Dissident’s Arrest Hints at Olympic Crackdown
The New York Times looks at the arrest of activist Hu Jia as a signal of what’s to come as the Olympics approach:
For human rights advocates and Chinese dissidents, Mr. Hu’s detention is the most telling example of what they describe as a broadening crackdown on dissent as Beijing prepares to play host to the Olympic Games in August. In recent months, several dissidents have been jailed, including a former factory worker in northeastern China who collected 10,000 signatures after posting an online petition titled “We Want Human Rights, Not the Olympics.”
“This is a coordinated cleansing campaign,” said Teng Biao, a legal expert who has known Mr. Hu since 2006. “All the troublemakers — including potential troublemakers — are being silenced before the Olympic Games.”
[Image of Hu Jia and his wife Zeng Jingyan, via the New York Times]
Origin: Jim Yardley, New York Times
