Craving Freedom

Today, I’m going to talk about the human rights in Mainland China.

Last month, a Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” He’s not the first Chinese winner of the Nobel Prize, but He’s the first mainland China resident. He is also the third person winning the Nobel Prize while incarcerated by their own governments.

Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in prison because he has insisted on the right to free expression. He has persevered in telling the truth about China and advocated a different social system. So, he has lost his personal freedom. Many foreigners and Chinese regard him as a hero, but Chinese government considers Liu a criminal.

“Freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly…” were written down in China's constitution. But in practice, these rights have never been respected by China’s authorities. Chinese Communist Party believes that if people own these rights they will undermine the Party’s domination. So, people can’t discuss democratic topics publicly or on the internet. If you do that, you will be in trouble. The government wants you to be afraid. They hope you to give up you rights which you deserve.

We know the Great Wall of China. Do you know there is another Great Wall in Chinese cyberspace, called Great Firewall of China. It’s a surveillance system. The government uses this software to monitor, block，delete information and websites. So，if you live in China, you want to visit Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Google and Wikipedia. No way！Sometimes you even can’t use Flicker.

More than these, the government has built a list of sensitive terms. What is a sensitive term? For example, names of Chinese leaders, freedom, democracy and Tiananmen Square movement, even Chinese Communist Party itself. If you search these words in China, you will find nothing.

The government will update the list. The newest sensitive terms are the Nobel Prize, Norway and Liu Xiaobo. Liu Xiaobo is the most sensitive term. They blocks searches for his name. If your articles include his name, you are not able to post it online successfully. It’s impossible to use a cellphone to send out any text messages mentioning "Liu Xiaobo". The government controls everything. “The big brother is watching you!”

Liu Xiaobo has been detained repeatedly since Tiananmen Square movement, 1989. He can choose to leave China and live a peaceful life，but he refused. He always fights for freedom. He never gives up. His courage and persistence touch our hearts. The most precious thing Liu Xiaobo brings to us is hope.

In my opinion, political reforms of China need to be pushed. A Chinese winning the prize is a new start. I believe truth, justice, and hope. I believe time will change everything. I believe “The Constitution was not designed to protect the thought we agree with but the thought that we hate”. I believe if you really care about something, first, you should speak out what you think. You can’t just stand by and keep quiet.

I like America because the important spirit of America is freedom and democracy. These values make America strong. Maybe after many years, China is still not a democratic country. But someday it will be. As we know, nothing can stop people craving freedom.