K-Pop, BLM, and amnesia: Commercial savvy (Tibet, Xinjiang, and West Papua)

K-Pop, BLM, and amnesia: Commercial savvy (Tibet, Xinjiang, and West Papua)

Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

K-Pop emanates from South Korea and is a very popular music style that is followed in many parts of Asia and further afield. However, recently many powerful K-Pop groups are involving themselves in Blacks Lives Matter (BLM) and utilizing social media.

However, in South Korea – unlike America where tens of millions of migrants and asylum seekers have fled in the post-World War Two period – this nation barely accepts any black African refugees. South Korea is also in the environs of China, so why is K-Pop ignoring the horrendous persecution in this country? This notably applies to Tibetan Buddhists, indigenous Muslims in Xinjiang, and a fresh wave of persecution against Christians.

Hence, why isn’t K-Pop focused on issues that are much more severe in China? Likewise, indigenous West Papuans are suffering enormously because of diktats from Indonesia. Thus K-Pop is suffering from collective regional amnesia. Also, why don’t black lives matter in West Papua and countless ethnic conflicts in Africa?

In Tibet, West Papua, and Xinjiang all the indigenous be they Buddhist, Christian, or Muslim face endless mass migration on the whims of China and Indonesia. Hence, China uses Han migration and others to control Tibet and Xinjiang based on nationalism, religious discrimination, and racism.

Similarly, Indonesia is crushing West Papua based on endless migration, pro-Javanese policies, and open racism where Papuans are openly called “monkeys.” However, knowing that K-Pop doesn’t want to upset its commercial interests – nor create problems for the South Korean government – then barely a murmur. Instead, it is BLM aimed at America.

Cynically, it would appear that it is commercial savvy for K-Pop groups to ignore the enormous oppression of Tibetan Buddhists, Muslims in Xinjiang, and the indigenous of West Papua. After all, K-Pop is extremely popular throughout Asia. Hence, highlighting the BLM movement in America while ignoring Arabs in Libya selling black Africans in 2020 – just like ignoring events in China and West Papua – seems to highlight a commercial reality that is shameless.

Ironically, many Koreans and other migrants and refugees from all the corners of the earth have moved to America in the tens of millions. Yet in South Korea what is the size of the migrant population with full citizen rights? Likewise, how many black Africans have been given refugee status in South Korea?

If K-Pop is concerned about human rights then start at home because recent events involving Yemenis fleeing didn’t put South Korea in a good light. Similarly, very few refugees have moved to South Korea, unlike Germany and the United Kingdom. Therefore, K-Pop should focus on internal racism and bigotry rather than utilizing BLM for ulterior motives.

Overall, it seems bizarre that K-Pop is focused on BLM in America while ignoring regional events in Tibet and Xinjiang that are more severe. The same applies to the treatment of the indigenous in West Papua, ISIS enslaving Yazidis, and Arabs selling black Africans in Libya. Hence, stop the commercial angle because doing little about events in China, West Papua, Arab slavery of black Africans in Libya, and internal issues related to discrimination in South Korea smacks of “COMMERCIALISM!”

After all, China and Indonesia are important markets for K-Pop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMeYD-wFC1o West Papua

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyxkY5NmzRY Tibet and China

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92iEL6k5E6o Arabs are selling black Africans and others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4TReo_G74A Xinjiang and China

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5pQGN45Gt4 South Korea and refugees

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxz-vmbFXd4 Arabs buying people online in 2020

https://www.freewestpapua.org/ FREE WEST PAPUA