China PR Campaign in Full Swing
Posted on March 27, 2008 - Filed Under media |
China wanted to show the foreign media the ‘truth’ about what was happening in Tibet. However, the tour did not go as planned. Buddhist monks disrupted the tour, screaming that there was no religious freedom and that the Dalai Lama was not to blame for Lhasa’s recent violence.
According to the AP, which was part of the tour, “ Reporters were shown an extended version of video of the violence that has been replayed on state television. It pointed out that rioters targeted not just Chinese and their businesses but also Chinese Muslims known as Hui. The video stressed the security forces’ restraint. ‘The armed police did not use lethal measures,’ the narrator said. ‘Only shields and batons were used.’
In today’s Washington Post, a far different version of events is discussed by a Canadian backpacker who was an eyewitness to the violence first breaking out. His dramatic account is in direct contradiction to the official Chinese version.
The question now is will the media accept the official version from the Chinese or other accounts that are emerging from Tibet?
Sphere: Related ContentComments
Leave a Reply