From 'Perfect Chinese Daughter' to Communist Party Critic: Why Vicky Xu is exposing China to scrutiny
"If something happens to me you know I've been murdered."
It's a joke journalist Vicky Xiuzhong Xu makes in her stand-up comedy routine, but the reality is that she's had a lot of death threats.
Today, Xu is one of the first journalists in Australia to lift the lid on the incarceration of Uyghurs in China, convincing members of the Australian-Uyghur community to go on the record with their stories of missing relatives.
It is believed that since 2017, China has forced at least 1 million Uyghurs, a Turkic-Muslim minority group, into political indoctrination camps in Xinjiang.
As the lead author of a report released last week, Xu has exposed the forced labour of tens of thousands of Uyghurs and other oppressed minority Muslims, detained, "re-educated" and despatched to work in factories outside of Xinjiang that supply Nike, Apple, Adidas and 80 other well-known clothing, automotive and technology brands.
'If you don't love China you're not one of them'
What led a young woman, one of her country's "best and brightest", to turn away from her government's ideology, but not her people? It's been an uneasy, sometimes agonising passage.
A dutiful child, Xu grew up with all the attention of her parents. She had violin, maths and physics tutors, and even an English tutor. Xu practised the violin until her chin was callused.
In 2012, She enrolled in an English broadcasting course which she claimed was designed to "cultivate TV personalities who are politically loyal, who seem worldly and savvy and can talk about issues with impeccable Western accents".
In 2014, Xu took a gap year and moved to Perth to teach Mandarin at a local high school. She saw a poster advertising a documentary on Tiananmen Square, a place she and her university friends had wandered at night after late-night partying.
In 1989, students killed when they were protesting for greater freedom and democracy.
When she saw the film, Xu was grief-stricken and angry because she had known nothing about what had happened, whitewashed from China's history. She felt betrayed.
Xu was still not convinced by what she saw. There were reports pointing fingers at CIA involvement in the massacre, she thought they could be true.
At the university, she was overwhelmed by the negative information about China and the accusations of human rights abuses. Her mindset however, was starting to shift.
For one of her assignments, she interviewed dissidents from China. One of them was Lebao Wu.
"I thought he was a fraud and I was going to interview him, write about him, and expose him."
He was a maths teacher who made jokes about China's leaders online and was put in prison and forced to do hard labour for 14 hours a day. When he was released and settled in Australia he was diagnosed with PTSD and a variety of mental health issues.
His story of injustice moved Xu.
"I was very touched by his story, and it made me rethink a lot of my previous stances."
Xu received face-to-face warnings over an article that she was wrote, addressing the government's inaction following a flood. Authorities later stopped her at a train station and warned her again.
Her family has repeatedly warned her not to return to China. She may never get see them again.
Sacrifices were made. However, whatever that she has done has made such an impact, an impact that could possibly save the lives of the vulnerable. At only 25, she has achieved what many journalists never will in a lifetime.
"I think it's just going to be like a continuous path to pursue freedom, and you can never have too much #freedom , or a voice. You know, you can never have too much #justice."
#AntiCCP #BoycottChina #Dictatorship #WhiteTerror #Censorship #VickyXu
Video:
https://youtu.be/wa8b117uWEM
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-09/vicky-xu-exposing-chinas-human-rights-abuses/11954794
"If something happens to me you know I've been murdered."
It's a joke journalist Vicky Xiuzhong Xu makes in her stand-up comedy routine, but the reality is that she's had a lot of death threats.
Today, Xu is one of the first journalists in Australia to lift the lid on the incarceration of Uyghurs in China, convincing members of the Australian-Uyghur community to go on the record with their stories of missing relatives.
It is believed that since 2017, China has forced at least 1 million Uyghurs, a Turkic-Muslim minority group, into political indoctrination camps in Xinjiang.
As the lead author of a report released last week, Xu has exposed the forced labour of tens of thousands of Uyghurs and other oppressed minority Muslims, detained, "re-educated" and despatched to work in factories outside of Xinjiang that supply Nike, Apple, Adidas and 80 other well-known clothing, automotive and technology brands.
'If you don't love China you're not one of them'
What led a young woman, one of her country's "best and brightest", to turn away from her government's ideology, but not her people? It's been an uneasy, sometimes agonising passage.
