The Wave of Whale Killing Continues as the International Whaling Commission Meeting in Chile Fails to Halt Japanese Hunters

Workers butcher a Baird's beaked whale in Minamiboso, Japan, on June 28, 2008.
Courtesy of Reuters / Toru Hanai

China's imposing yet another censure

Here we go again... yet another ban comes from Chinese officials, this time targeting Flickr.com, one of the world's most popular online photo-sharing sites and owned by Yahoo. When will these censure policies, undermining personal freedom of speech, information and human rights come to an end in what is now called "world power" China? Unless China learns how to cleverly enpower its masses and it acknowledges its duties towards its people's growth and commitments, will there be a future for China, as a nation, on the world stage?

Reuters reports:

Flickr - popular among a growing class of digital photo enthusiasts in the world's second-largest Internet market - has not shown photos to users in mainland China since last week, amid rumours Beijing took action after images of the Tiananmen massacre in early June 1989 were posted.

The Communist Party has banned references to the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in state media, the Internet and books as part of a whitewash campaign, meaning most young Chinese are ignorant of the events.

Public discussion of the massacre is still taboo in China and the government has rejected calls to overturn the verdict that the student-led protests were subversive. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed when the army crushed the democracy movement.

Sydney - Dalai Lama speaks out about the decimation of Tibetan culture

The Dalai Lama, currently visiting Australia, says he's likely be arrested when he returns to his Chinese-controlled homeland.
Not surprisingly the spiritual leader's visit has sparked a lively public opinion debate, after Australian political leaders have tried to avoid meeting with him not to displease China's establishment.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports:
"Speaking in Sydney this morning on the last leg of an 11-day tour of Australia, the 71-year-old nobel peace laureate said Tibetan culture faced decimation within 15 years unless pressure can be exerted on China to accept Tibetan autonomy.
The Dalai Lama said he was a surprisingly popular figure among some ordinary Chinese, but was considered an enemy of the state by the Chinese Government.
He accused China of distorting Tibet’s modest claims for autonomy and of mistaking it as a push for independence.
Despite decades of so far fruitless diplomatic negotiations, the Dalai Lama said he remained hopeful, even optimistic, that China would change its attitude to Tibet within his lifetime."