Hu Jia's Release Raises Important Questions for Other Nations

Hu Jia, an outspoken Chinese dissident, was released Sunday after serving three-and-a-half years for the crime of "inciting subversion of state."  Mr. Hu suffers from cirrhosis, and, although his wife Zeng Jinyan was happy he was free, she expressed some concerns about the state of his health to her mother.  Mr. Hu is pictured above left.  The photo on the right shows plainclothes police outside of Hu's home, preventing journalists from interviewing Hu or his wife.  The Chinese government has kept Ms. Zeng under contstant suveillance, since her husband's imprisonment.  "A picture is worth a thousand words."

The United States, as an active trading partner with China, must not remain silent on the human rights abuses that occur there.  Americans have dealt with toxic drywall, contaminated children's toys, and poorly assembled clothing in the cause of maintainging good relations with China.  We face a conundrum that must be handled with diplomancy, but it must be done quickly.  A nation that pridees itself on freedom of speech has an obligation to stand up for the rights of those in other nations whose voices are silenced.

The European Parliament awarded Mr. Hu the Sakharov Prize, the EU's top human rights award, in December 2008.  He couldn't accept the prize in person because he was incarcerated at the time.  Accoriding to BBC news, China's Premier, Wen Jiabao, just happens to be touring Europe at present, giving the Europeans an opportunity to raise the human rights issue face-to-face.  German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has announced that he will address the topic Monday when the Chinese delegation arrives in Berlin.  He plans to emphasize the importance Germany places on "freedom of expression, median freedoms, and human rights."

As part of a global community, the United States has an opportunity to stand with its allies, not on the battlefront, but on the platform of human rights for everyone on the planet.  In the age of blatant meism, we must recognize that a threat to one person's freedom poses a threat to our own.  Bigger does not necessarily mean better.  Sometimes size is measured in the depth of commitment to a principle.  Words have more power than bullets to change the world.  Gandhi proved that decades ago.