Full Totalitarian State - Xinjiang

[steveluv]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Xinjiang-is-prototype-for-fully-totalitarian-state-Taiwan-minister?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=daily%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200727190000&seq_num=22&si=%%user_id%%

Xinjiang is prototype for fully totalitarian state: Taiwan minister
Audrey Tang says Chinese region is a reminder of the value of liberal democracy

Taiwan's Digital Minister Audrey Tang speaks to Nikkei in her Taipei office last month. (Photo by Toshiyuki Kumagai)
ANDREW SHARP, Nikkei Asian Review deputy politics and economy editorJuly 27, 2020 15:38 JST

TOKYO -- China is using new technology to turn its western region of Xinjiang into a model for a fully authoritarian surveillance state, Taiwan's digital minister said on Monday.

"We have seen that previous attempts at totalitarian government were at most sub-totalitarian because there were no sufficient technologies to ensure the total tracking of people," Audrey Tang told reporters in Tokyo in an online news conference. "Now in places like Xinjiang we are seeing a prototype of a truly totalitarian surveillance regime is being worked on."

The once Muslim-majority region is part of the ongoing feud between Washington and Beijing, with the U.S. Commerce Department last week slapping sanctions on 11 more companies that it said were linked to alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang. Chinese officials slammed the move, calling it a "blatant hegemonic act."

A February report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute estimated that more than 80,000 Uighurs were moved out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, with some being sent directly from detention camps. According to the report, the workers are subjected to intimidation and threats, and are constantly monitored by security personnel and digital surveillance tools.

Speaking via video link from Taipei, Tang said such reports serve as a reminder for people in Taiwan of the value of liberal democracy.

"We see things through a human rights and democracy lens," the 39-year-old said. "These attempts, for example in Xinjiang that I just alluded to, are basically prompting all sectors in Taiwan -- not just the social sector people, the 'hacktivists,' but also people in the private sector -- to look at these applications and technologies. It serves a really strong reminder that we should not go there."

In a recent Nikkei interview, Tang said that putting Chinese equipment in a country's core telecom infrastructure is akin to inviting a Trojan horse into the network.

"Every time you upgrade you have to do another systemic risk assessment," Tang said. "But the feeling is that the risk is too high, and the cost of ownership too high, and we would be better to work with other vendors from liberal democratic countries."

Indeed, Taiwan has effectively excluded Huawei from its 5G network. In June, the government-backed Chunghwa Telecom launched commercial services on the island's ultrafast internet system, using Ericsson technology.

Taiwan's relations with China have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen was first elected in 2016, making the island a frequent target of cyberattacks. The government says Taiwan is hit an average of 30 million times a month.

"There are cyberattacks literally every hour," Tang said. "Fortunately, most of those attacks were sorted automatically by the defense in-depth system that we employ. And so they did not really interfere with [January's] presidential election, although there's a lot of disinformation campaigns."

Tang, the youngest minister in Taiwan's history, is a renowned hacker, programmer and entrepreneur. Brought into Tsai's cabinet in 2016, she has been praised as a key figure in the fight against COVID-19 for her role in quickly developing apps to speed up the distribution of masks and economic stimulus coupons.

She describes herself as a "conservative anarchist," and continues to be so despite being in government.

"So I am at once digital minister, that's my day job. But I'm also moonlighting as a civic hacker," Tang said. "I see myself as a channel, as a bridge, as a Lagrangian point between civic movements on one side and government on the other."

[Lala81]

Her photo I thought is a guy with long hair. 

[BanCoe]

Is she a He?? 🤣

Anyways Xinjiang has always been a hot bed of this Uighur revolt, many have fled and settled Turkey which has given them safe haven; it could be along the same lines when  China annexed TIbet sending the Dalai Lama fleeing

China govt has to keep them in check and firewall it  to prevent any Al Queda, Isis, Taliban  or likes of them outfits from scuttling the CCP's China Dream Economy Engine at full trottle and the West will use this to leverage again on them using human rights akin to what happened in Iraq, Syria, Egypt and now even Yemen     

   

 

[Xers007]

She is actually a he and later become she

"Born male and named Zonghan, and later adopting Autrijus as her name for use in Western languages, Tang decided to transition to female at the age of 25, changing her name to the more gender ambiguous Feng, or “Audrey” in English."

Quote from https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00837/digital-minister-audrey-tang-taiwan’s-genius-and-her-unique-past.html#:~:text=Born male and named Zonghan,or “Audrey” in English.

[Victor68]

I wonder since when our phone, computer, software, apps we are currently using are not subject to hacking and taping? The minute you type something, there are plenty of prompts and advertisements, aren't there something happening in the background? Where these all China's products or American? Media multiplications, American is the expert, even Trump says that.  

TDM also said before, you buy warplanes from USA, they will also ensure your plane cannot fly to where they won't permit. Why is that so and would ours be subject to the same treatment? Today, many Taiwanese are just mouthpiece for USA and they have their personal agendas. Till their usefulness diminished, they will become refugees in the country they sold their soul to. It is important to see things in a wider perspective. Nobody out there is fighting for you free.   

The sad thing is, all these stirring happen in middle east and asia. I hope Karma will shift them to the west and best to the country that stirs all these. 