A dutiful child, Xu grew up with all the attention of her parents. She had violin, maths and physics tutors, and even an English tutor. Xu practised the violin until her chin was callused.
In 2012, She enrolled in an English broadcasting course which she claimed was designed to "cultivate TV personalities who are politically loyal, who seem worldly and savvy and can talk about issues with impeccable Western accents".
In 2014, Xu took a gap year and moved to Perth to teach Mandarin at a local high school. She saw a poster advertising a documentary on Tiananmen Square, a place she and her university friends had wandered at night after late-night partying.
In 1989, students killed when they were protesting for greater freedom and democracy.
When she saw the film, Xu was grief-stricken and angry because she had known nothing about what had happened, whitewashed from China's history. She felt betrayed.
Xu was still not convinced by what she saw. There were reports pointing fingers at CIA involvement in the massacre, she thought they could be true.
At the university, she was overwhelmed by the negative information about China and the accusations of human rights abuses. Her mindset however, was starting to shift.
For one of her assignments, she interviewed dissidents from China. One of them was Lebao Wu.
"I thought he was a fraud and I was going to interview him, write about him, and expose him."
He was a maths teacher who made jokes about China's leaders online and was put in prison and forced to do hard labour for 14 hours a day. When he was released and settled in Australia he was diagnosed with PTSD and a variety of mental health issues.
His story of injustice moved Xu.
"I was very touched by his story, and it made me rethink a lot of my previous stances."
Xu received face-to-face warnings over an article that she was wrote, addressing the government's inaction following a flood. Authorities later stopped her at a train station and warned her again.
Her family has repeatedly warned her not to return to China. She may never get see them again.
Sacrifices were made. However, whatever that she has done has made such an impact, an impact that could possibly save the lives of the vulnerable. At only 25, she has achieved what many journalists never will in a lifetime.
"I think it's just going to be like a continuous path to pursue freedom, and you can never have too much #freedom , or a voice. You know, you can never have too much #justice."
#AntiCCP #BoycottChina #Dictatorship #WhiteTerror #Censorship #VickyXu
Video:
https://youtu.be/wa8b117uWEM
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-09/vicky-xu-exposing-chinas-human-rights-abuses/11954794
YouTube
From patriot to critic: Why Vicky Xu is questioning China’s human rights record | Australian Story
There are very few Chinese journalists in Australia who openly criticise their government and even fewer working simultaneously on the comedy circuit.
This might help explain the growing media profile of Chinese journalist Vicky Xu.
When the 25-year-old…
This might help explain the growing media profile of Chinese journalist Vicky Xu.
When the 25-year-old…
#7May
International Community Calls For Supporting Taiwan
//A large group of Conservative MPs have sent the following letter to the Foreign Affairs Minister, calling for greater engagement with and support for Taiwan.//
//It was only after Conservative questioning in January that the Liberal Government agreed to support observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization.//
//It is now more clear than ever that we must do much more to strengthen our relations with our democratic partners in Asia. Learning from their experience fighting pandemics, jointly resisting CCP aggression, and exporting Canadian resources to those who need them are just some of the many areas where we can cooperate.//
#SupportTaiwan #WHO
#AntiCCP #Canada
Source:
Facebook page
Garnett Genuis
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2904768969572239&id=173928532656310
International Community Calls For Supporting Taiwan
//A large group of Conservative MPs have sent the following letter to the Foreign Affairs Minister, calling for greater engagement with and support for Taiwan.//
//It was only after Conservative questioning in January that the Liberal Government agreed to support observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization.//
//It is now more clear than ever that we must do much more to strengthen our relations with our democratic partners in Asia. Learning from their experience fighting pandemics, jointly resisting CCP aggression, and exporting Canadian resources to those who need them are just some of the many areas where we can cooperate.//
#SupportTaiwan #WHO
#AntiCCP #Canada
Source:
Facebook page
Garnett Genuis
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2904768969572239&id=173928532656310
World must push back against China’s refusal to honour its Hong Kong deal
By US Rep. Ted Yoho
#OpinionArticle published on Hong Kong Free Press #4Oct2020
// It is no secret that China has been strong-arming Hong Kong, forcing its residents to flee oppression. The national security law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison...
