Fenqing mar international film festival

Just as people have embarrassing relatives who insist on popping up at inopportune moment – the uncle who became an aunt, the cousin that ran away to join a cult, and so on -  so countries have embarrassing groups of citizens who show up at inconvenient times and do inconvenient things that put said country in a bad light.

Japan has its discredited nationalist minority: whose grasp on reality is just as tenuous as their grasp of history. American has its red necks and its southern white supremacists: Proof, if any is needed, that more research is needed into the nature of evolution. And Britain has their soccer hooligans: some of whom actually know the rules of soccer, but all of whom know how at least 6 ways to use bar furniture as a weapon.

Similarly, China has its Fenqing: Disaffected Chinese youth (mostly male) whom use aggressive nationalism as an outlet for their anger at the world in general, and their place in it in particular.

Just like an embarrassing relative who can't hold their liquor, but who insists on drinking it anyway, Fenqing have a habit of showing up where they are not welcome and of making bad situations worse. Usually by blundering in and thumping the drum of Chinese nationalism in front of foreigners who may not understand that Fenqing are about as representative of China as the black panthers are of America.

This does, of course, leave one all important question. What have the Fenqing don this time?

Hate Campaign?

Fenqing, this month, launched a campaign against organizers of Australia's Melbourne International film Festival in an attempt to intimidate them into covering up Mainland suppression of the Uighur people of East Turkestan.

According to festival director Richard Moore Fenqing began their attack on festival organizers with an online hate campaign just under 2 weeks ago. Bombarding them with obscene and/or violent emails and online messages, containing unfounded accusations of racism, and demands that they cover up attempts by Beijing's persecution of the ethnic Uhigur people of East Turkestan, and  East Turkestani business person Rebiya Kadeer (also spelled Rabiya Qadir).


Several attacks were also launched on the festival's website. In one incident the website was knocked off line for 45 minutes by a hacker and replaced with an image of the Mainland flag and an offensive slogan denouncing Kadeer. The attack was later traced back to an IT specialist in Shanghai, though Australian authorities are still investigating the sources of numerous other attempts on the website.


Why?

According to organizers the festival attracted the attention of Fenqing after it refused to comply with demands from Beijing to ban the screening of the documentary “10 Conditions of Love” by director Jeff Daniels.

Although uncontentious in Australia 10 conditions has provoked outrage from Beijing, and amongst Fenqing, for its depiction of the life of ethnic Uighur business person Rebiya Kadeer – Once one of the Mainland's top 5 richest people. The documentary details Kadeer's life, their efforts to secure a future for the Uighur people in their native East Turkestan in the face of increased Han colonization,  and impact hat this has had upon Kadeer and their family. Several members of whom have been imprisoned by Mainland security forces in retaliation for  Kadeer's pro Uhigur stance


Real World Threat?

Although most of the Fenqing's activities have been conducted online the fury and abusive language expressed by many Fenqing has lead festival organizers to fear that some may cross the boundaries from online harassment to real world action. As such, security around the venue, festival organizers, and invited guests is to be stepped up a a precaution against terrorist attacks by Fenqing already in Australia, and against those who may travel from the Mainland, seeking to disrupt the festival or to make attempts on the lives of those attending.

Humiliation?

Although the majority of Fenqing believe that they are acting in China's best interests, the viciousness and pettiness of their actions has proved an abject humiliation to both Beijing and to the Chinese people. Putting both in an extremely bad light before an international audience.

China watcher's note that, by their actions, Fenqing have squandered any opportunity for international sympathy or understanding, and have instead lent 'significant quantities' of fuel to anti-China elements who wish to falsely portray China as an uncivilized and hostile country that is attempting to force itself on other nations. Exactly the image that Chinese have been attempting to get away from since the end of the Cold War, during which time it was routine for Western governments and media to falsely promote the idea of China as being an aggressive and expansionist nation.

According to China watchers, in situations such as this an old Western adage can be applied: "With friends like this, who needs enemies?". To sumeraize, by acting in an uncivilised manner, and by making threats rather than putting forward a rational and thought out case, the Fenqing have hurt, rather than helped, the Chinese cause, and have created further fostered air of resentment overseas that will make foreigners more likely to resist even reasonable requests from Beiing in the future.

Kadeer

Kadeer is an ethnic Uhigur business who ranked amongst the Mainland's top 5 richest citizens, and was the richest woman in East Turkestan. They were held up as an example of the new post cold war China, and as a symbol of Beijing's program of so-called ethnic harmony. However, they fell out of favor with Beijing when they attempted to promote the idea of a separate Uhigur identity, and to raise the lot of the average Uhigur in defiance of Beijing's message that success could only be achieved by becoming more Han-like.

Kadeer now live in exile in the West and campaigns on behalf of  Uhigur issues.

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