Australian Open, one of the world's most prestigious and consequential tennis competitions, is currently underway. Some of the fans showed up in clothing that read, "Where is Peng Shuai?"
Now who is Peng Shuai? She is a professional Chinese tennis player who last fall alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a former high-ranking CCP (Chinese Communist Party) official. Following those allegations she disappeared for a time, then was seen stating that she was dong well in what looked like several staged appearances. She is likely being detained and silent.
You would think protest like this would be welcome in a country like Australia, one with a supposedly robust culture of human rights and a powerful feminist movement. But as it happened, protesters were asked to remove clothing with the question about Peng Shuai as a condition of entry. Ostensibly, this was because Tennis Australia, the organization running the Australian Open, does not allow political activities. But is that a genuine reason or just an excuse for not wishing to upset China in such a public manner?
This years' Australian Open has already been beset by controversy. One of the best tennis players today, Serbia's Novak Djokovic was deported due to his vaccine stance - not because he posed a danger, but because, being unvaccinated and high profile, he was viewed as a potential catalyst of the vaccine resistance movement in Australia.
It is strange - and fascinating - how overall Australia is indeed tarting to look more and more like China. Is that why Australian authorities are in effect suppressing public protest in a way that makes you think of them as a CCP proxy?
References
Fans at Australian Open forced to remove shirts that say 'Where is Peng Shuai?'
Chris Enloe, The Blaze, 23 January 2022
Peng Shuai (wiki)
Archived 21 November 2021
Australian judges reveal WHY they deported Novak Djokovic arguing it was clear tennis superstar was REFUSING to get vaccinated and finding he COULD encourage anti-vax sentiment Down Under
Levi Parsons, Daily Mail Australia, 20 January 2022
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