“JASMINE” PROTESTS IN CHINA

SOMETHING FISHY WITH CHINA'S 'JASMINE' MOVEMENT

Mainichi Daily News, March 3, 2011

The Chinese characters for "ma" and "ri" in actress Mariko Okada's name mean "jasmine" when put together, and in China, the uprising that spread from Tunisia to Egypt and Libya is referred to as the "Molihua" (Jasmine) revolution.

The Jasmine revolution spread over the Internet, and it is not surprising that protests also occurred in China, which has the world's largest population of Internet users. It remains unclear where the calls for a "jasmine movement" originated.

The first round of "jasmine" protests in China occurred on Feb. 20, a Sunday. People in 18 cities including Beijing and Shanghai gathered in set places and protested against issues such as corruption and autocracy. A week later, a second round of protests was held, with the scope expanding to 27 cities. But something about the protests seemed strange: The places where people gathered weren't exactly revolutionary.

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