Another Notch for the Extremists in Pakistan

Pakistan Minister for Religious Minorities Killed

For those who do not keep close tabs on Pakistani current events, a lot has been happening the last couple months in the conflict between religious conservatives and Islamic extremists and the more progressive crowd in Pakistan.  While not an expert, it seems to me the game is currently going to the extremists, which should be a big concern for Americans given the amount of money we are contributing to the country and its strategic role in our current war efforts.

Last Wednesday, March 2nd, Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, was gun downed and killed in front of a house in Islamabad.  Later in the day, the Pakistan Taliban accepted responsibility for the attack.  Bhatti was a Christian and an outspoken critic of Pakistan's anti-blasphemy laws.  On January 4th, Salman Taseer, the Governor of the Punjab Province was assassinated by one of his own bodyguards -- he was also an outspoken critic of the anti-blasphemy laws.  Both Taseer and Bhatti were members of the Pakistan People's Party (as was Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated by extremists in 2007).

The laws are not particularly complicated and in general make it a crime to defile the Koran, defame the Prophet (PBUH), destroy or defile a religious object or place, or make any derogatory remarks or representations of Muslim holy personages.  Interestingly, the same set of laws also make it a crime to, "by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or incites, or attempts to promote or incite, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities” shall be fined and punished with imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years."

Recent news headlines in Pakistan have featured stories about a Christian woman being sentenced to death for comments she allegedly made about the Prophet during an argument with a Muslim neighbor and the arrest of a U.S. Embassy employee who shot two men trying to rob him in Lahore.  There has been no end to the press reporting, demonstrations, and riots in the streets in Pakistan about these two issues or the more general idea of doing away with (or at least toning down) the anti-blasphemy laws.  Curiously, in all my visits to Pakistan, I have never heard of  riots, demonstrations or vitriolic Friday sermons about the absolutely disgusting behavior of Islamic extremist terrorists in Pakistan who have killed hundreds of women and children over the past year during suicide bombings on volleyball games, mosques, girls schools, police dormitories, and other targets.  I find the passion and concern of the Pakistani people admirable, I just don't understand why they don't express the same rage towards terrorists who kill innocents as they do on less critical issues.

Falun Gong in Hong Kong

February 2011 - Signs of Free Speech 

I was in Hong Kong for the day in early February and had a chance to take in most of the major sights.  My last trip to China (the mainland) was in 2003 and unfortunately my visit was cut short and I never made it to Hong Kong.  I saw several things during my recent visit that I found interesting...expressions of free speech which were definitely different than what I had observed on the mainland.  

During my visit to China in 2003, the absence of free speech was definitely noticeable in a couple of ways.  First there was an extremely heavy police presence in places such as Tiananmen Square and even police vans on hot standby to deal with any impromptu protests.  During my visit to Tibet it was especially noticeable in several ways:  First, there was once again a heavy police presence in the areas where the monks had previously protested for religious freedom.  Second, nobody referred to it as Tibet.  Instead, it was referred to as Xizang Province and we were even taken to see the monument which was prominently displayed in the town's main square to celebrate  "Tibet's Liberation by China" in 1950.  Thirdly (and most interestingly), the tour guides in Tibet were not even allowed to acknowledge the existence of the 14th Dalai Lama who fled into exhile in India in 1959.  This made for some interesting moments when politically unfamiliar tourists in my group kept trying to get the tour guide to "remember" the Dalai Lama that was alive and "on TV all the time".

The ever popular Peaceful Liberation Monument 

built in Lhasa in 2002

Police posted atf the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa - site of previous violence between police and monks

After you are done checking out my legs, you can

see the two People's Armed Police officers right outside of the

Forbidden City on Tiananmen Square

 Obviously, I could not snap pictures of the heavy security presence easily, but there is definitely a noticeable difference between the security presence and atmosphere between the mainland and Hong Kong.  While I was in China, I spent some time at the Public Security University where the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) trains its personnel.  Among other things, MPS is responsible for monitoring internal dissent groups such as the Falun Gong.  Overall, I was impressed with the people that I met, however, they were always quite clear about the fact that "threats to internal security" had to be dealt with.  At the time, they were very concerned with Taiwan declaring independence and disruptions to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.  Both of those threats seemed to have gone by the wayside for now.

 A meeting with some of the senior folks at the Public Security University

in Beijing

In the dorms at the PSU

So for all of these reasons, I was interested to see what the environment would be like in Hong Kong which is now most definitely part of China (since 1997) - though it is now considered a Special Administrative Region (SAR) which operates under a separate set of rules.  The Chinese Government describes it as "one country, two systems".  So arriving in Hong Kong, the security presence is completely different.  No People's Armed Police, no MPS, just the Hong Kong police.  There are definitely Chinese flags though.

So, I noticed several expressions of free speech which probably never would have been permitted on the mainland.  The first was the "outing" of the secret conspiracy by the CIA to place electrodes in the brains of innocent HK residents.  This sign was located right outside of the Peak Tram one of the principal tourist destinations in Hong Kong.

 

The next and (far more significant example) was a table set up by the Falun Gong right outside of the Star Ferry pier in Kowloon.  I was still a bit suspicious as nobody appeared to be manning the table.  I even looked over the railing behind the table and didn't notice anyone floating.

Unmanned table at Star Ferry pier in Kowloon

 

The last (and most significant) example I saw was a large Falun Gong display set up outside of the gondola station for the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island.  The monastery is one of the most popular tourist spots in Hong Kong and the display was set up so that everyone visiting the sight went right by it.  Not only did the display support Falun Gong, it actually said Jiang Zemin should be put on trial AND there were two women handing out literature.

 

So this was definitely an eye opening experience for me.  No time (or energy) for a lesson on Hong Kong politics here, but the territory has a Legislative  Council (LEGCO) a portion of which is directly elected by the people.  The percentage of directly elected leaders is supposed to increase over the coming years.  Just yesterday, the LEGCO set the rules for the 2012 election in Hong Kong requiring that the premier not be associated with any political party.  This is obviously a bit stifling to the democratic process.  Definitely worth watching.

The LEGCO building on Hong Kong Island