The feelings of the Chinese have been hurt once again, but this time, they demand an apology.

Five days ago three Chinese filmmakers withdrew their entries into the Melbourne International Film Festival, most prominently was Jia Zhangke (the World, Platform), Tang Xiaobai (aka Emily Tang), and Zhao Liang (a rising documentarian). The film behind the hurt feelings and the withdraws is “Ten Conditions of Love,” by Melbourne film-maker Jeff Daniels, it is a documentary, filmed over seven years, that tells of Rebiya Kadeer’s relationship with her activist husband Sidik Rouzi and the impact her campaigning had on her 11 children. Rebiya Kadeer is a Uigyher activist and advocate who has been demonized by Chinese media as the driving force behind the recent riots in Xinjiang. For readers who can’t make out the Chinese animosity towards her, we could compare her role in China to that of Osama bin Laden in the US.

Many Jia Zhangke fans overseas were shocked and dissapointed that he would make such a polical decision, but according to this writer’s gossip channels, the film-making community in Beijing seems overwhelmingly convinced that the decision was made from coercion. Considering Jia Zhangke is filming his first attempt at a blockbuster hit, a kung fu film, can we really doubt the motivation behind his withdraw from the MIFF? The nationalist fervor surrounding the issue seems to guarantee his investors would demand his withdraw.

Demonstrating the harmonious feelings of all Chinese, the first paragraph of the China Daily report reads as follows: “Chinese directors Jia Zhangke and Tang Xiaobai say they have quit the biggest film festival in Australia because of personal beliefs - - not because of any pressure from the Chinese government.” (Source China Daily) Tang Xiaobai was quoted elsewhere saying that she was practicing “self-restraint” by pulling out from MIFF; Zhao Liang, whose entry was a documentary film on petitioners who come to Beijing to voice their grievances to the deaf ears of central government, has stayed relatively silent on the issue. His film Petition, already touches on sensitive issue in Beijing, perhaps its easy to understand why he remains silent.

Everyone is feeling the pressure these days: according to news sources, director of MIFF Richard Moore received a phone call from the Melbourne-based Chinese consulate last week.

“She told me that she was ringing to urge me to withdraw the particular film 10 Conditions Of Love from the festival,” he said.

“I said I had no reason to withdraw the film from the festival and she then proceeded to tell me that I had to justify my decision to include the film in the festival.

“I said ‘Well, I’m very sorry but I didn’t have any reason to justify the inclusion of the film in the festival.’ So she then proceeded to … list Rebiya Kadeer’s crimes. I have to say to you after about five minutes I blanked out.” （Sourced from Australian ABC news)

Mr. Moore also commented to the BBC: “It makes me feel angry, annoyed and irritated all at the same time, that they would try to interfere with our programme for blatantly political ends.” (Sourced from the BBC)

Some “friendly advice” from your local Chinese consulate is one thing, but some citizens took the matter into their own hands when they hacked into the MIFF website, posting a Chinese flag on the festivals website for fourty-five minutes. Multiple others sent emails to the office, Mr. Moore quoted again: “We’re also being bombarded at present by a series of absolutely disgusting, vile emails attacking the festival and using language that I wouldn’t even begin to describe on the radio, it is vile.” To date, reports of “vile emails” or website hacking have not made it into the Chinese news media.

Bi-weekly China’s headlines declare “China unhappy at …”or “… Hurts the Feelings of the Chinese People.” The “harmonious voice” that prevails on the Mainland does not apply to things like the MIFF, or the Visa issuing offices of the Japanese government, or the international press. Tactics like “urging” the MIFF  film festival director to remove films that China finds inconvenient or contradictory to its stronghold control on the media, should be called bullying. Stoking the fires of nationalist sentiment, and inciting people to illegal measure such as cyber-aggression or email harassment leaves a poor impression of the Chinese people themselves on the outside world.

The inferiority complex ingrained in the Chinese psychology has led her people to strange acts, but why do I feel sadly assured there will be more to come? Everyone important has enemies, some people thrive and improve on the criticism of others, something that, after more than 100 years of rickety foreign policy, the Chinese monarchs have yet to learn.

Obliterating all opposing or different voices has never made “harmony,” all it can produce is one, monotonous drone.

On the New Yorker blog
In TIME
In the Wall Street Journal blog

I’m not going to use my real name because I live in China.

My only comment is this:

When will the Chinese government realise that its bully-boy tactics are destroying the goodwill created by the Beijing Olympics and are going to have the opposite effect from that intended.

Rebiya Kadeer was a complete unknown in the West before this. Thanks to the efforts of the Chinese government, she is now on the way to becoming a household name. People in the West do not like authoritarian governments telling them what to do and this kind of thing only reinforces old perceptions of an ugly, autocratic China.

Forcing Chinese filmmakers to withdraw from the festival also devalues their work in the eyes of people in the West. An artist who supports what is perceived as oppression or imperialism (in the West) unfortunately loses stature as an artist.

Why does China keep shooting itself in the foot?

“I’m not going to use my real name because I live in China” this made me laugh. I’ve wrote hundreds articles about communist party and i had lived in that country over 20 years, this’s the very first tme heard writing a comment can be so dangerous.
As Jia’s friend, the only thing has shocked me so far is not most west press made his personal decision into a political issue,is not some stupid chinese newspaper and hacker bombarded the festival but the big attention the media(west+chinese) both gave to it–(because it’s something about CHINA?)–this is silly part

howdy there, just needed to mention thanks for this post, it helped me notice one thing I hadnt given much thought to it before.