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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 27-Feb-2011
27-Feb-11 News -- China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday

Web Log - February, 2011

27-Feb-11 News -- China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday

US Ambassador to China Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. becomes involved in Beijing rallies

China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday

China's authorities have blocked access to the internet search term "John Huntsman," after word had spread that Huntsman, the US Ambassador to China, was present at a pro-democracy rally in Beijing last Sunday according to Reuters.

Last Sunday's rally was the first of what is supposed to be a series of weekly multi-city rallies, to be held each Sunday, if the wishes of anonymous Chinese activists are to be followed. The call for a "Jasmine Revolution," named after the series of Mideast revolutions that began last month with Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution.

In fact, last Sunday's rallies were poorly attended, but that fact hasn't stopped Chinese authorities from cracking down hard, according to the LA Times, by arresting human rights activists, by imposing greater internet censorship, and by harassing foreign journalists.

The involvement of US Ambassador Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. is generating some internet discussion, since it is not know whether Huntsman "just happened" to be in the area at the time of the rally, or whether he attended on purpose. President Obama appointed Huntsman as ambassador to China, based on his experience as a politician and diplomat, including a great deal of Asian experience. However, Huntsman is also a moderate Republican, who may be planning to run for President in 2012. Huntsman may not be ambassador much longer.

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The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday night to impose sanctions on Libya, and called for an international war crimes investigations. Even Russia and China voted for the sanctions, and it's though that they did that because Libya's own UN Ambassador, a personal friend of Muammar Gaddafi, expressed outrage at the violence against Libya's people, and begged the Security Council to impose the sanctions. NY Times

North Korea is threatening to fire artillery at South Korean border towns and destroy them, in retaliation for sending hundreds of thousands of balloons with propagand leaflets from the South into the North. The South Koreans began the propaganda campaign after the North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in December, killing several South Koreans, with the result that positions have substantially hardened on both sides. Associated Press

An international crisis was averted when China reversed its decision to forbid the display of 3,500 year old mummies Xinjiang province at a University of Pennsylvania museum. The exhibition had been planned for months, but suddenly China withdrew permission to display the mummies. The reason was apparently that the mummies displayed Caucasoid (non-Chinese) characteristics, and thus they would provide support for the claim of Muslim Uighurs nationalists that their Turkic ancestors had been the first to settle the region, rather than the Han Chinese. High level discussions took place between US and Chinese officials, and nine days later the Chinese relented and gave permission for the mummies to be displayed. Yale Global

A growing wave of violence sweeping through Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria (KBR) province in the North Caucasus has raised further doubts about the stability of the whole region, and brings into question whether the 2014 Olympics can be held in Sochi. Paul Goble

Pickpocketing in America was once a proud criminal tradition, but it's dying out in favor of more violent crimes. Slate

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 27-Feb-11 News -- China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (27-Feb-2011) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 27-Feb-2011 27-Feb-11 News -- China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday

China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 27-Feb-2011
27-Feb-11 News -- China cracks down ahead of planned 'Jasmine' protests on Sunday