Will her little sister be safe in China?

There’s a good soul who teaches a class of nine-year old Germans Chinese at school. All the time during the big Sacred-Torch Show, there was no politics in the classroom. But last week, he says there was, and it went like this.

immigration nightmare

The parents of one of the students may move to China for two years or so, as her father might have to work for his company there. Some students were concerned for the safety of their fellow student’s little sister.

Student X: But she has a little sister. There can only be one child per family. They cull all the others.

Imagine you were in the teacher’s place. How would you answer?

Please post your comments. After five different suggestions, I’ll add what the teacher did actually answer.

Human Rights and the Isolation Factor

Latest news has it that Sarkozy will attend the Olympic opening ceremony after all. In the end, German chancellor Merkel may be one of rather few leaders who choose to stay away - possibly along with Canada’s prime minister Stephen Harper, Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk and the Czech Republic’s president Vaclav Klaus. Their absence doesn’t amount to a “boycott”, but it is important.

It is probably no coincidence that three of the politicians just mentioned grew up in Eastern European states. Merkel herself was born in Hamburg, but her family moved to East Germany soon after her birth. She remained an East German citizen until Germany was united in October 1990.

Another East German, Günter Nooke, is the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid. He is facing a lot of skepticism, even within Germany, with his human rights agenda. Misgivings about his work are that it is bad for German business, that every country has to make its own choices, etc.

Nooke, himself a dissident in East Germany under Communist rule back then, told German news magazine Der Spiegel how he was mobbed by his superiors in the army (military service was mandatory in both German states).  After he had been listed as a “candidate” for an internment camp, he transferred his rights and duties to foster his children to his sister’s wife for making sure that they wouldn’t be put into a state children’s home.

He knew that there were people outside East Germany who hadn’t forgotten him. To feel that gave him a lot of strength, he says. A dictatorship could only work efficiently as long as it remained a vacuum, without any hope for the dissidents to be heard. As long as their isolation isn’t complete, there is still some hope.

That’s why the decision about attending the opening ceremony or staying away does matter. That’s why every word about human rights does matter. That is no hostility towards China. It is a human duty. I sometimes get the impression that many of those who call it “hostility” may only fear for their own business, or, if mainland Chinese, do not wish to confront themselves with the actual issue because they are - understandably - afraid. But this should blind noone who is in a relatively safe position himself or herself.

Whenever fear is absent, a conscious choice can be made. And there are distinguished people like Hu Jia who won’t even be stopped by fear. There is no need to blindly admire or emulate them. But we can learn from them. If we want a better tomorrow, we should. They make huge sacrifices. To reciprocate at least at a minimum level, we must let them know that they we are aware of them.

Bush to attend Olympic Opening Ceremony

The American president has made up his mind. He’s going to attend the Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing. If it is true that the Chinese leadership had promised the IOC significant improvements in its human rights record, it is probably fair to say that Bush’s policy towards China isn’t principled.

That will come as a disappointment for many of those who frantically waved their American flags when the American president ordered the invasion of Iraq, and those ugly neocons  who labeled any American who criticised the war or Guantanamo as “unpatriotic”. In fact, I think there is no real contradiction between the Bush administration then, and the Bush administration now. It never showed much respect for human rights - neither at home, nor abroad.

*COUGH!*

In fact, I think the current American president is good company for the Chinese leadership. I see no reason for him to stay away. He should just make sure that he isn´t going to choke on his freedom fries. And those who supported him (or still support him) should take a close look at him while he is there, and make their next choice more carefully.

*COUGH!*

Sina.com.cn online poll: French president “not wanted” at Olympics

President Sarkozy had considered pulling out of the opening ceremony of the Games. His deliberations were connected to the way the talks between China’s government and the Dalai Lama would work. If an online poll by Sina.com.cn has it right (there is some likelihood that it has), the French president is “not welcome” at the opening ceremony.

Terrible blow. The Chinese nation doesn’t like him. That said, who cares?

Imagine Sarkozy would choose to attend the ceremony. Would the Chinese leadership draw his attention to the poll and tell him to stay away? And if so, how would the IOC and the global public react?

If Sarkozy was barred, this would mean that the CCP actually gives more than a damn on how “ordinary people” feel. It would take real big riots to keep the French president out of Beijing.

The tourism boycott that is said to be in operation against France does cause losses (and should be replied to with economic sanctions by the EU, if it turns out to be real). But the opinion poll is just a nice piece of propaganda (with the voting netizens playing the rule role of useful idiots). And it probably only works inside China. Internationally, it is just another piece of weird news.