I seldom sign, let alone pass on, petitions to other countries, or even to legislators that do not represent me, because they have no incentive to consider my opinion, but with impending talks with the US on human rights, China is so sensitive that they are waging an undeclared cyber war against the site that hosts a petition to free Chinese activist Ai Weiwei.
The United States says it will hold hold human rights talks with China in Beijing next week, amid a Chinese crackdown on government critics that has drawn US condemnation.
The “discussions will focus on human rights developments, including the recent negative trend of forced disappearances, extralegal detentions, and arrests and convictions,” the State Department said in a statement on Friday…
Inserted from <Sydney Morning Herald>
Yesterday I received the following email:
Dear Tom,
The petition demanding the release of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has nearly 100,000 signatures.
Here’s how we know it’s really gotten Beijing’s attention: For the past three days, the Change.org website has been repeatedly targeted by cyber attacks coming from China that aim to bring our site down, which would keep people from signing the petition.
Our engineers are working around the clock to fend off the attacks and, for now, the petition is still up.
We need to let the Chinese government know that illegal tactics from within its borders won’t stop the mounting pressure on them to release Weiwei. If you haven’t already, please join nearly 100,000 Change.org members and add your name to the petition now.
To recap: Acclaimed dissident artist Ai Weiwei — who helped design the famed “Bird’s Nest” stadium for China’s Olympics — was arrested on April 3rd by Chinese security forces at the Beijing airport. His office and studio have been ransacked, and no one has heard from him since.
The international art community banded together, demanding his release — and the directors of more than twenty leading museums (including the Tate Modern, Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim) started a petition on Change.org that has garnered worldwide attention, including in the New York Times, LA Times, and Guardian.
The campaign has helped to give rise to an international outcry. Political leaders around the world are calling for Weiwei’s release and activists have organized peaceful protests at Chinese embassies and consulates.
Though China is desperate to silence its critics, the pressure to free Weiwei continues to grow. You can help by signing the petition now:
http://www.change.org/petitions/call-for-the-release-of-ai-weiwei
Autocratic governments know that the internet is a democratizing force, and they’ll do everything they can to suppress online activism. Know that we stand with you for change, and that we will continue to fight to make sure your voice can be heard.
– Patrick and the Change.org team
P.S. Due to these repeated attacks, our site may be slower than usual or unavailable at times over the next few days. Thanks for your patience.
The attack also affects other organizations using Amazon servers, including Reddit.
Now I figure it like this. Not only do I feel angry about a foreign government committing such an attack in this country, but also I support the campaign to free Ai Weiwei. If it bothers China this much for this petition to exist, I’m damn well going to sign it, even if it takes many more attempts to do so.
I urge you to join me in this.
6 Responses to “China: Cyber War Over Human Rights”
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If they can crash down change.org (on Amazon) for a week how about any other sites then? 🙄
Welcome Ruby! 🙂
There is no site not vulnerable, I’m sorry to say.
While I agree with you Tom but the Obama administration unleashed a super worm against Iran’s nuclear facility. that I am sorry to say is one of the newest components of warfare. Besides I signed that petition four days ago,
I agree, Mark. It is one of the newest components of warfare. I’m not happy with what Obama did, but a cyber attack on Iran’s nuclear refinement facilities may have been less problematic that either military intervention or a nuclear-armed Ahmadinejad. There’s too much I don’t know to make a clear call on that one, but it’s hardly in the same boat with a cyber attack over a petition.
TomCat,
As you know, what greatly undermines our credibility and effectiveness in any discussion of human rights is our own policy of rendition and torture which has still not been completely done away with, as evidenced by our failure to close Guantanamo. This policy, like so much of what was done in the last administration, flies directly in the face of American ideals and should be totally abandoned forever.
Jack, I agree on rendition, but have no clear evidence that he has continued Republican torture policies. Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, tied Obama’s hands when they choked on NIMBY and pass legislation preventing Obama from bringing them here for trial.