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Subscribe to RSSPORTLAND, Ore. -- A vivid mural in an Oregon town that depicts a Tibetan monk's immolation and promotes independence for Taiwan has created a dust-up with China, whose consular officials have asked the city to take "effective measures" to stop such advocacy.
The mayor of the town of Corvallis, where a Taiwanese-American businessman installed the downtown mural to express his political views, responded by telling consular officials free speech laws barred the town from taking any action.
The status of Taiwan and the human rights situation in Tibet is a contentious political issue for China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be eventually unified with the mainland.
See a picture of the mural in this article from the Corvallis Gazette-Times
Tensions over Tibet are at their highest in years after a spate of protests over Chinese rule and self-immolations by Tibetan activists, which have prompted a Chinese security crackdown.
"There is only one China in the world, and both Tibet and Taiwan are parts of China. It is a fact recognized by the U.S. and most other countries in the world," read an August 8 letter to Corvallis city leaders from China's Consulate in San Francisco.
"To avoid our precious friendship from being tainted by so-called 'Tibet Independence' and 'Taiwan Independence,' we sincerely hope you can understand our concerns and adopt effective measures to stop the activities advocating 'Tibet Independence' and 'Taiwan Independence' in Corvallis," it added.
Group: Teens set selves on fire, taking Tibet burnings over 50
'Freedom of artistic expression'
The brightly colored mural, painted last month, runs 100 feet long and about 10 feet high along the top of a building at a busy intersection owned by businessman David Lin, who came to America from Taiwan in the 1970s.
The mural shows the immolation of a Tibetan monk against a bright yellow background and depicts a Tibetan monk being beaten by Chinese police, in addition to what the Corvallis Gazette-Times described as "images of Taiwan as a bulwark of freedom."
Lin, 65, told Reuters he had long been concerned about China's role in Taiwan and Tibet, and commissioned the mural because: "I feel that somebody has to stand up and do something."
Lin told the Corvallis Gazette-Times that he was "under a lot of pressure to take down the mural," saying his family and friends were concerned about possibly being arrested if they go to China.
Still, he did not plan to remove it. "I'll just keep it the same. ... I've got to live my life, that's all."
PhotoBlog: Tibetan man sets himself on fire in protest
Municipal leaders said they had informed the consular officials that there was no room for the city government to get involved in such a matter.
"I responded to them that I was sorry to learn the art work caused concern," Corvallis Mayor Julie Manning said, adding that she told Chinese officials in a written response that the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, "and this includes freedom of artistic expression."
The Chinese consulate then sent representatives to Corvallis to express concern in person on September 4. Vice Consul Zhang Hao and Deputy Consul General Song Ruan met with Manning and City Manager Jim Patterson. That meeting did not include any demands.
Corvallis, about 80 miles south of Portland, has a population of about 54,500 people. It is home to Oregon State University, which Patterson said has an estimated 1,600 Chinese students.
The Chinese consulate in San Francisco did not respond to an email request for comment and could not be reached by phone.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Hey China, what happened to your principle of "non-interference in the internal affairs" of other countries? Our free speech is OUR internal affair.
I guess it doesn't count if the guy is Taiwanese.
He's not.. He's a Taiwanese emigre. He's an American citizen now, as far as we can tell. Heck, Just for this, I'd like to put up a sign critical of China if I knew that my darn Homeowner's Association won't fine me clear from Orange County to Beijing. hehe.
The Red Chinese vermin might be able to do whatever they desire on their soil, but here in America they have no rights and are due no mercy, hence can take their wonton and shove it . . .
And just to be clear, we can and will declare current US dollars null and void, rendering them worthless, which includes canceling all debts, public and private, whenever we desire, simply because we can, really . . .
Really! :-o
Just when you thought China couldn't possibly become any more of a blight on the planet than they already are...
Tell China no and they can take their business elsewhere.
I like that!!
What has anything in America have to do with an opinion from China or any place else. We have a Constitution that guarentees freedom of Speech. That is a thing China does nor have as was proven yesterday as the State Communist Censors invade an Art Gallery to remove Art that offends the state. We are not China.
Lazarus
China is and has been and will continue to be a dictatorship. The contrast is that we here in this nation can and DO say things that allow us to make the necessary changes. So my words to any Chinese official are as follows..." Go pound sand. Peferably with a land mine under it." There...happy now?
Try forcing someone else to do something . We aren't moving an inch!!!!
Pssst.... PSSSSTTTT!!! Hey China... Go F*** yourself! You can do as you like within your own borders and with your own people, but if you think for a second anyone here in America is listening to your drool you are out of your mind. Concetrate on the deriliction of your own people. If you try your crap here you'll find out real quick how unimaginably stupid it is to wake the "sleeping giant". We aren't like Taiwan or Tibet. We aren't pascifists. You have no chance at bringing us under your "red" thumb and you'll end up black, blue, and bloodied if you continue to imagine that you have any sway here or that we are your new "province".
The stinking, murdering, lying, land stealing repressive country of china just hates it when some form of the real truth about china comes out or is displayed for all the world to see.
Too bad china, the entire world already knows what a real scum bag of a country you really are and how you love to murder your own citizens for telling the rest of the world the real truth about your phucked up old bull corrupt commies that actually run the chinese murdering empire.
Gotta love China, their ego is immense to think they can dictate how another country wants to portray them and God forbid it might be accurate. China, your funny, your people may believe they don't see what they see when you tell them but in the US we look, see and respond something your people can't do.
What? Now China wants us to be POLITICALLY CORRECT! What a load! Tell china to go to hell!
