The Treat of Truth vs. Oppression:
Vietnam jails democracy activists for subversion
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
BBC article link
A court in Vietnam has convicted four activists, including prominent human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, of trying to overthrow the Communist government.
The four men received sentences of up to 16 years on charges of subversion.
Dinh was sentenced to five years, while internet entrepreneur Tran Huynh Duy Thuc received the longest term. The case has drawn strong criticism from rights groups abroad, who see it as a sign of an increasing clampdown on democracy and freedom of expression.
The four accused - who were arrested in June - were initially charged with spreading anti-government propaganda. But early last month, state prosecutors decided to bring more serious charges against them.
After a day-long trial, Le Cong Dinh, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Nguyen Tien Trung and Le Thang Long were all convicted of "activities aimed at subverting the people's administration".
Re-think on allowing the poor (2/3 of movie viewership) to realize and identify with their common plight:
China axes 2D Avatar from cinemas (with insert)
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
BBC article link
China has pulled the 2D version of Avatar from cinemas amid claims the plot mirrors forced land evictions in the country. Authorities insist the decision was a commercial one, saying the 3D version made up two-thirds of ticket revenues (1/3 of viewers).
Critics claim the film's plot parallels the removal of millions of residents to make way for property developers.
In Avatar, a ruthless corporation tries to force the native Na'vi from their homes in order to mine their planet's precious natural resources. ...
Writing in English-language newspaper China Daily, columnist Huang Hung said the smash-hit film mirrored China's rules on forced eviction. "All the forced removal of old neighbourhoods in China makes us the only earthlings today who can really feel the pain of the Na'vi," she wrote. ...
Avatar had been showing on 2,500 screens across China. One-third were Imax and 3D screens while the rest were regular 2D screens.
The cinema is still considered a pricey treat in China, with tickets for the 2D version of Avatar costing 30 to 40 yuan (£2.60 to £3.50), with 3D tickets from 60 to 80 yuan (£5.20 to £7).
Avatar is already the highest-grossing film of all time in China, pulling in more than 300m yuan (£27m). ...
China restricts the number of foreign films shown in the country to 20 each year, a policy that has led to complaints from the US.
BBC News front page
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