Censorship is not the answer

One of the reasons why, on the whole, democracies are more likely to have a better capacity to address acute economic crises such as the current global one is free flow of information. Only open exchange of ideas and vigorous debate on solutions can enhance the odds that not necessarily perfect but nonetheless the best thought-out policy response will be produced. What about countries where freedom of speech is severely curtailed? This is the Chinese approach:

    Increasingly worried about a sickly economy sowing social unrest, the Chinese government is tightening state control over the media. Its main aim appears to be to smother dissemination of politically sensitive discussions and information on the Internet.

The government is particularly concerned with a document circulating online called Charter 08, which was released on December 10 on the 60th anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Alluding to Czechoslovakia’s famous Charter 77, it has been signed by hundreds of Chinese intellectuals and even some government officials calling for sweeping democratic reforms in China. At the same time, protests against the authoritarian rule in the economic sphere are also on the rise around the country, ranging from demonstrations by migrant workers to strikes of taxi drivers demanding better working conditions. Rather than listening to the voices advocating for reform, Beijing seeks to silence them.

    Newspapers, online commentators and websites are expanding the range of subjects they feel free to comment on, testing the government’s barriers. That is why Chinese censors seem eager to hit the delete button on all kinds of troublesome information.

But can not listening really be the government’s attitude that solves China’s mounting challenges?

Published Date: January 12, 2009