Chinese families around the world will celebrate Chinese New Year starting Feb. 18 this year, which is traditionally observed for 15 days. This is a time for family reunions, similar to the American tradition of Thanksgiving. However, for some families, the holiday is a painful reminder of their loved ones who are imprisoned in China for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
One of those families belongs to Shi Tao, a 38-year-old poet and journalist. In 2004, he sent an e-mail to a U.S.-based Web site summarizing a government order directing media organizations in China to downplay the 15th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Using e-mail account holder information supplied by Yahoo!, the authorities sentenced Shi Tao to 10 years in prison on charges of “illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities.” While in prison, he is reportedly forced to labor under harsh conditions without access to medical care. Meanwhile, his family is being monitored and harassed.
No families should suffer from peacefully exercising basic human rights. China should blaze a new path in the New Year that protects human rights of its people, a path that includes the release of Shi Tao.
Meaghan Devlin
Beaverton, Oregon