Can Chinese Societies Be Civil Societies?
More than 60 Chinese are serving prison sentences for expressing
their views over the Internet. Just last Friday, the government
shut down the popular online Yannan forum, which had posted details
of a rural campaign to remove a corrupt village chief in the
southern province of Guangdong.
by Kathleen Hwang
Hong Kong (UPI) Oct 04, 2005
China is a long way from establishing a civil society and Taiwan,
though considerably ahead of the mainland, also has a long way to
go, media experts said Tuesday.
Among Chinese-speaking societies, a panel of experts said, Hong
Kong came closest to enjoying the benefits of a modern, civil
society.
In a nutshell, they said, Hong Kong had freedom without democracy,
Singapore had democracy without freedom, Taiwan had both but
without the rule of law, and mainland China had none of the
above.
The appraisals were part of a forum titled "Civil Society on the
Move?" organized by Hong Kong University's Journalism and Media
Studies Center, and featuring prominent media representatives from
Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong.
James Jin, chairman of the Cite Publishing Holding Group and
publisher of Business Weekly in Taiwan, pointed out the forum's
English title reflected a positive, progressive outlook, implying
the three societies were in fact moving toward Western-style
democracy. He said Western media often took that view in their
analyses, even of China. However, it could be wishful
thinking.
A more accurate translation of the Chinese title would be, "How far
are we from a civil society?" Jin's conclusion, speaking primarily
for Taiwan, was -- very far.
Taiwan, which emerged from authoritarian rule just a decade ago, is
still in transition with the outcome uncertain, Jin said. He said
it was questionable whether Taiwanese were happier or more secure
under the current elected leadership than 10 years ago, under the
leadership of the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party.
"Having freedoms is like chasing a dream lover -- it's a little
disappointing when you get up close," he said.
While Taiwan's media is free, he said there was an explosion of
ideas, but no focus, and an entertainment-oriented media that did
not help people formulate intelligent views. Taiwan's people are
confused about their identity, he said.
In Jin's analysis, democracy and the rule of law are better than
authoritarianism, but "good authoritarianism" is better than chaos
and confusion.
His prognosis for the future: "Taiwan could become the only free,
democratic, diverse society in the Chinese-speaking world. Or, it
could lose its vitality and beg for help from other
Chinese-speaking societies."
Fellow Taiwanese Wang Chien-chuang, publisher and founding editor
of the respected newsweekly Journalist, pointed out Taiwan has made
steady progress in that it has become a multiparty democracy with a
variety of media and some 33,000 diverse civic organizations, up
from less than 4,000 in 1980. The number and nature of these
groups, he said, are an indicator of the progress toward civil
society.
He agreed with Jin, however, that Taiwan is unsettled and faces an
uncertain future.
Neither speaker mentioned pressure from Beijing as a destabilizing
factor in Taiwanese society, perhaps in deference to their mainland
co-panelist. The omission has become a trend in Hong Kong -- it is
no longer politically correct to criticize Beijing in a public
forum, and self-censorship is the norm.
Well-known Hong Kong columnist and TV commentator Leung Man Tao
said though Hong Kong enjoyed basic freedoms, its people still
suffered from a colonial mentality -- though even this outspoken
critic was careful to point out that he was not comparing Beijing
to Britain.
Leung said Hong Kong had reached a plateau in its economic
development, and it was time for social and political development.
He called on local media to provide the public with "civic
literacy" so they would understand their society and have the
necessary tools to respond to and shape it.
Considerably younger and less candid than his fellow panelists,
Yang Daming represented mainland China, where he said the media was
helping to provide checks and balances to government power. Yang is
managing editor of the Beijing-based Caijing magazine, described as
the most respected financial news magazine in mainland China.
As an example of what he described as growing media effectiveness,
Yang described a Web site set up to serve residents in the new,
upscale community where he lives. Residents had used the site to
voice objections to the late-night noisy behavior of drivers in
residential parking areas, and to increasing pollution in a nearby
stream. He didn't say what the ultimate outcome of this community
activism was.
Unfortunately, the history of online activism does not support
Yang's optimism. More than 60 Chinese are serving prison sentences
for expressing their views over the Internet. Just last Friday, the
government shut down the popular online Yannan forum, which had
posted details of a rural campaign to remove a corrupt village
chief in the southern province of Guangdong.
Radio Free Asia quoted Beijing-based rights activist Hou Wenzhuo as
saying of the forum: "It really was one of the last resources left
to us -- one of the last bastions of justice and social conscience
for academics and rights activists alike. A forum like that is
really very rare in China."
China also revised regulations on Internet news content last week,
requiring that news reports must serve socialism, uphold the
interests of the state, and "correctly" guide public opinion. The
rules forbid content "inciting illegal assemblies, associations,
marches, demonstrations and gatherings that disturb social order"
or promoting "activities in the name of an illegal civil
organization."
Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, issued a statement
criticizing the move, saying: "China's leaders claim to be
modernizers and that they are leading the country towards greater
freedom and democracy. Yet they still remain afraid of their own
citizens and the healthy diversity of news and views which defines
a modern society."
Though China cannot apply its rules to Taiwan, or even to Hong Kong
where press freedom is still ostensibly guaranteed, Beijing's
ceaseless assertion of its authority over both societies casts an
ever-threatening shadow.
Asked how Chinese-speaking peoples can create civil societies,
given the political, social and cultural pressures they still face,
Jin quipped: "They can try eugenics. Also responsible parenting,
good nutrition, education, and good reading materials."
In other words: there is still a long way to go.
