Yesterday, for an article I’m hoping to write for Living in China, I interviewed a Singapore executive about his role in the 1989 student demonstrations. It was absolutely intriguing. He was in Shanghai, not Beijing, and the differences between how the situation was handled in the two cities is extraordinary.
He didn’t tell me anything earthshattering, but it did impress on me how fundamentally different the Western and Asian approach to human rights is. I have been aware of this, but I never actually discussed it face-to-face with a native Chinese. It’s an interesting conversation, to discuss something as frightening as the Tiananmen Square massacre and agree on everything that took place, and yet arrive at such different conclusions.
I’m about three-quarters done with the article and it should be ready to go by Monday afternoon or Tuesday.
1
By Phil
Really look forward to reading that, sounds immense.
Phil
December 15, 2003 @ 12:16 am | Comment
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By Andrea
I am looking forward to read it and compare notes with what I heard from my other Shanghainese friends who had actually took part in the protests.
December 15, 2003 @ 4:07 am | Comment