TED Community » Ming Wai Yun

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A comment on Conversation: To what extent and in what way do microblogs impact public opinion in China? Can they be seen as a precursor of free speech?

Jan 29 2012: I don't think the freedom of speech is essentially linked up to democracy. Like our experience in HK. We always have freedom of speech, but neither the colonial status or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China give us right to have democratic election. The reason of ban inconvenient ideas is simple, avoid uprising from the communities. Case of Middle East is a good point. Thus it is very easy to understand, any speech of idea (like in micro-blogging) could gathering power in the communities and arouse as an uprising threaten to the government. Thus, it is ban. Because the government cannot afford it. As the size of China, I guess the world cannot afford China become a state of Middle Asia now. The population involved is huge,the uprising could happen in every single province (at least), meaning many uprising under different leadership and claiming different governance ideas fighting each other. And it is not at all able to be under control, no any single party could have full control once the current power shaken in China. From the experience of Middle East now, if old regime collapse means a peaceful transition to "democratic" country? Then the civilians are going to have promising future? I am not sure! Let's see!