Let the Blank Papers Tell - How Protesters Express Themselves With No Freedom of Speech
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The largest protest in China, after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989, is happening against the Zero-Covid policy where protesters hold a blank sheet of white paper known as ‘A4 Revolution’ or ‘White Paper Protests’. This has caught the attention of social media and is thought of as new and creative.
On 24th November, a burning building in Urumqi caused 10 death tolls in which residents could not escape flames due to strict lockdown policies since last August. The tragedy angered the people and triggered anti Zero-Covid protests across the country, from Beijing to Shanghai, Wuhan to Chengdu, and more than 20 other cities to join in. Some protestors have been detained and arrested, and this was also the case for a BBC journalist.
With limited freedom of speech, protesters could hardly express their demands in black and white, but a blank paper could tell everything. The phenomenon has been found in some significant marches in other countries during the past few years to demand democracy and represent the suppression of the people’s fundamental rights.
Hong Kong
With separated governance, legal and legislative systems between Hong Kong and China under the constitutional principle ‘One country, Two systems’, anti-Extradition Bill protests occurred since 2019 to protect Hong Kong values until Covid hit the city. Protesters used to demonstrate slogans ‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times’ and ‘Five demands, not one less’ with a poster or banner.
But after the declaration of the city’s National Security Law, a young girl raised a blank paper as she was unsure what forms of demonstration could successfully dodge the new law, and was hence inspired by a Soviet period political joke: The KGB (Soviet Union’s security agency) arrests someone who hands out leaflets found out to be blank and warned that he knew what is in the person’s mind. It is ironic that the political joke was brought into reality and eight citizens with blank paper were arrested.
The pro-democracy lawmakers also demonstrated blank papers during the discussion of the National Security Law in the Legislative Council on 7th July. They referred to it as ‘white terror’ happening in the city.
Besides the use of blank paper, the Lennon Wall also marks significance in protest events, originally from the Czech Republic. During the 1980s, when the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia existed, young protestors seeking liberty were described as ‘Lennonism, drunker, psychos’ who graffitied the wall in Prague to express their anger. Inspired by the Lennon Wall in the Czech Republic, Hong Kong people stuck memo sheets written with slogans or thoughts everywhere - tunnels, footbridges, buildings - to form colourful Lennon Walls in Hong Kong.
Thailand
Thailand has undergone several political turmoils where more than ten overthrows by military coups have happened in the past 90 years. The most recent one, launched by current Prime Minister Prayut, who dissoluted the popular political party among youngsters - the Future Forward Party - has caused discontent in the public. This has triggered student-led democratic protests from 2020 to 2021 to have three core demands: dissolution of parliament, ending intimidation of the people and drafting a new constitution. With the Lèse-majesté crime law in Thailand, which means it is illegal to insult, defame or threaten the monarch, students also demand freedom of speech that breaks the long taboo of not acting against royalty.
During the events, people held blank papers in school assemblies, wore white ribbons, and gestured the most iconic symbol - the three-finger salute derived from the book and movie “The Hunger Games” where the braves fought for freedom and against totalitarianism. The symbol’s original meaning of appreciation and farewell to a loved one, has transformed to represent freedom and democracy in Thailand. As with the blank paper, the hand gesture tells everything without speaking and is now seen as illegal by the Thai military.
The marches in the pre-coronavirus period were suspended due to lockdowns, but people in China are protesting against the strict control and regulations on Covid-19. Some cities in China have now announced to release their Covid-19 measures as an aftermath.
While some have said the Xi era, or even the Chinese Communist Party, may come to an end, and people could enjoy their freedom of speech, the press, association, and criticising politics which has never been allowed, “Freedom is not and never free”. It is remarkable to see whether the Chinese would fight for not only the government’s ease on Covid-19 policy but also human rights and the right to freedom.