Cao Haibo
China Continues Crackdown on Dissent
November 01, 2012
China Continues Crackdown on Dissent
China continued its latest crackdown on dissent Thursday by sentencing a man to eight years in prison for advocating constitutional democracy and criticizing the ruling Communist Party.
The lawyer for Cao Haibo, 27, says his client was sentenced for "subversion of state power" at a secret court hearing in the southwestern city of Kunming. He says Cao, who worked at an Internet cafe, posted pro-democracy articles on a popular online messaging service.
Beijing authorities have carried out a campaign to silence critics in the lead-up to the once-a-decade power handover, which begins next Thursday with the 18th Party Congress.
Rights groups say prominent dissidents have been placed under house arrest or given other severe restrictions, while the capital of Beijing is in a state of virtual lockdown as the date of the meeting gets closer.
Police arrested Cao in October 2011, just three months after he married. His wife, Zhang Nian, told reporters that she was shocked at the severity of the sentence, adding that she did not know whether he would appeal.
Subversion of power is a vaguely defined charge that is often used to silence critics of the Communist Party. Those who face subversion, or the lesser charge of inciting subversion, are rarely acquitted by Party-controlled courts.
In February, a court sentenced democracy activist Zhu Yufu to seven years in prison for "inciting subversion" by posting a poem calling for mass protests like those that have recently swept North Africa and the Middle East.
The lawyer for Cao Haibo, 27, says his client was sentenced for "subversion of state power" at a secret court hearing in the southwestern city of Kunming. He says Cao, who worked at an Internet cafe, posted pro-democracy articles on a popular online messaging service.
Beijing authorities have carried out a campaign to silence critics in the lead-up to the once-a-decade power handover, which begins next Thursday with the 18th Party Congress.
Rights groups say prominent dissidents have been placed under house arrest or given other severe restrictions, while the capital of Beijing is in a state of virtual lockdown as the date of the meeting gets closer.
Police arrested Cao in October 2011, just three months after he married. His wife, Zhang Nian, told reporters that she was shocked at the severity of the sentence, adding that she did not know whether he would appeal.
Subversion of power is a vaguely defined charge that is often used to silence critics of the Communist Party. Those who face subversion, or the lesser charge of inciting subversion, are rarely acquitted by Party-controlled courts.
In February, a court sentenced democracy activist Zhu Yufu to seven years in prison for "inciting subversion" by posting a poem calling for mass protests like those that have recently swept North Africa and the Middle East.
On November 6, 2012, "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" held a rally at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, USA protesting the 8-year prison sentence for Cao Haibo, a young man in Kunming, Yunnan Province who was imprisoned for advocating constitutional democracy and freedom of speech in China.
2012年11月6日，中国公民自由联盟在美国纽约总领馆外举行了集会，抗议中国云南省的法院将曹海波判处8年有期徒刑。
2012年11月6日，中国公民自由联盟在美国纽约总领馆外举行了集会，抗议中国云南省的法院将曹海波判处8年有期徒刑。
Cao was the owner of a internet cafe in Kunming, China. He posted articles on the internet promoting democracy, freedom of speech in China. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison on October 31, 2012. His family was not notified of the hearing and received notice of Cao's imprisonment by telephone from the court.
曹海波是昆明的一个年轻人，在昆明开了一个网吧，他在网上张贴文章宣传民主和自由，结果被判刑。他在2012年的10月31日被秘密判刑，其后，他的家人只是在电话上被告知曹海波被判刑。
At the rally, members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" spoke out in protest of Cao's prison sentence and demanded that Cao be released from prison immediately.
在集会上，公民自由联盟的成员们纷纷发言，抗议将曹海波判刑，要求立即释放曹海波，还他人身自由。
在集会上，公民自由联盟的成员们纷纷发言，抗议将曹海波判刑，要求立即释放曹海波，还他人身自由。
Jiang Hao of the "Initiatives for China" also attended today's rally. He said at the rally that the Chinese government should give freedom back to Cao Haibo, and let him be reunited with his family. He said that what Cao Haibo did was the exercise of his citizen's rights to freedom of speech, and he is not guilty of any crimes by posting pro-democracy articles on the internet.
“公民力量”代表江浩也参加了今天的集会。他在会上说，中国政府应当立即释放曹海波，让他和家人团聚。他说，曹海波的行为只是他在实践宪法规定的公民言论自由的权利，他在网上张贴宣传民主的文章，没有犯任何罪。
“公民力量”代表江浩也参加了今天的集会。他在会上说，中国政府应当立即释放曹海波，让他和家人团聚。他说，曹海波的行为只是他在实践宪法规定的公民言论自由的权利，他在网上张贴宣传民主的文章，没有犯任何罪。
Members of "Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights" attending today's rally include: Shen Xuehua, Cui Yuhua, Jin Lianji, Jiang Jiongri, Dong Zhenghu, Jiang Jiantian, Lin Rong, Xiong Liangfeng, Jiang Kaixiong, Jiang Hao, Yu Jie, Piao Ri, Shen Zhenan, Xuan Longyan.
参加今天集会的“公民自由联盟”的成员有：申雪花，崔玉花，金连姬，姜炯日，董正虎，江鉴天，林榕，熊良丰， 蒋开雄，江浩，于捷，朴日，沈哲男，玄龙岩。
参加今天集会的“公民自由联盟”的成员有：申雪花，崔玉花，金连姬，姜炯日，董正虎，江鉴天，林榕，熊良丰， 蒋开雄，江浩，于捷，朴日，沈哲男，玄龙岩。
没有评论:
发表评论