On this episode of China Uncensored,
a foreigner's confession in China.
Hi, welcome to China Uncensored,
I'm your host Chris Chappell.
You know, it seems like everyone's giving a confession
on Chinese state-run CCTV these days!
Like 70-year-old journalist Gao Yu,
who confessed in 2014 to illegally giving
internal Communist Party documents to an overseas website.
Or Dong Rubin, who admitted to falsely claiming
in 2009 that his fellow prison inmate had been
brutally killed by guards, rather than—
as the guards reported—died accidentally
while playing a game of "hide and seek."
Or just last week, a bookseller in Hong Kong—
who's also a Swedish citizen—
who was abducted—er, arrested—by Chinese authorities,
who apologized for a crime that has surprisingly little
to do with his real crime
of selling politically sensitive books.
So I just wanted to jump on the bandwagon.
Because this week there was yet another state-run confession.
"We have been made aware, become aware that..."
This is Swedish citizen Peter Dahlin.
He disappeared while on his way to the
Beijing International Airport on January 3,
while attempting to travel to Thailand.
And he reappeared here, on state-run CCTV,
apologizing for, among other crimes,
hurting the feelings of the Chinese people.
"I've hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
I apologize sincerely for this,
and I'm very sorry that this ever happened."
Actually it's more accurate to say that he
endangered state security.
Well, it's actually more accurate to say he
trained human rights lawyers in China.
But you say potato, I say potato.
Shelley, you know the prompter doesn't give me intonations.
Anyway, Mr. Dahlin has been living in China since 2007.
In 2009, Mr. Dahlin co-founded the
Chinese Urgent Action Working Group,
an organization that trains activists and lawyers to,
according to the group,
"promote the development of the rule of law
and counter abuses of basic human rights."
And by that I assume they mean they
"got involved in hot-topic issues and sensitive cases,
and intentionally escalated conflicts and disputes
that were originally not severe,"
and "instigated the people to confront the government
and produce mass incidents."
At least that's what Xinhua said.
Don't worry about the group anymore though
because police have smashed it.
In his confession, Mr. Dahlin also admits
to writing reports without "real or full facts."
Spreading rumors.
You know how the Communist Party hates rumors!
And anything the Communist Party doesn't like is a rumor.
Wow, I guess I really am guilty of spreading rumors on this show.
Anyway, at first, the Chinese Foreign Ministry
denied any knowledge of Mr. Dahlin's detention.
But later they said he was involved in activates
that "endangered state security."
What proof did they offer?
Well, who needs proof when he's already confessed!
Man, Chinese law works so much better than America's!
I mean, why even bother with courts
when people just confess on their own!
Now Mr. Dahlin also suffers from Addison’s disease,
a rare hormonal disorder that requires daily medication.
If he doesn't take it, he'll die.
I wonder how Chinese authorities convinced him to confess.
Anyway, with now the second Swedish citizen in a week
giving a confession on CCTV,
the Swedish government's response has been somewhat muted.
Here's what the Swedish ambassador had to say.
Yee bork a doo doo york mmm bork bork bork!
And that's actually more than the real Swedish ambassador
said about Mr. Dahlin in public.
So what do you think about the confession?
Leave your comments below—
then turn yourself in to authorities
and confess to spreading rumors online.
Once again I'm Chris Chappell, see you next time.
Foreign anti-China forces have never stopped slandering
and attacking the Chinese government.
A few of the Western media with hostile attitudes
towards China have added fuel to the flame.
On January 22, a well-known Western television host
apologized on camera to the Chinese people
for his anti-China activities.
"I would like to apologize for spreading rumors and undermining China."
The New York-based "China Uncensored" program
is dedicated to collecting and spreading
false information about China,
with the intention to make trouble
and interfere with the development
of China's harmonious society,
so as to achieve ulterior political motives.
"I understand now that I have
endangered the security of the Chinese government,
and I have hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
I apologize sincerely for this
and I regret this ever happened."