Why would communist China be interested in exerting pressure upon the Hong Kong (HK) authorities to ban a low-profile speech by Kate Saunders of the International Campaign For Tibet (ICT)? According to an AFP press release (dated 18th March) Saunders, described as an ‘international activist backing Tibetan self-determination’, was due to give a presentation at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in HK. It would seem that the Chinese Foreign Ministry (CFM) considered her talk would be somewhat biased and single-sided, and thus pressured the FCC into cancelling the event.
Clearly, they have not done their homework, had they done so they would recognise that their understanding and description of Kate Saunders as a “Tibetan seperatist” is somewhat unfounded. Even a casual examination of her record on Tibet would have revealed to the CFM that far from being an activist, for either independence, or even self-determination, she has long advocated ‘autonomy’ for Tibet. A far more nebulous and diluted form of political identity.
AS Tibetans inside Tibet took to the streets on March 14 2008 demanding independence, a fact reported by Reuters and the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Kate Saunders appeared on the BBC World Service's 'Newshour' insisting that Tibetans were seeking a very different political objective, "genuine autonomy"!
Indeed on some issues Ms.Saunders seems to have been a loyal friend of communist China. During her time, with the now defunct Tibet Information Network, she evaded, distorted and denied the brutal realities of China’s coercive birth control program, and greeted the testimony of Tibetan and Uighur women who had been forcibly sterilised, with a merciless scepticism. An action she shared with Xinhua, China’s propaganda machine. Details may be downloaded here: http://tibettruth.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/tinbetraysthetruth.pdf
More recently Ms.Saunders appears to specialise in misreporting the political nature of protests inside Tibet for the ICT, which appears to have editorial difficulty in reporting that Tibetans are demonstrating for independence.
Perhaps an appeal should be lauched to request Beijing to review its overly harsh treatment of Kate and to acknowledge the splendid work she has done for the cause of censorship and denial?
Awarded For Outstanding Censorship
