#chinese protest

[neotechnomagick]

(via "Bai Lan, Let it Rot, Protest, China" Bucket Hat for Sale by Burn-Ego)

[gacha-incels]

article from the english edition of the Hankyoreh September 9 2024

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“My life is not your porn” and “Deepfake is murder” — these were some of the chants heard in a mix of Korean, English, and Chinese on the night of Sept. 3 (local time), directed at the South Korean Embassy in the UK. 

Over 100 people, including women from South Korea, China, Japan, and others from around the world, gathered that evening at Trafalgar Square in London. They marched from there, passing Buckingham Palace, and continued to the South Korean Embassy, calling for measures to address the ongoing deepfake sex crime crisis plaguing South Korea.

The march was organized by Chinese feminists based in London, who voiced their support for South Korean women fighting against digital sex crimes, such as deepfakes and illegal filming. Their aim was to raise awareness among women worldwide about these crimes occurring in South Korea.

In a post on their Instagram account (@weareallchainedwomen), the organizers wrote, “The illegal use of hidden cameras and deepfake technology by men to turn women’s everyday lives into pornography is not just a social issue in Korea; it is a widespread problem globally, particularly in East Asian countries.” They also said, “In China, the bravery of Korean feminists has long inspired many to awaken,” adding, “We hope to become each other’s strongest and most loyal sisters, supporting each other to overthrow the patriarchy together!”

A 42-year-old woman from South Asia participating in the march said, “I came out today because I believe in the importance of solidarity among women worldwide, who are all suffering from the effects of misogyny and patriarchy.” The woman, a youth educator and social activist, urged the South Korean government to “introduce new curricula into the education system that teach about women’s safety, online safety, digital sex crimes, the influence of the porn industry, healthy relationships, and gender roles and stereotypes.”

A 27-year-old Korean participant, who works as a documentary filmmaker in the UK, said, “I am standing in front of the South Korean Embassy with a heavy heart” and expressed hope that the “government will strongly punish the perpetrators and accomplices and seek justice for the victims.”

In Tokyo, Japan, Chinese feminists living there also held a rally in front of the South Korean Embassy on Saturday afternoon, calling for attention to the digital sex crimes crisis in Korea.

By Park Hyun-jung, staff reporter

[normcore-tertiary-character]

I love the formula between 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star and I want there to be a 9-1-1 for at least every state but preferably every single town in the US

Mostly, I want to see what hyper local and very silly disasters they can write to strike my town

[marieshyperf1xations]

Protest by AM on Carlos being allowed to continue in Q2 despite stopping has been dismissed on account of “yea basically we’ve done this before, it’s been an issue before but he restarted without outside help and we never agreed on adding the outside assistance part to the rules and there was never a clear ruling on how long a car is allowed to be stationary before restarting on their own so lol I guess we’re gonna let this go”

This has been a service post

[thehollowwriter]

Some of ya'll have not experienced the mind boggling madness that is one of the girls with thee highest grades in your class believing in conspiracy theories and common myths. I recommend it, 10/10 funny and slightly enraging depending on the topic

[the-blog-of-gog]

(via "Bai Lan, Let it Rot, Youth Rebelion, China" Classic T-Shirt for Sale by Burn-Ego)

[ineffable-opinions]

Masculinities and Male Androphilia

Wu-Wen

Masculinity in China historically has been (mostly) classified into Wu-type (military - type) and Wen-type (scholarly - type).

Qing dynasty Chinese Water and Land Ritual painting depicting a divine civil official and thunder god in military regalia.

Due to the special nature of Chinese political system (imperial court & civil services), scholar wielded power and influence, often over-taking that of military men. [What about dudes who were neither scholars nor military personnel?]

Wen-wu type masculinities make for some really interesting contrast and is employed in media: BL and others.

Shi Qiang and Wang Miao representing wen and wu respectively in Three-Body (2023) based on the sci-fi novel "The Three-Body Problem" (三体) by Liu Ci Xin (刘慈欣) .

