Thanks to C’est La Vie.
–This article is quoted from cbc forums, in response to the protests against China Olympic Games.
What do you want from us?
When we were called “sick man of Asia”, we were called peril.
When we billed to be the next superpower, we’re called the threatWhen we closed our doors, you smuggled drugs to open markets.
when we embrace free trade, you blame us for taking away your jobs.when we’re falling apart, you marched in your troops and wanted your fair share.
when we’re putting the broken pieces together, “Free Tibet” you screamed! “it was invasion.”So we tried communism, you hated us for being communist.
So we embraced capitalism, you hate us for being capitalist,Then we have a billion people, you said we’re destroying the planet.
Then we limit our numbers, you said it was human rights abuses.When we were poor, you think we’re dogs,
When we loan you cash, you blamed us for your debts.When we build our industries, you called us polluters.
When we sell you goods, you blamed us for global warming,
When we buy oil, you called that exploitation and genocide.When we were lost in chaos and rampage, you wanted rule s of laws for us.
When we uphold law and order against violence, you called that violation of human rights.When we were silent, you said you want us to have free speech.
When we were silent no more, you say we were brainwashed.Why do you hate us so much? We asked. “No”. You answered, “we don’t hate you”.
We don’t hate you either Bud, do you understand us?? “of course we do”, you said, “We have CNN, BBC, and CBC”.But why, we still feel, your western people are not happy with us.
What do you really want from us?
My friend, What do you really want from us?
April 24, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Echoing the Voice of the Voiceless
By Ann Lau
When Empress Dowager paid indemnity to the eight nations, the U.S. used it for the first Chinese students to study abroad.
When Sun Yat Sen came to the U.S. as a fugitive, the U.S. opened her arms.
When China was invaded by Imperial Japan, the U.S. sent in the Flying Tigers.
When China put up the bamboo curtain, the Chinese risked the shark infected sea to escape to Hong Kong and then to the west.
When the Dalai Lama called Mao as his Big Brother, it was not enough; religion is the opium of the people.
With Communism, the Chinese suffered the greatest famine in the history of mankind.
Again, the west welcomed those refugees.
When China was facing economic collapse, it was those Chinese who left China who first went back to establish commerce.
When China needed investments, the IMF came to its aid.
With Capitalism, corruption went rampant and the Chinese floating migrants became second class citizens in their own cities.
With a billion people, China has great potential; why is their government afraid of them?
Tell me why blind legal expert Chen Guangcheng was sentenced to jail when he helped villagers to file class action against forced abortion and sterilization?
Tell me why Wu Lihong, a farmer who became an environmentalist, was sentenced to jail when he tried to save Lake Tai?
Tell me why farmer Jiang Jinzhu called on outside China to help when his land and mushroom farm was illegally torn down?
Tell me why Hu Jia was sentenced to three and half years in jail when he wrote an article on the internet?
Tell me why attorney Teng Biao was kidnapped when he tried to help Hu Jia?
Tell me why Baixing’s editor-in-chief, Huang Liangtian was fired when he reported too many stories on corruption and official land grabs?
Tell me why Zeng Jinyan is in house arrest with her baby when she only blogged on the environment and AIDS?
Tell me why the petitioners in Beijing crowd around the western press and beg them to listen to their stories?
With their own fellow citizens unjustly treated, where is the outrage?
Tell me what top Chinese intellectuals said in their open letter on the Olympics and why they send their letter to the west?
Tell me what top Chinese intellectuals said in their open letter on the Tibet issue and why they send their letter to the west?
Why do Chinese in China call on the west to highlight their injustice?
Why do Chinese in China want the western press to report on their grievances?
Why do Chinese in China even went in front of the U.S. embassy to bring attention to their plights?
Could it be that their own government is not listening?
The west can turn a blind eye and close their ears to those Chinese people who pleaded for their help just as their own government have done.
There is little the west can do except to merely echo the voice of the voiceless.
If we even refuse to do that, then what kind of people are we?
April 25, 2008 at 7:02 am
[...] A Response to “China Asks: ‘My friends, What Do You Want From Us’ “ April 25, 2008 — Fred Fortin A response by Ann Lau (Visual Artists Guild) to ‘China Asks: My Friends, what do you want from us.’ [...]