Sat 28 Apr 2012
China dissident Chen Guangcheng escapes detention
Posted by Canada / Pat (B/P editor) under Balkers
[9] Comments
If you reached this Balkingpoints.com article by external link, stop by the front page for an incredible satellite view of the earth in rotation!
It looks like an international incident is brewing between USA and China.
Chen Guangcheng is an agitator of the Chinese state, who has in the past been an advocate for peasants and the disabled, and more recently has challenged China’s forced sterilization policies. He had been under house arrest, but on last Sunday reportedly was able to evade guards and get out.
Then he put up a stunning clip on You Tube, in which he thumbs his nose at the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao! Here it is;
Chen seems to have timed his escape to the fact that Hillary Clinton is arriving next Thursday for a formal visit to China. He is rumored to be within the walls of the US Embassy in Beijing, but of course they will not confirm this. Here is a story from the point of view of his supporters who will expect him to be granted asylum by the United States.
Story Link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501712_162-57423707/group-blind-chinese-activist-under-us-protection
Twitter Stream:
What say you?
– Should US grant Chen asylum at expense of bi-lateral China relations?
Great job Pat. We’ll keep updating this as it unfolds – it is dramatic.
I have watched numerous defections over the years – used to happen with some regularity from the former Soviet Union. But this one is the most like a movie, a simply incredible story so far. To top it off, Chen is blind. But somehow got past the guards, got help and apparently a ride 300 miles to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Media reports today still say that his official whereabouts are unknown.
But he’s somewhere obviously, where he could make & upload that You Tube video in safety. Still no statement from the US State Dept or Whitehouse, which in itself is telling. If Chen were not under United
States protection (for now), Washington would say so.
My belief is that they are figuring out how much wiggle room if any, the Chinese power structure will yield on Chen. And how in hell to diffuse this before Thursday – when it will wreck the Clinton formal visit.
As I understand it, Chen has actually not asked for asylum, but rather some action from Premier Wen to alleviate brutality he and his family have faced under house arrest.
The problem of course is, there is no way he can trust any promise Beijing makes, that he returns on the faith of. It is too risky if and when, Beijing does not follow through. Chen and his family can only be made safe through defection to USA. (Or another nation of the free world of course, but he appears to have thrown himself into the lap of the United States)
There has not been a defection case this dramatic in recent decades. Unless Beijing can totally seal off news of it inside China, Chen is going to be a godfather of future dissident action – and it’s going to increase because of him.
Chinese censors block news on blind activist’s escape -
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/china-chen-internet/index.html
We predicted this not going well -
It is going awry on the U.S. They are now apparently being denied access to Chen, who may or may not still be hospitalized.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/US-Looking-to-Meet-Again-with-Chinese-Dissident-Chen-150059315.html
I have to say so far it appears that Chen’s wishes were honored – he wanted to stay in China – but then assurances the U.S. obtained when turning him over evaporated. No surprises there.
Now Chen is trying to take his decision back and wants asylum. The U.S. had that chip to play when he was still within the U.S. Embassy. Now, totally up to the largess of China to grant it. Totally in doubt.
To get it for Chen, Hillary Clinton will have to put it on the docket with the economic talks – not something they wanted to do. It is what it is at this point however – Chen made the escape, then wouldn’t follow through with exile – and Clinton has to spend some capital here to smooth waters with the dissident Chinese community, and avoid a stubbed toe for Obama during his re-election campaign.
As defection stories go, this one is a monster…
Crazy twists go on happening!
Updating today. They are now saying they think a deal is struck with the Chinese:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/04/china-usa-idUSL1E8G4NL520120504
Yesterday China allowed some Chen press coverage by it’s newspapers. They were scathing editorials faulting the U.S. – but still it amounts to mentions.
The fact that 4 editorials appeared, indicates the power structure is aware that some word is out on Chen. Otherwise – if they had an airtight lid on the story – there is no need to try to shape it and those editorials would never appear.
Most Chinese are aware that the WWW is limited for them by what the government allows. They don’t know what is being blocked, but they know censors are blocking some things. They know what they lack in speech and political freedoms. 2 + 2 tells them Chen sought U.S. protection from their government.
They are very likely also aware, that dissidents are shipped out of country on education visas and never come back. I believe the Chen incident will create some degree of intensification of future dissident actions, even as the government tries to miscast it.
Here is a good YouTube video that went up today, about the Chinese propaganda:
Then there is this story about some reprisals that may be going on of Chen’s family. But not really any new news about his attempt to come to the U.S.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-china-dissidentbre84a016-20120510,0,6801868.story
That last vid is just an astonishing glimpse into state China propaganda through the lens of what went wrong. The Beijing News even apologizing, for being ordered to mis-tell the situation. Incredible.
You’d have to dig deep into U.S. commercial media to find this. We have it.