Goodspeed Analysis: Chen Guangcheng’s escape awakens China’s activists

National Post ^ | May 5, 2012 | Peter Goodspeed

[nuconvert]

Online, where the audacity of defiance remains anonymous, tens of thousands of Chinese “netizens” rejoiced this week over news of the daring escape of blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng.

China’s censors rushed to block all Internet analysis of the case by shutting down social media discussions that used phrases such as Mr. Chen’s name, his initials, the words “U.S. embassy” or even “blind man.”

As usual, China’s innovative Internet users got around the problem, with a variety of deceptions to keep the debate raging. Some people referred to Mr. Chen as “A Bing,” a famous blind folk singer. But the censors caught on and blocked the phrase.

Some social media sites talked about “UA898,” the daily United Airlines Flight from Beijing to Washington. That too was censored.

One online “professor” relayed news of the drama by cryptically telling a fable of “a mole who was surrounded by a pack of wolves, but with the help of some mice he managed to escape. The wolves were furious.”

Others simply cheered from the sidelines, posting and reposting a quote from the 1994 movie, The Shawshank Redemption: “Some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright.”

[nuconvert]

This is the first I’ve read about He ‘Pearl’ Peirong. I have to wonder if she has been included in any deals? (if she’s still alive)

[1010RD]

In the fight between liberty and tyranny a lot of blood gets spilled.

[GeronL]

How long before Obama has this guy sent back to China?

[Ronin]

Wait, am I missing something? Isn’t this the guy that Hillary shopped back to the ChiComs after he made it inside the US Embassy?

The last I heard he was in a Beijing hospital under guard and the embassy watchers that were supposed to be with him had been turned away.