China dissident released after U.S. official's visit

[JayAtl]

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities released on Friday a prominent human rights lawyer, Teng Biao, whose detention had been denounced by a U.S. official the previous day.

"He is OK. He was released this afternoon," said Wang Ling, Teng's wife, in a brief telephone interview with Reuters.

It would be "inconvenient" to say any more, she said.

Teng was among the most prominent rights lawyers detained in a crackdown on dissent in February, and U.S. State Department official Michael Posner denounced his detention while he was in Beijing on Thursday for talks focused on human rights.

During his visit, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Posner told reporters after two days of talks that he had raised the Obama administration's "deep concerns" about the crackdown on dissidents and a deterioration of human rights in China.

"Teng Biao is a victim of an inexcusable detention, and his disappearance and random reappearance is indicative of the increasingly unlawful actions of Chinese law enforcement toward perceived sources of dissent," said Phelim Kine, Asia researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Kine said there was growing concern that the conditions of release for lawyers like Teng were to remain silent and cease their human rights services.

"If that is true, it would be a huge blow to the human rights fight which they have bravely been at the forefront of for the past several years," Kine said.

The latest U.S.-China dialogue on human rights came at a contentious time, after China has jailed, detained or placed in secretive informal custody dozens of dissidents, human rights lawyers and protesters it fears will challenge Communist Party rule.

Posner said he had warned China that the broader U.S.-China relationship could suffer as a result.

In February, overseas Chinese websites, inspired by the "Jasmine Revolution" of anti-authoritarian uprisings across the Arab world, called for protests across China, raising Beijing's alarm about dissent.

China's leaders have said that U.S. complaints about its human rights records amount to illegitimate meddling and China has become increasingly unyielding in the face of Western pressure. It points to the United States' own human rights controversies such as a high rates of incarceration.

Posner said he had also raised concerns about Ai Weiwei, an internationally recognized artist who faces a police investigation on suspected economic crimes.

Ai's family says that the accusations are an unfounded attempt to silence him, and that they have not heard from him since he was detained in early April.

The Obama administration may also discuss human rights next month at the annual Strategic and Economic in Washington D.C., when top-level Washington and Beijing officials will talk about economic ties, currency issues and international security.

 

[no_name]

"I see things a bit differently Harley. The key factor about all these "dissident" guys is that they have no natural constituency inside the PRC, they are not the leaders of a large grass roots movement and do not represent anyone but themselves.

The only relevance they have is abroad with the Western Media and "certain" agencies. To that end they are not a factor in domestic politics but rather pawns in international relations. They have been arrested, not because they have the capacity to lead significant dissent in the PRC, but because they have the capacity; in collusion with the Western Media, to create the illusion of such on Western TV and thus debase the value and therefore the desirability, of Chinese State Capitalism in the eyes of the Western Citizen. Free they can create mischief by being presented as "spokespeople" of the Chinese citizenry, but once removed from public view their is no image on TV and therefore no story. The detentions even of Ai Wei Wei have not registered in the public consciousness of the West, one jot!

Because the Chinese Government understand this, they have been able to turn the tables and use these people as pawns in their own game of International Relations.

Yes there have been negotiations between China and the US on the subject of "human rights" in the course of them, one dissident was released, but another arrested. What has it cost the PRC to release Teng Biao? well nothing!.... he is a Chinese citizen on Chinese soil and can be rearrested at a moments notice if desired.
What did it cost the US to get the CCP to agree his release? .......... that is the relevant question. Yes Teng is free, but the moment he tries to re-offend he will be re-arrested. As to the consequences of his freedom? there are none, as nobody in the West cared he was arrested and they care even less that he has been released.

The US has boxed itself into a hole. Nobody cares about these people and their social significance in China is zero. The West however has to care that these people are detained and hold themselves hostage to fortune by having to try and negotiate on their behalf. For the dissidents, they are slowly realising that they are not a vanguard bringing western values to China, but a sad group of naive fools that have condemned themselves to a repeating hell of a life of revolving prison doors and that rather than gaining concessions from Beijing they only serve as pawns for Beijing to win concessions from Washington.