Recently, 12 young activists, terrified about the implications of the new law, fled the city by speedboat only to be apprehended by Chinese authorities. They have been detained in mainland China for over a month with no access to legal representation. Their case confirms the worst fears of Hongkongers. No one in Hong Kong, or the rest of the world, should face life in prison for going to the street to exercise their free speech and speak truth to power in criticising their government...
The Hong Kong we see today is unrecognisable from before, with “One Country, Two Systems” forcibly molded into “One Country, One System.” We need to reject the recent actions by the CCP and impose consequences on Beijing for its actions towards Hong Kong.
The truth is, President Xi and the CCP cannot survive with people who have tasted liberty, free thought and self-determination. The US must continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong and work with our allies to put pressure on Beijing to honor its past agreements. The time is now to work together in pushing back against Beijing’s underhanded tactics and protecting the people of Hong Kong. //
Read full article:
https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/04/world-must-push-back-against-chinas-refusal-to-honour-its-hong-kong-deal/
#FloridaRep #TedYoho #USHouseOfRepresentatives #US #China #Save12HKYouths #AntiCCP
By US Rep. Ted Yoho
#OpinionArticle published on Hong Kong Free Press #4Oct2020
// It is no secret that China has been strong-arming Hong Kong, forcing its residents to flee oppression. The national security law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison...
Recently, 12 young activists, terrified about the implications of the new law, fled the city by speedboat only to be apprehended by Chinese authorities. They have been detained in mainland China for over a month with no access to legal representation. Their case confirms the worst fears of Hongkongers. No one in Hong Kong, or the rest of the world, should face life in prison for going to the street to exercise their free speech and speak truth to power in criticising their government...
The Hong Kong we see today is unrecognisable from before, with “One Country, Two Systems” forcibly molded into “One Country, One System.” We need to reject the recent actions by the CCP and impose consequences on Beijing for its actions towards Hong Kong.
The truth is, President Xi and the CCP cannot survive with people who have tasted liberty, free thought and self-determination. The US must continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong and work with our allies to put pressure on Beijing to honor its past agreements. The time is now to work together in pushing back against Beijing’s underhanded tactics and protecting the people of Hong Kong. //
Read full article:
https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/04/world-must-push-back-against-chinas-refusal-to-honour-its-hong-kong-deal/
#FloridaRep #TedYoho #USHouseOfRepresentatives #US #China #Save12HKYouths #AntiCCP
Hong Kong Free Press HKFP
World must push back against China’s refusal to honour its Hong Kong deal
By US Rep. Ted Yoho It is no secret that China has been strong-arming Hong Kong, forcing its residents to flee oppression. The national security law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terror…
#GlobalSupport #AntiCCP
Protests Launched around the World on PRC's National Day to Condemn the Humanitarian Crisis Caused by the CCP
People around the world joined the event "Resist CCP: Global Day of Action" where protests were held on 1 October, which is also PRC's National Day.
In Toronto, Canada, thirteen organizations, including Canada-Hong Kong Link, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Toronto, Students for a Free Tibet Canada responded to the call.
More than hundreds of people started the protest at around 2 pm, even the day was not a working day in Canada. Protesters gathered outside The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto.
Following the speeches by the representatives of participating organizations, protesters chantef slogans such as "Free Hong Kong", "Free Tibet", "Shame on CCP".
Source: Apple Daily #Oct2
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201002/K3JICRWBOZARLJPZCTHCBK4R7I/
#FreeHongKong #FreeTibet #FreeUyghurs #Canada #Toronto
Protests Launched around the World on PRC's National Day to Condemn the Humanitarian Crisis Caused by the CCP
People around the world joined the event "Resist CCP: Global Day of Action" where protests were held on 1 October, which is also PRC's National Day.
In Toronto, Canada, thirteen organizations, including Canada-Hong Kong Link, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Toronto, Students for a Free Tibet Canada responded to the call.
More than hundreds of people started the protest at around 2 pm, even the day was not a working day in Canada. Protesters gathered outside The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto.
Following the speeches by the representatives of participating organizations, protesters chantef slogans such as "Free Hong Kong", "Free Tibet", "Shame on CCP".
Source: Apple Daily #Oct2
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201002/K3JICRWBOZARLJPZCTHCBK4R7I/
#FreeHongKong #FreeTibet #FreeUyghurs #Canada #Toronto