A bipartisan group of members of the US Congress recently proposed that the street in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington be renamed after Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), one of the authors of Charter 08 who was arrested and sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009.
The charter calls for reforms of China’s political system and restoration of human rights.
As expected, Beijing took offense at the proposal, with Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang (秦剛) calling it “provocative” and “ignorant.”
Chinese officials said Liu “has violated Chinese laws and has been convicted by Chinese judicial authorities.”
It is an unusual gesture to name a street after a foreigner.
Surely, any country would be pleased if the street in front of their overseas embassy is renamed after one of their own?
Besides, Liu was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, honoring him for “his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.”
He is supposed to be the pride of the Chinese, but why is the Beijing government being obnoxious when it should feel honored by the proposal?
The problem is with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) itself: The communist regime still sees the empowerment of Chinese as a threat.
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng (陳光誠) said at the event marking the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre: “The CCP regards China and Chinese as its property and utilizes them for its own good.”
In other words, the government only uses the law for its own purpose, which is to maintain communist power.
Liu has been fighting to restore human rights in China, so the CCP deems him a thorn in its flesh.
However, if Liu committed a criminal offense as the CCP says, why are there so many prestigious global bodies, such as the Nobel Prize, willing to honor him?
It is an irony, so to speak, that while the world applauds Liu’s work, the CPP jails him. Whereas the US would like to recognize him for what he has been striving to do, the CCP only cries out.
These two examples, the Nobel Prize and the renaming proposal, reflect Beijing’s failure to protect human rights.
The Chinese government should stop being paranoid and blaming others for its instability.
Whether the CCP can continue being in charge depends on how it treats its people — either as friends or enemies.
If China is really a country that respects human rights — as its government contends — it should welcome the proposal by US congressional members to rename the street, and Liu would now be free.
Beijing should realize that no matter how powerful it becomes economically, it cannot dictate international norms and infringe on the rights of other countries.
Instead of suppressing its citizens, it should realize that protecting citizens’ rights is a far better approach to solidify its rule.
Joyce Huang is an intern with the Formosan Association for Public Affairs in Washington.
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