Colonialism flipped this order. It was internalized by the subjects of colonialism too. Its lasting impact can be seen in the recent effeminacy ban* in China’s entertainment industry targeting little fresh meat (xiao xianrou 小鮮肉 ) and pretty boy (huamei nan 花美男) aesthetics.

*sissy pants (niangpao 娘炮)

Protest masculinity

Against (both organic and stereotyped) association of femme-presentation or ‘camp’ with androphilia. Popular opinion inculcated by media is partially responsible.

2. Against a society that doesn’t treat them as equal men. Hegemonic masculinity is constructed in opposition with ‘inferior men’ such as androphilic men and more importantly with women. By adopting visual Wu-masculinity, androphilic men hijacks the visuals, rendering the visual categorization redundant.

3. For gaydar purposes - signaling to men who are androphilic and them alone.

This is not without negative impact:

It can lead to peer-pressure to conform & homogenize to Wu-ideal to the extent that other presentations could get vilified. This can include scorning of soft and delicate aesthetics and femme-bashing.

2. Conforms with the mainstream view – both that of their present-day oppressors, mainly the Wu-exalting, heterosexist, sissy-phobic State and their historic oppressors: colonialism and its modern-day offsprings.

Similar tendencies are observed among androphilic men in Japan, South Korea and Thailand as well.

Recommendations [occasionally updated]

Cheers by Cheers 짠!하면 알 수 있어 [not available currently]

Breakfast by 想再見你

Sesame by 百里屠伕

Shimbashi Koi Story by SHIMBASHI TUGBOAT

-

Thai Masculinities

Posts: one two three

To learn more:

Wang, S. (2020). Chinese gay men pursuing online fame: erotic reputation and internet celebrity economies. Feminist Media Studies, 20(4), 548–564. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2020.1754633

Wijngaarden JW de L van. Male Homosexuality in 21st-Century Thailand: A Longitudinal Study of Young, Rural, Same-Sex-Attracted Men Coming of Age. Anthem Press; 2021. [link]

Interpretation and Orientalism: Outing Japan’s Sexual Minorities to the English-Speaking World by Mark McLelland

[weedle-testaburger]

i have this thing where I'm really unwilling to judge people based on their background but I'm Very willing to judge them if they're a reactionary

[vv-ispy]

man if humans turned out to be decended from dragons in genshin that would be a True Chinese Story Moment

[dchan87]

[protectcosette]

had someone i was mutuals with a few years ago dm me to say how disappointed they were that i'm not going to vote for joe biden. said i'd fallen for a psyop, and they expected better from me

not gonna get into how I decided not to vote for biden through irl conversations with leftists i know and some white liberal I haven't had a conversation with in i don't know how long is not gonna change that

i want to talk about parasocial relationships. bc someone doesn't have to be famous for you to be in a parasocial relationship with them, any kind of social media following relationship does also fit this label

even if we have talked recently, even if we are mutuals, your expectations of me are not my responsibility. I don't owe you anything. I owe it to myself to live truthfully and follow my own moral code.

and trying to leverage your perception against someone you DON'T KNOW, someone you do not have a reciprocal relationship of love and trust with, is fucked up. especially if you start going on about how disappointed you are without even trying to have a conversation first to understand their perspective. it's manipulative and disrespectful and i want to make sure y'all know, it's not something any of you should ever let yourselves be swayed by.

anyone who would talk to you like this cares more about their discomfort with liking/admiring/trusting someone they disagree with more than they care about you.

do not let those people run your life.

[gacha-incels]

[Exclusive] “Deep Impact on Korean Women’s Movement… ‘Deepfake Scandal’ Naturally Leads to Global Solidarity”

published sept 18th 2024

this article has been mtl and edited from the original Korean into english. it’s not going to be 1:1 but the basic facts should be there. If you happen to notice any discrepancies please lmk and I’ll edit it asap. Thanks everyone for your help and continued patience. I thought it was interesting to hear from the Chinese feminists who organized the protest in London and learn how they think about the deepfake issue so I decided to post this here.

