Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown • Hacker News Board

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#11

Post by factsaresacred » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:38 PM UTC

wiradikusuma wrote: post #4

The question is, how did the Chinese immigration know? for each applicant do select count(*) from people_who_pissed_us where social_username = applicant.fb.username?

Ha, you've no idea how good they are at this.

It's a high-tech surveillance state presiding over 1.5 billion people with a history of crushing (quite literally, sadly) or 'disappearing' any signs of dissent.

Anecdotally: I once partnered with a Chinese cultural institute for a big event and ended up having my Gmail hacked as part of the compensation. They gotta know you're not a Tibetan separatist after all!

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#12

Post by oathbreaker » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:44 PM UTC

Why is this even a news on HN ? All governments including USA denies visa to foreigners for political reasons. I remember USA denying visa to an Indian chief minister in past because of lobbying by evangelists and Islamist.

It might come as a surprise by American journalists are not entitled for a visa from China and I wish more countries would crackdown on click-bate rags like Buzzfeed.

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#13

Post by driverdan » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:44 PM UTC

mattigames wrote: post #5

An indirect reminder that now that YC China is a thing @sama and @paulg and any other affiliated will have to avoid saying anything negative about China in order to keep doing business there.

They should issue public statements condemn China's terrible rights violations now and promise they won't retract them. Establish integrity and refuse to give it up in the name of Chinese money.

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#14

Post by eahman06 » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:46 PM UTC

Not excusing YC because I don't care about them, but Jesus, stop trying to apply the standards of the liberal west to all the world.

Say what you will but they're finding a solution to the Muslim problem, something the west doesn't have the balls to do (and by the time we come up with something it'll be too late)

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#15

Post by justinzollars » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:47 PM UTC

mattigames wrote: post #5

An indirect reminder that now that YC China is a thing @sama and @paulg and any other affiliated will have to avoid saying anything negative about China in order to keep doing business there.

Miss out in the future number one market on earth or stand up for human rights?

Certainly a scary future.

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#16

Post by busterarm » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:51 PM UTC

reustle wrote: post #2

Is this surprising at all?

Seriously. What did she think was going to happen?

She's lucky they were nice enough to wait out the rest of her visa instead of revoking it and deporting her on the spot. Shrewd move on their part for that, btw. If she was a citizen they would have just disappeared or killed her.

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#17

Post by Analemma_ » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:51 PM UTC

oathbreaker wrote: post #12

Why is this even a news on HN ? All governments including USA denies visa to foreigners for political reasons. I remember USA denying visa to an Indian chief minister in past because of lobbying by evangelists and Islamist. It might come as a surprise by American journalists are not entitled for a visa from China and I wish more countries would crackdown on click-bate rags like Buzzfeed.

> I remember USA denying visa to an Indian chief minister in past because of lobbying by evangelists and Islamist.

This is whataboutism. You might be suprised to learn that I can and do oppose both.

> click-bate rags like Buzzfeed.

Buzzfeed's business model is to use the stupid memes and "Which Disney princess are you?" polls to subsidize serious investigative journalism and not have to keep it behind a paywall. You can agree or disagree with this choice, but it's an interesting alternative to requiring a subscription and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. The article in question, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/meghara/the-police-stat..., is not "clickbait" in any sense: it is well-researched, well-written, and informative.

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#18

Post by thrillgore » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:55 PM UTC

oathbreaker wrote: post #12

Why is this even a news on HN ? All governments including USA denies visa to foreigners for political reasons. I remember USA denying visa to an Indian chief minister in past because of lobbying by evangelists and Islamist. It might come as a surprise by American journalists are not entitled for a visa from China and I wish more countries would crackdown on click-bate rags like Buzzfeed.

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/composition-division

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#19

Post by mlazos » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:56 PM UTC

0x4f3759df wrote: post #6

wiradikusuma wrote: post #4

The question is, how did the Chinese immigration know? for each applicant do select count(*) from people_who_pissed_us where social_username = applicant.fb.username?

One infers their systems are highly integrated (tax/crime/social/banking/education/gps all unified)

One would think, but at the same time knowing the bureaucratic garbage that happens at tech companies (and I would think communist party HQ is a bit worse), I imagine their system is likely a giant mess and it probably took a number of months to get back about the visa.

Re: Buzzfeed journalist denied China visa following coverage of Xinjiang crackdown

#20

Post by danso » Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 6:58 PM UTC

reustle wrote: post #2

Is this surprising at all?

She's been there for 6 years. It doesn't sound like she or Buzzfeed is shocked, per se, but her recent story is far from her first investigative story critical of the Chinese government.

(full disclosure: I used to work with the reporter, but that was many years ago)