Taiwan Spoke Out Against Removal of Film from MIFF

China’s determination to punish the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) over the screening of the Kadeer film has once again backfired.  What is at stake this time is the goodwill of Taiwanese people.  In short, this saga has the potential of winding back cross-strait ties that seem to have been improving since the Nationalist Party headed by Ma Ying-jeou became Taiwan’s President in May last year.

The Taiwan Government Information Office (GIO) has expressed its disapproval of the withdrawal of the movie Miao Miao from the MIFF.  A spokesman from GIO confirmed that the producer of the film had failed to consult the GIO before pulling the film out.  The withdrawal of the film from the Festival had hurt the image of Taiwan. Miao Miao was produced by a Hong Kong film maker with funding from the GIO.  There is a possibility that the GIO will ask the producer for a reimbursement of the NT$4 million subsidy.  The GIO is also reserving the right to sue the Hong Kong producer Jet Tone for breach of contract.

Miao Miao’s withdrawal has met with mounting criticism in Taiwan in the past two days.  To many Taiwan people, the withdrawal suggested not only that Miao Miao, a film made with Taiwan funding, was categorized as a Chinese film in an international film festival, but also that Taiwan was siding with Beijing in the repression of Uighurs.

The Taipei Economic and Relations Office (TECO) in Australia has also informed the MIFF organiser that TECO intends to continue as a sponsor for the Festival because apart from Miao Miao, Taiwan still had two short films screening at the festival.  They are Joyce Agape and The Pursuit of What Was.

A journalist from Taipei Times wrote the following remarks in his blog about the saga.  I am quoting him because his views are shared by many of my Taiwanese friends:

Hopefully a price will be paid by those who made the decision to pull the movies from the festival, if only in bad publicity and diminishing sales at the box office. One can hope, too, that this will have served as a wake-up call for Taiwanese creative artists and government agencies such as the GIO that have pushed for cross-strait cooperation in the arts. One thing is sure: I’m never paying to see a movie directed, written or produced by Wang Kar-wai again. My Blueberry Nights, though cute, wasn’t all that great anyway.

Meanwhile, Rebiya Kadeer has arrived in Melbourne today.  She appeared at tonight’s The 7.30 Report.  During her interview with Mary Gearin, Kadeer said:

Under six decade of brutal Chinese rule, the Uyghur people have not enjoyed a day of peace. They love peace. They yearn for peace. And we also struggle for their human right and for democracy.

[……]

It is the Chinese Government accused us of separatism, and that’s Chinese Government’s mantra. And our goal is self-determination, which was actually part of the autonomous system granted to us by the Chinese authorities. And our hope is to hold the dialogue with the Chinese authorities to peacefully resettled the East Turkestan issue.

When my people, just like you, when they could truly enjoy freedom, when they could live like human beings. Until that day comes, I will not stop what I am doing.

According to The 7.30 Report, staff at MIFF are continuing to battle cyber terrorism and harassment from fenqing-type Chinese nationalists.  Ned and I would like to express our deepest admiration for these brave Australians.  It is not easy to have to constantly look behind one’s shoulder when walking down the street.  And we curse Laojun, the Chinese national who claimed to be responsible for the cyber crime against MIFF, and the journalist who helped to promote the course of this cyber criminal, all in the name of fair and balanced reporting??!!!

Qin Gang’s Bottom and His Brain

Today we found more memorable quotations from Qin Gang, the eloquent and gifted public face of the Brave New China.

The first is from China Digital Times:

My sincere thanks to Xiao Qiang for the original source and the English translation.

Date: 26 July 2009

Event: It was the Open Day of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held in commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.  After Qin had finished boasting about the achievement of the Ministry, he came up with the brilliant idea of a mock-up press conference.  Everyone was given a chance to play the role of a reporter and ask Qin a question.  Chen Delin, a professor from the Beijing United University, managed to get hold of the microphone.  He asked, “What principles do you follow when you answer questions from Chinese and foreign reporters?”

