The Chinese way - now That's creative!

Usually governments quash dissension by hunting down the dissenters. But why make they effort when you can get them to contact you instead, that too voluntarily?

At least that's what the Chinese government is doing. And successfully.

To create the impression of a dawn of free speech for Make Benefit Gullible Officials of Olympics, China created three Official protest Zones for use by demonstrators in Beijing. The catch - demonstrators would need to get an approval in advance.

Now, much to the Olympic Committe's surprise and no one else's, not one out the 77 applications has been approved. Instead, we are told, 74 have been withdrawn as they were "properly addressed by relevant authorities or departments through consultations", thereby removing the need to demonstrate altogether. In reality, reports are trickling in of people detained after putting in their requests.

Among the unresolved applicants are two old ladies who have been sentenced to "reeducation through labour". Beijing residents Wu Dianyuan, 79, and Wang Xiuying, 77 [you can see their pictures here] were accused by the authorities of "disturbing public order" since they persisted in asking for permission to demonstrate [they applied 5 times]. Apparently, if they "behave themselves", reports South China Morning post, they will not need to serve their punishment in a labour re-education camp. In any case, they will be watched.

The news has obviously turned out to be a scoop for foreign press. [For instance, New York Times and Herald tribune.] But the Chinese organizers (Bocog) are unfazed, and in fact, can't understand what the fuss is about:

On the issue of demonstration, the basic situation has been already announced by the authorities. And I think you should be satisfied with that. The demonstration parks are announced. There are three places on the basis of Chinese law. The idea of demonstration is to hoping to resolve issue it is not demonstrating for the sake of demonstration.

...We are actually quite happy to hear that many of the 77 cases have been resolved.

Wang Wei, Bocog at a press conference while rebuking a reporter on his question.

He goes on to say how we foreigners are unnecessarily aggrieved because we do not understand the Chinese way of harmony and resolution.

Yep, we certainly don't.

Great for the GDP. Great for the people?

Not that I expected Sudan's Government to be anything less than ruthless, but its brazen trade policy still leaves me appalled.

Here's a quick recap on what Sudan is all about:
-- civil war has torn the country, creating a malnourished nation of refugees.
-- international donors are sending in supplies including enormous food-aid to support the nation.

Now to add to that description: the government itself is apathetically EXPORTING food to make money while its people struggle with hunger.

In an article that has appeared in at least two major newspapers, Gettleman exposes the practice:

Sudan is growing and selling vast quantities of its own crops to other countries, capitalizing on high global food prices at a time when millions of people in its war-riddled region of Darfur barely have enough to eat.

Jeffrey Gettleman

You can read the full article here.

Of course, this is not the first case where a country with famished citizens decided to give a priority to making money.

For instance, we in India - where more than one-fourth of the world's poor live with malnutrition for company, have exported food in the past, have good reasons to continue doing so in the future.
.
.
.
Or do we?

----
I doubt clamping exports alone will solve India's food problems in a jiffy. But designing systems that can supply food to the poor will certainly be time better spent than say, having expositions on how exporting only high quality non-basmati is a good compromise.