Human rights activists give Communist China three months to avoid boycott call: David Matas and David Kilgour are calling for "(a)n international boycott of the Olympics . . . on August 8 this year if human rights in China do not improve" (Epoch Times, h/t Makina at Boycott 2008). The call come amid a growing number of pundits linking the Communist Olympics to the regime's alliance with the blood-thirsty Sudanese dictatorship (Boycott 2008); even Olympic "artistic advisor" (BBC) Steven Spielberg is asking the Communists to change course on Sudan. Meanwhile, the Communists invited President Bush to the Games (Boycott 2008), and Tibetans are planning an alternative Olympics (Boycott 2008).
Taiwan gets new PM and same old rejection from World Health Organization: Chang Chun-hsiung was tapped by President Chen Shui-bian to replace Su Tseng-chang, who guit after losing the Democratic Progressive nomination for President in next year's election (BBC); one of the first events of Chang's tenure was a series of military exercises (BBC). Meanwhile, the island democracy was shunned by the World Health Organization once more (Washington Times).
Russia apparently deports Falun Gong practitioner: If true, it is another example of the Putinist regime making its Communist arms buyers happy (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).
Chirac embarrasses his nation one last time: Just before Jacques Chirac retired as President of France, his nation handed the Légion d'Honneur award to Long Xinming, the cadre tasked with cracking down on independent media (huaxiabao via Epoch Times).
Commander of U.S. Pacific forces wants more military ties with Communist China: Admiral Timothy J. Keating announced the bone-headed policy while in Communist China itself (Washington Post).
Italy's fashions stolen by hackers in Communist China: The goal of the thieves is "to steal fashion ideas and counterfeit them before the genuine articles can hit the streets" (Washington Times).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Concerns at the Wall Street Journal abound at the possibility that Rupert Murdoch will bend its coverage of Communist China to fit his "engagement" mindset (BH&E). A New York State Assemblyman rips Communist human rights abuses (Epoch Times). EU-Communist China talks are ripped by the European Parliament's Vice President (Epoch Times). Germany's Parliament calls for the closure of Communist China's labor camps (BH&E). Australia's Foreign Affairs critic clarifies earlier remarks about the U.S. and Communist China (AAP via Epoch Times). A Nigerian satellite gets a Communist missile boost (BBC). The Tibetan Aid Project works to preserve Tibetan culture (Epoch Times).
Beijing surrender news: The desperate attempt of the United States to appease Stalinist North Korea (for analysis, see Daily NK, Daily NK again, UPI via Washington Times) has led to this observation by One Free Korea: "here’s something I though I’d never see: U.S. government officials more-or-less openly engaging in a conspiracy that would land anyone else in a federal prison for international money laundering." Luckily for OFK, he's not alone (see also Daily NK).
More news from "another China province": A defector talks to Daily NK about the Stalinist prison system. A refugee hiding in Communist China proper discusses the "military-first" policy in SNK (Daily NK).
Gao Zhisheng is in "fragile" health: That is the account of activist Hu Jia, who was able to meet with the human rights lawyer earlier this month (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times).
More mainland "pan-blues" persecuted by the Communists: Unlike the Taiwanese "pan-blues" - for whom "pan-red" might be more appropriate - the Pan-Blue Alliance on the mainland has remained anti-Communist (Epoch Times).
Yet another land seizure, this one affected 2,000 people in Jiangcun Village (Hangzhou, Zhejiang - Epoch Times).
Communists hope Confucius will keep them in power as a counter to the spreading of anti-Communist spirituality and faith (Boycott 2008).
Is Huang Ju dead? Jennifer Chou of the (Worldwide Standard) has more speculation about the fate of the PSC member and high-ranking member of the Jiang Zemin/Zeng Qinghong faction.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
News of the Day (April 30)
Awarding of Olympics to Beijing has made human rights worse in Communist China: Amnesty International's latest report on Communist China has revealed what many of us predicted - that the cadres are using the Games "as a catalyst for repression" (Boycott 2008). In particular, "the August 2008 Olympics was 'a catalyst for a continued crackdown on human rights defenders, including prominent rights defence lawyers and those attempting to report on human rights violations'" (BBC).
One more call for a Boycott, and other Olympic news: David Sforza comes down in support of staying away from the Games (Boycott 2008). Meanwhile, the path of the Olympic torch continues to fan the flames of controversy (Boycott 2008, Boycott again).
Taiwan's opposition party prostrates itself to Communist China - again: Every Communists' favorite Taiwanese - Lien Chan - and several Kuomintang legislators visited Hu Jintao in Beijing (BBC).
