You know. When I felt quite annoyed in the recent BBC panel because "Free speech is a huge issue because people go to jail for saying what they think," and one or two of the other panelists seemed to not quite get it. L.e.t. m.e. s.p.e.l.l. i.t. o.u.t. t.o. y.o.u.
China: Amnesty International fears for missing hunger-strike activists
Several Chinese activists who have supported or participated in a
series of protest hunger-strikes since 4 February have been arrested or
gone missing. Amnesty International calls on the authorities to clarify
their exact whereabouts, guarantee their safety and free them unless
they are charged with a recognizably criminal offense.”
The relay hunger-strike protest was started by prominent defense lawyer
Gao Zhisheng, who wished to draw attention to recent beatings and
detentions of human rights activists and lawyers who sought to defend
them. Gao began by fasting for 48 hours and was quickly joined by
others wishing to show their solidarity, who took turns in fasting.
Some sources have suggested that the hunger strikers aim to carry on
their protest until the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, by having a series of individuals and groups participating in turn. More
Story on a Chinese Blogger who talks about politics (his site’s been taken down of course.)
Washington Post has an excerpt on why it was:
Tuesday, February 21, 2006; Page A11
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A country is great because it still has a
group of people unwilling to give up the ideals of the nation, and
willing to lay foundations, make sacrifices and devote themselves to
it. Today, we study Washington politics, New York economics and
California culture because we have a firm hope for our own people —
someday our children living in Nanjing, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei
will enjoy lives of freedom, democracy, prosperity and peace. We
Chinese ourselves must struggle for all of this, because only we can
fully understand our joys and sorrows.
Bishop Zen’s been named Cardinal squashing all the rumours that the Catholic Church isn’t behind him for his pro-democracy beliefs.
"VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict named 15 new cardinals on
Wednesday, including his predecessor’s long-time secretary and a Hong
Kong bishop, as he put his first stamp on the body of men who will one
day elect his successor."
Matt Pearce from International Actions’s trial continues
"A British resident of Hong Kong pleaded innocent Monday to causing a
public nuisance by dressing up as Spider Man and scaling a giant TV
screen to protest Beijing’s bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy
demonstrators in Tiananmen Square." more
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 
yan,
and you wonder why i’m worried for your safety. it doesn’t matter if you’re in hk or guangdong. keep up the good fight and take precautions.
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Thanks…… but really I am just not that worried. For one no matter how convicted my political leanings are. I really can’t see myself giving up food.
(I hope you laughed and didn’t get completely offended. After this long of reading about it all the time, I just have to make a joke of it once in a while.)
Yan
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Yay, good for the bish – now cardinal!
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