Archive for November, 2011

China Regime Halts U.S. College Academic Freedom at the Classroom Door

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Established in 1986 The John Hopkins Univ-Nanjing Univ Center for Chinese and American Studies was the creation of then John Hopkins Univ President Steven Muller and then Nanjing Univ President Kuang Yaming. Both men recognized the importance of mutual understanding to improve relations between China and the West and agreed the best way to achieve such understanding was to bring people together for an extended period of intense exposure to each others history, culture, contemporary thought and society.

China Regime balks at the novel experiment.

With a growing number of U.S. colleges building campuses in China Bloomberg looked at one long standing program and its limitations on academic freedom outside the classroom walls.

American student Brendon Stewart was forbidden from distributing a journal of academic writing outside of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center last year–later he discovered why.

Intended to showcase the best work by Chinese, American students and faculty to a far flung audience, ‘Stewart’s Journal’ broke the Hopkins Nanjing Center’s rules that confine academic freedom to the classroom. Administrators prevented ‘Stewart’s Journal’ from circulating outside campus and a student was pressured to withdraw an article about China’s protest movements–about 75 copies set in a box in Stewart’s dorm room for about a year.

The muzzling of ‘Stewart’s Journal’ exposes the compromises to academic freedom that some American universities make in China–While professors and students openly discuss sensitive issues–they can not do so in the surrounding community. Even on campus protections only cover classroom discussions, not activities typical of U.S. campuses, such as showing documentary films in a student lounge.

On the 06 January, 2009 regarding the cracking down on major websites including search engines by the China Regime, I wrote here that free speech is essential in the pursuit of learning, every idea or thought is not an avenue of incitement, censorship only results in the pursuit of finding cracks within the Great Firewall of China.

More here from China Digital Times

Related: Studying Abroad a Challenge Worth Embracing –Epoch Times

China Tops 300 Million Bloggers–Regime Wary

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

China Netizens On-Line at Internet Cafe in Beijing

(Epoch Times) Over 300 million Netizens are now blogging in China–a milestone that authorities find daunting and dissidents are encouraging.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Information, China has the worlds largest number of Internet users–485 million which includes 300 Bloggers.

An office established in May, “The State Internet Information Office” is tasked with among other responsibilities, to coordinate relevant departments in managing the content of China’s Internet–in other words, censoring the Internet. In an interview with Xinhua, the head of the office admits that supervising blogging is an unprecedented challenge.

Where the China Regime see a challenge to be tamed, democratic and human rights dissidents see an opportunity.

More here from New Tang Dynasty

Related: Dissonance Grows in U.S.–China Network –China Digital Times

Katy Perry’s PC 2011 American Music Awards Chinese Characters Gown Amuse Netizens

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Singer/Song Writer Katy Perry PC ‘Chinese Characters’ Gown –Sina

China Netizens are amused by Katy Perry’s Gown worn at this years American Music Awards–the 4 Chinese characters which appear on her Vivienne Westwood, Spring/Summer 2012 Gold Label Gown translates to English as “Green Economy” echoing political rhetoric often heard in China Regime state controlled media outlets and China Communist Party Leaders.

H/T: Netizens Amused by Katy Perry’s Dress –Ministry of Tofu

Mattel Toy Mfg in China Accused of Creating Dangerous & Hostile Work Environment

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

An investigation by China Labor Watch and Peuples Solidaries have discovered serious legal and ethical violations at two factories in Southern China, which manufactures Mattel Toys.

Employees of factories owned by Jida Toy Co, Ltd located in Shenzhen and the Dongguan Grand Plastic Cement Products Co in Dongguang, work for 11 hours a day for as many as 30 days straight in stifling, hazardous conditions, pursuant to some vague contract which they never receive a copy of.

Working conditions at the Dongguang factory which also is the manufacturer of toys for Tomy Co Ltd have been found to be even worse to their factory workers, charging employees exorbitant fees for inadequate food, factory workers are injured at extremely high rates and paid low-wages based on a system of impossible quotas.

Factory workers at Dongguang who recently attempted to organize a labor union to improve conditions at the factory were summarily terminated–Women who make up about 60% of the work force, are continually subjected to verbal and physical harassment from male co-workers, management has taken no action to stop the harassment.

China Labor Watch urges Mattel to live up to its commitments it made in 1997 when it established Global Manufacturing Principles to ensure that its toys are manufactured, assembled and distributed in a responsible and ethical manner, providing a safe and healthy environment to its workers, treating them fairly and equally, respecting their cultural, ethnic and philosophical differences without regard to gender.

Related: In China–Barbie’s Reign May be Short Lived –Businessweek

YueYue DejaVu: Five Year Old Longlong Dies After Passerbys Ignore Mother’s Pleas For Help

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Screenshot 5 Year Old Longlong –Qilu TV

YueYue  DejaVu tragedy all over again–Five Year old boy named Longlong, passed away from his injuries in China Linya Shandong Province after passerby’s ignored his Mother’s pleas for help to rush him to the hospital.

It was a day like any other, Longlong’s Mother took him out to a restaurant, while they were waiting to be served, Longlong went out strolling alone, his Mother then heard a big thud.

Longlong was struck by a beam right in his head and blood was oozing profusely out of his mouth and ears–his Mother kneeled  down while holding her Son’s head, holding Longlong in her arms, she pleaded for drivers to stop (including an Urban Administration Vehicle) to take her Son to the hospital since the ambulance hadn’t arrived but not a single person stopped and no one offered any help for critically injured Longlong–by the time an Ambulance had arrived, the five year old had passed away.

The beam was constructed by a shop next to the restaurant which has since been smashed by Longlong’s family–the man who made the beam was detained by local Police.

Longlong’s story was one of the top stories last week on Sina Weibo—Online China Regime Censors have appeared to have stepped in as Longlong’s story has been scrubbed from major content and video portals.

More here including video from Qilu.com –Shanghaiist

China, Foshan Driver Hu Jun, Who Ran Over YueYue Detained by Police

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

YueYue’s Mother–Rescuer Chen Xianmei and TwoYr Old YueYue

Foshan Nanhai District Procuratorate has formally approved the arrest of 24 year old Hu Jun, from Feicheng  near Tai’an in Shandong Province, the first of two drivers who ran over a two year old toddler YueYue in the double hit and run accident that has gripped the nation and the world.

Hu Jun was captured on CCTV footage, knocking down the toddler and then running over her a second time with a rear wheel as he made his escape–seven minutes, 18 bystanders and subsequently being hit by a second vehicle, help for YueYue finally arrived from Chen Xianmei and later YueYue’s mother.

God have Mercy–May YueYue Forever Rest-in-Peace

Rest here from Shanghaiist