splittist pfft

[mayoraasei]

Back about a few years ago, Sydney was rocked by the ethnic violence at Cronulla beaches that saw mounting tensions between Lebanese Australians and white Australians finally erupt into a massive brawl.

Following that there was a backlash of criticism against the mainly Islamic community, accusing them, amongst many other things, of placating in English and preaching violence in Arabic.

A few days ago, an article on SMH included quotes from a Chinese community leader who humbly offered that the Chinese community will be going in peace to support the Olympic torch relay. Today's article paints a radically different story, with Chinese communities recruiting people to take the law into their hands to converge on Australia's capital city with the intent of "defending the torch" themselves, calling Tibetans "scum" and "pile of monks" and "running dogs".

This campaign is, of course, backed with both the verbal (though occasionally just tacit) and physical approval of the Chinese government. Calling on people to fight in the name of national pride has always been an effective rallying cry, particularly to a people steeped in 5000 years of Confucius teachings of loyalty and honour.

Tibetans exposing the sordid actions of Chinese government? Affront on the national pride! Twisted for its own purpose, the call moves a people frequently passionately sentimental on matters of honour to blindly defend a regime without questioning the cause.

One set of virtues that the traditional Chinese mindest valued above all was 仁義禮智信 - (loosely) charity, duty, courtesy, wisdom and credibility.

To support a regime that tramples over human rights, irrationally murders innocent and unarmed people simply because of their faith - is to be uncharitable.

To see one's country being controlled by a careless government that forces its people to do terrible things, to see one's country being derided, because of this, as narrow-minded and incorrigibly vulgar on the issue of human rights - and then, to not do a thing, or indeed, to lend one's support against the voice of humanity - is to be undutiful.

To be outside China on Australian soil, and then to disrespect the authority of the Australian law, the Australian government and the Australian people - is to be discourteous.

To blindly follow the voice of state-controlled propaganda, to not see the reason behind the cause of disagreement, to close one's eyes to rationality, to humanity, to conscience - is to be unwise.

And to support a government that has not held up to its promises on human rights issues or environmental issues, who has frequently lied through its state-controlled media (name any major outbreak disease and you have your example) - is to be discreditable.

Why do something so clearly lacking in virtue? If you truly believe yourself motivated by national pride, find something more virtuous to defend, one that would not put to shame our 5000 years of honourable culture.


(PS: What triad gangs? As if triad gangs would bother with these things pfft. Or is he suggesting that triad gangs are funded and supported by the Chinese embassy?)

Comments

[bludger1985.livejournal.com]

仁 = more justice instead of charity, I think in the context it was not 仁慈的仁, more doing the right thing sort of 仁....and 礼 = customs! But yeah I think courtesy works too.

Anywho, I didnt quite get the origin of all the <3 China and <3 Tibet msn nicks that has risen recently. I mean, I know the tibetan riots and stuff but who started the whole <3 crap, surely the situation doesnt call for every Chinese to justify their patriotism by a <3 China mark. Some of my friends joined in too and in their defense I think the 年青热血'ness would have completely taken over in a matter where national pride can be displayed, its more of an adrenaline rush where you finally feel like theres something you can do for the wider chinese community and just jump in. I would totally do something like that too if I havnt brainwashed by you so much >_> (P.S. we are boys, we are hard-headed no brainers that charges around like bulls, meh.)

In my family and my family friend circles (people that have been through a lot of turbulence and seen sides both dark and light) they were all quite adamant in their support for China in this issue. They believed that Tibet is rightfully under the control of China, and efforts to oppose that rule would be unjust (不仁）

And to side with westerners on humanitarian and environmental issues would be in betrayal of their homeland and thus be undutiful (不义）(yes China = always their homeland, never Australia)

I am a bit of a fence sitter for the above, I see some arguments for and against, so I wont really comment further.

As for the other 3 virtues, yes I totally believe that the Chinese government is really really lacking in those departments, partly to keep the first 2 factors in check (which admittedly will have an impact on limiting social unrest), but more so to keep themselves in power.

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

LOL At first I thought it was some soccer match that China was in til I noticed about 5 unrelated people with that nick and suuuurely they can't all be into the same sport ==;;;;;

But yeah, I agree with the "young passionate people" comment. Well, from past "revolutions" even in the short course of CCP's reign, it's fairly clear that the most easily stirred up group is the young students, fresh into/out of uni with their heads full of dreams and ideals. Sometimes that's worked against the Chinese government (e.g. Tiananmen) but other times it's made them so much easier to manipulate.

And patriotism is such a core(?) sentiment in Chinese psyche, from 屈原 to 岳飛, Chinese history is filled with anecdotes of people sacrificing themselves for the love of their country (well okay, Qu Yuan didn't really sacrifice himself for his country, but still the same quality). It's like the highest form of 忠.

It's just so sad that that young people don't see that the CCP is twisting this sentiment. They're equating "oppressing Tibet" with "defending mother China". They don't see that they're merely used by the CCP to cover their asses...and I just find that really underhanded (but typical ~~;) of the CCP.

Don't we all want glory for our country? Siding with democracy and environmentalists isn't undermining our homeland, but quite the opposite. Hiding our wrongs and not facing up to them is hardly glorious, it's correcting them, it's doing good things and not doing grandiose things.

Just my 2c ==; I just think if we really love China and really want good for it, we'd tell it to go on a diet instead of defending it as it keeps stuffing junk food into its mouth, to use that analogy ;)

[bludger1985.livejournal.com]

I am sure you didnt suggest it but I would like to clarify that my family and family friends did see through the "deception" of the CCP and like majority of the chinese growing up at the time is fully aware of the 掩耳盗铃 things that the CCP were doing. Mum even admitted that people that have survived through the turbulence and atrocity have became untrusting and will not stop questioning others motives, and thus hiding their own. They've grown up to be aware of the manipulative nature of the chinese government and thats why I found it strange about how firm they stood for the CCP on this.

And lol @ your junk food analogy!! noooo coke is good! there is no taking it away from me!!!!

Seriously though, like when I first to Aus I believed in the exact same thing that if you see friends commiting wrongs and what not, you shouldnt be hiding for them and instead point it out to them.

I found out in the next 10 odd years that friends at that age do not understand the concept, and the only way to get life long friends is to stick by them no matter what, and rather give them little pointers instead of outright corrections. Even now, sometimes I am more inclined to think that "oh he's got his own choice in his life, I will just do my bit as a good friend when we hang." IMO a bit of that transfers to our understanding of nationhood. We are in it no matter what, and we are chinese no matter what. If we are ever in the power to change things we will do so in more subtle ways, but if shit hits the fan, we will still be cleaning up/blocking up the mess from others.