Washington will of course tire of this game in due course and the prison doors will stop revolving. Many of the dissidents will of course find themselves on the wrong side of it! "

 

[Vassnti]

but a sad group of naive fools that have condemned themselves to a repeating hell of a life of revolving prison doors and that rather than gaining concessions from Beijing they only serve as pawns for Beijing to win concessions from Washington.

So cynical and so correct, the side you left out though are the people from washington that know the reality yet play the game for the kudos of " I freed a Chinese disident vote for me"

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

"I see things a bit differently Harley. The key factor about all these "dissident" guys is that they have no natural constituency inside the PRC, they are not the leaders of a large grass roots movement and do not represent anyone but themselves.

Exactly right.

Even here in Hong Kong, where we have a guaranteed right to free speech, I don't know even a SINGLE person who supports these "dissidents".

Nobody seems to be interested.

 

[applesauce]

So cynical and so correct, the side you left out though are the people from washington that know the reality yet play the game for the kudos of " I freed a Chinese disident vote for me"

whatever it takes to get (re)elected

 

[no_name]

So cynical and so correct, the side you left out though are the people from washington that know the reality yet play the game for the kudos of " I freed a Chinese disident vote for me"

That's true too.
btw I didn't wrote it, It's just repost.

 

[JayAtl]

I never seen a group of people act as sheep collective and yet be afraid of some guys words...chinese seem to say there are 100 dissents - yet this country of billion plus is afraid of " words" by these numbers?

 

[JayAtl]

Exactly right.

Even here in Hong Kong, where we have a guaranteed right to free speech, I don't know even a SINGLE person who supports these "dissidents".

Nobody seems to be interested.

you try so hard to convenience all of us how nobody pays attention to dissents , and you don't know of anyone who agrees w/ them " I don't know even a SINGLE person who supports these "dissidents", you procalim

Like a broken record you keep singing that mantra anytime such topics come up- but yet you ( in agreement) and the Chinese govt. are very quick to defame, jail, kidnap, torture or kill in many cases these very guys you claim you don't know anyone pays attention to. why the the disconnect here?

 

[gambit]

Exactly right.

Even here in Hong Kong, where we have a guaranteed right to free speech, I don't know even a SINGLE person who supports these "dissidents".

Nobody seems to be interested.

Then why is the Chinese government so afraid of these 'dissidents'?

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Then why is the Chinese government so afraid of these 'dissidents'?

Did you not read what was posted above, and quoted again?

But a sad group of naive fools that have condemned themselves to a repeating hell of a life of revolving prison doors and that rather than gaining concessions from Beijing they only serve as pawns for Beijing to win concessions from Washington.

I doubt such a small number of individuals poses an actual threat to the Chinese government, but it's a great way to get extra concessions out of the politicians in Washington.

 

[gambit]

Did you not read what was posted above, and quoted again?

I have my own question.

I doubt such a small number of individuals poses an actual threat to the Chinese government, but it's a great way to get extra concessions out of the politicians in Washington.

But Washington politicians do not rule China. Or unless there is something we do not know about China...

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

But Washington politicians do not rule China. Or unless there is something we do not know about China...

No, but Washington politicians can give us certain concessions.

For example, the US government recently refused to label China as a currency manipulator. Despite America's own soaring debt and deficit.

Thanks for that by the way.

 

[gambit]

No, but Washington politicians can give us certain concessions.

For example, the US government recently refused to label China as a currency manipulator. Despite America's soaring own debt and deficit.

Thanks for that by the way.

Then may be China should leave all 'dissidents' alone to gain more concessions? You know better than this weak argument you are putting forth.

 

[JayAtl]

No, but Washington politicians can give us certain concessions.

For example, the US government recently refused to label China as a currency manipulator. Despite America's own soaring debt and deficit.

Thanks for that by the way.

you sure live in a world of rose colored glasses... the old adage ' throw anything and hope something sticks " comes to mind.

Sen. Schumer revives threat of action on China yuan - Yahoo! News

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Then may be China should leave all 'dissidents' alone to gain more concessions? You know better than this weak argument you are putting forth.

I think you fundamentally misunderstand what is being said.

Besides, America keeps borrowing money from us, and increasing the trade deficit to us. We must be doing something right, that is making the politicians in Washington want to keep increasing it.