Wikileaks Aiding Snowden - Chinese Social Media Divided - Relations Strained 629
cold fjord writes "Despite the US cancelling his passport, Edward Snowden continues his travels aided by Wikileaks, and is leaving a trail of strained diplomatic relations in his wake. It appears China gifted the issue to Russia. From Yahoo: 'Lawyer Albert Ho, ... a Hong Kong legislator ... told reporters he was approached by Snowden several days ago, and that the American had sought assurances ... whether he could leave the city freely if he chose to do so... Snowden later told Ho an individual claiming to represent the Hong Kong government had contacted him and indicated he should leave the city, and wouldn't be stopped ... Ho said he believed the middleman was acting on Beijing's orders.' From the NYT: Julian Assange, ...said in an interview ... 'that he had raised Mr. Snowden's case with Ecuador's government and that his group had helped arrange the travel documents.' From WSJ: 'Edward Snowden has generated more than a million posts on one of China's biggest social media platforms... Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese microblogging service, exploded with activity on Sunday as Mr. Snowden left ... Mr. Snowden was hailed as a hero ... last week, but posts on Sunday and Monday were divided... "All crows are black," said a number of users, citing an Chinese old saying, to describe both American and Chinese government's surveillance programs. ... "Snowden has helped China so much. Why did we let him go?" said one ... Some suggested that China should keep Mr. Snowden as a weapon against repeated accusations of China hacking U.S. companies. More extreme users complained that China is "too soft on the U.S." "Russia is a real strong country to accept him," ... Another popular term: "hot potato," reflecting relief that Hong Kong wouldn't have to stand against U.S. efforts to take him into custody. Some users criticized Mr. Snowden for fleeing.' From the Guardian: 'Snowden's escape from Hong Kong infuriated US politicians, while China focused on condemning Washington over his latest disclosures, which suggested the NSA had hacked into Chinese mobile phone companies ... Moscow was also drawn into the controversy after it emerged that Snowden's passport had been revoked before he left Hong Kong and he did not have a visa for Russia. But Russia appeared indifferent to the uproar, with one official saying Snowden was safe from the authorities as long as he remained in the transit lounge at the city's Sheremetyevo airport. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said: "I know nothing."' From ABC: Snowden registered for the flight to Havana that leaves Moscow on Monday..."
Focus on the NSA (Score:1, Interesting)
I wish they'd go after the NSA with as much fervor. But I guess it's easier to punish an individual.
Also.. With America 'not prying into the lives of it's own citizens', and the UK doing pretty much the same. Doesn't anybody see that they can 'share intelligence' and get the whole picture without having to break the rules?
UK: Oops, seem I picked up all of the emails any US citizen ever send in my spying bureau. Here you go US, a copy. Do you have the copy of all the UK people's communication with you?
Again, the witch hunt after Snowden is just to distract from the main issues.
Vietnam (Score:4, Interesting)
My guess: he's off to Vietnam, where he will join the entourage of the Ecuadorian foreign minister for the return to Quito this week.
Re:Snowdon is not on the plane to Havana (Score:5, Interesting)
Safe only for a little while (Score:5, Interesting)
It is my personal opinion that Snowden (and even Assange) will only be safe as long as Correa is in power in Quinto.
But as a history of Equador (and frankly entire Latin America) predicts from the past -- it will not be too long before the power will change due to hunta (as 1972-1979), or removal from the office (like Abdalá Bucaram) or a continues power struggle (Rosalía Arteaga / Fabián Alarcón).
Either way, Equadorian history predicts that the next government will be pro-American.
Re:Done us all a favor (Score:5, Interesting)
If you actually lived in any random European country I doubt you'd be making that claim. I know quite a few people who DO live in a number of European countries and they'd disagree with you. Not that it's necessarily worse than the US, but it's definitely no better.
Re:Passports and Visas (Score:5, Interesting)
One law for all (Score:5, Interesting)
Preferably, those liberties should extend to immigrants as well as natives.
The US is the only place I have ever been where that is apparently not the case. I was quite shocked to hear politicians and government officials on the news at one point explaining that the protections of the US constitution did not apply for foreigners in the US. While it is understandable that things like voting and extended habitation rights do depend on citizenship laws concerning the rights of someone accused of a crime, or freedom of speech have to be the same for everyone - it's fundamental to justice. They are called human, not US citizen, rights for a reason.
China and Russia are the homes of freedom (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Done us all a favor (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Done us all a favor (Score:4, Interesting)
Hmm, I don't know, Europe has a lot of good things but I do consider racism is less of an issue in the US, especially the east coast than what some friends of me had to endure in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. They are wonderful countries but talk to any immigrant that does not look European and that knows both sides of the pond. I guarantee you most responses will favor the US.
Re:Done us all a favor (Score:2, Interesting)
citation needed - if you're not in the US, how is it illegal for NSA to spy on you? what law is that breaking?
Citation. [google.com] It would be illegal if it violates the laws of that nation. I'm sorry I don't know what specific law of, say, Germany it would be violating. I'm not that familiar with German law. But it appears that if the NSA gets your personal information by forcing and gagging Apple and such to turn over said information, it would violate their laws.
Furthermore, if I myself am abroad and the NSA spies on me, that's illegal because I don't magically give up my 4th admendment rights and they are not allowed to spy on me. You know, cause I'm a citizen of the USA. This thing they have where they're allowed to make a judgement call about my foreignness is pretty much bullshit. And the fact that we allow them to spy on foreigners is really only due to an interpretation of the constitution that those rights only apply to US citizens. It really only declares that it applies to "the people". That's not so cool and makes for these sort of glaring loopholes where they can simply claim "we thought he was a foreigner".