would your government kindly provide more information and access to the journalists so they know exactly what happened? Would they please grant access to victims in the hospitals - regardless of whether they were Han or Uighur or Hui? would they please stop forbidding journalists from getting access to entire cities? would they stop censoring the Internet and the blocking cellphones and treating all foreign journalists like spies? The immediate tragedy of the story needs to be told. The lingering hatred and vigilantism and boiling anger needs to be reported. The truth needs to come out. Tell your leaders to really open up their country to the truth. Your whole generation doesn't demand that loudly enough. Yes, Newsweek's coverage is distorted, but the Mainland Chinese coverage is so incredibly, totally distorted that most people who know anything at all about China, even some of us who have spent 20-40 years here can take your criticisms seriously. You are so incapable of criticizing your own media and so good at criticizing the foreign media, you need to be more introspective. It is your country. And the continued campaign of misinformation from your own government just encourages more Han Chinese to hate, hate, hate and blame others. That is the REAL problem over the long-term - it is that a lack of free information just breeds more arrogance and zero introspection or self-criticism to the majority. If it weren't for this kind of situation, for issues related to Taiwan and Tibet, they wouldn't be able to stroke your nationalistic egos often enough, and they would have to spend all day talking about corruption and coal mines. It's easy and convenient to blame the foreigners. Just ask the right-wingers in America and the UK about that!

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse