Culture, Society and the State in Asia

China – No press freedom or Low press freedom?

pparadise — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 14:17:19 +0000

Do you support press freedom? If yes, do you disagree what Chinese government has done to the media? For me, I think press freedom is a symbol of openness, modernization and globalization. Therefore, I totally support media to freely express our voice to the government and strongly criticize the inappropriate act of the officials especially the place we live is guaranteed the media to enjoy such kind of freedom via legal systems. But on the other hand, the historical background can also affect the state’s political decisions. Hence, in my opinion, the media dominating by Chinese government is unacceptable but excusable as well.

It is true that the Chinese government has highly restricted media by legal systems and other ways in order to create positive national perception to the citizens. Moreover, the state did control the media to sustain its internal and external status. Tiananmen Square is one of the cases. In the news published by Chinese newspapers, like Beijing Daily, it reported that no ruffians are being killed during the conflict with the military. However, there is a different version in foreign newspaper – over thousands of protesters were dead in the martial suppression. Photos with dead bodies are also posted in the newspaper. Even using the same picture, Chinese and foreign media can also have different interpretations and descriptions. Therefore, it is believed Chinese government had suppressed the truth of this incident and controlled the media in order to maintain party’s status.

Many readings and essays have blamed China as the totalitarian without considering any human right, but I think it is excusable for China to do so. After the People’s Republic of China is founded, the Communist Party has tried to open the media platform. It has once launched Hundred Flowers Campaign, which allowed the scholars to express their opinions freely towards the party through print media. However, the negative opinions were out of the official’s expectation, whose position was being challenged. Finally, the campaign was ended and scholars were arrested immediately.

Besides, the Communist Party followed Marxism, which believed that media are the tools to help the party educating and spreading positive messages to the citizens. In their point of view, controlling media is not a wrong action but a way to protect party’s position and unify the state since China has undergone so many disorders and political struggles throughout. Their intention is right, but the way they used is arguable.

In fact, we can discover that China has progressively liberating the authority from the media in the recent decade even though sensitive topics are still censored and suppressed. Also, the innovative communication technology is challenging the political power of controlling the media and concealing the facts from Chinese government. It may be harder for China to dominate the media industry. Nevertheless, it is time for the state to reform and improve more.

Vy Ka Yuk (10320725)

The media control of a state is weakening by globalisation or not?

ericacheng — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:52:43 +0000

Globalization is increasingly affecting the world in recent years. We can keep updating the news and information over countries. Media performs a watch-dog function of the government not only in its state but throughout the world. However, in some countries like China, the government is afraid of media and citizens are out of government’s control. For example, the Chinese government is tightly controlling the internet throughout the whole country to avoid from any revolts in the future.

Internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China is conducted under a wide variety of laws and administrative regulations. Internet censorship in the PRC has been called a panopticon that encourages self-censorship through the perception that users are being watched. For instance, lots of international search engines are being blocked in China. The “yahoo.com.cn” and “Google China” search engines are filtered with before the citizens can search. Attempting to search for censored keywords in these Chinese search engines will yield few or no results. One of most common censored keywords is Tian An men Square Massacre. When citizens want to search for something about this massacre or other keywords like “64” or “Tian An Men” is also being blocked from searching. Also, some other international blogs like Xanga which have search engines is also blocked from using it. All of these are forbidding any kind of political unhealthy messages from penetrating into people’s minds.

Some hotels in China are also advising internet users to obey local Chinese internet access rules. They leave a list of internet rules and guidelines near the computers or inside the rooms for whom want to access into the network with their notebooks by using the Internet Service Providers in China. These rules, among other things, forbid links to politically unhealthy messages again, and inform internet users that if they do, they will have to face legal consequences.

Though the Chinese government is tightly censoring the internet, there are still some effects to break though in other countries. For example, there are some international websites like Ultrareach.net to surf an internet world without borders. People can search and download through these web pages without any restriction from their countries. Also, some web pages may provide lots of ISPs of the United States of America for people to choose and browse the websites through these ISPs that are restricted from their own ISPs.

To a certain extent, the Chinese state is still controlling the Chinese people and the media strictly. All of the websites which may include political harm or unhealthy messages are totally restricted by the laws and regulations. However, globalization is weakening its control as there are now more means for local people to seek information which is restricted in their countries. On one hand, to state control, it may cause the government more difficult to control or to censor the information which is politically, potentially harmful to the state. On the other hand, to local people, they can get to know more about the real situation or the real history in their states.

Cheng Tsz Wun (20215242)

The manmade structure visible from the moon

bellbellkwan — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:22:18 +0000

Chinese may proudly to say that “ Great Wall in China is the only manmade structure visible from the moon!” Actually, the Great Wall is the irreplaceable monument in the China. Moreover its representative of the cultural meaning is shown in the national anthem, one part of the lyrics “who will not be slaves our own flesh and blood, to build a new Great Wall!”

The Great Wall is the world’s longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles), constructed between 246 and 209 B.C and functioned as the gate to keep the barbarians out of the Chinese state. I like to share the history of Great Wall with my friends, especially non-chinese. It is because, I think that is the persuasive way to indicate the characteristic of China architecture.

Great Wall is special because of its natural posture. Although, it simply constructed by stones, the posture is lies and stretch on the peaks and ridges and reclines on the shape of the mountains. That is the significant architecture to illustrate the fusion of manmade structure and the natural environment. Unlikely to other monuments in the world, they are huge but destroy the nature view, however, Great Wall is big but merged with the mountain scenery, and becoming a part of the nature. To combine the human and natural is the one characteristic of traditional thoughts which called “Tian Ren He Yi”. That is the mainstream aspect of the Taoism. Therefore, Great Wall visually to represents “Tian Ren He Yi” that virtue of China culture to the world. Meanwhile, it establishes the uniqueness of Chinese successfully.

Furthermore, the posture of Great Wall also communicates a hidden meaning of the nationality of the people in china. “Chinese” in other word, “the descendant of Dragon”, because of the Great Wall its posture like a sleeping dragon sunning itself on the mountain. Therefore, the state tends to describe all people living under the Great Wall as the children of the Dragon, in order in to being out the sense of unity among Chinese people. On other hand, Chinese people accepted that identity while Great Wall helps them to indicate the distinct nationality in the world. The slang which popular in the Chinese society “Bu dao chang cheng fei hao han” that mean visiting Great Wall at least one time otherwise you would not be a real Han. No doubt, Great Wall is not only the ancient monument but the identification of Chinese.

From past until now, Great Wall is the representative of the Chinese people. Nowadays, China starts to break- down the old regulations and open the door to face the outside world. Therefore, people in China are facing the new identity which is “modern Chinese”. In October at 2007, the Italian luxury group Fendi held a fashion show on the Great Wall in China. That is a big event in the world, it symbols the internationalization of China, and the nationality of people being changed from moldy to modern.

Bell Kwan (10320389)

Languages new function in the modern world

agathayau — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:16:20 +0000

Language is what we are in close contact with everyday, it is ubiquitous but we dont often notice its existence, it is just like the air. Language functions as a mean of communication and it glues people together.

In the old days, when anation was born, the person in power tried to get its citizen to speak one same language as to bring out of a sense of unity. And to be patriotic to the nation, citizens spoke only the official language ( put aside dialects) in their countries.

Take HK as an example, when HK was firstly colonized by the british, mandarin speakers were automatically recognized as a communist. In that time, the british not only conquered the physical form of Hong Kong , but also conquered HK psychologically and culturally. They did it by putting english as the official language and made the HK citizens ( chinese natives) to learn their language.

Since language and culture are inseperable, when one acquires a foregin language, it becomes inevitable to pick up another culture even the learner doesnt intend to. So when the british was in power in Hong Kong, citizens learnt the English language, and the english culture penetrated into the chinese native region. The english culture was regarded as a superior lifestyle because the dominate power was English people.

But now, we see the world is getting smaller because of globalization. It`s the contribution of technology and trades, globalization helps a lot of corporation to make more money and with money, people can change their lives. So patriotic reasons can be placed at the second priority, and economic reasons become the first priority to be considered.

Everyone wants to do business with everyone, so it doesnt matter who is speaking what language as long as communication purpose is well served. Also the human mobility is higher than the old days. Now british can be brown skined or even yellow skined. A chinese ethic may not understand chinese, an african descent may not speak any african language.

Language is not only the identifier like it was in the old days. Now it is more like an embassador, or a diplomat or a miss congeniality in the modern world.

Agatha Yau ( 10312182)

Language as medium of communication

julianaymchan — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:40:14 +0000

Language is importance to human’s daily-life since they have to communicate with others. With globalizing economic environment, multi languages are vital for any multi-national businesses. Some may analyze the notion of national identity through it, but it is somehow mistakenly overlooking the usage of language, which is closely linked with communication. The medium for people to communicate is, whether written or spoken, languages. The primary function of languages is undoubtedly to facilitate interaction among people who may or may not come from different cultural background. In the context of economic globalization currently, this is the major reason why so much people have to learn English, and more people start to learn Putonghua when China is growing so rapidly in the recent decade. However, some may recognize languages with linkage to national identity. Some may even think that using a foreign language is, to a certain extent, giving up or violating their own national identity. The Malaysian government, for instance, is worrying the widespread use of English among their citizen, which is even more commonly used than their national language. It is because they think that using the national language of the United Kingdom, who was once their colonizer, is in a sense not being a ‘Malaysian’. Yet such points of view may be too cautious that it underestimates the essential function of languages. Plus, it may be too limited, and perhaps biased, to recognize one’s identity in terms of the language one uses. This is particularly true when people encounter languages they are not familiar with or even do not know. For example, can one distinguish Japanese and Korean people through their own spoken language when one does not know their language and there is not any obvious difference among their appearances? Language should not be linked too closely with national identity, or which would be easily understood too limitedly. Additionally, being hesitate to use a foreign language or stick to any single language would just hinder the development of economy under recent trend of economic globalization. While economy is the ultimate concern of every capitalist society, it would be paradoxical to worry too much the uses of languages since which are the key of businesses nowadays. Moreover, the relationship between language and national identity is blurred. As can be seen from the conference among national officials, for example in Asia, the language used to communicate is officially English. Obviously, one cannot say that all the officials are violating their identities of their own countries. In fact, language used within countries varies largely, particularly in countries whose sizes are large such as India and China. To conclude, the primary function of language is to carry out communication. Simply speaking, the notion of national identity should not be limitedly comes with languages alone. Language is especially important in the age of globalization for, purely, communication. For Smalley, ‘whether widespread or localize, every language has its place in the system and no language threaten the place of the national language.’ (Smalley, p. 87)

Juliana Chan

Why cultural and national identity is crucial for a country

chingyu — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:22:07 +0000

Culture is a shared sense of custom, language, belief, behavior. This defines a group of people who share the same attitude or the way of living. People with the same culture are likely to have similar thinking. Culture identity is how people related to others. This is important as it affect the relationship building and the interaction between two persons. This is not exclusive but depends on situation; people would think they belong to different at the same time.

Culture identity make a person feel he is belonged to some groups that provide the sense of security which give an opportunity to build relationship with someone who share the same culture. In contrast, too strong culture identity would affect the relationship building between different groups.

Culture identity is important for a county. If a county’s nationals share with the same culture identity, the county would be much easier to step forward. This is due to the shared mind set of the nationals. It is not to say that the country would be modernized quicker or the economy boom but is talking about the stability of the step. In contrast, if a county with some parts shared with different culture and the nationals identify it as different, the united power would be weaken. Example like Tibet of China where share very different culture with main Chinese nationals, which lead the low loyalty toward the country.

National identity is also a sense of belongings, but it is not focusing on culture but wider criteria including descent, language, culture and religion. The same group of people shared the same national identity, even a little difference of the criteria; people may be classified as another group. Language and descent usually be the critical criteria for national identity. People would more prefer to build relationship with those who speak the same language and descent. Same language can be view as main language or sub-language. Main language means common language like PTH, English etc, and people with same main language can communicate with each other and therefore increase the chance to build relationship. People with the same sub-language means they may have similar background, some words is exclusive for them. This may due to the same job nature or etc. A country share with the same national identity means they belong to the group with same language, descent, culture and religion. At least some critical criteria are the same. The country’s nationals with the same national identity would have huge cohesion and the country would improve toward the same way. As national identity is so important for a country, country would try to build and strengthen the national identity. The common way is the unified symbol like national flag and national song. These are the important elements to build national identity as this is presented in some important time like Olympic game.

In conclusion, national and cultural identity is very important for country, as it affect the stability and the cohesion between nationals. Country with strong national and cultural identity would be much easier step forward and not easy to sprit.

Yu Ching, Wendy

(10297509)

Importance of Language and Monuments in Nation State

veevee393 — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:23:28 +0000

Language and monument are very important to a country. It seems that they are the representative of one place’s culture and history.

A language mean a system of symbols and the rules used to manipulate them. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon. Though commonly used as a means of communication among people, human language is only one instance of this phenomenon. A monument is a statue, building, or other edifice created to commemorate a person, event or as an artistic object. They are frequently used to improve the appearance of a city or location. Monuments are also often designed to convey historical or political information. They can be used to reinforce the primacy of contemporary political power. Also, monuments have been created for thousands of years, and they are often the most durable and famous symbols of ancient civilizations.

If we don’t have language, there are many things would disappear in the world. For example, mathematics, physics, medical science and engineering etc. that mean science would not exist in our society. Also, poems, novels, drama and songs would not stay alive in the world since philology has not appeared at the beginning. Personally, we would not think over every thing if we don’t have language. At least we would not have a deeper thinking or we just have firsthand thinking. In interpersonal side, there would not have communication if language don not exist. Although we will communicate with the others without language, that kind of communication may non-profundity. In short, if languages do not exist, there would not be any civilization or cultures appear in the society. Also, human would not have such material and mental life. So, language is very important to a nation, a country as well as a person.

Also, The existence of monuments is the history extensions of all the past dynasties. It can be function as educating nowadays people. If a country preserves more monuments, it can set off its civilization. Sometimes, the famous ancient countries always appreciated by people not only relied on their long history, it may relate to the preservation of the monuments. Moreover, it may make us cherish our nations or country more since there are many monuments that represent our past feeling, memory and life. One more important thing is, if we destroy the monument, it may destroy our perceptual and ration as well. At that time, people will not like their nation anymore.

Since the language and monument can represent one country’s culture and civil. It is nessarsary for us to preserve and bring them to greater height of development. So, our own culture can keep going and spread to the next generation.

Chan Pui Ying, Ivee (1029 7069)

Asian culture values fade in globalization?

agathayau — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 05:19:09 +0000

Culture is something a group of people share commonly within a region, it is a convention that left by our ancestors and followed by us and our next generations. And Culture defines who we are when we are not within our own countries, it is an invisible identity card that will follow us for many many years.

In recent years, with the rapid growth of technology and transportation. Globalization takes its toll on the globe ,all the asia countries try to modernize themselves to be a stronger nation. Striving to survive economically, which means they are following the path that the stronger, more developed western world had been through years ago. The pattern that asian countries following has involved a great deal of western countries habbits. So as they are moderinizing , they are westernizing and the asian flavour fades.

The phenomenon pulls off a controversy in these recent years, because when the asians are bathing in fast growing success, they are losing their tradition bit by bit, no matter physically or conceptually. Physically speaking, the way how business people dress and the import fashion items are a form of intrusion to traditional culture. Which is also inevitable, and the government has to clear up land space for commercial buildings and factories. The old style houses and bungalows have to give way and places don’t look the same anymore.

A lot have argued that Asian values will then fade but what i see is that this worry is unnecessary. Even though the majority asians are living the modern lifestyle, a lot of them emphasize the importance of tradition and cultures and urge the government to protect their cultures, they also found it a good business in tourism. And recent years , no matter in fashion industry, tourism industry or in arts aspect, I do see the tradition is making a huge come back.

