The Internet under
surveillance
31 August 2005
CHINA
Two cyber-dissidents put under
surveillance during UN human rights visit
"Isn't it paradoxical that a human rights commission's visit causes more human rights violations?" - Liu Di
Reporters Without Borders today said it was "sickened by the hypocrisy of the Chinese authorities" in putting Liu Di, a young Internet user who was imprisoned for a year in 2002-2003, and Liu Xiaobo, a leading figure in the Chinese pro-democracy movement, under surveillance on 29 August while receiving a visit from Louise Arbour, the UN high commissioner for human rights.
"This incident shows how Beijing views dialogue with the United Nations - as a masquerade in which they try to put on a show of conforming to standards while refusing to make the least real commitment on human rights," the press freedom organisation said.
"For fear of upsetting their hosts' susceptibilities, many foreign officials visiting China limit themselves to formulaic statements that are too restrained to be effective. We hope the high commissioner will adopt a firm stance on China, which is the world's biggest prison for journalist and cyber-dissidents," Reporters Without Borders added.
On 29 August, the police told Liu Di not to leave her home until further notice and three policemen were later posted outside her home. "Many people are being forced to stay at home during Louise Arbour's visit, in violation of their civil rights," she said. "Isn't it paradoxical that a human rights commission's visit causes more human rights violations?"
Liu Di was arrested in November 2002 because of essays and articles posted on online discussion forums under the pseudonym of the Stainless Steel Rat. She was secretly held for more than a year without being tried.
At least five policemen were posted outside Liu Xiaobo's home on 29 August and, although allowed to leave his home, he was followed everywhere. When he asked the police if they had an official document authorising this surveillance, they refused to reply. The surveillance was "completely illegal," he said.
An impassioned human rights advocate, Liu Xiaobo was placed under house arrest during the anniversary of the Tienanmen Square massacre last June. A former Beijing university professor and president of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), he received the Reporters Without Borders prize for the defence of free expression in December 2004.
"Isn't it paradoxical that a human rights commission's visit causes more human rights violations?" - Liu Di
Reporters Without Borders today said it was "sickened by the hypocrisy of the Chinese authorities" in putting Liu Di, a young Internet user who was imprisoned for a year in 2002-2003, and Liu Xiaobo, a leading figure in the Chinese pro-democracy movement, under surveillance on 29 August while receiving a visit from Louise Arbour, the UN high commissioner for human rights.
"This incident shows how Beijing views dialogue with the United Nations - as a masquerade in which they try to put on a show of conforming to standards while refusing to make the least real commitment on human rights," the press freedom organisation said.
"For fear of upsetting their hosts' susceptibilities, many foreign officials visiting China limit themselves to formulaic statements that are too restrained to be effective. We hope the high commissioner will adopt a firm stance on China, which is the world's biggest prison for journalist and cyber-dissidents," Reporters Without Borders added.
On 29 August, the police told Liu Di not to leave her home until further notice and three policemen were later posted outside her home. "Many people are being forced to stay at home during Louise Arbour's visit, in violation of their civil rights," she said. "Isn't it paradoxical that a human rights commission's visit causes more human rights violations?"
Liu Di was arrested in November 2002 because of essays and articles posted on online discussion forums under the pseudonym of the Stainless Steel Rat. She was secretly held for more than a year without being tried.
At least five policemen were posted outside Liu Xiaobo's home on 29 August and, although allowed to leave his home, he was followed everywhere. When he asked the police if they had an official document authorising this surveillance, they refused to reply. The surveillance was "completely illegal," he said.
An impassioned human rights advocate, Liu Xiaobo was placed under house arrest during the anniversary of the Tienanmen Square massacre last June. A former Beijing university professor and president of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), he received the Reporters Without Borders prize for the defence of free expression in December 2004.
Yan,
I was hoping you'd have some comments about the tragedy in New Orleans. Thousands of Americans have been killed in a natural disaster.
Please give to the Red Cross.
https://secure2.convio.net/arc/site/Donation?ACTION=SHOW_DONATION_OPTIONS&CAMPAIGN_ID=1161&JServSessionIdr010=c2dcz4jml1.app9b
Posted by: rob | Saturday, September 03, 2005 at 10:01 AM
tragedy in new orleans? watching it from here, its absolutely sickening that a country that has the ability to wage high tech remote controlled war in afghanistan and iran cannot evacute a few hundred thousand of its citizens from a disaster zone. poor, black and vote for the democrats? well, wait a week till we bus you out. It's crazy.
Even disregarding such theories aside, it still seems insane. They're calling it a mad max scenario here. nothing could convey the level of social/racial segregation in the US more than the week of images from New Orleans.
happy to give money to help- yes. but doesn't something seem slightly askew here? what's the most powerful/richest government in the world doing dithering when people are dying bcs there are no buses to take them to shelter?
Posted by: nish | Saturday, September 03, 2005 at 05:19 PM
Perhaps the UN envoy was being sarcastic. "The United Nation's human rights chief, Louise Arbour, has said she is "guardedly optimistic" that China is making progress on human rights." (From the BBC). Optimistic that China's human rights activists are well-guarded, perhaps?
I note that the US is receiving aid and offers of aid on an unprecedented scale. Bush is downplaying it, saying (hinting?) that the US might accept cash dollars but would otherwise get out of this on it's own. I can't see what good aid would do when 30,000 police and military can't get 100,000 people out of a city the size of New Orleans. The reports of armed gangs and shooting at rescue helicoters sound like rumours to me, I have seen no evidence to back them up except for one night-time video where 5 shots were fired from an unknown source (could as easily have been police. This "mismanagement" throws Iraq into a new light. Either the US administration is completely incompetent, or they have a plan.
Posted by: Bromgrev | Sunday, September 04, 2005 at 12:29 AM
Five shots fired at night in New Orleans? Isn't that like a normal Wednesday?
I agree with Nish, who says black people's lives do not motivate the government the same if the Hamptons was flooded.
I agree with Bush who says the truth is it's the size of Great Britain that's affected and therefore quite impossible to organize.
New Orleans is one of the most dangerous cities in America, rapes, robbing and looting is pretty routine so of course with all those criminals already they are just going to take advantage of the situation.
You know... what I think?
America is wild. It's this crazy country. I think people forget because Hollywood that the US is still this cow boy and Indian country, huge tracks of it is more third world than first world, and that's why there are suburbs and gated communities. To get away from how scary it is. Just like places like Manilla, Columbo, etc. etc.
American is more Latin America it is Europe, the infrastruture of the country isn't that great, and even in the richest parts (California) when there are disasters it ALWAYS takes too long, look at the earthquakes.
None of this suprize me. I think maybe I should feel more outrage but I think by saying there are conspirarcies in this world gives far too much credit to far too many people. People are far more incompetent that we allow them to be.
Yan
And in the most selfish of way. I hate myself for not visiting New Orleans before the Hurricane, it was always somewhere I wanted to go, and now it's not going to be same. The home of creole food, brassy jazz and Billie Holiday.
Posted by: Glutterbug | Sunday, September 04, 2005 at 12:42 AM
Strangely, I saw scenes of the French quarter, completely unaffected, not looted, just entirely deserted.
Posted by: Bromgrev | Sunday, September 04, 2005 at 01:23 AM