By Rebecca Theodore


While many people in the international arena and the Caribbean continue to argue that human rights and democratic constitutional government in China are in principle the affairs of the Chinese people and government, the imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo inflames the socio-political reality of freedom of speech, proving that words are fatal in China and free speech is not the basic vehicle for communication of beliefs, thoughts and ideas.

The foul stench of the actions of the Chinese Communist party still smells upon the earth and the raging groans for justice of the poor souls of Tiananmen Square transcends international boundaries. In this respect, Mr Liu Xiaobo joins the philosophical canon of the company of Dr Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Aung Sang Suu Kyi and Carl von Ossietzky in the great loop of political prisoners and social reformers who advocated change through non-violent means. Hence, human rights in China are a part of global reality.

It must be seen that the colossal imprisonment of freedom of speech and human rights in China is not a Chinese bubble. It is a global bubble. The Nobel Peace Prize 2010 to Mr Liu Xiaobo exemplifies the sacred causes for all those unknown spirits that are seething for revenge, who fought for the fundamental fight of freedom and democracy not only at Tiananmen Square, but in the world at large.

Moreover, if it is acknowledged that a person or institution that fights for the essential rights of the public should get global support, then that of Mr Xiaobo typifies the long-standing pursuit of the ideals of freedom, equality, and justice, concealed behind a xenophobic curtain of oppression and censorship.

Therefore, the modus operandi should be the same for all those following the principle of truth and non violence everywhere. Now is the time for people of the Caribbean and the international world to support a human rights activist to save the elemental rights of the Chinese people. Now is a chance to fight for the glory of a common man in China who stands condemned simply for the sake of using words.

The myriad of issues facing free speech in a modern 21st century in China ushers in a global call for respect of human rights, freedom, democracy, and constitutional government as the imprisonment of Mr Xiaobo transcends semantics, and indicates that human rights are justifiable on the grounds of their instrumental value only when it serves the interest of a communist regime.

The concept that all human beings have certain rights simply by virtue of being human is illogical when applied to such a dilemma, because human rights in the case of the Chinese Communist Party is not conceived in a universalist and egalitarian fashion as it vividly shows what happens when a citizen stands up to a tyrannical dictatorship.

The fact that Caribbean countries like Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Jamaica, to name a few, and until recently the Bahamas, where China is now ‘the new boy on the bloc’ with China recently becoming a big player in the Bahamas economy; cites deep political mutual trust, win-win cooperation and strengthened friendship between the government of China and the people of the Caribbean.

Caribbean countries and leaders attach much importance to their relations with China and firmly believe in the development of bilateral ties, featuring friendly political relations and robust pragmatic cooperation. On the other hand, the Chinese government values its ties with Caribbean countries, cherishes the friendship of their people, is devoted to boosting their friendly co-operation of mutual benefits, manifests common interests in achieving sustainable development, promotes world multi-polarization and deals jointly with global challenges.

Given these facts, it is important that Caribbean states work together to advance the comprehensive and cooperative partnership featuring equality, freedom of speech, democracy and human rights in China. This is an opportune moment for Caribbean countries and leaders to call upon the Chinese government to make good on its “National Plan for Action on Human Rights,” and to end its unconstitutional practice of treating words as crimes.

At this historic juncture, the international community would also do well to invest the greater part of its concern and support on the side of the Chinese people and to concentrate its limited resources on supporting the strength of China’s civil society and nurturing its voices of reason; as the development of US-China relations is not only in the interest of both nations, but also in the interest of the world.

Although there are irritants in Sino-American relations, there are also many stabilizing factors, as it has been described by top leaders and academics as the world's most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century and would do much to speed China to its historical destiny as the true People’s Republic. Therefore, petitions to restore freedom to Mr Liu Xiaobo will not only free him personally, but will free us all from the monopoly of political control and the chains of ideologies that we are each subjected to in our daily lives.

It follows that if freedom of speech is the sine qua non of liberty, then treating words as crimes, trampling on human rights, and violating the rule of law must be expressed with strong condemnation. In this light, the plight of women in our modern Caribbean and western societies also illumines the dark dungeons of freedom and human rights, as women make great personal sacrifices in their courageous struggle for the cause of advancing civilization and its needs.

The misogynous veil that shrouds intellectual thinking makes it impossible for them to be informed and exercise their right of political supervision, thereby imprisoning their quest to seek justice and defend human rights in areas of academic freedom, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. While women make significant contributions to the promotion of human rights in the Caribbean and the world at large, their efforts are often overlooked. Their cries for the implementation of political, social, legal and academic reforms echo in the void.

It cannot be doubted that the rule of law must be respected, but there are times when free speech must be morally justified for the benefit of political and social stability. The build-up of mental prisons and concentration camps in China, liberation of women voices, and freedom for Mr Liu Xiaobo appears to be precisely one of those times.

October 20, 2010

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