Chinese Tweeting About Urumqi (Updated with Photos)
While Twitter (and Facebook) are now blocked in China, people there are still finding ways to “jump the wall” and tweet away. Below are some comments sent around on Twitter, translated by CDT (these will be continually updated):
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Some reporters were chased by demonstrators this morning. Local authorities remind people that one must check who is knocking on the door before opening it. There is information that Uighurs are taking action entering homes. Also, conserve water.*???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Caijing reporter saw the Han Chinese walking on the street in groups, some with sticks in their hands. Many residents organized self-defense forces. There were almost no Uighurs on the main streets, most people on the streets are Han citizens. One Han girl is walking with a large dog as if for self-defense.* ??????????????????,???????,???????,???????,?????????????????????.??????????????
China News Weekly reporter Wang Gang phoned from Urumqi. He said the riots started again. He is standing beside an armed vehicle. Both sides are highly alert and hysterical, and there are more Uighurs coming from other areas to surround the city. In the phone one can hear the shouting of Uighurs.* ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????——????????Gov????????
Ministry of Public Security and Central Propaganda Department requirement: In order to reconcile conflicts between Han and Uighurs, all publicity of this event should follow the tune of Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily. But it needs to expose the crimes of the East Turkestan movement as much as possible, let the masses understand the real face of the East Turkestan movement. — above information came from oral messages of insiders in the central government.* ?????????????????156????????????????????????????????????????
The government reports so many detailed numbers. How difficult is it to mention how many Han Chinese are among the 156 deaths? No matter why the government is not publicizing this number, it only causes outsiders to say all kinds of things about it.* ?????????,???????????,??????
Now they [Uighur rioters] want to create hatred. The government must respond by cracking down and by the law. Other issues will be dealt with later.* ??????…???????????????????????????????????????????????????
Han Chinese want to come out to demonstrate… this will also be a warning to Xinjiang independence forces. Even if the Chinese Communist Party collapses one day, Uighurs must pay the price if they want to do ethnic cleansing. Only peaceful movements can have sympathy [from Han Chinese].* “????”??????????????????????????????????????????????
“Protecting our home” [slogan of Han Chinese demonstrators], whose home? “Peaceful dialogue,” who is talking to whom? How can we resolve the accumulated hatred? I am so sad to see those knives, sticks, and axes in both Uighur and Han Chinese hands on the streets.* ??????????????????
So many street vendors around the country selling lamb kebabs are Uighurs. Are they OK?* ????????????
Organization is not threatening; having no organization is threatening.* ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
The biggest tragedy is not the killings that already happened, but that there are no available channels for dialogue to prevent such killing. The biggest tragedy is not that such a high price has been paid for life, but that there are no ready reconciliation mechanisms to avoid an even greater price possibly being paid later.* ?????????????????????????????MJ????//?????????
The head of the state [Hu Jintao] is walking through a park in Rome, terrorists are stabbing people on the streets; Internet news portals are broadcasting Michael Jackson’s memorial live —- this is really a marvelous country full of miracles.* ??????????????????????????
Racist and Fascist speech is already spreading among Uighurs and Hans.* ?????????????????????
Publishing official commentaries [online] but not allowing readers to comment on it. [The government] must have something dirty that cannot be told.* Facebook?????????????????????http://is.gd/1bCNx
Facebook is being “Walled”. Alright, I admit I am not kind [to the Great Firewall] , here is the link to download software to jump over the wall. http://is.gd/1bCNx
Some of the foreign correspondents visiting Xinjiang are also using Twitter to post updates. See, for example, Melissa Chan of Al Jazeera, Malcolm Moore of The Telegraph, and Austin Ramzy of Time.
All tweets pertaining to Urumqi can be found here.
And here are some photos circulating on Chinese Internet about the Xinjiang event:
Also, click here to listen to BBC: China’s media strategy:
Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Xiao Qiang director of the University of California, Berkeley’s China Internet Project, about China’s strategy for handling media coverage of the protests in western China. He says the Chinese government is allowing international journalists to cover the unrest, while cracking down on press coverage.
