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Music fans, politicians, officers of the law and freedom fighters are divided this week over issues raised by a Bjork concert in Shanghai last weekend. As I reported earlier this week, Bjork ended her concert in China with "Declare Independence" off her latest album, then chanted, "Tibet! Tibet!"
Since then, there has been heavy news coverage, negative comments from fans and statements from both Bjork and the British organization, The Free Tibet Campaign. While The Free Tibet Campaign say they are delighted at Bjork's performance, the Chinese government is not at all pleased. A statement from China's Ministry of Culture, quoted by the official Xinhua news agency and published in Reuters today, claimed that Bjork's performance "not only broke Chinese laws and regulations and hurt the feelings of Chinese people, but also went against the professional code of an artist." The ministry went on to declare that the incident would be investigated and handled according to Chinese law, saying:
Any attempt to separate Tibet from China will definitely be opposed by the Chinese people and all righteous men across the world.
Now China claims it will tighten its control over foreign singers, but it did not elaborate on how this would be accomplished.
Freedom fighters, meanwhile, see it differently. This statement from The Free Tibet Campaign was also published in Reuters today:
She's shown more courage than politicians like (British Prime Minister) Gordon Brown and (British Foreign Secretary) David Miliband, whose public silence on these issues during recent trips to China is a source of shame for the British people.
Read the full story on Reuters.com. Click the Bjork tag at the top of this post to follow the previous reports this week.
Artists and performers who care about the oppression of Tibet and the tyrannical rule that continues to attempt to crush their spirit, should simply refuse to perform in mainland China if they attempt to "tighten control" over artists.
Instead they should form a supergroup, make an 80s style protest song
Remember the "Sun-City" protest song by Artists United Against Apartheid that helped bring apartheid in South Africa to the consciousness of America?
Agreed. I think people need to start seriously considering boycotting China.
I think that everyone in the world needs to start eating Bjork Peppermint Patties.
It's worth remembering that the original Olympic Games was a time when the warring states of Greece laid down their arms. The Chinese don't seem to understand that bit. It tells you everything you already knew that money will overrrule any morality where China is concerned. Though maybe environmental concern over the smog levels and its effect on Olympic athletes might achieve some small movement forward.