In the Chinese city of Xiamen, authorities have halted construction of a chemical plant after residents sent more than 1 million mobile phone text messages protesting possible pollution dangers. What is interesting here is that in such a regime where people have limited power when getting together physically to protest, ubiquitous technology such as SMS [...]]]>

In the Chinese city of Xiamen, authorities have halted construction of a chemical plant after residents sent more than 1 million mobile phone text messages protesting possible pollution dangers. What is interesting here is that in such a regime where people have limited power when getting together physically to protest, ubiquitous technology such as SMS helps amplify their united voices, and in this case actually made a difference. (although I found these photos of a rally that happened there on flickr -> so not sure if only the SMS made the gov’t decide, or if it is just a nice title to have in the news…)

Part of a text message widely forwarded said the chemicals produced at the plant could “cover Xiamen in a nuclear bomb, causing the people of Xiamen afterward to live with leukemia and deformities. We want life, we want health!”
Across China, public awareness of environmental issues began to crystallize after an explosion at a chemical plant along northern China’s Songhua River in late 2005. The spill contaminated water for millions of residents in one of China’s largest cities and forced the government to begin to address the problem of widespread pollution.
But despite repeated vows of crackdowns, chemical spills and other incidents are near daily occurrences, according to the state’s environmental watchdog.
The heated reaction in Xiamen, a city with 1.5 million residents, shows how public opinion has changed. According to Xinhua, nearly one million text messages were sent protesting the plant’s construction, eventually forcing the government to capitulate.
Despite intense government controls, China’s Internet and cellphone texting remain a freewheeling space. The Xiamen texting highlights the use of a new medium to spread a message in China. Already, Chinese mobile phones are used to send text ads.
The city’s reversal is one of the most visible cases in China whereby texting — which is harder to block than Internet messages — was effectively used to quash a government initiative.
Yet, there were signs the government was attempting to clamp down. Xiamen residents contacted by phone said they could no longer forward the text message that discussed organizing a protest for June 1.
Other residents said some Internet postings about the project were being deleted. One worker at a local university said officials there had warned everyone against participating in the protest.
(source: WSJ)