As the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People from November 8-15, 2012, controls on information tightened across the board in China, and there were reports of violent suppression of dissidents and rights defenders — a stark contrast to the triumphal tone of the meetings. In the following cartoon, posted by artist Kuang Biao (邝飚) to Sina Weibo, China is portrayed as a faceless, bruised and bloody figure wrapped in barbed wire as it tries hopelessly to take off into the air on wings fashioned from laurel branches (symbolizing triumph through inner struggle).
David Bandurski
CMP Director
