The New York Times recently ran an op-ed piece by Chen Min，a former editorial writer for Southern Weekend and a former managing editor of China Reform magazine, titled, Why China Won't Listen. The author argues that China's Communist leaders don't like to be confronted regarding their human rights abuses and that public pressure only makes the leadership less cooperative. Chen Min requested Americans to "... please be a bit more considerate, a bit more flexible, and a bit more tactful about our leaders’ mind-set." The arguments are straight out of the CCP playbook, and one wonders what the editors at the New York Times are thinking when they run articles like this. This is the second silly commentary to be run by the newspaper this month. The previous one was titled To Save Our Economy, Ditch Taiwan and called for the US to sacrifice Taiwan in exchange for China writing off US debt. My rebuttal of the Chen Min argument follows:
I strongly disagree with Chen Min's argument. The author says that Chinese authorities know they’re bad boys, but they don’t want anyone to bring this up because it would undermine their authority. What undermines the CCP is that it doesn’t respect rule of law or basic human rights. It’s not because foreign countries pressures China. The writer has turned the logic upside down.
Hitler, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi, just to give a few examples, didn’t want to look bad either. The American government doesn’t like anyone pointing out abuses in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Does anyone in the world say we shouldn't talk about such excesses? “Well, America is a superpower. Let’s not embarrass Washington." No.
I don't know why people think the CCP is a special case and that we have to walk around like on eggshells in dealing with its disregard of its own Constitution and disrespect for rule of law. The CCP thought such abuses were worth exposing under the KMT, but once it got into power, that was all forgotten. So it was valid to demand the protection of basic rights in the 1930s and 1940s, but not in the 21st Century?
Chen Min says that if low level officials were “held accountable for strictly following the law in all cases, most would probably lose their jobs, bringing the state apparatus to a halt”? Is local government so bad after 62 years of CCP rule? Doesn’t that indicate a huge failure on the part of the CCP? Also, not only does the central government turn a blind eye to such things; in many cases it’s directly responsible for what happens.
Is it foreign meddling if a Chinese person is being mistreated, and a foreigner criticizes the CCP? It seems we only hear this argument when it comes to China. I’ve been reporting on human rights abuses in Taiwan and the mainland for more than 25 years. Not one of the victims I've spoken to ever once complained about foreign meddling.
We’re supposed to be concerned about Hilary Clinton’s statements on behalf of Chen Guangcheng, a blind lawyer who spent three years in jail on trumped-up charges, and who after his release has had police living in his house, occasionally beating him and his wife and for a while preventing their 6-year-old daughter from going to school? We’re supposed to worry that the CCP sees this as an “intolerable slap in the face”? Chen MIn seems to think the CCP is the victim here.
Of course the CCP feels dialogue belongs behind closed doors. That way they don’t feel embarrassed by their crimes, and they can just ignore foreign concerns. People involved in diplomatic dialogue with China on human rights say the Chinese flaunt closed door efforts. Look at the EU comments on Wikileaks about the EU's deep frustration dealing behind doors with the Chinese officials on human rights.
Most important, this is not a question of bowing to American pressure. The pressure comes from all countries and people who respect human rights. I’ve spoken to human rights officers from several foreign embassies in China and they are all deeply concerned about the welfare of people who have been the target of state abuses. It’s not America against China, but right against wrong. It’s not that anyone is clueless about the Chinese government’s mindset. It’s that the mindset is intolerable.
Chen Min says “please be a bit more considerate .... a bit more tactful about our leaders’ mind-set.” Considerate? Tactful? How about outraged?
While quiet diplomacy was being used in the case of Gao Zhisheng, he was being tortured for more than 50 days. His family was harassed, his wife and 12-year-old daughter were roughed up by police, forcing the family to make a harrowing escape from China. When the foreign media and governments made a fuss after he was missing for a year, they reproduced him. When things quieted down, they disappeared him again. Not a single word about Gao since April of 2010, despite the fact that quiet diplomacy is working for his release. Likewise with Ni Yulan, a female lawyer who was crippled during police torture, and who is heading for her third jail term, despite quiet efforts on her behalf (Darkness at Noon).
And Chen Min is arguing for consideration and tactfulness?