Community | July 17, 2008 | 29 comments

China targets foreign entertainers after Bjork debacle

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080717/music_nm/china_entertainers_dc;_ylt=ApQ2NyElyVG3pi9HmvGY...

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DeliaTheArtist
"BEIJING (Reuters) - China will ban all entertainers from overseas, Hong Kong and Taiwan who have ever attended activities that "threaten national sovereignty," the government said on Thursday, after an outburst by Icelandic singer Bjork.


Earlier this year, Bjork shouted "Tibet! Tibet!" at a Shanghai concert having performed her song "Declare Independence," which she has used in the past to promote independence movements in other places such as Kosovo.

China has ruled Tibet with an iron hand since its troops marched into the Himalayan region in 1950, and swiftly condemns any challenge to its authority there.

"Any artistic group or individual who have ever engaged in activities which threaten our national sovereignty will not be allowed in," the Ministry of Culture said in a statement on its website ( http://www.ccnt.com.cn ).

During performances, entertainers who "threaten national unity," "whip up ethnic hatred," "violate religious policy or cultural norms" or "advocate obscenity or feudalism and superstition," will also be banned, the rules state.

The new rules come on top of Beijing banning pop festivals and tightening approvals for outdoor events in the months leading up to the Olympics, where it fears security threats from unruly crowds and potential protesters.

Even encores need to be approved in advance, the ministry added.

"Nothing that has not been approved will be allowed to be performed," it said."


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29 comments // China targets foreign entertainers after Bjork debacle

  • HappyYoga
  • helloimcat
  • parisinla
  • Ayahuasca2012
  • joshuaheller
  • mirimysweet
    • 0
      mirimysweet  

    • Bjork was simply a messenger. I agree with Ty, this isn't really about her artistic prowess or mental faculties, but rather, it's about what human rights exist for people in China, and how those issues are coming into play with regards to this year's Olympics.

    • 3 years ago
  • TyMarshal
  • J_Jammer
  • ShermanFoss
  • IAMROBOT
    • 0
      IAMROBOT  

    • J_Jammer, I hate to contradict you but I cannot let such a erroneous oversight go unquestioned. Bjork is the shit. She's one of the best musical artists of our generation and possibly ever. Just because she's fierce (which I totally admire) doesn't mean that what she has to say about any certain topic isn't relevant or true.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • IAMROBOT
    • 0
      IAMROBOT  
    • IAMROBOT:

      Why not? What she did in an airport YEARS ago has nothing at all to do with her views on China. Besides which, it's not like it's some crazy, out of left field opinion. Millions of people believe that China is unjustly occupying Tibet. You can't discount all of their opinions.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • IAMROBOT:

      Whether or not they are is not for her to say since she can't seem to treat people better than that herself. And what she did to a reporter wasn't years ago....she attacked someone a matter of months ago.

      It's like a Politician talking about wholesomeness and then using prostitutes frequently while making laws against them. People discredit them all the time. A musician is no different.

    • 3 years ago
  • IAMROBOT
  • J_Jammer
  • AceHardchester
  • J_Jammer
  • bss05g
    • 0
      bss05g  

    • I could understand if china’s restrictions had more of a morality view, where they may ban things that they considered extremely immoral to try and raise the moral standards of the people (not that they are low), but to just ban performers who give the finger to china is dumb, and it makes me think that they are scared. Here in America we can talk basically all the crap we want about are government and its perfectly fine, reason being is that we all realize that complaining is one of the best ways to get things done because when everyone is complaining about something is we the government is more likely to change. China not wanting people to complain means that their not really wanting to change how the people may want them to.

    • 3 years ago
  • bishopobispo
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  

    • Bjork is an idiot. She attacked a reporter like a mad woman and she think she has a right to dictate what a country is doing wrong when she can't even handle herself correctly? I don't think so.

    • 3 years ago
  • BloxParty
    • 0
      BloxParty  
    • J_Jammer:

      So anyone that has ever done something wrong in their entire life has no place to criticize anything ever be it murder, oppression or violence?

      "What does she know about an oppressive regime? She hit someone, she's just as bad!"- your logic is once again as flawed as your judgement.

      Have you lived your entire life without doing anything wrong, J? Is that what validates you outlandish and poorly thought out statements on current.com news stories?

      At this point I'm not sure if you have any valid opinions or if you just thrive on saying the wrong thing.

    • 3 years ago
  • edbr
    • 0
      edbr  

    • this sounds strangely similar to how the US will be if its people don't unite and do something about our government.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • edbr:

      The difference between China and the United States is that China wants to control everything because it deems itself the rightful smart government to know what is and isn't good for their billion citizens. The United States Government is trying to protect its people from harm though what it thinks is good intentions that are paving a nice padded road to hell. We still have rights even though this idea that we are losing them has been around for fifty years. They started this idea of lost rights in the 60's and yet we still continue to have freedoms more so than most.

    • 3 years ago
  • edbr
    • 0
      edbr  
    • edbr:

      yes, more so than most, but dwindling ... and don't get me wrong -- i think dems and repubs are both just as guilty. for example, what does a seatbelt law do? it doesn't save lives ... it simply generates revenue, at the expense of our citizens. i wear my seatbelt every time i get in a car, because i've seen their benefits. but if people don't want to wear one, why should they have to? next we'll be seeing the government cracking down on smoking! .... wait a minute ...

    • 3 years ago
  • flyingkick
    • 0
      flyingkick  

    • It won't be long before the Chinese public demands more freedom.
      Their standard of living is increasing and with that comes higher education, new ideas, and access to the rest of world.

      >>Soon China will realize you can't rule a first world country with educated citizens by force. It never works. They will have to do what the US does and maintain social order by tricking people into believing they are more free than they actually are, by letting them watch whatever they want on TV.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • flyingkick:

      There's a billion of them and they have yet to demand anything. I highly doubt that'll start with the next generation. It's probably more like 1984. The children will turn the parents in for their lack of loyalty to the Government.

      China, most likely, will not have a revolution.

    • 3 years ago
  • parisinla
  • bimmer_man
    • 0
      bimmer_man  

    • so how long do you think china is going to be able to participate in a global economy and keep it's population under such a tight control? I imagine that as the young generation comes up and the internet continues to advance eventually they will have to accept that they can't control everything and still prosper.

    • 3 years ago
  • kewal91
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