[Printer Friendly Version]   [How to E-mail This Article to A Friend]

AROUND THE WORLD 3: Top Prisoner in China Released

On March 4, 2004, the People’s Republic of China released a man who was once on the government’s “most wanted” list. Wang Youcai, who is 37, was sent to the San Francisco on medical parole after doctors diagnosed him with a heart condition. Although he was an important prisoner, Youcai was released after serving only half his 11-year prison term and will probably never return to China as long as it remains a communist government. Some people are asking: Why did China let him go?

On all sides, people seem to agree that China is trying to change its image. It is one of only four countries the CIA classifies as “communist”; the other three are Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam (and many people consider North Korea a communist state). The U.S. has always had a complex, back-and-forth relationship with China, recognizing the importance of Asian business but also keeping in mind China’s history of human rights violations. Most recently, President Bush said he might support a United Nations (UN) resolution later this month that would criticize China for their human rights record. Maybe more importantly, the UN soon decides if it will lift an “arms embargo” (a type of international ban on weapons) that has been in place for almost fifteen years.

The release of Youcai seems to be a response to this possibility. Youcai was a student back in the famous Tiananmen Square demonstrations of 1989. Tiananmen is one of the largest open public squares anywhere, and sits right in the middle of Beijing, which happens to be China’s capital. Students gathered there in 1989 to protest for democracy, and hundreds were killed because of the government’s violent reaction. Years after Tiananmen, around 1998, Youcai tried to start up the China Democracy Party, and was promptly arrested.

At least 25 more former members of the China Democracy Party remain in prison. However, Youcai’s release comes in the same week as many other interesting events. China’s government released a well-known Muslim activist and a Tibetan nun who had spent 15 years behind bars. A friend of Youcai’s, who was released back in 2002, was glad but skeptical. “This does not mean China’s human rights situation is improving,” he said. Instead, he is worried China is just using people like bargaining chips, trying to get what they want from the United States and the rest of the world without really changing the way the government operates. (The Washington Post)

--Written by Kari Elassal

Write your own story telling us what you think about this article!

Read AROUND THE WORLD 4: Attacks in Iraq and Pakistan