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China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

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Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#2
A few years ago I read that censorship around Tiananmen was becoming harder in places such as newspaper classifieds (not sure if this is the term used in North America, at least?) because the staff taking the calls for these ads were less likely to know what it was referencing.

That is to say, it was becoming easier to make a veiled reference to the event because the person doing up the ad didn't know that it happened, and so can't really censor anything that, I guess, isn't already on their 'censor radar'.

Like I say, it was something I read once and I have no link available. Interesting nonetheless (even if it isn't true).

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#3
It is amazing the lengths the PRC takes to cover up this issue[1]. You would think at some point the party would disavow the actions of their predecessors or try and marginalize connections to the past event rather than keep sweeping it under the rug.

Next year will be the 25th anniversary, that will be interesting.

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-censors-block-big-yel...

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#4

It is amazing the lengths the PRC takes to cover up this issue[1]. You would think at some point the party would disavow the actions of their predecessors or try and marginalize connections to the past event rather than keep sweeping it under the rug. Next year will be the 25th anniversary, that will be interesting. [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-censors-block-big-yel...

But it is working so "well!" Is this a cultural mechanism or just the poor way that the PRC handles it?

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#5

A few years ago I read that censorship around Tiananmen was becoming harder in places such as newspaper classifieds (not sure if this is the term used in North America, at least?) because the staff taking the calls for these ads were less likely to know what it was referencing. That is to say, it was becoming easier to make a veiled reference to the event because the person doing up the ad didn't know that it happene…

The term "newspaper classified" has been replaced by "Craigslist".

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#6

A few years ago I read that censorship around Tiananmen was becoming harder in places such as newspaper classifieds (not sure if this is the term used in North America, at least?) because the staff taking the calls for these ads were less likely to know what it was referencing. That is to say, it was becoming easier to make a veiled reference to the event because the person doing up the ad didn't know that it happene…

I don't know if it's common, but what you're talking about did happen. In 2007 someone slipped an ad into the Chengdu Evening News that said "Paying tribute to the strong(-willed) mothers of June 4 victims".

The clerk who took the ad didn't know about the 1989 protests, and so let it go through. The mainland Chinese I've brought it up to certainly knew about it though.

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#7
Here is also a good round-up of the Tiananmen '89 at Epoch Times: http://epochtim.es/s9Nz

What I didn't know is that according to the Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, the "Tank Man" life ended that day, when he ran out in front of another column of tanks from a different unit, which didn't stop and smashed him...Wei got this information from his former classmate, who was a commander of that tank column on the iconic photo.

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#8

It is amazing the lengths the PRC takes to cover up this issue[1]. You would think at some point the party would disavow the actions of their predecessors or try and marginalize connections to the past event rather than keep sweeping it under the rug. Next year will be the 25th anniversary, that will be interesting. [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-censors-block-big-yel...

But it is working so "well!" Is this a cultural mechanism or just the poor way that the PRC handles it?

All the important things get stored in the memory hole.

Re: China Snuffs Out Discussion of Tiananmen

#9
http://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1253135/chinese-ev...

Article from the South China Morning Post on how people are commenting on this discretely.

The TV screenshot at timestamp 12:07 has a seemingly innocuous vox populi question, however the first character of the four options A, B, C, and D gives 毋忘六四 - don't forget 6-4 [Tiananmen Square incident].

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