Why are the demonstrations in China extraordinary?
ARD correspondent Eva Lamby-Schmitt says it is extraordinary that hundreds of people gather to protest in different cities. Equally unusual are openly critical statements against the state, the party leader and the Communist Party. “Many people don’t even dare to mention Xi Jinping’s name.”
Because there is no freedom of speech and freedom of the press in China. Freedom of assembly is severely restricted. “Violations of the law can result in severe penalties”, explains Christian Göbel, professor of Chinese studies. Organizing a protest could result in years in prison. ”Hardly any protests are directed against the Communist Party’s monopoly of power.”, says Göbel, who taught, among others, at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Why: Opponents of the system expect draconian penalties.
The government’s tight monitoring system also helps nip protests in the bud. The demonstrations are documented by surveillance cameras. “It can be assumed that facial recognition software will also be used”, according to the professor of sinology. “Several studies have concluded that the likelihood of repression has increased in the era of Xi Jinping“.
