Ai weiwei interviewed on CNN's Amanpour Part 1

http://twitter.com/asianhiphop

(CNN) -- Leading Chinese activist and artist Ai Weiwei declared that China's government has no humanity -- and that the Communist Party is trying to silence anyone who disagrees with it.

"They crack down on everybody who has different opinions -- not even different opinions, just different attitudes," Ai told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

"Simply to have different opinions can cost (dissidents) their life; they can be put in jail, can be silenced, and can be disappeared," he said.

Ai is no stranger to controversy or danger. He helped design the iconic Bird's Nest stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but then called for a boycott of the games because in his opinion China was using them as propaganda.

He also faced a barrage of official criticism in 2008 when he assembled activists to collect the names of thousands of unidentified students who were killed in the massive Sichuan earthquake. He also slammed local governments for allowing the construction of shoddy schools that collapsed.

Ai has paid a heavy price for his dissent. He says he was beaten in a hotel room by Chinese police and later needed emergency brain surgery for injuries he suffered in the assault.

Even as Ai spoke to CNN, Google appeared to be moving closer to leaving China in a showdown over Internet censorship and hacking from inside the communist nation.
Simply to have different opinions can cost (dissidents) their life
--Ai Weiwei, Chinese activist and artist
RELATED TOPICS * China * Chinese Politics

Popular Western social networking sites are already banned from China. "There's no Twitter in China, there's no YouTube in China, now we'll have no Google in China," Ai said.

"They shut down three of my blogs in seven minutes, so you can see how fearful (Chinese officials are) about somebody speaking out their mind."

He said 12 million people were reading his blog posts until they were closed.

Ai though said there are new technologies that can help people overcome what he called the Great Firewall, but it's available to only a small number of people.

"Now we have about 50,000 people -- writers, editors, journalists -- who can get the information. And they can get whatever we say in the West," he added.

"It has a great effect on the government. Young people see what we are talking about on Twitter and blogs (and) they would speak the words to different kinds of media. So that can have great potential, if millions of people read them."

Ai said he believes new technology is the only way to bring change to China and he's convinced it will happen one day.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ai
• weiwei
• 艾未未
• china
• government
• PRC
• activist
• CNN
• Amanpour

[yerk3]

@Lottechoco It must be lonesly to be a CCP troll.

[KristianaRohder]

He shows resistance against the whole chinese communistic regime/dictatorship

Respect to and important and impressive person

Best wishes to him from Germany

[honeypauline]

Ai weiwei ! Why don't you show your naked photos to the media!!! and youtubers, find the pictures online it called 一虎八奶图 ！ search them on Google picture !

[eddysnet]

@MArtinezNINux I am expected in - on behalf of all the state VICTIMS OF NORWAY - that he makes an sculpture in TRIBUTE TO THEM, as he got the Nobel Prize on their behalf...

Tone Elisabeth Larsen, flight attendant was terrorized by civil police BANDITS from Oslo police, for 4 hours; she was SO FRIGHTENED that she shit on the floor!!! And they were ROARING WITH LAUGHTER!!! - and THE NORWEGIAN PUDDLE PRESS?, yes, they wrote about her shit on the floor, NOT ABOUT THE BRUTAL POLICE VIOLENCE!!

[MArtinezNINux]

he doesnt seem as much of an artist as he is an activist

[rongjingji]

U.S. farmed pigs

[politivoldinorge]

This is Norway, that gave him Nobel Prize, SIX - 6 - UNIFORMED POLICE ARRESTS A PREGNANT WOMAN!!!! NOT ONE OF THEM, - SIX!!!!!!!

[eddysnet]

The same happens in Norway too; the land that gave him the Nobel Prize; the commie China; the commie Norway; totally equal......just a little difference in execution of evilness,,,,,that's all!!!

[jow5588]

Sorry for everyone involved in this!

[muwuhu]

@redword2007

awesome :D

[redword2007]

@muwuhu

Whilst I'm very supportive of the PRC, I am not blind to its shortcomings and the type of injustices that you describe can not be justified. Socialist countries are routinely subjected to interference by the US and its allies aimed at destabilising their societies. This doesn't justify the type of injustice that you describe, but it does help explain why it occurs.

[muwuhu]

@redword2007

Also, to answer your question--No, I have never lived in China. But I have family members who have been dispossessed of everything and wrongfully jailed because of the government. Methinks that if such a thing were to happen to you on a personal level, you would not be so supportive of the PRC. That is all.