25 Years Ago: It's Not That I Didn't Understand

25 years ago, its not that I didn't understand, but then came the 35th day of May. 

RIP Tiananmen martyrs, young idealistic lives caught terribly short.

What Beijing learned from Tiananmen: Democracy isn’t needed for prosperity

Article in Globe and Mail by Charlie Foran citing my memories "What Beijing learned from Tiananmen: Democracy isn’t needed for prosperity" http://fw.to/yzfR4KZ

John Ivison: To the governor-general, Genghis Khan isn’t so much a genocidal warlord as a ‘purveyor of knowledge and enlightenment’ | National Post

John Ivison: To the governor-general, Genghis Khan isn’t so much a genocidal warlord as a ‘purveyor of knowledge and enlightenment’ | National Post



Some one needs to have a serious chat with whoever it was in DFATD who put these appallingly misconceived words into the Vice-Regal mouth.

The new Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou has just been completely demolished.

The new Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou has just been completely demolished.  I am simply appalled.

My letter to The Toronto Star about the Statement by Liu Jianhui and Zheng Yaru Published this Morning

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/04/26/we_will_never_recover_from_this_awful_tragedy.html


To:  Kevin Cavanagh  AUncles@thestar.ca  Lucy Burton  Jianhui Liu
Dear Alison,

Thank you very much for publishing the translation.  The photo of Liu Qian as a child on the mountain on the front page is lovely.

I just spoke with Liu Jianhui and mentioned the Star's generous offer to make a donation to a charity in the name of Liu Jianhui and Zheng Yaru to a charity.  Well I was very touched to learn that he and his wife had taken some of the money that the Chinese community in Toronto has collected for them and given it to the Sick Kids Hospital, which they could see out of the window of their room in the Doubletree Hotel where they stayed during the trial.  I had told them when I was up in their hotel room about how grateful I was to that hospital because when she was a young teenager my daughter Lucy had had 2 operations of 13 and 4 hours respectively to address a serious heart defect there.  Mr. Liu has asked that the Star's donation also go to Sick Kids.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

Charles



___
905-329-9477
Skype: cburton002
http://charlesburton.webplus.net

Xi Jinping Moves to Centralize His Personal Power

NYTimes: National Security Commission Meets for the First Time: 

http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/national-security-commission-meets-for-the-first-time/

Victim Impact Statement by Liu Jianhui and Zheng Yaru

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151981466260825&set=a.10150207235885825.306134.592695824&type=1&theater

Justice Finally Done in the Tragic Death of Liu Qian

Today Brian Dickson has been found guilty of first degree murder in the death of Liu Qian.

Justice has been done, but I feel only deep, deep sadness at her terrible loss.

RIP, Necole.

My Thought on Trial for man accused of York University webcam murder starts this week

This trial will be the focus of much attention in China.  I am ardently hoping that the Canadian justice system will function in a way that will do Canada credit.


http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/15/trial-for-man-accused-of-york-university-webcam-murder-starts-this-week#disqus_thread

My Op-Ed in this morning's Globe and Mail China’s leadership entrenches – this cannot bode well

China’s leadership entrenches – this cannot bode well - The Globe and Mail



Unfortunately, the signal importance to these minorities of language, culture and religious rights evidently escapes China’s leadership. For many Uyghurs and Tibetans, for instance, the fight for symbols that recognize their identity – their own flag, a seat at the United Nations, a free media that tells their people’s story in their own terms, their own schools and political leaders – is a paramount concern. It is the stuff of their souls, for which some will resort to terror and violence, even laying down their lives in horrible ways. 

.  .  .

Wednesday’s report suggests China will step up its struggle for regional power and influence against Japan in the coming year. The government indicated ominously that “we will safeguard the victory of World War II and the postwar international order, and will not allow anyone to reverse the course of history.” Combined with a promise to increase the military’s budget by 12.2 per cent, well in excess of anticipated gross domestic product growth, this cannot bode well.

My Take on the Terrible Incident at the Kunming Railway Station

Mercifully, none of our family and friends were at the Kunming Railway Station that terrible evening.

Yesterday, I was asked to make a few comments for the Toronto Mandarin TV News.  I judge that the questions the reporter asked me shed more light on the issue than my answers.  For example, I was asked if I thought that the reason the incident occurred in Kunming is because so many Uyghurs travel to Yunnan to buy drugs.  Another was did I think that the reason that the Uyghurs engage in terrorism is because they want are an independent East Turkestan so they can keep all the wealth generated by natural resource extraction in Xinjiang for themselves.  So is it about greed?  And there was the implication that all Uyghurs, coordinated by Rebiya Kadeer with U.S. support, foment terrorism to further their cause.

But I see the Han-Uyghur conflict as fundamentally a problem of incompatible and evidently  irreconcilable narratives of history about the same piece of territory.  Unfortunately, the signal importance of language, culture and religion to the Uyghurs largely escapes most Han people.  But the fight for recognition of their identity, the symbols of their own flag, a seat for their nation at the U.N., a free media in the Uyghur language that tells their people's story in their own terms, and of course their own schools and political leaders is to many Uyghurs their paramount abiding concern, because it is the stuff of their souls.  And for this some will resort to terror and violence and even lay down their lives.

