Houston Community News >> Netizens Hit Back at Western Bias
3/24/2008 (China Daily)-- Chinese netizens
including those studying overseas are fighting back to discredit often
distorted, and sometimes dishonest, reports by Western media about the
recent riots in Tibet.
A video clip titled "Tibet was, is, and always will be part of China" became an instant hit after it was posted on YouTube on March 15, attracting more than 1.6 million hits and 105,000 comments within eight days.
"Do u bandwagon jumpers really care about Tibet? becuz u know u don't, Tibet is just a TOOL for u guys to throw things at China ... Well since u want to bash China, but do u know ANYTHING about Chinese history?? Let me start by telling u this: The years that Tibet has been a part of China is way the hell longer than US/Canada/Aus/NewZealand's history combined " the producer named Huang Jinshao says in the description.
The 7-minute clip then lists indisputable historical facts to prove that Tibet has long been an inalienable part of China.
It concluded by saying: "Thank u, the West. Your fair news media like CNN and BBC have never stopped attacking other countries' sovereignty and your GOVs never stop trying to split other countries apart.
"Dream on for China to become the next Yugoslavia, Bosnia. Because we know that is our country called HOME and no one could never, ever, ever, ever break it apart "
According to a report on www.csuchen.de, a Chinese website based in Germany, the producer is a 21-year-old sophomore student who migrated to Canada from China six years ago.
"I want Chinese people's voice to be heard," he was quoted as saying.
He said he produced the clip after watching North American media reports on the Tibet riots on March 14 - to express dissatisfaction over their one-sided, anti-China reporting.
He got the first response in just two minutes; and in four hours, he received more than 500 e-mails expressing support. "I was deeply touched," he said.
Two days later, another video clip named "Riot in Tibet: True face of Western media", also became popular. It depicts "how Western media made fake reports about the riots by modifying pictures purposely". It got more than 658,000 hits on YouTube.
A Chinese reader named Wang working in New York said in an e-mail to China Daily: "Every Chinese here is furious over how Western media have distorted the truth. Innocent people were killed, yet the West chose to stand on the side of rioters."
On the China Daily website, many netizens voiced indignation at Western media.
A Norwegian netizen named Svein, who lived in China for three years, said: "Sadly I've gotten so used to foreign media writing wrongfully and degradingly about China that I try not to let it upset me anymore. The Western media say they are independent, but they have a clear agenda and write exactly what they like to write."
Chris Bloor, an Australian visiting China for the eighth time, wrote: "If rioters were killing and burning innocent people in Australia or in the US, I am sure that both governments would have responded with deadly force.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the innocent people that these thugs attacked. No cause can be respected when people act with such cruelty!"
German TV station apologizes for picture 'in wrong context'
BERLIN - Germany's RTL television said on Sunday that it "regrets an error" in covering the riots in Lhasa when it "used a picture in a wrong context".
The picture was taken on March 17 in Kathmandu, where baton-wielding Nepalese security forces confronted Tibetan protesters. But the TV station said it was a scene in Tibet involving Chinese security forces. "We regret this error," RTL said in a statement on its website.
RTL Aktuell, a key news program on RTL TV, along with the German Bild newspaper and the Washington Post, have been criticized by Chinese netizens in the past few days for using that picture in what they describe as distorted coverage of the Lhasa riots.
Many believe Western media organizations have used the image intentionally to smear China's image.
A video clip titled "Tibet was, is, and always will be part of China" became an instant hit after it was posted on YouTube on March 15, attracting more than 1.6 million hits and 105,000 comments within eight days.
"Do u bandwagon jumpers really care about Tibet? becuz u know u don't, Tibet is just a TOOL for u guys to throw things at China ... Well since u want to bash China, but do u know ANYTHING about Chinese history?? Let me start by telling u this: The years that Tibet has been a part of China is way the hell longer than US/Canada/Aus/NewZealand's history combined " the producer named Huang Jinshao says in the description.
The 7-minute clip then lists indisputable historical facts to prove that Tibet has long been an inalienable part of China.
It concluded by saying: "Thank u, the West. Your fair news media like CNN and BBC have never stopped attacking other countries' sovereignty and your GOVs never stop trying to split other countries apart.
"Dream on for China to become the next Yugoslavia, Bosnia. Because we know that is our country called HOME and no one could never, ever, ever, ever break it apart "
According to a report on www.csuchen.de, a Chinese website based in Germany, the producer is a 21-year-old sophomore student who migrated to Canada from China six years ago.
"I want Chinese people's voice to be heard," he was quoted as saying.
He said he produced the clip after watching North American media reports on the Tibet riots on March 14 - to express dissatisfaction over their one-sided, anti-China reporting.
He got the first response in just two minutes; and in four hours, he received more than 500 e-mails expressing support. "I was deeply touched," he said.
Two days later, another video clip named "Riot in Tibet: True face of Western media", also became popular. It depicts "how Western media made fake reports about the riots by modifying pictures purposely". It got more than 658,000 hits on YouTube.
A Chinese reader named Wang working in New York said in an e-mail to China Daily: "Every Chinese here is furious over how Western media have distorted the truth. Innocent people were killed, yet the West chose to stand on the side of rioters."
On the China Daily website, many netizens voiced indignation at Western media.
A Norwegian netizen named Svein, who lived in China for three years, said: "Sadly I've gotten so used to foreign media writing wrongfully and degradingly about China that I try not to let it upset me anymore. The Western media say they are independent, but they have a clear agenda and write exactly what they like to write."
Chris Bloor, an Australian visiting China for the eighth time, wrote: "If rioters were killing and burning innocent people in Australia or in the US, I am sure that both governments would have responded with deadly force.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the innocent people that these thugs attacked. No cause can be respected when people act with such cruelty!"
German TV station apologizes for picture 'in wrong context'
BERLIN - Germany's RTL television said on Sunday that it "regrets an error" in covering the riots in Lhasa when it "used a picture in a wrong context".
The picture was taken on March 17 in Kathmandu, where baton-wielding Nepalese security forces confronted Tibetan protesters. But the TV station said it was a scene in Tibet involving Chinese security forces. "We regret this error," RTL said in a statement on its website.
RTL Aktuell, a key news program on RTL TV, along with the German Bild newspaper and the Washington Post, have been criticized by Chinese netizens in the past few days for using that picture in what they describe as distorted coverage of the Lhasa riots.
Many believe Western media organizations have used the image intentionally to smear China's image.
(Contributed by China Daily)