Catholic bishop detained for over a month: Bishop Wu Qinjing (a.k.a. Martin Wu) is in a Communist jail for refusing to hand over control of the Shaanxi diocese to a more malleable Communist prelate (Asia News). Bishop Wu was consecrated by the Communists and the Vatican, but the former do not consider him leader of the diocese. It is the latest in the long running battle between the Communist regime and millions of Catholics who refuse to put the Party between themselves and their God. Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly tried (and is still trying - Asia News and China Post) to mend fences with Beijing.
Other human rights news: Communist China once again has executed more people than the rest of the world combined (Boycott 2008). The cadres crack down on June 4th Poems (Voice of America via Epoch Times). The cadres are planning to use Confucius to erase Easter (Asia News). The Uyghur American Association has the latest on the persecution of the people of occupied East Turkestan. On the bright side, Yang Jianli was finally released (National Review Online).
Canada blocks grain shipments from Communist China: The Canadian government has made the following determination of grain shipments from Communist China - as summed up by Steve Janke, "Canadian border officials will assume that it's contaminated until proven otherwise." For now, this is a de facto ban on Communist grain until and unless the regime gets its act together on this (as Small Dead Animals and Janke note, spiking rice with the quasi-toxic melamine is fairly routine). Meanwhile, Jonah Goldberg at National Review Online's The Corner observes that "consumers should simply not buy pet food from China" - although he may be unaware that the human food chain has already been compromised.
Ignorant Comment of the Day: We have yet another pundit who refuses to take geopolitics into account while examining trade between the United States and Communist China. Richard Rahn, take a bow (Washington Times).
Enlightened Comment of the Day: We had some competition for this one. Guy Sorman's excellent observations on the Communist economy and human rights abuses were in the running (Between Heaven and Earth), as was Hu Shaojiang's examination of the former (Trend via Epoch Times) and AutoSavant's take on Communist China's moves against American and Japanese car makers. The winner, however, is Charles Smith's detailed history of the Communist firm CITIC (Newsmax).
Segolene Royal trying hard to win my support (and I'm nowhere near France): She's not there yet, but this letter of friendship to Falun Gong goes a long way (Epoch Times).
Communist China looks to slow down economy without raising its currency: Instead of an interest rate hike (which would put upward pressure on the deliberately devalued renminbi), the cadres chose to increase its reserve requirements (BBC).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Makina at Boycott 2008 relays and shares a sense of hopelessness on Huseyin Celil. Australia's opposition agrees in principle to a free-trade deal with Communist China (AAP via Epoch Times). New Zealand doctors rip Communist organ harvesting (Epoch Times).
Beijing surrender news: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits President Bush, and suddenly the President is taking tough again (BBC and United Press International via Washington Times) - thank you, Mr. Abe, and don't let the State Department grind you down (One Free Korea). As one would expect, Japan's refusal to knuckle under is not making the Stalinists happy (Daily NK); they much prefer dovish South Korea (Daily NK and UPI via Washington Times).
One more call for a Boycott, and other Olympic news: David Sforza comes down in support of staying away from the Games (Boycott 2008). Meanwhile, the path of the Olympic torch continues to fan the flames of controversy (Boycott 2008, Boycott again).
Taiwan's opposition party prostrates itself to Communist China - again: Every Communists' favorite Taiwanese - Lien Chan - and several Kuomintang legislators visited Hu Jintao in Beijing (BBC).
Catholic bishop detained for over a month: Bishop Wu Qinjing (a.k.a. Martin Wu) is in a Communist jail for refusing to hand over control of the Shaanxi diocese to a more malleable Communist prelate (Asia News). Bishop Wu was consecrated by the Communists and the Vatican, but the former do not consider him leader of the diocese. It is the latest in the long running battle between the Communist regime and millions of Catholics who refuse to put the Party between themselves and their God. Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly tried (and is still trying - Asia News and China Post) to mend fences with Beijing.
Other human rights news: Communist China once again has executed more people than the rest of the world combined (Boycott 2008). The cadres crack down on June 4th Poems (Voice of America via Epoch Times). The cadres are planning to use Confucius to erase Easter (Asia News). The Uyghur American Association has the latest on the persecution of the people of occupied East Turkestan. On the bright side, Yang Jianli was finally released (National Review Online).