[Watwheels]

Xinjiang is a problem and a big one. Uighur families are broken up and sent to so called "re-education camps" which are actually high security prison camps to be "re-educated". They are forced to give up their religion and culture to adapt to everything CCP wants them to re-learn. Little girls are not allowed to wear tudong and had their heads shaved. I dunno why shaved. It's just horrible to see. It's a highly monitored state with ccty cameras installed at every comer. Road blocks with fully armed policemen are a common sight. I think the Uighurs are being branded as terrorist by the CCP as an excuse to have them all locked up. No human rights whatsoever. Many Uighur have escaped to Turkey. 

There are quite a number of Youtube video produced by global journalists. Got time can go watch. The journalists are often being stalked by the plain clothes police of that state. 

FYI, commi countries they do not practice any religion and their attitude towards religion is zero tolerance. What they open up is some economic ideas but not other issues. When it comes to religion and even religious leaders eg. Dalai Lama, the CCP will forcefully remove if they can.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Watwheels

[Victor68]

It is a miracle to shave and lock up a population of 22 million. Sound farfetched than North Korea. It is also not somewhere nobody or even tourists can visit. So, statements like shave off their hair and cannot wear this or that can easily be verified.  If not true, why still got such rumours and who are behind them?

[1fast1]

John Oliver just did a special on this. 

 

 

[BanCoe]

26 minutes ago, Victor68 said:

It is a miracle to shave and lock up a population of 22 million. Sound farfetched than North Korea. It is also not somewhere nobody or even tourists can visit. So, statements like shave off their hair and cannot wear this or that can easily be verified.  If not true, why still got such rumours and who are behind them?

If they can sort of "lockdown"  Wuhan ; they can firewall any place or abode 

[Victor68]

1 minute ago, BanCoe said:

If they can sort of "lockdown"  Wuhan ; they can firewall any place or abode 

True but would you be able to 'hide' Wuhan lockdown mode from public eyes? All media and video consistently show it was a lockdown. When Wuhan was lockdown and the claim that Xinjiang lock up their population, did we see the same? 

[Lala81]

Haha this one no doubt lah. 

My parents traveled to xinjiang. It's like going kashmir in India. Both of which my parents have been to 

[Beregond]

see what type of city u all prefer to live in?? this or u can choose those city with alot of freedom like the 1 below

 

[Watwheels]

I choose a city that gives the ppl the freedom to protest about what they do not like to see or do.

That's the basic human right.

Many ppl preferred to live in authoritarian rule because their mind is thoroughly brain washed. They think they have peace and it's all they need.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Watwheels

[Lala81]

10 minutes ago, Victor68 said:

True but would you be able to 'hide' Wuhan lockdown mode from public eyes? All media and video consistently show it was a lockdown. When Wuhan was lockdown and the claim that Xinjiang lock up their population, did we see the same? 

You are thinking of xinjiang like it's a province in China that a normal prc citizen can travel to. 

Just like someone in selangor can go to say perlis. 

U can only travel there if u are authorised. Even tour groups are vetted. 

And the security checks there for anyone is like as if 9-11 just happened. Airport, Highways etc. There is hardly any hp signal even except in hotels or the 公安 post. 

[Lala81]

57 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

Xinjiang is a problem and a big one. Uighur families are broken up and sent to so called "re-education camps" which are actually high security prison camps to be "re-educated". They are forced to give up their religion and culture to adapt to everything CCP wants them to re-learn. Little girls are not allowed to wear tudong and had their heads shaved. I dunno why shaved. It's just horrible to see. It's a highly monitored state with ccty cameras installed at every comer. Road blocks with fully armed policemen are a common sight. I think the Uighurs are being branded as terrorist by the CCP as an excuse to have them all locked up. No human rights whatsoever. Many Uighur have escaped to Turkey. 

There are quite a number of Youtube video produced by global journalists. Got time can go watch. The journalists are often being stalked by the plain clothes police of that state. 

FYI, commi countries they do not practice any religion and their attitude towards religion is zero tolerance. What they open up is some economic ideas but not other issues. When it comes to religion and even religious leaders eg. Dalai Lama, the CCP will forcefully remove if they can.

Removing religion is so that the only tribal institution is the party/state. So religion is a hinderance to that. Cos religious leaders can hold moral authority. U can see leaders of even supposedly democratic countries often having war of words with religious leaders. 

[Lala81]

7 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

I choose a city that gives the ppl the freedom to protest about what they do not like to see or do.

That's the basic human right.

Many ppl preferred to live in authoritarian rule because their mind is thoroughly brain washed. They think they have peace and it's all they need.

Haha singapore is just China lite. Taiwan is probably the most open Asian society. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Lala81

[Lala81]

8 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

I choose a city that gives the ppl the freedom to protest about what they do not like to see or do.

That's the basic human right.

Many ppl preferred to live in authoritarian rule because their mind is thoroughly brain washed. They think they have peace and it's all they need.

Asian societies and countries are still mostly sociocentric. Not individualistic. 200-300 years ago. Who cares about the lives of farmers/coolies/serfs if they didn't outright revolt. 

[Beregond]

2 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Asian societies and countries are still mostly sociocentric. Not individualistic. 200-300 years ago. Who cares about the lives of farmers/coolies/serfs if they didn't outright revolt. 

very true, thats why we lack behind the west in modernisation