E-Paper
Chinese song mocks reporting on Tibet
Chinese people frustrated at what they say are biased Western media reports of recent unrest in Tibet, now have a new source of succour - a song circulating online called Don't be too CNN. See the video.
Chinese people frustrated at what they say are biased Western media reports of recent unrest in Tibet now have a new source of succor -- a song circulating online called "Don't be too CNN".
Written and performed by somebody calling themselves Mu Rongxuan and backed by a music video showing, among other things, supposedly biased media dispatches, the song's lyrics attack what it says are distorted reports.
"CNN solemnly swears that everything on it is the truth, but I've gradually discovered this is actually a deception," the female singer croons, at times the emotion appearing to affect her pitch.
As the song continues, images shown repeatedly in the Chinese press of burnt-out shops and smoke rising over Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, are flashed up on to the screen.
"Don't think that repeating something over and over again (means that) lies become admonitions," another lyric runs.
A version of the song, along with the music video, can be found on Chinese state television's Web site (http://video.cctv.com/opus/subplay.do?opusid=84523).
The Chinese government has called the foreign media's reporting on Tibet a "textbook of bad examples", even though it has largely sealed the region to outsiders, especially journalists.
Chinese Web sites and chat rooms have blasted Western press reports on Tibet, accusing newspapers and television stations of ignoring the "real situation" and purposefully demonising China.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sanjeev Miglani)
