China: Chen Guangcheng, Ai Weiwei, the ace of political communication

The blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng, as the artist Ai Weiwei, belong to a new generation of Chinese dissidents who became ace of communication in defending their cause with new technologies and provide more of a headache to China.
There are over 20 years, students in the "Beijing Spring" May-June 1989, Wang Dan, Chai Ling and Wuer Kaixi, is époumonaient in their megaphone in Tiananmen Square.

On the night of Thursday to Friday, it was thanks to mobile phones that Chen Guangcheng, from his hospital bed in Beijing, could have a voice directly to the U.S. Congress in Washington, in full hearing on his case, and appeal with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

His phone call to a friend attending the hearing was broadcast and translated, in front of elected officials, journalists and an audience who had never seen that.

"It's unprecedented," notes Willy Lam, Chinese University of Hong Kong. "There will be other attempts to contact dissident politicians, not just the U.S. but in Europe," he predicted.

Meanwhile in Beijing, so a little ridiculous, many Chinese policemen in uniform and plain clothes stood at a distance in front of reporters huddled Chaoyang Hospital to prevent them from trying to talk to Chen Guangcheng, confiscating here or there cards release. Routine.

Already last Friday, fell while the new shock escape of his house very guarded, the blind activist, which only a few accomplices knew where he was, spoke directly - bold snub - Premier Wen Jiabao in a video posted on the Internet.

This 15 minute video, posted on the overseas Chinese website Boxun, then quickly on YouTube, has been seen worldwide. The civil rights activist described the Prime Minister to his ordeal at the hands of the henchmen of the regime, sanctions and demanded security for his family.

"It was the first time we saw a direct communication with senior management, the impact is very strong," Judge Willy Lam.

Chen Guangcheng is emblematic "of its defenders human rights endowed with technology and media" and are "becoming increasingly effective in getting their message across," said Phelim Kine, the organization Human Rights Watch .

"This is the Chinese activism 2.0," said the researcher, referring to the interactive technologies of the Internet.

The first pictures of Chen after he left the Embassy of the United States Wednesday made the "one" of the international press.

Before Chen, the artist touches-on Ai Weiwei has given trouble to the Chinese authorities also extensively using the Internet.

Last month, the eternal thorn in the communist regime had to cut 46 hours after the webcams he had installed at his home in Beijing to deride the constant supervision of which he is subject.

"Ai Weiwei has been the pioneer in this area," said Phelim Kine, "it has a global audience and has great expertise with the technology."

"He showed how one can defy militant, and in some cases thwart the censorship imposed by an authoritarian regime".

Thanks to the internet, he could mobilize 30,000 Chinese, and collect a huge amount requested by the tax after receiving an adjustment, intended by him to punish him for his too great freedom of speech.

Ai Weiwei currently publishes twenty tweets per day.

On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent is the game of cat and mouse between activists
and critics.

Chinese activists of human rights "have become increasingly creative," said Kine. "Social networks like Weibo have made it possible for a new generation of activists to create virtual communities (..) and to defy the censors in a way that was unthinkable before."

Close friend of Chen Guangcheng, Hu Jia and his wife Zeng Jinyan, were among the first to use social networks that have actually taken off the past two years.

It is on Twitter Zeng said Wednesday that his house arrest.
By pushing more and more lines, Chen and Ai Weiwei will certainly inspire other militants.

But "we can not say that the Chinese Government is losing the battle," Kine said, referring to "huge human, financial and techologiques", made by China to clip the wings of the militants.

Chen after the affair to them "lose face, Chinese authorities will strengthen the crackdown on dissidents," predicts Willy Lam.