Qin Gang answered:

Stand your ground firmly. Your bottom decides where your brain is (站稳立场 屁股决定脑袋). A spokesman first must be loyal to the motherland and people, and second he needs to grasp policies comprehensively and with familiarity. With these two skills, there are no difficult questions that cannot be answered.

Thanks to Qin Gang, now we have a much better idea of how his brain is connected to his bottom. We also know how this connection is essential for making him a better public face of China.

The next memorable quotation is from our friend JR from the JustRecently Weblog:

Date: 17 July 2009

Event: In a regular press conference, a reporter asked Qin Gang, “Some Chinese media have made a comparison between  Rebiya Kadeer and the Dalai Lama.  What is the Chinese Government’s view on this?”

To this Qin Gang gave a brilliant answer :

One is female and the other one is male (他们一个是女的，一个是男的).  But they do have one thing in common, and that is they are both engaging in activities that aim at splitting the motherland and doing harm to ethnic unity.

As JR has correctly put it, if you’ve ever accused Qin Gang of not knowing the difference between the two leaders in exile, you might want to eat your words now.

Chinese Cyber-terrorism Gives Kadeer More Publicity (Update)

Click HERE for the original post.

ABC News just confirms that a Chinese national has contacted the National Broadcaster, claiming responsibility for the hacking incident.  This is the relevant section from the news report:

The hacker has contacted the ABC saying he does not work for the Chinese Government and is just an ordinary, angry Chinese citizen who objects to the film.

The film’s director Jeff Daniels says he is concerned about the fact Victoria police will be putting on extra security for the screening.

“I personally find it appalling that the Chinese Government has put the film festival and film-goers in a position where they need a police escort and private security to see a film,” he said.

“I think Melbourne is getting a small taste of the position that the Chinese Government has put Rabiya Kadeer and her family and the Uighur population in for the past 60 years.”

The film festival organiser reiterates that the Kadeer film will be screened as schedule.

This author once again urges Chinese authorities and their representatives in Australia to cooperate with the Australian Police in tracking down the hacker(s) responsible for this act of cyber-terrorism.

Chinese Cyber-terrorism Gives Kadeer More Publicity

Check HERE for update

Rebiya Kadeer and the film 10 Conditions of Love and the Melbourne Film Festival continue to be the focus of international attention, thanks to a group of anarchic China-based hackers.

Hackers broke into the Melbourne International Film Festival’s official website and replaced festival information with the Chinese flag and anti-Kadeer slogans.  The site was subsequently subjected to spam attacks.  Meanwhile Festival Director Richard Moore’s email account was inundated with abusive messages since the day he refused to comply with Chinese Government’s insolent demand to withdraw the Kadeer film from the program.  The matter is now under police investigation.  Initial findings indicate that the attacks originated from China.

Computer hacking is classified in International Law under “Terrorism”.  To be precise, it is called “Cyber-terrorism”.

My understanding is that the Chinese Government is very keen to seek cooperation from international communities to fight terrorism.  I am therefore calling upon Chinese authorities, particularly Chinese government’s representatives in Australia, to fully cooperate with Victorian Police and Australian Federal Police in their efforts to track down those China-based hackers who have committed such acts of cyber-terrorism. 

I also suggest that the Australia Government should issue travel warnings to Australians who plan to travel to China.  The Chinese language media in the PRC has been using both the Stern Hu scandal and the Kadeer film as excuses to launch an anti-Australia campaign.  There is also evidence to suggest that the Chinese government is trying hard to conceal this anti-Australia sentiment by blocking similar reports from appearing in its English language newspapers.  Take the Global Times as an example.  Many reports about the MIFF have appeared in its Chinese edition in the last few days.  One of these online reports has attracted more than 500 anti-Australia comments.  These reports were instantly copied and disseminated at major Internet portals in China.  However, up till now not a single report about the MIFF had appeared in the English edition of the Global Times.

