Beijing vs. Bloggers

On the cover of Newsweek magazine, the title page screams: “Beijing vs. Bloggers”

Forget Google and Yahoo!
Outspoken Netizens are transforming China

Frustrated by years of repression, Chinese bloggers are speaking out as fast as they can type. Even as Internet giants like Microsoft, Google and Yahoo are blasted for kowtowing to Beijing, these unruly voices are finding new ways around government controls, transforming rhetoric and reality in China.

The Internet in China has always been a major battleground of censorship, freedom of speech, big brother authoritarian rule and freedom fighters etc.

My Chinese classmate used to tell me how their Internet in China was incomplete (read: censored).

Some of the more than 1,000 words and phrases allegedly filtered by a Chinese Internet messaging service (from an article in the Asian Wallstreet Journal):

* Democracy
* Christian
* Human rights
* Oppose corruption
* Underground church
* Overthrow
* Prostitution
* Riot
* Sex
* Taiwan Independence
* Tiananmen
* Traitor

I also read some articles about how China has engaged the services of online agents who would enter forums and make positive remarks about the government. This campaign is a lot softer - more “democratic” if you will - than the usual “shut down that website” technique that the Chinese government is known for.

Now the fight has taken to the Blogs! Bloggers are airing their greivances via Blogs and iron hand of China can’t get them to shut up!

I haven’t read the full article, but from the mere title on Newsweek, I see Chinese Bloggers have found their voice.

Mabu-hey mga Bloggers!

ka edong
blog ang mundo

p.s. And what of Filipino bloggers and their People Power Voice? Where is it?

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