In France, China is Prepared to Take Extreme Measures to Suppress Critics
** Revamped Article:
In the heart of Paris, on May 5th, Place de la République pulsed with energy. Thousands gathered, determined to balance the cheerful greetings given to Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival in France, which happened on the same day. Xi was warmly welcomed by then Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and a throng of members from the local Chinese community, all waving gargantuan French and Chinese flags as he journeyed through the city.
Meanwhile, at Place de la République, young dissident artist, Jiang Shengda, was preparing to address a crowd of Tibetans and opponents of Xi Jinping's visit. Amidst this, an unexpected series of calls came in from his mother, who should have been fast asleep in Beijing. Not answering, sensing her disapproval, Jiang further resisted the potential reprimands. His heart spoke, "I had to do it," he summarizes, with his dark hair, beard, and sunglasses framing his determined face.
Once finished speaking, Jiang returned his mother's call to find out that the police had notified his father, instructing him to restrict Jiang from any public engagements during the leader's stay. Jiang Shengda wasn't an isolated case; at least nine members of his China Freedom Front, a collective of dissidents, similarly faced such constraints. Many Tibetans and Uighurs also endured warnings or threats, often indirectly, through family members still in China.
Major dissidents like Jiang not only faced localized pressure but also experienced direct cyber threats. His art website was relentlessly hacked, and Google alerted him about government-backed intruders trying to swipe his passwords.
The May 5th demonstration at Place de la République was a display of defiance against China's authority, as Tibetans and opponents of Xi Jinping fiercely resisted being silenced. As the Chinese government sharpened its tactics to control its critics beyond borders, concerns over free speech, transnational repression, and individual liberties emerged more than ever. #FightingForFreedom #ChinaDissidents
- Jiang Shengda, a young dissident artist, greeted thousands of Tibetans and opponents of Xi Jinping's visit at Place de la République in Paris on May 5th.
- Amidst the demonstration, Jiang received warnings from his mother, instructed by the police to restrict him from any public engagements during Xi Jinping's stay.
- Thousands of Tibetans and opponents of Xi Jinping's visit faced such warnings or threats, often indirectly, through family members still in China.
- Jiang and other major dissidents not only faced localized pressure but also experienced direct cyber threats, with Jiang's art website being hacked and government-backed intruders attempting to steal his passwords.
- The May 5th demonstration at Place de la République was a clear display of migration against China's authority in the face of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news, as seen in the resurgence of concerns over free speech, transnational repression, and individual liberties. #FightingForFreedom #ChinaDissidents
