One step forward, three steps back

Every breakfast - nowadays consisting of rice porridge, mango pudding and instant coffee - as I skim the headlines of South China Morning Post, reports of increased violations of human rights in the Mainland shout out in red from the black-and-white print. Today, the paper announced the re-opening of Bingdian Weekly, a magazine published in co-operation with the China Youth Daily, closed down in January by the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. The magazine was shut down after having published articles viewed by the government as hurting the national feelings of the Chinese people, a move which has been widely criticized both among Chinese outspoken government critics, and by the international community.

So what does this mean - is China actually reforming, or is the re-opening of Bingdian Weekly just an exceptional concession in a series of violations of the freedom of expression? Well, on a positive note, it shows that China indeed listens to criticism coming form the international community. In other words - what the world says and does matters. Also, according to SCMP, the closure of the Bingdian provoked an exceptionally outspoken criticism from a wide range of Chinese intellectuals,
politicians and businessmen. Talk about a domestic consensus on the need for political control is obviously a worn-out myth.

But - not surprisingly - the negative trends continue to outweigh the small hopeful signs. The Bingdian Weekly was not re-opened without punishment. Two of its most prominent and outspoken editors were not only sacked, but also required to perform the traditional ritual of self-criticism. The Chinese government continues to demonstrate that it has the last word. Implications? The world must speak even louder.