Be careful how you ask that; with all the pro PRC forces around this may turn into a debate instead about western censorship. That's the way they work, ask anything seriously critical about China, and it's an automatic reflex for them to point to a problem elsewhere. NB: They will never ever actually discuss the original question with regards to China. Freedom of information in and of itself, has always been a devastating weapon against totalitarianism or authorities with things to hide. Whether it's precluding the press from places like Kosovo, Myanmar, Darfur, Gaza, or Tibet, et cetera. Similar to how the Democratic People's Republic Of Korea (commonly known as North Korea) prevents their population from knowing about the outside world by limiting electronic devices (unauthorized possession of a cell phone could mean death or a long prison sentence), preventing your population from knowing certain things has always been a tool of government control. Why the PRC needs to do this is indeed telling. Many have speculated that it was due to the release of a very graphic film that details Chinese brutality in Tibet. Others have cited the release of clips that clearly show PRC vessels interdicting an American electronics ship in the South China Sea, despite PRC statements denying such action. Whatever the rationale, it appears that the PRC wants to keep their citizens from accessing certain things on YouTube entirely. Interestingly enough, a large pro-Chinese but anti-PRC government organization (that got it's start with the Falun Gong movement) has been using YT extensively as a way of disseminating information that the PRC government would hate for others to see. Perhaps it was the cumulative effect of all of these things. Again, like I stated before, freedom of information, or to the access of unfettered information by average citizens generally harms totalitarian or authoritarian governments. The Clip in Question: clip in question which was discussed in another thread; I didn't find it any more politically hostile to the PRC than other pro-Tibet - anti-PRC clips that have already been on the internet. There is however, the inclusion of some very graphic video footage of extensive muscle injury, and a medical process called debridement in order to get rid of dead or necrotic tissue. Those of us with extensive clinical experience don't find these things any more appalling than other disease processes. But to the average viewer, the shock effect is generally great. I personally didn't think that the addition of the graphic details of this man's wounds added anything to the already tons of evidence about PRC aggression in Tibet, other than the shock effect. Further, in so far as the claim that PRC soldiers did this to the Tibetan man, I don't think the video was able to support that claim. What it clearly showed was previously seen clips of Tibetans being beaten, with the addition of some new footage of handcuffed prisoners being beaten, and then it told the story of the man and his fatal wounds. It did not present an iron clad chain of evidence as we only have the narrative's description of the case (the wounds may have been medical, and not traumatic, in origin; eg Necrotizing Fasciitis ***warning wiki page linked is also very graphic***). But needless to say, because of the very graphic nature of the video, Chinese people themselves may find the footage to be emotionally compelling enough to start asking serious political questions about their rulers. Overall, the idea of YouTube has become a huge liability to China, as it has become open access to truth for the Chinese people. If you look into Chinese history, regime change only happens when the Chinese masses get upset enough about something to do something. That fact is certainly not lost on ZhongNanHai. Personally, what I think will eventually happen is, that the PRC government will kick out YouTube altogether (as it would be impossible to totally control) and advance its domestic video clip carrier (Tudou.com) instead.
I dont really care if this is realor not. PLA beating tibetian monks doesnt really bother me much. They do deserve it in a way...constantly making it differcult for the chinese state. The way the CCP handling of this case is dumb. Blocking youtube, is not going to win any popular favors from the people. CCP needs to unblock youtube.
