FSI Predicts Anti Government Movement in China Will Continue
- The Irish Time
VIVA – In a seminar organized by the Forum Sinologi Indonesia (FSI) on January 23, 2023, with the theme "Anti Government in China: A Threat to the Regime?" discussed community resistance to government policies with communist ideology.
Professor Jie Chen, Ph.D, an expert in political science and international relations from the University of Western Australia, Perth, said that the movement known as the White Paper Movement has several key differences compared to similar movements that have occurred in China since 1990.
"First, elements in the White Paper Movement challenged the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime and the rise of a dictator. In addition, the White Paper Movement also signifies the emergence of political awakening among the Chinese people in the post-1990s generation," Prof. Jie Chen said in a live video from Perth.
Forum Sinologi Indonesia
- Arianti Widya
Prof. Chen also said that the political awakening in the above generation had taken many by surprise. The White Paper Movement occurred without the influence and encouragement of the overseas Chinese democracy movement.
The international inspiration for the movement that began as an anti-lockdown protest came from the World Cup in Qatar, which showed a free and happy life without lockdowns or masks. Â
Finally, the most important thing, in Prof. Jie Chen's view, is that the emergence of the protest movement in November 2022 marked the cracking of the "post Tiananmen grand bargain" between the Chinese people and the ruling regime. The deal, which was essentially an exchange of people's political rights for economic prosperity, seems to be facing a very significant challenge.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Forum Sinologi Indonesia, Johanes Herlijanto, said that the White Paper Movement in China in November 2022 was very interesting and important to observe.
"The series of events above shows that the internal conditions of the People's Republic of China are still filled with various problems that are still unresolved. The government model that relies on surveillance and pressure on citizens who disagree with the authorities is not the right model to overcome various problems that arise in society," Johanes stated.
According to Johanes, the various statements voiced in the protests above show that the Chinese people still have a list of unmet needs, including the need for freedom and a non-dictatorial system of government.
"The stability only proves the harshness and strength of the surveillance and silencing of voices that differ from the government,"
In line with Professor Jie Chen, Johanes also predicts that protest movements like the one in November 2023 will continue.
"Reflecting on the series of protests above, it is not an exaggeration to predict that The Great Firewall built by the Chinese communist regime to fortify itself, will face challenges in the form of strategies and innovations that will continue to be initiated by young people who want change," he added.
