Visiting Zeng Jinyan: The Movie

Dear Simon:

Thank you this time for a non-biased report. Though we did not see that in your previous two posts about Tibet, this is clearly an improvement.

Just a piece of advice: please do not forget you are a journalist all the time.

Thank you again.

Simon,

Thanks so much for bringing us this video. I think about his wife and child and hope so much they are OK.

No surprise here, China's policy toward the foreign press has not, and will not change until that tyrannical government is out. Those lies they told to the IOC and to the world about free and open press were just that, BOLD FACED LIES!

They cant stand the fact that anyone would report the truth, they only know how to lead their own "mouth piece newspapers" around by the nose, and control what THEY THINK people should know. Makes you wonder just how much they have to hide. The black out in Tibet is proof positive of that. Any one that is tell the truth is clear and open for all to see.

My friends in China are very smart and know how to get around that type of censorship. I think a lot of great Chinese people know that as well. I hope for the day they don't have to sneak around anymore, but have full and open lives.

It is so sad for Hu Jia, a real hero and someone that all Chinese can look up to for sure. I know if convicted the world press will come to his defense. He has done nothing wrong!

August is going to prove extremely interesting and very challenging to say the least for that government, I for one am very much looking forward to that!

Hope to see you there.

Simon, thanks for sharing what happens when you actually attempt to visit Zeng Jinyan. I've been at "Bobo Freedom City" before. I'm sure that most Chinese (and foreigners) living in the neighborhood know that these things are happening, and I don't think they approve of these measures to control people from speaking out and being visited.

How can controlling citizen's freedoms possibly be justified?

Thanks a lot Simon. I've read about this sort of behavior, but this is the first time I have seen a video on it. I wonder how much worse the treatment might have been if you guys were 'only' a local mainlander reporter, as opposed to a clearly foreign whom they would be perhaps more afraid to be too forceful.

Much appreciated.

Thanks a lot Simon. I've read about this sort of behavior, but this is the first time I have seen a video on it. I wonder how much worse the treatment might have been if you guys were 'only' a local mainlander reporter, as opposed to a clearly foreign whom they would be perhaps more afraid to be too forceful.

Much appreciated.

(the words ending with an asterisk have definition at the end)
I don't mean all, but like some other western media, this one, too, uses partial to conclude and cloak the whole fact. during 1:20 to 1:50, the journalist is talking to that lady police, the policy told him that they are investigating a case, nobody including those people who live in the Xiaoqu* can go in it now. But why the video doesn't show the translation of this part. And when the Xiaoqu's security guard came(not policeman), the subtitle begins.(at 1:53) , the guard tells the journalist not to take pics and look at the sign at 02:11. The sign said "forbidden is take pictures of the area"(although translation is little awkward, but we know what that mean), in a lot of Xiaoqu* in China, the customer will pay a Wuye* company to look after the Xiaoqu. So in some xiaoqu, they will tell you no pics taking. and here, the sign was there long before the journalist came(not made for him intendedly!!!) and the yellow cordon at the beginning of the video(not made for the TIME journalist too, it's already there before he came, they are investigating a case! cuz no people can go in) At 2:30, the guy said this is my xiaoqu, no picture taking, not as the subtitle there --"this is my neighborhood".

the reason why write this comment is that I'm really mad about western media fabricationg and ungroundedly guessing sometimes, like recently Tibet riot in which most pics show Nepal's police but saying that they are chinese police and so on....
I admit that western media have more interview rights than their chinese counterpart. And most events that were reported truely happened. But You guys should report every case fully and objectively instead of full of bias and partial facts which incline to an extreme view. I hope the western readers, before you believe an article, read more about the thing on the article, get sources from different approaches and then judge yourself.

*Xiaoqu: in chinese, it's a apartment complex that were built by one asset company, usually the building's style and color are the same.

*Wuye Company: a company whose business includes security, gardening, ensuring the whole xiaoqu clean, registering coming strangers, etc. so like if the people living in the xiaoqu and lost their bike or car's lock was broken, if no criminal was arrested, to some extend, it's the wuye's responsibility for the stealing or breaking. so more than 99% xiaoqu will have security guards at the xiaoqu's each door no matter daytime or night.

Oh my gosh. Thank you, Evan_Wu. I almost forgot that. In lots of regulated and well-managed Xiaoqu in China, even Chinese are not allowed to enter, let alone shooting videos. Plus, clearly that lady was a nice policewoman. Yet for westerners, it did sound unbelieveable not to be allowed to interview Zeng Jinyan, but the men shouting at Simon and his colleague were definitely not policemen, but security guards employed by the Xiaoqu. You can see a lot of them in China.

why don't you arrange a trip with all your colleagues from the foreign correspondents club? agree to pool the reporting, and with 30+ people trying to go into that gate at least some will get through to her door

中国政府的恶劣形象都是拜这帮低素质的警察所赐，执法有很多方式的。

bravo Zeng jinyan.
and Simon, as one chinese, I appraciate what u have done in this visite.