I wish that I could see some path to a resolution of all this.  But, regrettably, I cannot.

Report in Chinese that Zhou Yongkang has been expelled from the Party

快讯：中共中央下发《关于周永康涉嫌严重违纪的通报》，通报指出，周永康在担任中国石油天然气集团、国土资源部、四川省委书记领导职务和中央政法委书记期间，严重违反党的纪律，滥用职权，犯有严重错误、负有重大责任；利用职权为他人谋利，直接和通过家人收受他人巨额贿赂；利用职权、其子周某利用其的职务影响为他人谋利，其家人收受他人巨额财物；与多名女性发生或保持不正当性关系；违反组织人事纪律，造成严重后果；涉嫌侵吞巨额国有资产；包庇和纵容黑社会团伙犯罪。周永康的行为造成了严重后果，极大损害了党和国家声誉，在国内外产生了非常恶劣的影响，给党和人民的事业造成了重大损失。中共中央政治局会议决定，根据《中国共产党章程》、《中国共产党纪律处分条例》的有关规定，给予周永康开除党籍处分，待党的十八届四中全会予以追认

It has not been denied by the Chinese MFA yet

Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom Meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom Meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Canadians are concerned about the restrictions placed by the Chinese government on the right to freedom of religion of Tibetan Buddhists, especially on their ability to worship in peace. We are also concerned by the self-immolations by some Tibetans.

Canada has consistently advocated substantive and meaningful dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives to work toward a resolution of outstanding issues that is acceptable to both sides."

On China's Refusal to Endorse the UN Report on Human Rights in the DPRK

I find this report on  China-Korea and human rights' analysis highly convincing:
From The Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/world-insider/why-wont-china-call-out-north-korea-on-charge-of-nazi-like-abuses/article16933237/

China says UN report on ‘great suffering,’ murder, rape in North Korea is ‘unreasonable criticism’ | National Post

China says UN report on ‘great suffering,’ murder, rape in North Korea is ‘unreasonable criticism’ | National Post



Keep hoping for the day when China has a government that champions justice.  Hope it comes to pass in my lifetime and preferably much sooner.

NYTimes: Imax Faces a Threat in China: technology stolen from Canada

From The New York Times

Imax Faces a Threat in China
Not only could competitors in China cut into its potential market share there, but Imax has charged in several courts that the Chinese system relies on technology that was blatantly stolen from its offices in Canada.
http://nyti.ms/1fCZJdK

My interview about this on SUN TV:
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/search/all/source/the-source/chinas-industrial-espionage/3227792434001

Ambassador of Canada to China, Guy Saint-Jacques‘ Statement on Sentencing of Law Professor Xu Zhiyong

Ambassador of Canada to China, Guy Saint-Jacques‘ Statement on Sentencing of Law Professor Xu Zhiyong - http://bit.ly/KZqRIJ

"Other incidents of concern include:

• the arrest of Professor Ilham Tohti, who has publicly expressed his concern for the well-being of Chinese Uyghurs;

• the disappearance on February 2, 2009 of Gao Zhisheng, a Christian human rights lawyer known for defending religious minorities and land-rights petitioners;

• the house detention of Liu Xia, wife of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who has been held largely incommunicado even though she has never been convicted of any offence;

• the 11-year sentencing of Liu Xiaobo for incitement to subversion."

My views are quoted in Ann Hui's report "Canadian ambassador rebukes China for jailing rights activist" published in the Globe and Mail on January 27, 2014: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadas-ambassador-to-china-criticizes-jailing-of-xu-zhiyong/article16505333/

Interviews about this on Radio Canada International Mandarin Service and English Service:

伯顿谈加拿大对许志永案的声明以及习近平的“列宁主义” - http://bit.ly/1jCb6GK

http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2014/01/27/canadian-ambassador-rebukes-china-on-human-rights/

My Sun TV interview on this: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/featured/prime-time/867432237001/canada-condemns-china/3233030309001

China blocks CBC website after story about offshore accounts - World - CBC News

China blocks CBC website after story about offshore accounts - World - CBC News



Seems this reflects Communist Party fear about Chinese people fulfilling the Biblical injunction:

John 8:32

King James Version (KJV)

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Tiananmen | Ideas with Paul Kennedy | CBC Radio

Re-broadcast of CBC "Ideas" program that I was part of.

Tiananmen | Ideas with Paul Kennedy | CBC Radio

We Wei Po report: Jang's execution bodes ill for China

According to the report, unlike previous executions of political prisoners which were carried out by firing squads with machine guns, Jang was stripped naked and thrown into a cage, along with his five closest aides. Then 120 hounds, starved for three days, were allowed to prey on them until they were completely eaten up. This is called "quan jue", or execution by dogs.  The report said the entire process lasted for an hour, with Mr Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader in North Korea, along with 300 senior officials observing this horror.


http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/asia-report/china/story/jangs-execution-bodes-ill-china-20131224