Western countries may have science , technology and the economic model, but oriental countries have their own very unqiue cultures and traditions. In the future, when as globalization blend all the people together, culture itself will be even more valued, as it represents one nation’s pride.

Agatha Yau ( 10392182)

A state within a state: The actual Hong Kong traid system

matthewchan — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:26:13 +0000

In study through this whole topic, I found that the concept of state within a state to be very attractive, not to extend to the point that underground crime organizations are mysterious and full of romantic characteristics, but how we ordinary and Hong Kong people understand such a system which lives inside another system, where which one does try to repeal each other.

Gangsters or such underground societies where long past set up by bandits or anti-government groups, they might be the last government-of-the-day, we might understand the state system in such way that the system where actually past system’s left bound. This might be rather weird to interpret the system in this way after so much years of stable political environment, specially now that democratic government are set-up, why and how are the system working?
In both the lecture and tutorial, we came through a main point that what I think the underground society is really doing and meant for; They are actually the negative mirror of the powerful government. The idea is that such people serve to provide options for people who seek not to choose to follow what the law-making government has ordered. From drug trafficking to prostitution, to caring out assassination and collecting protection fees, they reflect the shadowed side of the whole human nature, we can even see that the triads members and gangsters did not choose what to do, they were indirectly assigned by the government to carry out such unrewarded “social responsibility”.

So how does the underground system work? And how is it like a government? If you believe in the stories we see and read inside films and television series, you better think twice, because that is really just fiction (I am not saying that the film makers don’t do any research, it just that the system is a lot more complex.)
I had a chance to talk with an old friend who he just got back out of jail for criminal offence (If I didn’t get it wrong, he was caught after planning to stabe another triad member.) I meet him at church one Sunday afternoon; it was almost 2 years since I last saw him. He shared with me his experience as a triad member for the last 2 years. (At the time I was talking to him, he had already quit, he belonged to the biggest triad in Hong Kong, “the number triad”)

We talked about almost everything, and I would like to share with you how he illustrated the system of a real triad. He told me that actually a lot of paper work was done, sometimes using a pen even more than knifes and fists. My friend was a very “good” member, hardworking and smart, along with special relationships, he was already the head of a 30 – 40 member group, and he was only 16 by then.

The whole underground system works even stricter than a bureaucratic government, it is hard to imagine that 16 years old is the “big boss”, but it was a fact, 30 year old grown man had to follow the directions of an 16 years old, because he had the higher ranking.

The triad had reward and punishment systems in the same way as a government had, when a certain member had attain certain points or reputation, they would be able to be nominated by the member leaders from the higher two levels above, where meetings and voting take places. This is a very systemize and clear process.

Also each member had their own assigned “Tong” in English “groups” or “departments”, a few groups join to become a larger group, and larger groups join to become the whole of the triads.” In one group, there may be members of the same ranking and members of different rankings, like the Hong Kong government where they have different Staff grades such as AOs and Eos. Inside the group they still have another position or a “Title” in the government systems word. Such positions where again assigned by the leaders of rankings two levels above.

They had different roles in the system, and members were asked to do as their position have given them. This is very similar as compared with the actual government context. Also working in certain post had their own rules, for drug trafficking, no members were allowed to do the same trafficking route 3 times in a row. (They usually had a fixed schedule of when the drugs where coming).When a certain “job” is to be done and that has a high risk of being caught by the police, a fair draw would be done in deciding the member for the job, if the member were selected last time when a draw was held, he would not be in the draw for the next 2 times. These set of rules is again very similar to the actual staff guidelines within a government

As for money related issues, it is also very systemized, for the money “earn” by the whole group each month, large sum of the money would be sent to upper levels of the system, the remaining slice would be distributed to members of the group according to their ranking (remember that the rankings is not the same as it’s group position) and their performance of that month. (My friend recalls that his group makes about 600 thousand dollars each month, as for the head of group, he gets around 60 thousand dollars.)

