As the #MeToo movement has become more prevalent in China, Peking University in Beijing has been quick to put down student activism against campus assault. Student activist, Yue Xin, was issued a personal warning by the university after she spoke out about a rape case that occurred on campus twenty years ago. Students began rapidly sharing Xin’s online letter, in which she addressed the administration’s threat to block her graduation after exploring the 1998 rape of student Gao Yan. Unfortunately, Xin’s name and letter were soon censored on social media. President Xi Jinping has discouraged the propagation of Western influence in universities, and officials say that the foreign “#MeToo” campaign has no place in China. However, students are outraged at Peking University’s attempt to silence Yue Xin, and they continue to call for better protection against assault and harassment.
Discussion Questions:
How should universities, like Peking, address students who speak out?
Is it right for the government to condemn the #MeToo movement solely because it is a Western-born movement, and especially because it deals with such an important topic?
Is the government 's censorship of material ever appropriate in cases of activism?
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I personally think that Peking University and any other ones should be encouraging students to be open instead of censoring them. Unfortunately, China has a long history of censoring or otherwise oppressing people with different views than the government, which is why popular Chinese messaging apps like WeChat are routinely monitored by the government. It is definitely not right for the government to condemn #MeToo for being Western, and I don't believe that is their real reason for condemning the movement either; rather, they don't want to let the people get too powerful of a voice. The government's censorship of material is never appropriate in any cases of activism, and unfortunately, this makes it even harder to speak out against injustice in the system, as seen in Yue Xin's case. Nonetheless, the students are trying their hardest, and any media attention from outside is likely to help the cause, despite increasingly tight censorship in China.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about Universities encouraging student openness and awareness. Campuses can not expect to remain safe, and Universities can not expect to remain respected if they are not willing to accept student driven change. I also like that you bring up how the Western Influence is in no way the sole purpose of the government condemnation of #MeToo. By discouraging speaking out, even to discuss important topics, the government reduces the power of the people. Overall, it is great that Yue Xin has refused to back down and it is inspiring to see a fight against assault become an even broader fight for the people's rights of expression.
DeleteI don't think that government censorship should ever be allowed in terms of activism. Activism is simply stating ones opinion and advocating for their own beliefs. One should be allowed to do this as he/she pleases. It is unfair for the government to be able to voice what they believe in as openly as they want and even try to inflict those thoughts onto the public without any consequence. If the government is allowed to enforce their opinions, I think the public should be able to speak theirs, especially on such an important topic that is circulating the globe currently. Speaking out about this issue is a sensitive topic anywhere and I think that students getting the courage to talk about it is inspiring and nobody should try to silence their voice.
ReplyDeleteChina definitely has a very long and arduous history of banning public opinion that doesn't match the government's set of morals or facts. If something doesn't appeal to what the top officials in government think, it will most likely be censored and public opinion will be oppressed. Western ideals are definitely a huge component of what doesn't appeal to the Chinese government, as they've spent many years trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Western world. However, because this normalized stance on the public's freedom of speech makes it even more important to fix the issue, especially when dealing with something as painful as rape and sexual harassment. Undergoing that experience, or one similar to it, is painful and deserves to get recognition as such. Advocacy for awareness and change surrounding rape culture and victim reticence should be encouraged. Hearing that a Chinese university has tried to silence this movement simply because it is associated with the Western world is not only ignorant, but prejudiced and unjust. Peking University should have the decency to recognize this active student as a source of inspiration and leadership, and commend her for her bravery. Speaking out against rape culture in a society where voices of advocacy are typically silenced, is extremely brave, especially in a society that has always traditionally valued women's voices less. A university should be a place of growth and learning, and advocacy is a huge proponent of these. China is a place of tradition and hardship, and many tend to thrive in these conditions. But societal change towards important topics such as rape culture and what thing are proponents of that is an advocacy that should not, and cannot, be ignored or censored.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what others have mentioned in the sense that it is unreasonable for Xi’s government to censor and condemn the #MeToo movement. In addition, directly attacking the #MeToo movement due to its importance or the fact that it is Western-born is simply unjustified. After all, it would destroy the reputation of the Chinese government, making them look mean and discriminatory to other races. The government should not strictly oppose the spread of activism through media such as WeChat or the newspaper, but instead openly support people’s free will to protest against real, important situations. After all, even young university students such as Yue Xin are greatly honored throughout Chinese campuses for the courage she embraced in protesting sexual harassment. Chinese censorship does well to keep society orderly; however, it should not get in the way of people’s abilities to spread awareness about widespread issues. And impactful topics such as Gao Yan’s suicide rape in Peking University deserve that awareness from the Chinese population.
ReplyDeletePeking University's response to Yue Xin's actions was, as those above me have mentioned, inappropriate yet quite in character. Universities SHOULD encourage peaceful activism with a nurturing environment, governments SHOULDN'T censor activities from foreign countries, and governments SHOULD NEVER censor activism, especially peaceful activism. Especially activism slated against something as universally evil as rape. That is, in an ideal world. However, China's government is infamous for its tendency towards censorship, as the others have mentioned. I agree with Kevin in that keeping the people's voice quiet is the purpose here. Xi Jin Ping is posturing to take a more permanent position in the government, so actions like this to suppress citizen dissent are understandable coming from that perspective. Despite my own outrage over the oppression and the fact that the suspected rapist has not been jailed, the best course of action may be the students standing down. China is too large and self-sustaining for foreign countries to risk war/affect with sanctions. Its government is too stubborn to be affected by these kinds of protests. It is not averse to killing students, as shown by the bloody Tian An Men incident. Noble students like Yue Xin should wait until foreign governments have publicly acknowledged/supported their movement before they proceed, or they may just drop off the face of the Earth.
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