So there has been little development and no unexpected news came from Tibet. There were reports of arrests, there were photos of dead bodies, some western reporter was pushed around while trying to interview student protesters in Beijing Minorities University, China and Russia have restated that they’re homies, and the most countries have said a boycott of the Olympics would only hurt the athletes. So yeah, nothing too interesting.
Hu Jia’s trial has also begun. I posted an article written by Hu Jia a week or so ago where he criticized the pre-Olympics condition of the Chinese people. He looks like a pretty normal guy with a cute little wife… he definitely doesn’t look like a subversive element. I mean when I think of a subversive element in China, the people in this photo album seem to fit the bill. Or maybe some of the Chaoshan hoodlums I used to teach back in Guangdong. Then again, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Besides, the most dangerous threats to the CCP are not Tibetan thugs flinging rocks and wielding knives, but respectable harmless-looking intellectuals like Hu Jia.
It doesn’t seem like most Chinese people know too much about this guy, especially when compared to the attention he gets in the west, but if they did find out, I highly doubt they would really criticize what he had to say. Maybe some of the ultra-nationalists will say he’s damaging China’s image, but freedom of speech is generally something that is desired, though they make less noise about it than China critics in the west. I mean the sensible people (sensible meaning those who didn’t demand the bombing or genocide of all Tibetans) who complained about the Tibet stuff were mostly making noise about the censorship of the media, not the crackdown. I actually feel kind of the same way. Until there is more evidence that the CCP has killed scores of Tibetan protesters, my main issue with Tibet will be the censorship of the media, the expulsion of foreigners from the hot spots, and the poor choice of words by the CCP leadership.
Back to me talking about Hu Jia. So I like what he wrote, but to be honest, he’s no Lu Xun. I mean if you put Lu Xun up against any of the most talented insulters in world history in a ‘Yo Mama’ or 8 Mile-style rap battle, Lu Xun would so own all of them. Hu Jia… I mean he brings up a lot of honest points and criticism against the CCPs policies, but he’s really not that controversial. Lu Xun hated on his entire race. Hu Jia just says the same thing that most dissidents say about the lack of human rights and civil liberties in China. So why is the CCP making such a big deal about this guy? I mean look at the resources that they spent on monitoring him. I mean those police officers could have used their time much more productively. Like arresting people who sell counterfeit bus tickets or stopping fights between drunken thugs. Some people wonder why the west makes such a big deal out of this guy. Well, the CCP seems to think he’s a really dangerous guy, so the west is now curious as to why.
So I hope Hu Jia is let off the hook. Maybe with the entire world observing this trial, they might take it easy on him, maybe just ten lashes or exile. If he goes into exile and ends up in California, I’d like to treat him to a cheesesteak or maybe a carne asada super burrito, just to show some hospitality. He’s not vegetarian, is he?
Lu Xun is the best. His articles, especially short stories, live through times. Teachers in china always ask students to put his works into the historical background. But his works can perfectly apply to the chinese society even today. Thankfully he did live under the communist rule, or his works would all be banned.
Ah yes, if Lu Xun was still alive and a woman, I would ask her to marry me. I even like his writing more than all that stuff about monkey kings and canibal bandits, though I guess they are in fairly different genres of writing…