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A Single Re-Tweet Lands Chinese Woman in Labor Camp

lee1 writes "A woman in China has been sentenced to a year of 're-education' in a labor camp for the crime of 'disrupting social order' after retweeting a joke on Twitter (which is entirely banned in China, but popular nonetheless). Cheng Jianping had repeated a Twitter comment suggesting that nationalist protesters smash Japan's pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, adding the words 'Charge, angry youth.' At the time, China and Japan were feuding over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, and groups of young Chinese had been demonstrating against Japan, smashing Japanese products; the tweet amounted to gentle chiding of the protesters. Ms. Cheng may also have been targeted because she is a human rights activist: she had signed petitions calling for the release of China's jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. She has been detained in the past for several other 'crimes,' including criticizing China's Communist Party."

11 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Should apply to anyone using Twitter by PatPending · · Score: 5, Funny

    Anyone using Twitter should be sentenced to a year of 're-education' in a labour camp.

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    What one fool can do, another can. (Ancient Simian Proverb)
  2. Public service annoucement by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you are a political activist in any country (not just China), don't post things publicly that are unrelated to your cause. Don't post things electronically that are or could be considered illegal, or be used as blackmail material. Remember that you are not representing yourself anymore, you are representing your cause. Everything you say and do will be put under a microscope, and the internet never forgets and never forgives mistakes.

    Now that that's out of the way: China, you suck.

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    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
  3. Re:hate speech is NOT protected anywhere. by Ossifer · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, she was imprisoned for making fun of the people actually causing racial unrest...

  4. awaiting the equivalency idiots by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Insightful

    you know, the snide comments "well, its almost just as bad/ the same/ worse in the usa/ uk/ western nation"

    no

    it actually isn't

    when you confuse hyperbole and reality, you are no longer commenting intelligently, you are merely broadcasting your ignorance

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:awaiting the equivalency idiots by Anonymusing · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sir (or ma'am), I truly wish I had mod points.

      In America, you can say whatever the hell you want about the government -- even if it is slanderous, false, crazy, whatever -- and unless you are directly threatening to kill somebody, you can get away with it. That is NOTHING like a totalitarian government. If the Obama administration was really like China, Fox News would have been squashed a long time ago, and media types like Beck and Limbaugh would be quickly losing weight in a rock quarry somewhere.

      --
      Liberal? Conservative? Compare perspectives at Left-Right
    2. Re:awaiting the equivalency idiots by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Look at the Wiki:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prisoner_population_rate_UN_HDR_2007_2008.PNG

      The U.S. just has a different spin on "freedom". Did you catch the video of the TSA assaulting the 3-year-old and the father standing helplessly while it happened for fear of being arrested? Do you suppose in China they watch videos of Americans being waterboarded, or stories about U.K. police gunning innocent people down in the subway?

      There's no shortage of ugly propaganda on both sides. Don't think China is so bad, and don't think the U.S. is so good. It's all somewhere in the middle, on both sides.

  5. China is the abusive boyfriend of the G8+5. by Aussenseiter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Its populace is in a frightening situation, where speaking out against the regime is often a criminal activity. Its economy feeds off itself and other countries, and is reflected strongly to foreign markets, but the smoke-and-mirrors reality draws many comparisons to Cold War Russia, specifically its unsustainable growth and complete disregard for things like environment and human safety. Its foreign policy is bullheaded and unrepentant - and they get away with it, because the rest of the world admonishes it with one hand and spoon-feeds it with the other.

  6. Re:We in the West are so much more... oh wait by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Its one thing to post a joke bomb threat and have the cops show up. Possibly give you some misdemeanor.

    Its another thing to post a joke and have the cops pick you up and put you in a labour camp.

  7. Still better than... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/18/pakistan.blasphemy/index.html?hpt=C1

    "This month a Pakistani court sentenced Isham's mother, 45 year old Asia Bibi, to death, not because killed, injured or stole, but simply because she said something."

    "The town cleric, Qari Muhammad Salim, reported the incident to police who arrested Bibi. After nearly 15 months in prison came her conviction and the death sentence."

    USA's best friends, China and Pakistan. Awesome.

  8. But by Korveck · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If the government don't lock up disruptive individuals who cause public unrest. The harmony in the country will be gone, and the whole economy will tank. Personal freedom is a small price to pay for a thriving economy. Look at the US and Europe now. Their freedom of expression mires them in endless internal silly arguments while not solving any pressing problem.

    This is actually a popular view in China and the party actively promotes it. Our increasingly frustrating politics make it more and more believable.

  9. Re:Kudos for unbiased reporting by rjstanford · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, that would be \. This is /. - obviously right-leaning.

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    You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!