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Chinese leader is silenced by the sound of free speech
The Times ^ | April 21, 2006 | Tom Baldwin and Anna Stroman

Posted on 04/20/2006 3:49:47 PM PDT by MadIvan

CHINA’S President suffered the embarrassment of being heckled for more than a minute on the White House lawn yesterday by a protester who accused him of persecution.

The arrival ceremony for Hu Jintao was interrupted by a woman from the banned Falun Gong religious movement. She began shouting from the top of a camera stand directly in front of President Bush and his guest.

“President Bush, stop him from killing,” she shouted. “Stop persecuting the Falun Gong. . .President Hu, your days are numbered. No more time for China’s ruling party.” The incident occurred immediately after Mr Bush urged President Hu to allow Chinese to “speak freely”.

The Chinese leader, unaccustomed to such public protests, stopped speaking briefly until Mr Bush lent over and reassured him.

In China, television screens are said to have been blanked out when the protests became audible. Falun Gong was also out in force in demonstrations across Washington yesterday. Supporters held banners proclaiming messages about victims of torture and human organ harvesting.

Iting Lin, 33, said she had travelled from Taiwan to protest against President Hu’s visit. Others had flown in from Australia, Japan, and South Korea to join American protesters.

Mounted police separated demonstrators in front of the White House from tourists, Chinese folk dancers and supporters of President Hu.

Mr Bush said that the United States and China “intend to deepen our co-operation in addressing threats to global security, including the nuclear ambitions of Iran; the genocide in Darfur, Sudan; the violence unleashed by terrorists and extremists, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction...I’ll continue to discuss with President Hu the importance of respecting human rights and the freedoms of the Chinese people,” including the right to “assemble, speak freely and to worship”.

President Hu promised help to ease nuclear tensions with North Korea and Iran.

At a White House press conference, the two sought to narrow differences over trade.

Mr Hu, aware of the growing US impatience with America’s record $202 billion trade deficit with China, said: “We have taken measures and will continue to take steps to resolve the issue.”

Mr Bush praised China for attempting to strengthen the yuan, which the US regards as being undervalued.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; hu; husonfirst; huthat; huvisit; thehu; visit
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I hope his visit is uncomfortable, unpleasant and unrewarding.

Regards, Ivan

The Sietch Banner

1 posted on 04/20/2006 3:49:55 PM PDT by MadIvan
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To: Deetes; Barset; fanfan; LadyofShalott; Tolik; mtngrl@vrwc; pax_et_bonum; Alkhin; agrace; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 04/20/2006 3:50:28 PM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: MadIvan

Oh if she'd only said, "President Hu, no chance survive make your time."


3 posted on 04/20/2006 3:52:20 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: tet68
When the Chi Coms do what they have been gearing up to do, IE try to retake Taiwan will Bush still lean over and encourage him.

I laugh at all the people that say we can fix the world with diplomacy!

4 posted on 04/20/2006 3:58:40 PM PDT by rocksblues (Rummy fan here!)
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To: MadIvan

I'm really glad that security didn't put the protestors into free speech zones so far away from Hu that he couldn't see or hear them. He needs to get used to the idea of hearing different views.


5 posted on 04/20/2006 4:00:20 PM PDT by edweena
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To: MadIvan
It's a good thing the Falun Gong protester didn't tell President Hu that his horse is gay, isn't it? A different person might have been silenced, right?

"The incident occurred immediately after Mr Bush urged President Hu to allow Chinese to 'speak freely'."

But not too freely, huh? At least not in the UK and on American college campuses (they have a "speech code", remember???)

6 posted on 04/20/2006 4:02:01 PM PDT by Savage Beast ( The Spirit of Flight 93 is the Spirit of America. R.I.P., Todd Beamer.)
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To: Savage Beast

Well I'm afraid the protestor was silenced - she's in jail and been charged with threatening a foreign personage.

Regards, Ivan


7 posted on 04/20/2006 4:03:58 PM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: MadIvan
Well, I have to say, Ivan, that she did threaten him. Apparently she said "your days are numbered."

If she hadn't said that, she probably would have been given a ticket and sent on her way.

