Quirky Icelandic singer Bjork set Chinese chatrooms alight after she shouted "Tibet...Tibet" at the end of a performance of her rousing song "Declare Independence" at a show at the Shanghai International Gymnastic Center last night (March 3, 2008).
The song was originally written about the Faroe Islands and Greenland (who are bound to Denmark), and features the lyrics, "Start your own currency/ Make your own stamp/ Protect your language / Declare independence/ Don't let them do that to you."
Danwei.org, an English language site, translated some of the comments from angry Chinese fans. "If she was yelling free Shanghai, that would be great! Free Shanghai! Free Shanghai!" said one fan. "Those who put on the show should be severely fined and not allowed to bring this kind of trash in for performances," wrote another forum participant.
An earlier dedication of the same song to Kosovo during shows in Tokyo last month led to the rescinding of an invitation to perform at the Exit Festival in Serbia. While it's unlikely Bjork will be invited back to China anytime soon, it seems her comments did serve a purpose. "I don't understand, why do Western stars give a shit about Tibet. Isn't Tibet ours?" wrote one confused Chinese concertgoer. Inspiring people to ask the right questions is a good place to start, and is the intension behind much good, bad, ugly, and noisy art (click HERE to listen to the song and you'll know EXACTLY what I mean).
whether the comment made by the Chinese concertgoer equates to confusion on her part, it is ignorance that is in the heart of the matter.
if only all the musicians/entertainers/activists took the time and effort to study Chinese history spanning over 5000 years, perhaps they might save themselves from the embarrassment of being totally ignorant and self serving in their crusade for 'justice' for Tibet.
for starters most of these people have never even been to tibet so how do they know anything let alone history, the development over the decades and the increase in wealth, living standards and freedom from poverty that has occurred to the indigenous peoples of the region from as recently as the early 1980s.
there has not been any denials made by the Chinese government in the importance of Tibet as part of one-china policy and it is in their interest to protect their sovereignty by any means necessary. this is part of the human condition. the means are never all just and it has occurred the world over.
but equally the propaganda and brainwashing conducted by the western media upon the peoples in that hemisphere concerning Tibet and Xinjiang are fueled by ulterior motives, too numerous to mention here.
so for some musician who is obviously not well educated enough about the world, to come about as a political commentator/activist in to a sovereign state and carry out such an action, displays only a lack of respect for the people of that sovereignty and the state itself. this of course is all the more inappropriate because it is based on a lack of knowledge and done with a financial receipt to perform from those whom she insult while being a guest in their country.
a brief stint at a Chinese prison cell would have been deserving and perhaps if indeed it had been so, it would have done this performer some good, for her to have a little solitary time to contemplate her actions which may actually help her to mature a little. that way she could teach her children something of value and perhaps deliver better discourse within art and perhaps become a real artist of the responsible type.
people need to consider whether such actions if carried out in Washington over Alaskan independence to a separate state of an Inuit nation or in Jerusalem, for the independence of Gaza as part of the Palestinian nation would go down so well or be tolerated by the authorities without any consequences.
The fascist thaksin shinawatra wrote:
"displays only a lack of respect for the people of that sovereignty and the state itself. ... those whom she insult while being a guest in their country. ... a brief stint at a Chinese prison cell would have been deserving and perhaps if indeed it had been so, it would have done this performer some good, for her to have a little solitary time to contemplate her actions which may actually help her to mature a little. "
Uh, dude, she said "Tibet...Tibet" into a microphone. If that is deserving of some time in a prison cell in what pathetic mass of slop you call a brain, then there is not only something wrong with you, but perhaps China too, don't ya think? Oh, no, given your comments, you clearly do not think. You might want to try it out some time,. Lots of fun to be had.