China, Democracy, and the Legitimacy of State Power

China Digital Times is a bilingual website that regularly covers news from China that has been censored or blocked by the government, including information about the prosecution of democracy activists.

One such case involved Lu Gengsong of the China Democracy Party, who was sentenced to eleven years in prison for "subversion of state power" on the basis of his pro-democracy essays.  China Digital Times described the case as follows:

Writer and activist Lü Gengsong (吕耿松), a longtime advocate for the banned China Democracy Party, was detained in July of 2014. He was formally arrested a month later for “subversion of state power,” which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A Hangzhou court found him guilty in September of 2015 for publishing essays critical of the CCP and in support of democracy on overseas websites, sentencing him to 11 years in prison last June. Lü appealed the verdict, which was upheld in a second hearing last month. His lawyer Yan Xin (燕薪) was disallowed from attending the appeal hearing, but did submit a letter to the appellate court.

CDT translated and published Yan Xin's letter to the court, which argued eloquently in favor of freedom of expression, and free elections.  Here is a sample,

Without multiparty competition, there can be no democratic elections. Without a real opposition party, there can be no legitimate political power. Simple and clear principles like these which have led the China Democracy Party forward through adversity, tireless in the face of overwhelming force, not folding under pressure and not fearing prison. Altogether, they have been sentenced to more than a thousand years of jail time, becoming an inspiring and tragic chapter in the history of Chinese political parties. With an unprecedented degree of courage, they provide an exceedingly moving sacrifice to clear the way for the emergence of party politics in China. In both the mission they have set out for themselves, and the burden they bear, they exist apart from average citizens, providing encouragement and inspiration for others. Together, they have carried the torch of democratic constitutional government to every corner of the land!

You can read the entire letter here.

Comments

[Patrick S. O'Donnell]

(China's yet another reminder that there is no intrinsic connection between capitalism and democratic institutions, methods, and processes.)

[Doug L]

Now you know why I got into it with Rick Hills the China cheerleader at NYU Shanghai:

http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblawg/2017/02/two-cheers-for-corruption-avoiding-sino-american-conflict-with-conflicts-of-interest.html

[Deep State Special Legal Counsel]

Next up, United States.

[Steve Diamond]

Doug,

As I did here: http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblawg/2015/03/is-it-legitimate-for-an-academic-institution-or-individual-to-compromise-academic-freedom-in-order-to-gain-access-to-a-popula.html#comments
and here: http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblawg/2015/03/-nyus-fight-against-isolationism-in-shanghai-the-analogy-to-iran.html

Berkeley had a working relationship with a labor education center in China that was recently shut down. When western NGOs threaten CCP power they get trampled. "Constructive Engagement" has been a myth.