A small matter of no trust between the free people of dovish South Korea and the Cadre. Note the small delay in protesting four days after the fact. But still, Cadre sponsored thuggery is not friendly. And these useful "students" must now wait in longer lines. The Torch did its work. Where ever it goes, the Cadre frowns and Tibet is a fair wind.
S Korea tightens visas for Chinese
By Song Jung-a in Seoul
Published: May 1 2008 03:31 | Last updated: May 1 2008 03:31
South Korea said on Wednesday that it planned to tighten visa requirements for Chinese students seeking to enter the country after the outburst of violence by some Chinese citizens during the Olympic torch relay at the weekend.
Seoul has also strongly protested to China about the incident during which local protesters criticising Beijing’s hosting of the 2008 Olympics were attacked by Chinese students. Police are still investigating but those students found to be involved now face eviction from South Korea, its foreign ministry said.
Seoul’s actions came amid growing public anger at what was seen as the first expression of Chinese nationalism in South Korea.
There are fears the measures could cause a rift between the two neighbours despite diplomatic efforts to minimise any long-term damage from the incident. South Korea and China have strengthened economic relations in recent years with China becoming South Korea’s biggest trading partner and many big Korean companies investing heavily in China.
Lee Yong-joon, the Korean deputy foreign minister, in Beijing to discuss details of the planned summit between the countries’ leaders next month, expressed regret about the incident in a meeting with Liu Hongcai, vice-minister of the international department of China’s Communist party.
Thousands of Chinese students took to the streets of Seoul on Sunday to cheer the Olympic torch relay but that led to a confrontation with locals demonstrating against China’s human rights practice, especially over its treatment of North Korean defectors.
While most protesters in other parts of the world focused on Beijing’s crackdown on Tibet, South Korean protesters used the occasion to demand China to stop repatriating North Korean defectors to Pyongyang, where they face heavy punishment.
The furore was fuelled further by the lack of official apology from Beijing. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman simply said the Chinese students meant well, and “may have been a little over-excited.”
Experts cautioned the incident could spark anti-Chinese sentiment in Seoul if not handled properly. “This could be a turning point in Koreans' perception toward China,” said Han Suk-hee, professor at Yonsei University. “I think public sentiment could turn from pro-China to anti-China due to this incident."
Olympic torch receives turbulent reception in Seoul
Last Updated: Sunday, April 27, 2008 | 7:38 PM ET Comments25Recommend24
CBC News
A North Korean defector tried to set himself on fire in protest as the Olympic torch relay made its way through the South Korean capital, Seoul, on Sunday.Chinese students are blocked by police officers as they try to march to anti-Beijing Olympic protesters near the Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday. (Lee Jin-man/Associated Press)
Police arrested 45-year-old Son Jong Hoon, who had led an unsuccessful public campaign to save his brother from execution in the North, where he was accused of spying after the two met secretly in China.
About 8,000 police officers were deployed to protect the torch along its run through the streets of Seoul.
Many of the protesters were trying to raise awareness of China's treatment of North Korean refugees.
Pro-China supporters were also on hand, and clashed with those demonstrating against Beijing's policies. No injuries or arrests were reported following those skirmishes.
Hundreds of China supporters waving the Chinese flag greeted the torch, throwing rocks at anti-Beijing demonstrators.
Police ran alongside the flame, and rode horses and bicycles on the relay across the city, which hosted the 1988 Olympics.
Demonstrators supporting Tibetan culture in China also held a peaceful march in Seoul.
Activists have previously interrupted Olympic torch runs in London and Paris to protest China's policies in Tibet.
Post a comment
25People have commented on this story
Recommend this story
24People have recommended this story
Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK
Story comments (25)
Sort: Most recent | First to last | Most recommended
P_Taco wrote:
Posted 2008/04/28
at 9:36 PM ETI'd just like to reiterate what the last two Korean readers posted. South Koreans are very pissed off about what transpired yesterday. Pro-China supporters in Seoul behaved terribly! There were multiple incidents of violent attacks on human rights demonstrators, not mere 'scuffling'. The ignorant thuggery of these foaming at the mouth neo-Red Guards would of made Mao very proud, indeed.
What's interesting is that the protests in London and Paris have been painted by Chinese state controlled media as 'violent'. Was anyone hurt during those two legs? Have we seen human rights activists throwing rocks and beating people with sticks along the many stops of the 'Journey of Harmony'? No. It's the so-called defenders of the Olympic Spirit that have resorted to violence.
South Koreans now have a very good reason to boycott these games.
Recommend
this comment
Recommend this commentReport abuse
FrenchKorean wrote:
Posted 2008/04/28
at 11:25 AM ETThis is what happened on SUNDAY in SEOUL. The CHINESE were throwing rocks at KOREANS and TIBETAN people.
People should read their news with a balanced point of view.......and not always believe what they read on CBC.
Someone was asking for EVIDENCE of what really happened......just go see for yourself on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NSGqAa0Gl4
Now.....you'll understand what really happened!!! I hope the CBC will do its work correctly and stop bowing to the CHINESE to prevent their website from being BANNED in China. After all, Canada is a democracy from what I know???
3
People
recommended
this comment
Recommend this commentReport abuse
JasonStratus wrote:
Posted 2008/04/28
at 5:01 AM ETHa... I can't understand CBS - the best canadian news site which I know - says like that. This acident is more serious than that. I am real korean, I live in Korea too. so I can't understand global news is different by korean news!!
Please!!! This isn't just 'parade'. How can they throw rock to korean? in Korea? I can't understand them. and most Korean really mad what they do.
1
People
recommended
this comment
Recommend this commentReport abuse
AHenryT wrote:
Posted 2008/04/28
at 3:49 AM ETTo all those criticizing the west getting involved with China's affairs:
Deal with it. You're becoming a mature country. Act like it. Do we criticize the US for its issues? Of course! You're becoming a superpower, expect it.
And for god sakes, if you're going to spout your pro-communism, pro-Chinese government propaganda on this site, at least learn the english language!
Recommend
this comment
Recommend this commentReport abuse
Fly13! wrote:
Posted 2008/04/27
at 11:58 PM ETIt's great to see all the pro-China and anti-CBC comments on this site.
Thanks Comrades. You know if you keep shouting long enough that China doesn't commit human-rights abuses and that CBC is 100% at fault for all the negative coverage, maybe someone will believe you.
CBC reports on news. Any dimwit over the age of 10 is going to realize that any news media has their own slant on every topic. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest the it is likely the news services in China may not be quite as open about what's happening as they could be either. That is why you need to read and watch the news from many different sources. Only then, by analyzing multiple sources (and not only North American sources) can you get a general idea of what's actually happening.
Take a deep breath and give some thought to your comments before continuing with this whine-fest. China isn't 100% bad and neither is the CBC.
1
People
recommended
this comment
No comments:
Post a Comment