In this engaging discussion, Laowhy86, a Westerner who spent a decade in China, shares his insights on the country's recent uprisings. He details the tragic fire incident in Xinjiang that sparked massive protests against oppressive lockdowns. Notably, he highlights the unexpected solidarity among Han Chinese for the Uyghurs and the resurgence of student-led activism. The conversation also tackles the implications of censorship, the psychological shift toward dissent, and the broader challenges facing a regime in a 'dictator trap' amid growing unrest.
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The Xinjiang Fire Incident
A fire in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs live, sparked protests across China.
The ensuing violent crackdown on vigils and protests intensified the public's anger.
insights INSIGHT
The Fire's Surprising Impact
The fire incident's impact is surprising, given the negative perception of Uyghurs in some parts of China.
It reveals a broader discontent among the Chinese populace.
insights INSIGHT
Coordinated University Protests
Coordinated protests occurred across over 79 Chinese universities, signifying a rare unified dissent.
This organized movement, unprecedented since Tiananmen Square, targeted the Chinese government.
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Laowhy86 (@laowhy86) — aka Matthew Tye, aka C-Milk — is a Westerner who lived in China for 10 years, and watched it change from an opening and liberalizing society into regression and authoritarianism. His YouTube videos explain China, Chinese culture, and Chinese politics, and decode Chinese propaganda so viewers are armed with the knowledge to identify and resist it.
Welcome to what we’re calling our “Out of the Loop” episodes, where we dig a little deeper into fascinating current events that may only register as a blip on the media’s news cycle and have conversations with the people who find themselves immersed in them. Here, Laowhy86 joins us to share his Westerner’s perspective — with those of us out of the loop — on the uprisings going on in China right now over the government’s draconian lockdowns and ongoing human rights abuses. Listen, learn, and enjoy!
Welded into an apartment building in China’s Xinjiang region to prevent their escape during the Chinese government’s strict “zero-COVID” lockdowns, 10 people — including a three-year-old child — were killed when a fire broke out.
The violent crackdown by authorities during a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire escalated into massive protests against the government, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, across China — at a scale unseen since 1989’s Tiananmen Square massacre.
Coordinated across 79 universities in China, these protests have evolved to include demands for political reform and an end to corruption — a rare display of unity among a population so long repressed by a regime that traditionally punishes dissent with social stigma, imprisonment, and death.
The intensity of these protests is surprising given the effectiveness of surveillance tools used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the past. This indicates that there is a larger sentiment for dissent among the population than may be visibly apparent.
What this wave of protests portends for the future of China, its people, its historically inflexible authoritarian government, and its place on the global stage.
And much more!
Connect with Jordan on Twitter, on Instagram, and on YouTube. If you have something you’d like us to tackle here on an Out of the Loop episode, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
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