China Daily Reports The REAL Truth

The great dictator and mass murderer Mao Zedong once said that the Party could not survive three consecutive days of bad news, and his teachings were taken to heart by the Chinese Communists. It’s rare, in fact, to have even a single day of bad news for those of us living behind the Bamboo Curtain. If everything we read in the papers was even remotely true, this would indeed be a paradise on Earth.

The recent events in and around Greater Tibet have seriously tested the Party’s propaganda chiefs. The obvious and predictable response has been to shut off virtually all access to outside media, actively block foreign television signals, jam foreign radio broadcasts, and go on a major propaganda offensive inside China. Most Han Chinese, having been trained in how to think since being born, are quite willing to believe everything they are told, and comments such as “We should exterminate all Tibetans” are to be heard almost everywhere.

Naturally, in order to counteract any possible bad news, there must be both denials of the truth, and counter-stories showing something good. I present yesterday’s stories for your enlightenment.

The first, largest headline our friends at China Daily had was:

Lhasa riot reports show media bias in West

Chinese netizens, including students studying overseas, have been angered by biased and sometimes dishonest reports about the recent riots in Tibet by some Western media.

Pictures from some media websites, including CNN and BBC, with untrue reports about the riots have been posted on chatrooms, drawing criticism.

“I used to think the Western media were fair. But how could they turn a blind eye to the killing and arson by rioters?” asked a posting at pic.qikoo.com.

[...]

“To tarnish China’s image, the West is doing whatever they can, no mater how mean and vicious,” said one netizen on www.huanqiu.com.

“Is this what they call Western democracy and freedom of speech?” asked another netizen.

Huai Bao, a student studying filmmaking in Vancouver, Canada, said: “I have read some news and online discussions made by those who have never been to Tibet, who have zero knowledge about China and the history of Tibet. These people have no rights to comment on Tibet.”

[...]

Bao said there is a unanimous feeling of anger among his Chinese friends in Vancouver.

“Any news about China has to be negative so that they will believe it - from ‘poisonous toys to poisonous dumplings’. Some foreign media have a particular interest in bashing China over human rights and pollution. They turn a blind eye to all progressive changes.”

And the good news? Check this out:

Oldest Tibetan celebrates 117th birthday

The oldest person in Tibet celebrated her 117th birthday in Lhasa on Sunday.Amai Cering, born in March 16 in 1891, was treated to a celebration of Tibetan entertainment and a birthday cake courtesy of the local government and fellow villagers in Jiarong village, of Linzhou County, Lhasa, on Friday.

[...]

Amai Cering lives on a government pension and donations from local companies. She said she is happy with having meat every day.

She leads a regular life, rising at 8 a.m. and going to bed at 5 p.m.every day, Xiaobai said. She enjoyed sitting in the yard for sunshine and eating four meals a day.

[...]

With economic development and improved medical care in Tibet, the lifespan becomes longer. Linzhou County has four centenarians. The average age in Tibet has risen from 35.5 in 1969 to 67, according to official statistics.

Actually, that part about the increase in life expectancy is probably true - don’t forget that after the Red Army invaded Tibet in 1950, they proceeded to murder half the entire population, whereas these days they tend to murder only a few thousand at a time.

Which brings up a very relevant question:

Now that the Taiwan elections are over and the outcome will not influenced by events in Tibet, and all foreign tourists and journalists have been removed to a safe distance (from whence they cannot observe events in Tibet), how long will it be before the real pogrom starts, do you think?