(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Beijing Olympics rolls on, so does the debate on freedom of speech in China. Many argue that the conditions of freedom of speech need to be improved, but what strategies should one choose to achieve this?
"Declare independence!" is the title of a song by the Icelandic artist and superstar Björk. On her tours around the world, she has dedicated this song to many different areas such as Kosovo, Greenland, Scotland, and – during a concert in Shanghai on March 2 this year – Tibet. After performing the song, Björk shouted "Free Tibet" from the stage. Björk thus goes further than the Dalai Lama and his government in exile, which does not support Tibetan independence.
The concert was covered in Western media mainly in the same way as the torch relay before the Olympics: the West must make tough demands on China.
canceled
Since 2000, the Midi Festival has been held every year in Beijing in the month of April-May. The music festival has gradually evolved into one of the city's biggest cultural events. In 2007, the festival lasted four days, with a wide range of music and other cultural expressions. The festival is organized by the music school Midi, which was the first school in China to teach genres such as rock, jazz, pop and funk.
This year the Midi festival was canceled at short notice. The official explanation was that the authorities could not provide sufficient crew to depart from the festival. However, the reason for this was not stated. The Sichuan province earthquake may not have been the cause, since it first happened on May 12.
In Beijing's rock environment, several sources Ny Tid spoke to ahead of the Olympics say that the conditions for cultural events with a touch of independence from the authorities, have become much worse in recent months. Among the reasons they do not mention the Olympics, but many also point out Bjørk's stage in Shanghai. None of the sources want their names given, but many are simply angry at Björk.
Another strategy
As a direct response to Björk's concert in Shanghai, the Chinese authorities announced that they would review the rules for all kinds of cultural events and that all cultural projects to a certain extent should now be considered at government level.
The sources we spoke to focused on improving the conditions for freedom of expression and cultural life in China, but they strongly disagreed with Björk's approach. They believe that a more low-key and slow strategy is better. While Björk was able to jump on Iceland's first flight back and enjoy it, we are the ones who have to struggle with even worse conditions for freedom of expression, the tone of the review is among those we talked to.
Others will argue that Björk did the right thing and that one must say, even though it can have negative consequences. Many cultural workers and punks in China, on the other hand, hope that their opinions will also be emphasized as the debate on China and freedom of speech rages on, even after the Olympics.