That wouldn't be politically correct. That would be GEOpolitically correct.
...... Even I can't tell if that was a joke or not.
Ask all you like China, you don't get force squat here in the states. Good day.
China forgets that if it wasnt for the USA they would be speakng Japanese.
Commmunist, terrorist, evil regime of china militarily invaded tibet in 1949 and has been illegally occupying Tibet since then. Over a million innocent Tibetans have died from chinese genocide and destruction! The killings , tortures continues in Tibet!
In think there should be more murals - and postcards to Chinese Emabssys - telling them what we think of them - and their forced abortions, subhuman working conditions - lack of free speech etc etc etc. Oh and the next humanitarian crisis - let China send some tainted formula!
Tick, tick, tick, tick........watch out, China will recall all of our national debts, if we do not comply with their demands! The hell with our freedom of speech, China's our new boss & we would not want to offend them! Our current administration will likely sue the shop owner/s to prove their point - they've already sold our Constitutional Rights, and ignored the Constitution! Yep, another four years and we'll cease to be the USA! [:-(]
Curse china. Drop dead china, get out of the world china, you stink china, you're a murderer and a communist pig. Go straight to hell do not pass go, do not collect 200. China is the bully of the world, always has been, always will be. God is going to smash china into pieces.
You do know that isn't how sovereign bond debt works, right Gary? You can't just "recall" national debts, and even if you could, those nations that can't pay don't end up being subservient to the creditor, like some sort of debtor's vassal state.
Screw China.Also,he should keep his views maybe on display INSIDE his buisiness
Why should he? It's his property, inside and outside.
Does anyone else feel at all curious about why the government of China is so deeply concerned about a mural in a small town in Oregon? How the heck did that even get on their radar? I find this whole story to be very odd and disturbing. There is an under current here..........anyone else feel it? And no I am not one to jump into conspiracy theory.
You're absolutley correct, problem is the US government are a bunch of sissies and woman who think they can persuade with flattery, that's a bunch of bs, it won't work, Just start paying these jerks back, so we, as a nation, can be rid of them. No one likes commies and we will not bow down to any damn communist, I don't give a fat rats ass who is owed what. If they think they can come here and dictate, they have another thing coming. Let's go to war with China, it's long over due, to hell with China, damn communist pigs. Try calling my cell phone again and threaten me with taxes again, you SOB. Cursre china and anyone who supports them.
I assume it's because the "perpatrator" is Taiwanese.
To hell with china and the rest of the world which continues to tear this country apart. Obama is the worst president ever, and hillary, riding it's shoulder's needs to step down also. It is what it is, and God is clear in His word as too what is going to happen, read it and find out. You'll be blown away, no pun intended. China needs to take a very lone walk on a very short pier. Stay out of the US China, don't try to bring a "red dawn" to the US, you'll get smashed. Damn communist pigs, I don't give a fat rats ass how much you're owed, doesn't give you a right to dictate to the US citizens, and we won't ever bow down to you, even though our learders are scared of you, it's citizens are not. Don't cross the line or we'll be forced to tear you into pieces.
What, the Chinaman no likee? The Chinese government should take it's own advice and and not 'meddle in our internal affairs.' We have freedom of speech here; we won't send you to a concentration camp or murder you if you create a work of art that offends the party-line, like in Marxist China.
WOW......China is getting to be almost as bad as the United States. They think they own the world and can tell other countries what to do and how they should govern.
Down with china and any government who's against the US Down with Russia, down with tyranny and oppression, down with those who turn people into commodities, down with the one world government, down with a global economy, down with lgbt, down with diabolical leaders in high places, down with the athiest, down with the secular world, down with those who say their for freedom, but can't create jobs, down with those who can raise money to buy the wh and continue it's corrpution, but can't produce jobs, down with the lovers of money, they're the root of all evil. Down with the false god's of this world, down with pharmicutical company's who only care about money and not healing, down with anything which goes against the word of God, down with priests who think they can have their way with people, down with those who feel entitled and go about causing chaos, down with the vandels who bring about debauchery, down with those who love lasciviousness, down with those who call evil good and good evil, down with the learders who think they own people and turn them into commodities. Down with the entire global community which thinks it's the 1% which run this world, down with the 1%. May God pour out on them the same calamities they've brought upon the poor and oppressed. Down with the TYRANNTS AND OPPRESSORS. Down with the pedophiles who hurt the kids, down with those who protect the pedophiles behind their deceptive religions. May God almighty send the "stone" upon those who practice suce wicked ways. "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evils."
I think the average American would have a tough time pointing out Corvallis on a map (much less Oregon). Judging from the pictures, the neighborhood doesn't get much traffic. Shrude of Mr. Lin to promote his restaurant through the national media with a controversial mural. I'd think twice before ordering the Tibetan Barbeque platter, though.
How dumb, leave this man alone, he has a right to put up his display, even if no one agrees. People are such hypocrites, just like the china government. That's communisim and socilaism for you, they only care about the person, not the community as a whole.
China, whose consular officials have asked the city to take "effective measures" to stop such advocacy.
Uh NO this is America - we dont DO that here! China must have us confused with one of their own provinces where the government can crack down on what people think. Run along now and bully YOUR OWN people.
Perhaps China should not have invaded a peaceful culture that they knew would not fight back. Yeah we have something over here called freedom of speech. Try it sometime and I'm sure your own people would have more to say about their government.
Who the h*** do they think they are? This is a free country, not a communist dictatorship like China. Just goes to show the vast difference between our two countries.