A chara, - I would like to respond to John F. Fallon's letter of July 12th, regarding human rights in China. Mr Fallon states the following: "For all Chinese who keep out of political trouble, life is no longer rigidly controlled or narrowly circumscribed."
Indeed. I would sincerely appreciate it if Mr. Fallon could enlighten me as to what he defines by "political trouble" in this regard. Was the student demonstration in Tiananmen Square in 1989 deemed "political trouble"? Does membership of the Falun Gong engender "political trouble" on a grand scale?. The Chinese government obviously deemed so.
Mr Fallon is correct in the cold brutal logic whereby those Chinese who do not engage in criticism of the system will remain unrepressed. He also asserts that "the reason for China's recent outstanding economic success was to make economic reform take precedence over political reform." Once more I would agree that this is quite plausible, but is this right? Mr Fallon seems to believe it is.
Is it better to enrich China economically before addressing human rights abuses, or religious and political oppression? Is financial gain more important than the lives of courageous Chinese citizens peacefully voicing a desire to change an oppressive system, or even to merely practise their religion?
The reality is that the students in Tiananmen square in 1989 and subsequent Chinese opponents of the system deemed that the prize of an accountable and free China was much more valuable than the life of submission which Mr. Fallon advocates.
I admire them for that, even though it did cost many young lives. - Is mise.
Eric Crean, Togher, Co Cork.