The Chinese Government has used similar tactics of appealing to public sentiment in its dealings with the French.  In this difficult economic climate, the Chinese Government will use all tricks available to extort concessions from trading partners, or to shift blame away from the Communist leadership.  Therefore I remind the Australian Foreign Affairs Ministry to advise caution.  There are good reasons to be concerned about the safety of Australians in China.

China Boycotts Melbourne Film Festival over Rebiya Kadeer

Chinese film directors will not be showing their works at the Melbourne Film Festival.  The boycott is in retaliation against Festival organiser’s refusal to discard a film about Rebiya Kadeer from its program.  Richard Moore, director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, said an official named Chen Chunmei from the Chinese consulate in Melbourne rang him on 10 July to demand the withdrawal of the documentary.

According to Xinhua:

Three Chinese films have been withdrawn from this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival in protest of the inclusion of a documentary about Rebiya Kadeer – the leader of the World Uygur Congress.

    The films – “Perfect Life,” “Petition” and “Cry Me a River,” – had been expected to be screened in the mid-August festival, according to the Age newspaper in Melbourne.

    But in a letter to the festival, Jia Zhangke, producer of the film “Perfect Life” and whose company also produced “Cry Me a River,” said he decided to withdraw both movies to protest Kadeer’s attendance at the event.

    “Petition,” a film directed by Zhao Liang, has also been withdrawn from the festival.

Richard Moore described the Chinese film directors’ decisions as regrettable.  However, he has no intention to make a retreat from his earlier position.  In other words, the 10 Conditions of Love will be screened and the heroine of the movie Rebiya Kadeer will appear as a guest at the Film Festival alongside Greens leader Bob Brown, who will formally launch the film.

The Chinese boycott has another unforeseen consequence.  According to today’s The Australian, “the initial screening of the film, 10 Conditions of Love, in a 750-seat venue has sold out and a second screening is being scheduled. Overall, ticket sales for the festival, which opens tomorrow, are up this year despite the economic downturn.”

Ironically, one of the Chinese film directors who joined the boycott made the following statement about the situation in an earlier interview with The Australian.  He said and I quote:

If we don’t touch the taboo areas, we will have a lot of freedom. But then those areas will grow larger. If your tactic is to guess what the censors are thinking and try to avoid their concerns, you are ruined as an artist. We’re living in a dangerous atmosphere.

Those who are fond of Chinese films will not be disappointed.  As a matter of fact, two of the withdrawn Chinese films will be shown in Brisbane next week.

Australian Writers Condemn China’s Censorship Attempt

The Sydney affiliate of International PEN issued a statement to condemn China’s latest attempt to force the organiser of the Melbourne Film Festival to remove The Ten Conditions of Love from its 2009 program.  Sydney PEN also appealed for the imminent release of Chinese PEN member Liu Xiaobo and Uighur PEN centre member Iham Tohti.  Liu Xiaobo has been formally arrested in June after in detention for more than six months and is now awaiting trial.  Iham Tohti has disappeared and is believed to have been detained for blogging about the Urumqi riot.

Trailer of The Ten Conditions of Love

Sydney PEN’s statement reads:

Sydney PEN condemns censorship attempt; congratulates Melbourne Film Festival

Sydney PEN, the influential body of writers and readers devoted to freedom of expression, has congratulated the Melbourne International Film Festival for its firm stance against Chinese attempts to censor its 2009 festival program.

Melbourne International Film Festival director, Richard Moore, revealed this week how an official from the Chinese Consulate in Melbourne telephoned him, demanding he withdraw the documentary, The 10 Conditions of Love, from his festival this month. The film profiles the Uighur businesswoman and leader in exile, Rebiya Kadeer. The Chinese government describes Kadeer as a terrorist and blames her for instigating the deadly ethnic riots in Xinjiang this month.

Sydney PEN president, Virginia Lloyd, condemned the Chinese Consulate’s attempt to censor the festival. “We congratulate Mr Moore for holding firm against this objectionable pressure,” she said.

