MCLC: China Digital Times, May 23

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Anne Henochowicz <anne at chinadigitaltimes.net>
Subject: China Digital Times, May 23
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This Week on CDT, May 23, 2014
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2014/05/week-cdt-may-23-2014/

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the nationwide, student-led
democracy movement in China, and the subsequent June 4th military
crackdown in Beijing. CDT is continuing our series of original news
articles from throughout tumultuous spring of 1989. On May 20, Premier Li
Peng declared martial law, and in subsequent days, protesters thwarted the
advance of troops into the city center. The May 23, 1989 New York Times
reported that the Beijing government was scarcely able to function as
crucial services were disrupted by the growing protests. Another New York
Times story from the previous day chronicles the exodus of foreign news
correspondents out of Beijing as the situation there became increasingly
tense.

As the anniversary of the June 4th crackdown approaches, censors are more
vigilant about blocking related sensitive words. CDT invites readers to
compare a May 2014 list of blocked words on Weibo to those blocked in
years past. CDT has also selected and archived our best posts
commemorating June 4th from the past ten years.

Documentary filmmaker Ai Xiaoming posted an essay to her blog sharing her
admiration and longing for idealistic friends facing prison sentences
because of their political activism. CDT translated and published the
essay here.

This week, the “Ministry of Truth” issued a directive prohibiting media
outlets from reporting on increased security surrounding the May 20-21
CICA summit held in Shanghai.

Finally this week, CDT political cartoonist Badiucao portrays Xi Jinping
and Vladimir Putin as dotting lovebirds united by a $400 billion gas deal.

Last week, CDT published our second eBook, "Crazy Crab's Chinese Dream," a
compilation of political cartoons from Crazy Crab of Hexie Farm, one of
China's foremost political cartoonists. The book is now available for
download via Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play and in PDF.