Canada blocks grain shipments from Communist China: The Canadian government has made the following determination of grain shipments from Communist China - as summed up by Steve Janke, "Canadian border officials will assume that it's contaminated until proven otherwise." For now, this is a de facto ban on Communist grain until and unless the regime gets its act together on this (as Small Dead Animals and Janke note, spiking rice with the quasi-toxic melamine is fairly routine). Meanwhile, Jonah Goldberg at National Review Online's The Corner observes that "consumers should simply not buy pet food from China" - although he may be unaware that the human food chain has already been compromised.
Ignorant Comment of the Day: We have yet another pundit who refuses to take geopolitics into account while examining trade between the United States and Communist China. Richard Rahn, take a bow (Washington Times).
Enlightened Comment of the Day: We had some competition for this one. Guy Sorman's excellent observations on the Communist economy and human rights abuses were in the running (Between Heaven and Earth), as was Hu Shaojiang's examination of the former (Trend via Epoch Times) and AutoSavant's take on Communist China's moves against American and Japanese car makers. The winner, however, is Charles Smith's detailed history of the Communist firm CITIC (Newsmax).
Segolene Royal trying hard to win my support (and I'm nowhere near France): She's not there yet, but this letter of friendship to Falun Gong goes a long way (Epoch Times).
Communist China looks to slow down economy without raising its currency: Instead of an interest rate hike (which would put upward pressure on the deliberately devalued renminbi), the cadres chose to increase its reserve requirements (BBC).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Makina at Boycott 2008 relays and shares a sense of hopelessness on Huseyin Celil. Australia's opposition agrees in principle to a free-trade deal with Communist China (AAP via Epoch Times). New Zealand doctors rip Communist organ harvesting (Epoch Times).
Beijing surrender news: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits President Bush, and suddenly the President is taking tough again (BBC and United Press International via Washington Times) - thank you, Mr. Abe, and don't let the State Department grind you down (One Free Korea). As one would expect, Japan's refusal to knuckle under is not making the Stalinists happy (Daily NK); they much prefer dovish South Korea (Daily NK and UPI via Washington Times).
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Francois Bayrou for President of France
Of all the places I would expect the anti-Communist community to find a political hero, France was just about the last on my list. Nothing against the French people, who themselves are not happy with Communist China for a host of reasons. However, once I discovered that Jack Lang would not be running for President, it appeared 2007 would see no anti-Communists in Paris' presidential field. I had no idea who Francois Bayrou was back then, and I certainly didn't expect the gentlemen would be so bold as to call for a conditional boycott of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Yet that's exactly what he did, so he now has my support, for what it's worth. I doubt I have many readers in the French Republic, but I apparently have at least a few, and I am now asking them to vote for M. Bayrou.
I am aware that Bayrou is currently in third place, which means he would miss the run-off, but some polls put him very close to current second-place candidate Segolene Royal. If he can pass Royal (or Nicolas Sarkozy)between now and April 22 (voting day), he can make the run-off. From there, anything can happen.
Moreover, Bayrou is the only candidate who has made such a bold move, and as such, support for him would reveal that the French people will no longer tolerate the craven policies of Jacques Chirac toward Communist China. It would make France the second major industrial democracy in less than two years to elect an anti-Communist to power (Canada was the first with Stephen Harper), and could very well encourage other democratic nations to take a second look at the Beijing Games.
I admire both M. Sarkozy (for views on domestic affairs, which is obviously not relevant to this blog) and Mlle. Royal (for her tough statements on Iran and its nuclear program), but with this call, M. Bayrou has trumped them both. To all French citizens who read this: Votez Bayrou, s'il vous plait.
Yet that's exactly what he did, so he now has my support, for what it's worth. I doubt I have many readers in the French Republic, but I apparently have at least a few, and I am now asking them to vote for M. Bayrou.
I am aware that Bayrou is currently in third place, which means he would miss the run-off, but some polls put him very close to current second-place candidate Segolene Royal. If he can pass Royal (or Nicolas Sarkozy)between now and April 22 (voting day), he can make the run-off. From there, anything can happen.
Moreover, Bayrou is the only candidate who has made such a bold move, and as such, support for him would reveal that the French people will no longer tolerate the craven policies of Jacques Chirac toward Communist China. It would make France the second major industrial democracy in less than two years to elect an anti-Communist to power (Canada was the first with Stephen Harper), and could very well encourage other democratic nations to take a second look at the Beijing Games.
I admire both M. Sarkozy (for views on domestic affairs, which is obviously not relevant to this blog) and Mlle. Royal (for her tough statements on Iran and its nuclear program), but with this call, M. Bayrou has trumped them both. To all French citizens who read this: Votez Bayrou, s'il vous plait.
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