A documentary online by Chai Jing, a celebrity journalist about the human costs of pollution in China received a strong response within days. However, it was not over before 200 million viewers had seen it). Last week, the documentary “Under The Dome” was uploaded to the Internet. It quickly spread and provoked criticism from the Chinese government. Ms. Jing focuses on the most vulnerable or those who are most adversely affected by China’s harmful pollutants. She mentions Shaanxi provincial villagers whose surroundings were engulfed in smoke from their nearby coal-plants. A six-year-old girl says that she’s never seen blue skies. Chai Jing’s documentary got viewed by over 200 million viewers in just six days. While the film depicts factories breaking regulations, authoritative figures openly admit that they do not always follow them. They also claim that punishing people can lead to loss of jobs and undermine growth. Initial support for the documentary was given by the Government. Officials compared it with Al Gore’s “An inconvenient truth”. Chen Jining (China’s environment minister), a well-known, UK-educated academic sent a message to producers congratulating them on bringing this issue up. The official tolerance was not sustained. However, Friday saw a total change in the mood. Beijing’s web censors had removed all references to Under the Dome on websites throughout the country. The video had disappeared from China by Friday night, even on the most popular video sites Tudou or Youku. Financial Times reports that a Shanghai newspaper worker was fired for leakage of a secret propaganda directive directing Chinese media outlets not to mention or broadcast Under the Dome. General public was not happy with the Chinese censors’ actions. The Telegraph quoted Weibo as a user from China’s Twitter counterpart. He wrote, “In this country there is too many that cannot be discussed. Chai Jing’s movie made certain government departments uncomfortable, and it was blocked today. “What are you afraid?” Chinese websites had removed all trace of Chai Jing’s documentary by Friday night, however, pollution in Beijing returned with avengeance. The film’s release brought down hopes of a revival. There was criticism from the government, shock at the details, and also hope that China might be entering an era of transparency and open public discussion. Premier of People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang said Thursday that environmental pollution was a problem for people’s lives and an issue that affects their heart. It is something we must combat with all of our might.” The Under the Dome website was removed from China by Friday night. Smog in Beijing rose as a result. The authorities advised residents to use facemasks whenever they venture out of their houses. Yuan Ren from Beijing wrote in The Guardian that “Chai’s documentary had empowered China’s online communities to awaken to the dangers and to voice solidarity about this national headache.” It was China’s only topic for three consecutive days. Video under the Dome
Chinese documentary on pollution elicits swift reaction from censors
