Taiwan president calls for the release of dissidents in China

[News_Editor]

Taiwan president calls for the release of dissidents in China

2011-06-04 11:33:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

TAIPEI (BNO NEWS) -- Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday urged China to release political dissidents in a statement on the 22nd anniversary of the military crackdown on protesters at Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Ma said in the statement marking the anniversary of the killing of student protesters on June 4, 1989, that releasing political dissidents would improve the international image of China. He added that the first step toward political reform is appreciating dissidents and treating them with leniency.

"As we look back upon the June 4th Incident," Ma said, "we urgently hope the mainland Chinese authorities will have the courage to undertake political reforms and promote the development of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law."

Ma said mainland China's economy has been growing rapidly for more than 20 years and surpassed Japan last year to become the second largest economy in the world. But he said that its record in the areas of democracy and human rights "stands in stark contrast."

"The ongoing failure of the mainland authorities to redress the wrongs of the June 4th Incident, and the detention of such dissidents as Liu Xiaobo and Ai Weiwei on account of their public pronouncements, impede the mainland's integration into the international community, and make it difficult for the country to emerge as a leader on the international stage," Ma added.

Last week, hundreds of pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong demanded justice for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

The Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the organizers of the march, said the arrest of prominent activists on the mainland, such as artist Ai Weiwei, had encouraged people to take part in the march this year. The protesters demanded the release of activists, writers and lawyers who have been detained in China in recent months.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-04

[Latindancer]

Whenever I think about the communist Chinese mentality I just about vomit. There's something so utterly arrogant and self-righteous about those in power; much more so than other countries.

What is it about them exactly ? It's hard for me to put a finger on........ how would one best describe them ? Self-righteous psychopaths ?

I only managed to read a little of Jung Chang's book "Wild Swans"....it was too upsetting. Apparently her book on Mao is just as unsettling.

Edited June 4, 2011 by Latindancer