Chinese Women’s Exclusive Interview after Organizing UK Protest against ‘Korean Deepfake Porn Scandal’

“It broke my heart when I saw two Korean high school girls translating the ‘Deepfake Porn Scandal’ into Chinese online to seek help. It was clear that, just as the Chinese government ignores us, the Korean government was doing the same to them, which made me feel even sadder.”

Nana, a Chinese feminist who organized a protest in London condemning the Telegram deepfake porn crimes in Korea, described her initial emotions upon hearing about the recent deepfake incident in Korea. The sadness she felt was not only from empathizing with the suffering of the many female victims. It also stemmed from a deep sense of sympathy and shared struggle with the women living under state and societal systems that remained indifferent to their pain.

Feeling an instinctive urge to “do something,” Nana quickly organized a protest march from London’s Trafalgar Square to the Korean Embassy. What she initially expected to be a small gathering of just a few Korean activists exceeded her expectations. Within just a few days, more than 100 women from various countries, including Korea, China, and Japan, took to the streets on the evening of September 3 (local time). The protest also drew significant attention on social media, becoming the first overseas demonstration following the incident.

Around ten days after the protest, Segye Ilbo was able to meet three Chinese women in the UK who organized and led the event. Given the risks that Chinese protesters face, both at home and abroad, the women requested to use pseudonyms.

On September 3 (local time), women from various nationalities gathered in London to protest against the recent illegal deepfake porn crimes in South Korea. The protest was a call for justice regarding the widespread deepfake sexual exploitation incident.

Protest in the UK Against the Korean Deepfake Scandal

In an interview at a café in central London on September 12, Nana, Axolotl, and Mochi revealed that they have been involved in women’s rights activism since 2022 through their Instagram account, “We Are All Chained Women (@weareallchainedwomen).” While women had always participated in protests, they noticed that men often took credit for their contributions. This inspired them to create an account to document women’s activism firsthand. Their pre-existing community of women living abroad became the foundation for their collective efforts. Despite having no prior experience in organizing protests, they learned the ropes by directly engaging in street activism, including how to organize marches and the symbolic importance of protesting in front of embassies.

Over the years, they have organized around 20 protests, addressing issues like sexual assault in India, women’s rights in Palestine, and human rights for women in Afghanistan. However, the protest in early September against the Korean deepfake scandal felt particularly special to them. Typically, they communicated only in Chinese, but this protest plan was quickly translated into English and spread to women from various countries, resulting in an unprecedented level of diversity and participation.

Nana said, “I wanted to protest alongside Korean feminists, but I hadn’t had the chance to connect with any in real life. It was so meaningful to finally meet Korean women through the spread of this protest.” Following advice from many Korean women on how to prepare for the protest, they stayed up late, making banners just three days before the event. They also learned the importance of having legal observers and safety personnel.

Axolotl emphasized the significance of this protest, saying, “Unlike previous, more relaxed gatherings, this was a truly official protest organized as a formal entity. It was also the first time we met women of various nationalities on the streets, not just Koreans.”

Recalling the day of the protest, Mochi said, “It was my first time going to the Korean embassy, and we got a bit lost, so there were some bumps along the way. Despite our inexperience, thanks to the courage and solidarity of women from various countries who chanted slogans in Korean and English, we successfully completed the protest.” In London, slogans such as “My life is not your porn” and “Deepfake is murder” echoed throughout the protest.

When asked about the reaction of the Korean embassy, Mochi explained, “Two men were watching us from behind the curtains, filming the protest, and embassy security guards came out to record what we were saying. If this were the Chinese embassy, they might have responded more discreetly, but the Korean embassy seemed shocked, likely because they hadn’t encountered such protests before. Soon after, they called the police.” However, the police merely asked when the protest would end and then left.

As embassy staff left the building, protesters chanted, “Punish everyone who creates, watches, and trades in illegal deepfake content!” According to Mochi, the embassy representatives quickly retreated back inside.

The Influence of Korean Women's Feminism

"Girls' Generation's 'Into the New World'? Of course, I know it. I also know it’s used at protest sites. I believe every woman in China our age should know this song."