8 posted on 04/20/2006 4:08:44 PM PDT by Miss Marple (Lord, please look after Mozart Lover's and Jemian's sons and keep them strong.)
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To: All
"Wenyi Wang charged with disorderly conduct, intimidating foreign official... Still in custody... MORE"

GEE... he did something wrong??

http://www.drudgereport.com/


9 posted on 04/20/2006 4:15:29 PM PDT by monkapotamus
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To: monkapotamus
That second photograph is rather disturbing.
10 posted on 04/20/2006 4:24:35 PM PDT by AnnaZ (Victory at all costs-in spite of all terror-however long and hard the road may be-for survival)
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To: MadIvan

What about the guy who told the policeman that he had a homosexual horse?


11 posted on 04/20/2006 4:29:02 PM PDT by Savage Beast ( The Spirit of Flight 93 is the Spirit of America. R.I.P., Todd Beamer.)
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To: Miss Marple

So was Reagan saying the Soviets would collapse under the weight of their own immorality a person threat to the safety of Yuri Andropov? That is a ridiculous argument.

This murdering little bastard needs to hear it from the people he gleefully terrorizes, and for Bush to throw this woman in jail after the hypocrite Hu was up there bragging about "greater dialogues" is an embarrassment (when the protestor yelled "you suck" at Clinton, we blamed Clinton, not the SS, and this is no different).

Now the voice of freedom sits in jail while a tyrant gets treated like a king at the white house. Just how much more can Bush alienate us?


12 posted on 04/20/2006 4:30:49 PM PDT by Burr5
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To: Burr5

"personal threat" that is.


13 posted on 04/20/2006 4:32:06 PM PDT by Burr5
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To: Burr5
Bush didn't throw the woman in jail. That is a ridiculous statement. The police and the Secret Service jailed her because she made a verbal threat.

This is the same law that applies to those high school students who say "someone should get rid of Bush" or people who made verbal comments that sounded threatening to Clinton.

Since 1963, the law has been very strict about this. No one is making a special example of this woman. I will agree that the law may be too stringent, but it is what it is.

14 posted on 04/20/2006 4:36:14 PM PDT by Miss Marple (Lord, please look after Mozart Lover's and Jemian's sons and keep them strong.)
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To: Miss Marple

A.This is a serious international incident with two opposing interests involved. One is advocating freedom and a cesation to torture and political murder. The other sells cheap crap at Wal-Mart and arms our enemies. Bush apologized to the representative of the later interest.

B. The woman did not threaten the safety of Hu. She threatened his government's future political viability. There is no other way for a rational person to interpret her "threat". BTW, "you suck" is not a threat either: it is an expression of discontent- you know, per the First Amendment?

She must be released immediately.


15 posted on 04/20/2006 5:43:31 PM PDT by Burr5
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To: Burr5
It's been interesting watching the coverage of Hu from over here in Shanghai. I get CNN and CNBC here and each time something that may be unfavorable to Hu or the Chinese government comes on the screen of either channel, the screen goes blank. Gives one a little more appreciation for the 1st ammendment that we enjoy in the states for sure.
16 posted on 04/20/2006 5:47:55 PM PDT by snoringbear
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To: AnnaZ

I'm glad I'm not the only one that was disturbed by that photo. .. .


17 posted on 04/20/2006 5:51:53 PM PDT by abner (Looking for a new tagline- Next outrage please!- Got it! PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS LOST IN THE USA!)
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To: MadIvan
I caught a little footage of him jabbering away on TV tonight. I thought Bush looked extremely stupid standing there listening to him jabber and waiting on a translator.

Rubbing shoulders with chicomms is NOT what I want to see my president doing.

18 posted on 04/20/2006 5:52:24 PM PDT by Slump Tester ( What if I'm pregnant Teddy? Errr-ahh Calm down Mary Jo, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it)
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To: edweena
"I'm really glad that security didn't put the protestors into free speech zones so far away from Hu that he couldn't see or hear them."

I'm sure he is as aware as we are of the fact that any modern president of the USA would have been "protected" from any similar "free speech."

19 posted on 04/20/2006 6:00:51 PM PDT by Nova
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To: MadIvan

BTTT


20 posted on 04/20/2006 6:51:46 PM PDT by Deetes (God Bless the Troops)
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