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China: A Typical Online Political Harassment

Categories: China, Harassment

Not only do Chinese dissidents and human rights activists face political prosecution from the government, they are also subjected to daily harassment from the so-called 50 cent party.

Tsering Woser (@degewa) is a Tibetan poet and writer in China. She has been very outspoken in criticizing Chinese government policy on Tibet and since the 2008 unrest in Lhasa she has been under house arrest. However, she continues to write in her blog and tweet political commentaries. Like most of the dissidents she is a subject of online harassment from 50 cent party – online commentators.

Yesterday, my Twitter daily put up @degewa's tweet link regarding the “Death of Second Tibetan Monk Tortured” as news headline. Woser retweeted the daily and immediately an anonymous account in Twitter was created to attack her, using Ai Weiwei's arrest as a threatening example of the fate of dissidents. Here I screen captured and translated the messages to show the psychological stress Chinese dissidents are facing when they choose to speak out for the truth that they believe in:

The account @zhangdadeshu1 was set up first to publicize an anoymous Ai Weiwei Scandal blog (zh). Then it's target shifted to @degewa when he saw her retweet of my Twitter daily news.

[1]

@degewa @xddcc @fwiffer 艾未未已经被抓了,你什么时候也被抓?

@degewa @xddcc @fwiffer Ai Weiwei has been arrested, when will be your turn? (April 8 10:00am)

@degewa @kRiZcPEc 美国总是干涉中国的内政!从艾未未事情上就能看出来

@degewa @kRiZcPEc The USA keeps intervening into Chinese internal affair! We can see that in Ai Weiwei's incident. (April 8 10:00am )

@degewa @ffmelp “一个不正常的人,有那么多的人捧臭脚,这个世界已经要疯了,很可怕! “

@degewa @ffmelp “so many people kiss the ass of an insane person, this world is crazy and horrible!” ( April 8 10:00am )

[2]

@degewa @vocui @bleutee @imeuphemia @na_sheishei 就艾未未这个事情,要是换作蒋记国民党、美帝国主子,早就一枪崩了,还留丫在这里整天里应外合搞颠覆。

@degewa @vocui @bleutee @imeuphemia @na_sheishei In the case of Ai Weiwei, if such person lived in Taiwan back in the KMT era, or the imperial U.S.A, he would be shot to death immediately. He could not have lived to subvert the country with outside forces. (April 8 10:00am)

@degewa @yangpigui “说实在的在所有职业中我最讨厌的就是做艺术的人,做艺术的人10有8 9脑代都有点问题 “

@degewa @yangpigui “I hate artist the most, 8 or 9 of the 10 artists are insane”. (April 8 10:00am

@degewa @kRiZcPEc 几个外国记者炒了几次然后对着国内屁都不懂的SB装逼而已

@degewa @kRiZcPEc A few overseas reporters made a big fuss, and they [refer to artists and Ai] pretended to be awesome to domestic stupid asses. ( April 8 10:00am

@degewa @Dwchinese “艾未未失踪后第一时间好多洋鬼子就跳出来要人,怎么?着急了?花那么多钱养的一条走狗被抓了心疼啊。该!让你们祸害中国人。 “

@degewa @Dwchinese “Soon after Ai Weiwei disappeared, many western demons jumped out and asked for his release. Why? Why they are so anxious? They are hurt because the dog that they spent so much to feed it has been arrested? You deserve it. How dare you harm Chinese people.” (April 8 10:00am )

@degewa @Dwchinese “美国需要这样的人才,糊弄糊弄中国国内所谓的艺术家,艾未未做的不错。他的行为艺术类似明星大腕翻拍经典剧作,看了有种大海的感觉。 “

@degewa @Dwchinese “The U.S needs this kind of talent. Ai Weiwei did a great job confusing local artists. His performing arts is similar to the great director's classical movie, give people a feeling of greatness like the sea.” (April 8 10:00am )

[3]

@degewa @stratus007 @lijianglin @wangdan1989 “艾未未 “剽窃门” “二奶门” “私生子门” “512大地震口交门” 道德败坏! 下贱孙子! 许多人士尽然推举此类社会渣滓 精神病疯子 为斗士 看来许多人士都是白痴! “

@degewa @stratus007 @lijianglin @wangdan1989 “Ai Weiwei's “plagiarism scandal”, “second wife scandal”, “illegitimate offspring scandal”, “512 earthquake's oral scandal” show that he is an immoral and cheap bastard. So many people praise this kind of social scum bag and moron as fighter, these people are idiot!”. (a href=http://twitter.com/#!/zhangdadeshu1/status/56194497951961089>April 8 10:00am)

@degewa @lantudou @horse 你其实和艾未未差不多,也就是美国养的这的**

@degewa @lantudou @horse you are just like Ai Weiwei, an American fed ** (April 8 10:00am)

Although such account would not stay online for long as users could block the messages and report spams (that's why all messages were sent within one hour in the form of guerrilla attack), we can imagine for unexperienced activists, such kind of semi-private targeted messages would create psychological strss and fear that ultimately silent them.

[The thumbnail photo is Woser's profile picture.]