Posted on 08/17/2005 7:06:21 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Chinese security agencies are tightening their controls over foreign non-government organisations operating in the country, fearing they are a cover for efforts to overthrow communist rule.
Over the past two years, Beijing has watched with growing anxiety the overthrow of authoritarian regimes led by Soviet-era strongmen in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan by people-power opposition movements.
Intelligence and Communist Party officials have been sent to these countries to study what are known as "colour" revolutions - the name comes from the rose, orange and yellow symbols adopted by their respective oppositions - and devise countermeasures. Although in each case the existing government was overthrown after manipulated elections and clumsy attacks on opponents, such as the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine, Beijing sees a common thread of active democratic proselytising by foreign activists.
A Chinese newspaper, the Economic Information Daily, said recently it was a US strategy to carry out "democratic infiltration" in the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia using non-government organisations as the vehicle.
The crackdown follows a tightening of controls on the media, including the internet, as the President and party chief, Hu Jintao, tries to improve governance without relaxing the party's political monopoly.
On Friday, it was reported new regulations would prevent new overseas satellite television channels from gaining access to Chinese cable networks, and foreign investment in Chinese news media would be prohibited.
A series of localised revolts against land grabs and pollution, in which villagers have clashed violently with police and officials, have added to to the Government's anxiety. So far authorities are treating these cautiously as long as they appear spontaneous and not instigated from outside.
One report from Hong Kong said foreign agencies were thought to have become active in village-level elections, helping local heroes defeat candidates put up by the party.
China's Civil Affairs Ministry has recently been rechecking the non-government bodies allowed into the country to see if their activities are "compatible with China's national interests".
The Foreign Ministry has also set up a special office to oversee the operations of foreign agencies, and some municipal and provincial governments are requiring organisations already here to go through a new process of registration.
Local partners have been told to keep the Government informed about the activities of the foreign groups, and to seek clearance before accepting funds from them. Some seminars and conferences on sensitive issues such as political reform have been cancelled.
In recent years, many foreign aid groups have set up operations in fields like health, ecology, education, social welfare and poverty alleviation. The more political groups active in human rights and labour issues have to operate from watch-posts in Hong Kong.
However, one of the main US promoters of democracy in Eastern Europe, the Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros, is more prominent here for his investment in fast-growing Hainan Airlines than his Open Society Foundation.
I nominate saffron!
You say you want a colour revolution?
"Yellow" is probably out of the question, for the obvious reasons. "Red" would be too confusing. I think "Blue" would be nice...
Well, you know, we all wanna change the hue.
Saffron might work.. It was the sacred color of pre-Commie China and of the last imperial dynasty. Also, Buddhist monks often wear saffron. OK, for backup, I'll nominate indigo! That's the color of the common folk iirc. So, it could be the color of Chinese democracy.
Chinese security agencies are tightening their controls over foreign non-government organisations operating in the country, fearing they are a cover for efforts to overthrow communist rule.
-----
Ah yes, the paranoia of Communism. They will be overthrown -- the question is just when.
A few tanks a la Tiananmen, and they'll be red again in no time.
ping
President Bush supported these developments in Georgia and Ukraine. That's where your whole theory breaks down.
Bush was right to support the overthrow of the murdering Shevardnadze as well as the rapist Yanukovych.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.