20110226 Chinese ‘Jasmine’ tide is inevitable

Chinese ‘Jasmine’ tide is inevitable

In the wake of Tunisia’s “Jasmine Revolution,” a chain of popular revolts have swept across northern Africa and the Middle East. Following this trend, calls for a similar revolution in China have recently appeared on Chinese Web sites. China’s autocratic rulers are of course determined not to let “jasmine” bloom in China, so they have put the nation’s security forces on high alert to deal with any gatherings and activities that might be held in response to the online calls.

Beijing imposed strict censorship on the Internet and mobilized the entire Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and state apparatus. Reports say at least 100 dissidents have been arrested. Judging by the current situation, the conditions for a Jasmine Revolution in China are not ripe.

Be that as it may, the fact that a couple of online posts got China’s rulers worried shows just how nervous they are.

The Chinese economy may be growing, but serious problems are lurking just beneath the surface.

Once the dam bursts, the floodwaters will be unstoppable. That is why the powers that be in China feel compelled to guard against a homegrown Jasmine Revolution.

Reading dubious official statistics will not reveal what is really going on in China. Behind those abstract numbers, political corruption and social conditions are going from bad to worse. Clashes are widespread and hard to contain. Predictions of the collapse of China are not just alarmist talk.

China may not yet be ripe for a Jasmine Revolution, but it is only a matter of time.

Twenty years ago, Western observers said that helping China develop its economy would naturally lead to political reform. The reality, however, has been rather different. China has achieved rapid economic growth, spurred by the inflow of Western capital and, more importantly, the influx of Taiwanese entrepreneurs, but this has not led to even the most basic reforms.

That is because the CCP, which rules China as a one-party state, has turned into a new class with a vested interest in keeping things as they are.

Keeping a firm grip on society through the combined mechanisms of party and state, this class has not given the Chinese masses a fair share of the fruits of economic growth, still less allowed them basic human rights.

Instead, it is using new resources and tools at its disposal to further clamp down on public demand for freedom.

It goes without saying that the actions of China’s autocratic rulers fly in the face of the worldwide spread of democracy. Last year’s awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) was clearly meant to point an accusing finger at China’s autocratic government.

Not surprisingly, instead of humbly accepting the criticism, China’s rulers have further unleashed the forces of state violence, jailing dissidents or putting them under house arrest.

They are determined to prevent discontent from growing into a Chinese Jasmine Revolution, which for them would be a tragedy.

Let us not forget the events of 1989, when the peoples of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe rose up one after another to topple communist regimes, pushing the third wave of democracy of the 20th century to unprecedented heights.

Just as these events were unfolding, China used tanks and machine guns to massacre unarmed protesters. China’s current breed of rulers are the successors of those who massacred so many people more than 20 years ago. As such, they are sure to use any means available to snuff out any spark of popular revolt.

The fact that the Chinese government is now the only force that is helping to prop up the North Korean regime is just one sign of its evil and dictatorial nature.

Ironically, and most unfortunately, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who came to power through a popular election, has become a brother in adversity of China’s autocratic rulers. After two years of close contacts with the other side, Ma has been infected by China’s authoritarian style of government.

As a result, democracy, freedom and human rights have deteriorated in Taiwan, and freedom of the press is seriously under threat. From time to time, Ma mouths slogans about how he hopes to see democratic reform in China, but his actions speak louder than words. With his dedication to the cause of Chinese nationalism and eventual unification, Ma has always bent over backwards to do what Beijing wants. Furthermore, Ma is only concerned about China’s rulers, not its people. To call him an “ugly Chinaman” would not be too far off the mark.

The democracy Taiwan currently enjoys would not have been possible without the sacrifice of countless determined and idealistic people who fought for it through the 228 Incident, the White Terror era and the long years of martial law. Unfortunately, Taiwanese made the mistake of electing the wrong person in 2008 and have paid a heavy price since then.

As soon as Ma took office, Taiwan’s democratic development took a turn for the worse.

People have not even been able to exercise their right to vote in a referendum. Worse, Ma is collaborating with the CCP to control Taiwan, lock it into China’s territory and write off all Taiwan’s democratic gains.

Democracy is like air; when it’s there, you hardly notice it, but without it, you will die. Let us make use of the upcoming legislative and presidential elections to salvage our endangered democracy and defend the principle that sovereignty lies in the hands of the people.

We can’t wait until Taiwan becomes a piece of meat on the chopping board of the CCP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and only then, under a dictatorship, try to launch a Jasmine Revolution.