The large sum of money sent upwards to the upper level by different lower groups are not just then shared among higher officials, a large part of money is used to invest in stock markets and hosing market, this maybe called as “Money Laundering”. The money earn through this process is saved for future triad use, which we would talk about in the next part.

As same a legitimate government, the higher triad system groups have their own responsibilities, for example they are responsible in negotiating with other gangs to reach agreements for their fellow local groups. If incidents happen, maybe an opposing member were injured during a fight which were “not authorized” (hidden attack, attacked the wrong person..), the higher system had to pay “settlement fees” and hand over the people responsible.

When a member was caught and sent to person while carrying out triad ordered operation (drugs trafficking, smuggling), the higher system had the responsibly to take care of the caught member’s family, money would be transferred to the members bank account for as long as the triad member is in prison. The amount to be given to the family would be calculated by another fixed formula that the triads have setup. All those money that the higher system has to give up originally came from the group’s “monthly installment”.

This money system of the triad is actually the same tax system that almost all states on earth have, we give a certain percentage of income to the government and she gives us social security and medical support. The most interesting thing and most identical thing in both systems is that the “money-finders”, gangsters or citizens did not voluntary give their money away, they were forced by the upper system (by law or triad rules).

Top leaders of triad members are usually elected though again a very systemize and open way, some triads are family business and top positions are always hold on by family members. This again is a mirror of a democratic election and monarch type top power owning position.

These different elements and comparison from system structure, system rules and money allocation between the state government and the underground society can show a very strong image of how they work in similar fashion, state within a state.

Chan Matthew Pak Lam

The state’s control and tolerance towards Japanese gangsters

pparadise — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:57:47 +0000

In the world, different countries have been facing the same problem, which is Gangsterism. In Hong Kong, the group of gangsters called “Triad”. In America, “Mafia” refers to the Italian crime organization. For the word “Yakuza”, it is used to describe the gangsters in Japan. The Japanese police also call them “Boryokudan”, which means violent groups. They have about 85,000 known members engaged in many illegal activities like collecting “protection” rackets, selling drugs and having a hand in international crime. Strange to say, Japan also maintains a good public security in order to keeps low crime rate in recent years. According to the recent survey reported by the nationmaster.com, Japan has the least amount of crime per capital than other 47 countries. It seems that the Japanese government has ability to control and tolerate the yakuza in both ways.

However, I have found out an interesting point while studying this topic. Different from other countries, the state’s attitude towards Japanese gangsters and their effect to the state are special but contradictive.

Japan government legalizes yakuza, which gives a large tolerance to them. Their unlawful activities not only have been endured, their identity is also very open. They can be recognized as the yakuza instantly by the public because of the characteristics that the yakuza have, included wearing sunglasses and colourful suit, having tattoos and losing part of his pinky finger. The group name of the yakuza is also publicly placed on the office or apartment’s front door. But at the same time, it has released some anti-organized crime laws to depress the yakuza and their illegal activities, which successfully decreased yakuza’s revenues from crime and forced them to involve in proper business.

Even though the state uses the law to control yakuza, yakuza still have some effect in Japanese politics because of the close relationship with the politicians. In April, the Nagasaki’s mayor was assassinated before the election campaign by a senior member of Yamaguchi-gumi, which is the biggest group of yakuza in Japan. Similar incidents are usually happened in Japan as yakuza will help the right-wing to suppress those who have different view in order to seize the political power. In other words, the gangsters can directly affect the government and the state with using violence.

As we know, Japan is a well-developed country in the world. However, the attitude of Japanese government is not strong enough as it still relies on the yakuza’s help. No matter how stable a state is, the existence of gangster is a threat that affects the safety and development of the state. This problem must be solved so as to avoid yakuza’s further actions.

References:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_acq_percap-crime-acquitted-per-capita

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuza

Prideaux, Eric and Johnston, Eric: “Murdered mayor was key nuclear foe: Nagasaki yakuza bore a grudge?”, in: Japan Times (2007)

Vy Ka Yuk (10320725)