Last year, Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was locked in a prison camp and not permitted to accept his prize. The People’s Republic of China instead had a ceremony of its own, wherein the government awarded one of its own with a new prize and most Chinese were left in the dark about who Liu Xiaobo even was.
Last year, Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was locked in a prison camp and not permitted to accept his prize. The People’s Republic of China instead had a ceremony of its own, wherein the government awarded one of its own with a new prize and most Chinese were left in the dark about who Liu Xiaobo even was.
This year, China has been a bit more cautious. The case of Chen Guangcheng is complicated and worrisome, both for human rights and for the relationship between China and the United States. This delicate issue could be the impetus for a diplomatic disaster unless dealt with carefully.
It’s a good thing most of the work has already been done. If the United States can handle the rest of this quietly and if China can behave (and stop terrorizing Chen’s family), there just might be some hope that this could end well.
For those unfamiliar with the case, Chen Guangcheng is a Chinese activist. Most of his work is done in rural villages in China, defending women’s rights and fighting over-enforcement of the One Child Policy. It is perhaps worth noting that Chen himself has two children.
Most of the notoriety of the situation, however, comes from how China has handled Chen. Despite being blind since childhood, Chen, who was illiterate for much of his youth, studied acupuncture at college and, with his brother’s help, was self-taught in law.
It was his background in law, learned from his brother’s careful reading of legal texts to him, that eventually made Chen dangerous to China. In 2005, using his knowledge of Chinese law, Chen organized a class-action lawsuit against the city of Linyi for excessive enforcement of the One Child Policy. Immediately following this, Chen was placed under house arrest; he was formally arrested one year later, and, after being prohibited from legal counsel, he was sentenced to a little over four years in prison.
Even after his release, Chen was held under house arrest. Reports and video of the conditions of his arrest were released to the international community, and in response those holding him reportedly beat him and his family.
And then, Chen did something unbelievable.
Despite being blind and having 24-hour surveillance on his house, Chen managed to escape by climbing out a window, scaling a wall, hiding in a pig sty and being driven all the way to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Chen was able to escape from those holding him, but he still feared for his family. After a brief hospital visit and a very expedited visa processing, Chen, with his wife and children in tow, was able to fly to New York City earlier this month.
However, Chen’s concerns for his family were apparently warranted. Plainclothes officers looking for him after his escape broke into his brother’s home, where his nephew, acting in self defense, struck back with a knife, seriously injuring one of the officers. The nephew was taken into police custody.
Last week, Chen’s brother, Chen Guangfu, went missing from his home briefly. The news shook the village, as well as those following the case. Thankfully, it turned out that the man had simply gone to Beijing to advocate for his son, and he returned shortly thereafter.
Despite all this, there remains concern for Chen’s family and friends still in China. And unless two things happen, this issue could become the diplomatic issue of the decade.
First, China needs to back off. Especially considering that China was ranked between Syria and Iran for human rights violations this year, it would be in their favor to ease up on their political activists. Granted, the U.S. isn’t exactly the perfect role model for this (crackdowns on Occupy protesters, anyone?), but it’s at least a few steps up from what China’s got going on.
Second, the United States needs to come out with an official statement about Chen’s case and what it means for future activists seeking asylum in the United States. Originally, Chen did not ask for asylum; it was only sought after fear for his family exceeded fear for his own life.
Allowing Chen asylum in America could set a precedent for other activists China has abused. While these people certainly deserve protection in most cases, the strain that this could put on relations between the U.S. and China is significant. Considering how dependent the U.S. truly is on China, an official policy or statement needs to be issued.
Chen Guangcheng’s case is a complicated, tangled mess of politics and human rights. There are no easy answers for where to go from here, but for now, it is necessary to preserve U.S.-China relations and set guidelines for activists seeking asylum from China in the U.S. Every case is different, but not every case will get this much news coverage. Something should be said for those whose case isn’t as dramatic as a blind man escaping house arrest.
Perhaps it’s not as bad as the Liu Xiaobo fiasco yet, but both countries need to take care to ensure this doesn’t blow up in everyone’s faces. ■
