I Feel a Letter Coming On

When Beijing was awarded the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese government pledged to clean up its human rights record. But in fact the opposite has happened. It’s not just the recent crackdown on Tibetan and Uighur activists. Political dissidents are getting it in the neck, too. Hardly a day goes by without my receiving more reports of arrests and harassment, coming in from reputable sources such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Today, I’ve had an rapid action alert from International PEN on behalf of the writer Hu Jia, who was sentenced last week to three and a half years in prison for his human rights activities. He and his wife Zeng Jinyan notably made a documentary film Prisoners of Freedom City about their joint life of harassment and surveillance (which you can catch by following the link below) and Hu Jia has been prominent in exposing the extent of HIV/AIDS infection in China.

Don’t think there is nothing we can do. Everyone who cares about human rights can stand up and shout in support of activists in China, while the eye of the world is on Beijing. We can all write a letter to the President, Hu Jintao, at the State Council, Beijing 100032, People’s Republic of China. Be firm but polite, protesting at the sentence handed down to Hu Jia and calling for his immediate and unconditional release; express concern for his health (among other problems, he has cirrhosis of the liver); and call for an end to the harassment of his family. Thank you.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q_rcsoWFRk