These women all agreed that Korean feminism has already made a significant impact in China. They were well aware of the “Uncomfortable Courage” (2018) protests, which criticized biased investigations into illegal filming crimes in South Korea. They explained that “Into the New World,” sung by Korean women at various protest sites, is not only famous in China but also known and sung by feminists in many other countries.

One movement that particularly caught their attention was South Korea’s “4B Movement.” The term “4B” combines the Chinese character for “no” (非) and the letter “B,” referring to a lifestyle that rejects four traditional roles: sexual relationships, childbirth, dating, and marriage with men. Never before had there been such a collective movement questioning and voluntarily rejecting life tasks that were considered natural for women to follow.

When Nana first heard about the 4B Movement, she was deeply impressed. “While it’s dangerous to openly oppose the government, it’s remarkable how women have found ways to resist on an individual level in their daily lives,” she said. “I think it’s an effective way for individuals to resist being reduced to birth machines by the state.”

She also introduced the “boy sober” trend, which has become popular on the video platform TikTok. The term “sober” refers to being mentally clear, and the trend encourages women to stop relying on men in order to maintain emotional independence. This trend is thought to have been significantly influenced by South Korea’s 4B Movement and events like the U.S. abortion ban ruling.

Nana emphasized the importance of young women experiencing the freedom to enjoy their lives and spaces as individuals, rather than being dependent on men.

Axolotl pointed out that even in Western countries, many women are still "chasing false dreams." She explained that while there is a societal atmosphere that makes people believe gender equality has already been achieved and that women are equal to men, it’s crucial to expose the reality that this is not the case. “We must not be deceived by the small comforts offered by patriarchal systems and governments,” she said, stressing the need to uproot the deep-seated roots of gender inequality.

In this process, Axolotl believes, “We must question the policies and laws of every institution and government.” She explained that encountering immediate backlash when addressing systems of oppression—like patriarchy intertwined with capitalism—demonstrates why this work is necessary. “For a long time, we’ve struggled with political depression, feeling helpless that nothing could change,” she added. “But now, at least, we know we can do something, and through connections, we can draw strength from one another.”

Mochi shared a similar sentiment, reflecting on the meaning of all this activism. “I used to ask myself what the point of all this was, but then I realized that it wasn’t about changing the world immediately. I have to do this for my own mental health,” she said. Finding a way to channel incomprehensible anger and break free from long-standing feelings of helplessness provided her with a personal, practical solution.

She added, “If you focus solely on how much the world has changed, in some ways, it can feel very unrealistic. But when you concentrate on your own emotions and the powerful sense of connection you feel when meeting more like-minded friends, that’s where you find the motivation to keep going.” They said that since they began organizing protests, their group has continued to grow, giving them hope for the future.

Hiding Women’s Rights and Domestic Violence Issues

Nana reflected on the longstanding societal strategy of concealing issues such as women’s rights and domestic violence and trying to stop women from exposing these problems in other languages by accusing them of “disgracing the nation.” She noted, “In this sense, Korean feminists and we are so alike that it feels like looking in a mirror.”

Nana mentioned that when she heard from Korean women that “we do not trust the Korean government or the Korean media,” she realized it was similar to how Chinese women couldn’t find trustworthy media in China. This is why the slogan “Woman is our nationality” was created. She explained, “Regardless of background or country, being women unites us, and it’s the perfect slogan to show solidarity among feminists of various nationalities.” She emphasized that it also carries the message, “We will eventually win.”

They stressed the importance of connection between women from East Asian countries, which share common traits such as Confucianism and patriarchal governments. The women, who were well-versed in the history of digital sex crimes in Korea—from illegal filming to the Telegram Nth Room exploitation and deepfake sexual violence—asserted, “Turning women’s everyday lives into pornography is not just a problem in Korean society.” They expressed anticipation for the large protest related to deepfake crimes set to take place in Seoul on September 21.

The women repeatedly mentioned the courage of Korean feminists and the awakening it sparked among women of various nationalities. Nana asked, “Do Korean women know how much Chinese feminists have been influenced by the 4B movement and literature from Korea?”

