Recently the Yinan County People's Court in Shandong sentenced a man, Chen Guangchen, to 4 years and 3 months in prison. His wife wrote about the ordeal in an article published in the Washington Post. Apparently local village women were forced to take abortions and the accused gave them advice on law and human rights. These activities - obviously - were completely peaceful. When Mr. Guangchen was arrested following a long house arrest, he was taken to prison and his wife physically constrained and thus prevented even from attending his trial. Other villagers were brutally tortured and forced to witness against the accused. The accused was sent to prison and his wife is currently under constant surveillance.
My question is this: Had you heard about this story? If not, it is because this is not considered a big news item. Human rights violations by the Chinese authorities are common-place and apparently well accepted by Westerners. One family's tragedy is nothing compared to vast commercial and political interests. Even the known human-rights defenders, such as the Scandinavian countries, are strangely silent when it comes to China. Not only but they cultivate their vast commercial-political ties by constant visits in their countries by delegations of Chinese officials.
If one really believes that human rights belong to everyone, then this reality is a sad state of affairs indeed. What to do about the leftist governments that uphold human rights elsewhere but have a blind-spot when it comes to China?
posted by Emilia.kk @ 10:24 AM
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