cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/12163851
The Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office in Italy said Wednesday that it has concluded an investigation and is set to file charges against 10 suspects allegedly involved in “repressive and coercive actions against” Chinese dissidents living in the Lombardy capital.
…
Four of them are Chinese nationals who were allegedly in “constant contact with the authorities” in Beijing about the allegedly illegal activities [such as] stalking, surveillance, intimidation, and threats allegedly against Li - known on social media as “Teacher Li” - a 34-year-old dissident, activist and influencer with millions of followers.
…
Fantastically evil. They won’t even let you leave, they’ll track you down, because to them, you’re owned.
And you leaving is a slight against the ultimate power that is the Chinese government.
because to them, you’re owned.
I won’t claim to know the ideological justification they have for what they do, but there’s a more rational (if no less evil) explanation: Large diasporas away from a regime’s watchful eyes have a nasty tendency to develop anti-regime ideas, sentiments and organizations that then filter back into the home country, so transnational repression is a relatively efficient way to make sure the people back home don’t get any ideas. Lenin spent the 17 years before the Russian Revolution in exile and that didn’t prevent him from becoming leader of the Soviet Union, and Ayatollah Khomeini did basically the same thing. In that sense it’s impossible to truly “leave” for most people; community ties will always tie one to the home country irrespective of their wishes on the subject.