She continued, “There are many works of ‘Korean women’s literature’ translated into Chinese. Classics like Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, The Vegetarian, and Summer Outside. Writers like Kim Ae-ran, Kim Cho-yeop, and Han Kang are famous among Chinese feminists.”

London correspondent: Ji-hye Jeong

[quotesfrommyreading]

Slogans, jokes, objects and colors can stand in for complex sentiments. In Hong Kong, protesters carried yellow umbrellas—also useful to defend against pepper spray—as symbols of their demand for democracy. In Thailand, protesters borrowed a gesture from The Hunger Games series, saluting with three fingers aloft in the aftermath of a military coup. Elsewhere, rainbow flags and the name “Solidarity” have signified the successful fights waged by proponents of LGBTQ and Polish labor rights, respectively.

In some authoritarian nations, dissidents craft jokes and images to build a following and weaken support for the regime. In the Cold War-era Soviet Union, access to typewriters and photocopiers was tightly controlled. But protesters could share news and rile officials with underground samizdat literature (Russian for “self-publishing”), which was hand-typed and passed around from person to person. These publications also used anekdoty, or quips of wry lament, to joke about post-Stalinist Soviet society. In one example, a man hands out blank leaflets on a pedestrian street. When someone returns to question their meaning, the man says, “What’s there to write? It’s all perfectly clear anyway.”

In the early 20th century, generations of Chinese writers and philosophers led quiet philosophical and cultural revolutions within their country. Zhou Shuren, better known by the pen name Lu Xun, pushed citizens to cast off repressive traditions and join the modern world, writing, “I have always felt hemmed in on all sides by the Great Wall; that wall of ancient bricks which is constantly being reinforced. The old and the new conspire to confine us all. When will we stop adding new bricks to the wall?”

In time, Chinese citizens mastered the art of distributed displeasure against mass censorship and government control. That was certainly the case during the movements that bloomed after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. At the 1989 protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, participants used strips of red cloth as blindfolds. Before the tanks turned the weekslong gathering into a tragedy on June 4, musician Cui Jian played the anthem “A Piece of Red Cloth,” claiming a patriotic symbol of communist rule as a banner of hope for a frustrated generation.

After hundreds, if not thousands, were gunned down by the military, China banned any reference to the events at Tiananmen Square. But Chinese people became adept at filling that void, using proxies and surrogates to refer to the tragedy. Though Chinese censors scrub terms related to the date, such as “six four,” emoji can sometimes circumvent these measures. According to Meng Wu, a specialist in modern Chinese literature at the University of British Columbia, a simple candle emoji posted on the anniversary tells readers that the author is observing the tragedy, even if they can’t do so explicitly. In recent years, the government has removed access to the candle emoji before the anniversary.

As a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre spoke to the crowd gathered at Washington Square Park, the undergraduate who called himself Rick expressed concern for a friend who had been taken into custody by police in his home province of Guangdong. Given the government crackdown, Rick suggested that public protests were largely finished for now. Still, he predicted, the movement will “become something else”—something yet to be written.

  —  The History Behind China's White Paper Protests

[liu-yu-xin]

the chinese govt recently announced that ppl dont get the day before chinese new years off this year and this is the closest ive ever seen chinese ppl get to telling the govt to go fuck itself like everyone will fall in line with other policies more or less but taking this one day of vacation away is like the straw that broke the camels back its the accumulation of working class anger about everything else all dumped into this one day off that got taken from them when they already dont have protection in every other aspect of their lives. They are literally going as close as they can get to saying maybe our govt is fucking stupid and sucks and hates us its incredible. I saw a video that was like if the united states didnt let americans take christmas off they would blow up the white house just saying. Like thats crazy no one would dream of implying something like that on public platforms before... they are pissed off for REAL

[lanotteviene]

tell me why did I trust how much of these hills is gold even after knowing it had blown up on TikTok....

[panvani]

I guess I could do what every Latino ex Catholic who still wants religion does and just convert to Buddhism