By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 17: NBA player and vocal critic of the Chinese government Enes Kanter Freedom has been nominated by a Norwegian parliamentarian for the Nobel Peace Prize 2022 for bringing global attention to China’s ongoing rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. “I’m honored and humbled to receive the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sometimes taking a stand is more important than your next paycheck,” he tweeted.
An in-depth article in The Atlantic revealed how Kanter has been subject to scrutiny for his criticisms both in China and in the NBA. “A symbol as rough and blunt and improvised as a painted pair of sneakers, worn by an athlete in the brief interlude of his fame, is just what we should expect in a time when nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs,” it said. Kanter has been lauded by human rights organizations and activists for his support in the face of dissipating anger in the world for rights abuses committed by China.
The player of Turkish descent was last week traded to Houston Rockets by Boston Celtics only to be waived by the team. The Chinese government immediately unleashed a barrage of criticism towards Kanter. The player has been in the news for the last couple of months for his vocal criticism against China and the Beijing Olympics, making him a target by Chinese netizens and also by former Rockets’ Chinese player Yao Ming.
The CCP government mouthpiece Global Times called the athlete a “below-average” player, by quoting an anonymous sports commentator who said that “[Kanter] didn’t focus on basketball as a player and lost his job… And Chinese fans can expect to watch Boston’s games soon.” The Turkish player called out President Xi Jinping in October for human rights atrocities in a video published across many social media platforms, which led to a total block out of all Celtics’ games in China.
Recently in an interview with PBS show Firing Line, Freedom said that his career might take a hit due to his views on China, given how the international basketball association is economically tied with the CCP government. “So, recently, whenever I have a conversation with someone from the NBA or one of my ex-teammates, they’re like, ‘Listen, this is your farewell tour. Have fun with it, enjoy it, I hope you win a championship because I don’t think you’re going to sign another contract after this year,’” he said, adding that he believes the any team in the NBA will not sign him, at least for the time being.
4 Responses
He deserves the Nobel prize for what he stands for, FREEDOM. It’s what everybody needs like breathing.
This is a great development! This goes to show there are people with conscience in this world and are prepared to speak and stand up for the evils committed by the CCP. This is by no means an easy decision for such people of conscience. The CCP is a vengeful monster and it tries to smear and discredit people, nation or communities who go against the grain of CCP policies. They have banned celebrities from visiting China or undermine their careers and put pressure on their employers to shut them up. In short there is nothing the CCP has not done to silence its critics. For the Tibetan people, the CCP’s attempt to silence HH The Dalai Lama and pressure world leaders not to meet him has been the most heart wrenching experience but as we know it, many world leaders have ignored CCP’s pressure and met him umpteen times. It is hoped President Joe Biden will soon meet him as he had pledged during his election campaign.
Owing to the CCP’s vicious behaviour, it is spurned by the whole world. It’s the most hated regime and will remain so for the foreseeable future. The Winter Olympic Games are their attempt to white wash its crimes against humanity and prolong its longevity by trying to impress the long suffering Chinese people and others under their occupation. It has played all its trick in the book to lure foreign born Chinese to lift the games up in order to give a semblance of success. All the rules of citizenship have been cast away to suit its evil design and hired the likes of US born Eileen Gu and Zhu Yi to burnish the credentials of the CCP.
As expected the much touted Beijing Olympic Games have been plagued by controversy both on the field and off the field. Two women have highlighted the true face of the CCP. First, the Chinese Tennis champion Peng Shuai highlighted the brazen nature of the CCP leaders who have a knack for sexual appetite as none other and engage in sexual favours from not only ordinary working women but even from sports stars and celebrities. Today, the most cherished bribe in the CCP hierarchy is the flesh of young beautiful women! The CCP leaders are said to have voracious sexual appetite and are reputed to keep dozens of women as their sex slaves. Peng Shuai, despite her fame was not spared and the CCP ex-Vice President Zhang Gaoli assaulted her and kept her as a sex slave for seven long years. She confessed it out of her volition on Weibo. This was a grievous attack on the CCP image and they silenced her by hiring pro-China media outlets of Singapore to cover up the crime by forcing her to lie against her will. They never accepted her cry for justice but instead muzzled her and she is now a CCP captive. This demonstrates the CCP’s brazen disregard for truth and rights of women in China.
The more harrowing story of a mentally impaired mother of eight children chained in a tiny freezing cell with no winter clothes and served frozen food was the most gut wrenching news that any human can even imagine. She was tied with metal collar in a filthy cell in Jiangsu province. She was abducted by her husband under the benign guise of the CCP human traffickers and used as a sex slave with the blessing CCP. Instead of investigating the horrific torture and dehumanising incident, the CCP again shrugged it off as of no consequence. Her husband was a darling of the CCP cadres and he was never taken to task. But Chinese netizens cried foul and forced the authorities to search for answers. One China born writer living in the US was so enraged at the treatment of women in China that she called Xi Jinping a human trafficker!
Gelding Yan, a renowned Chinese American author published an article, “Mother, Oh Mother” on WeChat to express anger over the chained woman and the suffering of Chinese women. She angrily called Xi Jinping a human trafficker. No sooner, Chinese censors banned her from all social media platforms under CCP control and it is likely all her works will be banned as well. This shows the unpopularity of the CCP among the thinking Chinese people both inside and outside of China. There is true alienation and disenchantment of the CCP dictatorship. The CCP is more than ever fearful of being overthrown and that is why, every Chinese citizen is under severe surveillance using AI technology.
With the dwindling population, economic down turn owing to the CCP virus and decoupling with US, its legitimacy will be severely tested. The Beijing Games will be a thing of the past but the anger and frustration of the alienated Chinese will remain without any ventilation. As with all dictators, they will fight tooth and nail to retain power but a time will come when the swell of discontent will come crashing like a mighty tornado which will consume the CCP like a tsunami.
I appreciated him and he deserve nobel peace prize…
His moral stand and integrity above human greed and power is admirable.