There has been a series of random killings in China. On the 19th, a car plowed into a group of elementary school students in Hunan Province, and according to local media, 11 people were taken to hospital. Also on the 11th, a car went out of control in Guangdong Province, killing 35 people. Local people also commented, “It’s inhumane. Some have expressed concern that this could be retaliation against society, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that no foreigners were killed or injured and stressed that “China is the safest country in the world.” Meanwhile, another issue is gaining attention online. That is the ban on foreigners leaving the country. The Wall Street Journal reports that there have been many cases of foreign businessmen working in China being banned from leaving the country. The reason behind the ban on foreigners leaving the country is said to be the Anti-Espionage Law. A law aimed at cracking down on activities that endanger national security was amended last year to expand the definition of espionage. Government crackdown is said to be intensifying. In response to this situation, voices are beginning to be raised online saying, “It’s no longer possible to do business in China,” and “Going to China, even for tourism, is a risk in itself.” “Abema Prime” invited a sociologist with expertise in Chinese affairs, as well as a human rights lawyer who had his license revoked in China and fled the country, to discuss the current situation in China. ■Random killings occurring across China… What was the reason for the crimes? Random killings continue in China. Sociologist and University of Tokyo graduate school professor Tomoko Ako commented on the background of the incident in Hunan Province, “I heard that the perpetrator who crashed his car into the woman was not low-income or anything like that, but was dissatisfied with the divorce proceedings. “While authorities have stated that this is a personal matter, it is possible that he felt the judicial system and trial were unfair.” Regarding the incident in which eight students were stabbed at a vocational school, he said, “The perpetrator had been forced to work 16 hours a day and had not been paid. He had written letters calling for advances in labor law. “It is possible that these crimes were committed indiscriminately by people who had opinions about government laws, policies, systems and the judicial system out of despair.” Li Jinxing, a human rights lawyer who came to Japan after his license was revoked in China, said, “It’s sad. I never thought something like this would happen in our country. As a lawyer who has worked in China for 20 years, this saddens me. This reveals the intensifying contradictions in Chinese society. Problems that could be solved by law are not being solved, and people lack a sense of security both psychologically and economically. It’s a form of people not loving themselves and not loving other people either. “Many contradictions and social disputes can be resolved through the law, but China’s legal system is not structured like Japan’s.” Regarding the implementation of the law within China, Li said, “As China’s GDP grows and the market expands, the demands on the law are increasing. However, the current legal system is incomplete. “There is a lack of a legal system to protect individual property and freedom,” he said, pointing out that the problem is that the law has not kept up with the rapidly developing economy. He added, “Over the past 40 years, China has presented itself to the world in a very positive light, but recently, the economy has suddenly deteriorated and these murders have suddenly increased, causing a great deal of disappointment and anxiety across the country.” ■China’s regulations remain strict: “If four or five people gather, the police show up” In China, government restrictions on people’s group activities remain strict. Ako said, “Normally, when people with similar concerns gather together, they might form a network, create an organization, or hold a demonstration. But in China, there are severe restrictions on people’s ability to connect. So if four or five people gather together the police will arrive immediately. Even if you go to eat with someone who is under surveillance, such as an intellectual, the police will show up and you won’t be able to go to the restaurant you planned to go to.” “In this environment, it becomes difficult for people to talk to someone about their problems. Instead of allowing people to express themselves to relieve stress or to work constructively towards solving problems, the trend is always towards crackdowns. “Human rights lawyers were there to listen to complaints, provide services and lobby government agencies, but now they too have been arrested and are unable to carry out their role.” Perhaps in defiance of these restrictions, 100,000 university students made a massive bicycle trip in the middle of the night to go eat Xiaolongbao. Li agreed, saying, “Looking at the big picture, we can see a trend of regulations becoming increasingly strict within China.” “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the ways in which information about citizens is restricted. In China, you need to show your ID to board a train, subway, or bus, and everyone has gotten used to that.” Read more in the source (from Abema Prime).
Those who feel oppressed and have no other choice are inspired by someone else’s sudden action and follow suit. Since this is China, perhaps we should call it the Chen Sheng-Wu Guang effect rather than the Werther effect?
Communism is no longer important, and the country has become one where only the selfish and ambitious can rise to the top, so there is no one at the top who sees society from the people’s perspective.
If you watch movies from the Pol Pot era, you’ll think it was a living hell, but the Cultural Revolution was hundreds of times bigger. China can’t forget its success, so they’re going to do it again, a digital, fully-surveilled Cultural Revolution 2.0. People are being arrested just for trying to gather.
The bubble burst and the country has become a completely outdated, declining dictatorship. The people are in hell with wage cuts, unpaid wages and high unemployment.
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