Intrusive Chinese police? Visit a U.S. airport
Friday, July 25, 2008 12:53 PM PDT
Printable version
E-mail this articleCommentary by Lam Luu
For The Daily News
According to our media, over the past few weeks, some foreigners have been stopped by plainclothed policemen in Beijing, China, and asked for their identity documents. The report said even though policemen were extremely courteous while they stopped people to check their identity papers, it has stirred up criticism.
You would think that’s exactly what it should be — before a mega event like the Olympics. And that’s what happens everywhere in the world before such events.
But no, there are people who never tire of China-bashing. So, one hears the old, familiar refrain. “Didn’t I tell you, for all its claims to opening up, China is still a half-closed, insular sort of a country? Worse, it’s still pretty much a police state. See how they are imposing visa restrictions.”
I do not think visa restrictions before any country’s big event are to designed to deter visitors. It should be viewed as a guarantee to the safety of the event. China didn’t require finger-printing for foreign visitors. Foreigners who have visited the U.S. after 9/11 know how troublesome, sometimes even insulting, finger-printing and other new checks at U.S. airports can be.
So absolutely, there is nothing objectionable in what China is doing, you’d think. Not just for foreigners living in Beijing or visitors to the Olympics, checks and restrictions are being issued in public places, such as airports and the Beijing subway, that might inconvenience the locals, too.
Of course, no one needs to be told why such checks and restrictions are necessary. One has only to think of the tragic events that bloodied Olympic arenas in the past.
China has even greater reasons to be extra-sensitive about security. It’s no alarmist call, but the fact is the world is less safe today than perhaps at any time in modern history. Terrorists of all hues, invoking all kinds of causes, are lurking in every corner to try and strike. The strikes may or may not have anything to do with the people or governments of wherever they happen. And, in most cases, the victims have nothing to do with the causes in whose name the killers strike.
In Beijing’s case, the unhappy experiences during the torch relay should naturally give the authorities more reason to be careful. It doesn’t take a large number of people to organize a huge tragedy. The protests during the torch relay suggest that there are people who care nothing for the success of the Beijing Olympics. In fact, they’d see the success of the Games as the failure of their “cause.”
Far from barring genuine sports lovers and other visitors, China, in fact, should have a stake in allowing all willing people in for the Games. It’d be the climax of a seven-year-long drama of hope, on which the curtain went up the moment Beijing was chosen as the venue of the 2008 Olympics. So much has gone into its preparations. Beijing has changed so rapidly and decked itself with so many new things, from shiny modernist architectures to the most exotic of restaurants. It should be in China’s interest to let as many foreigners as possible come and marvel at them, as they also enjoy the Games. Also, when they come, they can rid themselves of a whole lot of misconceptions.
The safety of visitors and Beijingers alike comes first. The policemen are doing the right thing.
Lam Luu is a resident of Longview.
Cheney wrote on Jul 23, 2008 7:52 AM:
Kem Cho wrote on Jul 25, 2008 7:57 AM:
Rural Citizen wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:12 AM:
Cheney119 wrote on Jul 25, 2008 11:37 AM:
Rural Citizen wrote on Jul 27, 2008 10:08 AM:
luke the drifter wrote on Jul 30, 2008 9:08 AM:
Rural Citizen wrote on Aug 2, 2008 10:58 AM:
What I have seen is armored personnel carriers at the local police storage area.
They are not needed hereabouts and the heavy military equipment given to our police agencies has an affect of frightening the populace. Myself included. "
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