Dr Lloyd said China’s harsh stance on free speech in its own country was well documented, with 47 writers currently imprisoned there because of their writing and political views – more than any other country in the world. However, for Chinese diplomatic staff to demand censorship of free speech within Australia was a disturbing development, she said. Such attempts must be vigorously rejected.

Dr Lloyd said the attempt to censor the Melbourne screening of the documentary was of deep concern.

“In Australia we are extremely fortunate to enjoy a high degree of free expression. However, attempts are often made to curtail this, in overt and subtle ways. We must be vigilant against censorship in all its forms, and vocal in demanding that our freedom of expression be protected,” said Dr Lloyd.

“Working with our colleagues at International PEN, our members seek the release of many imprisoned Chinese writers. Currently these include the leading writer, dissident and literary critic, Liu Xiaobo, who after six months in detention without charge or trial was formally arrested in Beijing on June 23 and charged with ‘inciting subversion of state power’. Along with human rights organisations around the world, we are calling for Liu Xiaobo’s immediate release.”

PEN is also deeply concerned by the detention of Uighur writer, academic and member of the Uighur PEN Centre, Iham Tohti, who was reportedly arrested in Beijing on 6 July 2009. He had spoken out on the ethnic unrest which broke out in Urumqi on 5 July.

China Demands Australian Film-maker to Withdraw Uighur Documentary

The Chinese Government, out of sheer stupidity, is stepping up pressure on Australia to subjugate to its whim.  This time, the target is an Australian film on Rebiya Kadeer, to be screened at the upcoming Melbourne Film Festival.  This is a report from ABC Radio Australia:

Organisers of an Australian film festival say they have been pressured by the Chinese government to remove a documentary about an exiled dissident.

The film by Australian director Jeff Daniels, called The 10 Conditions of Love, tells the rags-to-riches story of millionaire businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer, a member of the Uighur ethnic group.

Ms Kadeer was one of China’s richest women but is now in exile in the United States.

Richard Moore, director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, says an official from the Chinese consulate rang him last Friday asking him to withdraw the documentary.

“Then (they) went on to list at great length . . . the number of so-called crimes that Rebiya Kardeer had committed against China and against humanity,” Mr Moore said.

“I have to tell you after about five minutes I fazed out and then again reminded her that there was no way we were going to withdraw the film from the festival and politely put down the phone.”

Please follow this LINK to a more detailed report from this morning’s ABC AM program.

Let me sum up how an Australian will respond to this kind of farcical situation:

1. Amused.
2. There’s no way Richard Moore will back down.  If he does, he’ll be called a wuss.
3. That’s good publicity for Kardeer.  She’ll have more stories to tell when she is here for the film festival.  Good on her.
4. Now you finally got me interested.  Where can I buy a ticket?

Incidentally, the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today has  issued a stern warning to the Chinese Government about the way it handles Mr Stern Hu’s case.  Mr Rudd said and I quote:

Australia of course has significant economic interests with its relationship with China, but I also remind our Chinese friends that China too has significant economic interests at stake in its relationship with Australia and with its other commercial partners around the world,” Mr Rudd said. “A range of foreign governments and corporations will be watching this case with interest and will be watching it very closely, and they will be drawing their own conclusions as to how it is conducted.

 

Ren and Stimpy Work For China’s Central Propaganda Department. Unhappy Muslims Will Be Shot!

After you watch enough CCTV (China Central Television) or read enough Xinhua “news” agency press releases (one of the principal sources of Chinese information for Western journalists in China – go figure), you begin to recognise a handful of mass-produced phrases as the essential ingredients of every product churned out by China’s Propaganda Department, now euphemistically called in English the “Publicity Department”. They changed the English translation from “Propaganda” to “Publicity” because they finally figured out that in the West there is – or at least used to be – a widespread belief that propaganda makes people stupid. Just like advertising and “public relations”. In a way, it’s true that the name change is a distinction without a difference.