Ɖ Gardịn vy on Ćîna’z protests: ziro Covid, maximm fṛstreśn
(Transcription of a Guardian editorial of 28 Nov. 2022)
Harś c’roṇvîṛs cntrolz hv promtd an xtrordnri ǎtporñ v discntnt acrs ɖ cuntri
Munde 28 Nvmbr 2022
Ɖ xtrordnri ǎtbrec v unrest ɖt spred ʈru Ćîna at ɖ wīcend z v a cnd ɖt hz nt bn sìn fr decedz. Protests r nt uncomn, gvn ɖ liṃtd mīnz fr ppl t xpres ɖer vyz, bt r yẓ́li locl insidnts best on sṗsific grīvnsz. Ẃl ɖr hv bn larjr indivijl protests in ɖ rīsnt past, ɖz hv rapidli spruñ p acrs mejr sitiz, includñ Bêźñ, Śañhî, Wūhan n Ćuñdū, n nǎ Hoñ Coñ. Ɖe hv tecn ples in prestijs yṇvrṣtiz tù.
Ɖe ćalinj a ziro-Covid poḷsi ɖt cmz fṛm ɖ vri top. N ɖo mni pṛtstrz r cōśs or sîḷnt – holdñ p blanc śīts v pepr t xpres ɖer dsnt – sm hv cōld fr hymn rîts, presfrīdm n īvn ɖ dparćr v Śí Jinpñ n ɖ Coḿnist parti, onli wīcs aftr Mr Śí imbarct upn a norm-brecñ ʈrd trm n ɖus indefiṇt līdrśp. Sć cōlz wr an increḍbl act v dfayns gvn ɖ cuntri’z incrisñli tît p’liticl cntrol.
At frst, Ćîna’z c’roṇvîṛștraṭji alaud most ppl t gt on wɖ lîf az yźl, ẃl uɖr cuntriz strugld wɖ rpitd locdǎnz or hî deʈtolz, or bʈ. Bt it hz loñ bn clir ɖt iliṃneśn z nt fīẓbl, n a poḷsi nǎ in its ʈrd yir z cōzñ incrisñ fṛstreśn n ic̣nomic damij, līdñ t a growñ numbr v locl Covid-rletd protests.
Ćînīz ōdịnsz woćñ ɖ Wrldcup notd unmasct crǎdz seḷbretñ n riylîzd ɖt plenti v plesz – nt jst ɖ reclis YS – wr livñ haṗli wɖt sć strinjnt cntrolz. Ɖen cem rports ɖt 10 ppl, includñ ćildṛn, hd bn cild in a blêz ẃl undr locdǎn in Ŭṛmćī, Śinjañ. Vidio śoud a fîr enjin venli trayñ t spre ɖ bildñ fṛm a distns. Dspt ɖ tît s’kṛticntrolz in Śinjañ, rezidnts gaɖrd t pṛtst. S’prîzñli, ɖ unrest spred t Śañhî, n ɖen onẉdz, wɖ ɖ ces bcmñ embḷmatic v uɖr deʈs rletd t ɖ poḷsi n inhymen inforsmnt.
Ofiślz iniṣ́li tc a reḷtivli handz-of aproć, wɖ a fy dtnśnz rɖr ɖn a swīpñ cracdǎn. Xtnsiv sveḷns mcs lêtr retṛbyśn stretfwd. Bt f incrist snsrśp n p’līsprezns d’nt si ɖz protests of, wrs me folo. Ɖ rspons in Śinjañ z lîcli t b hardr ɖn in prospṛs Śañhî. Ɖoz cōlñ fr lūsr cntrolz cn xpct mor līńns ɖn ɖoz śǎtñ “Opoz dictetrśp”. At ɖ locl levl, ispeṣ́li, ɖr me b pìsmīl cnseśnz. Ɖ parti dz nt rlî sol̦i on rpreśn n propganda – az potnt az ɖe r – bt olso on recgnîzñ ppl’z nīdz n inṭrests, n mītñ sm v ɖm, īvn f b’letidli n parṣ́li. Yt it hz incrisñli rlaid on tufnis in rīsnt yirz.
Mni sitiznz stl bac ziro-Covid meźrz, rgardñ ɖm az nesṣri. Ɖ laclustr vax̣neśncampen, n rfyzl t yz mor ifctiv foṛn vaxīnz, hz left eldrli ppl vulnṛbl. Infx́nz r olrdi rîzñ stīpli; frɖr rīlaxeśn cd si a wev v deʈs. Ɖ bst hop wd probbli b t dcler ziro Covid a lîf-sevñ trîumf, ẃć wl alǎ ɖ cuntri t muv t an intnsiv vax̣neśnprogram yzñ importd dosz n mitgeśnmeźrz includñ mascñ, tstñ n îṣleśn, ẃl invstñ heṿli in hlʈcer. Bt ẃl oʈoṛtiz rīsntli sīmd t b trayñ t īz sm aspects v ɖ ziro-Covid poḷsi, śorṭnñ qoṛntīn n telñ locl ofiślz nt t “oṿinfors” poḷsiz, ɖt cd, f enʈñ, b pt in rvrs bî ɖz protests. Bêźñ wl nt wont t apir t bǎ t preśr.
Ẃtvr ɖ s’lūśn, Ćîna’z ppl śd b fri t dscus ɖ dsiźnz biyñ md n ɖ līdrz hu impoz ɖm, n t pṛtst agnst ɖm. Ɖ parti dz nt rec̣gnîz ɖoz rîts, v cors. Bt ɖz ivnts śd rmînd it ɖt rlayñ on rpreśn hz its limits.
