The Chinese want change, and they want change to include freedom.
China’s democracy movement has moved in fits and starts since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. But a manifesto issued this week marks a brave new chapter in the fight for political freedom.
More than 400 Chinese citizens living inside China published “Charter 08” on the Internet. The document calls for a new constitution to establish multiparty democracy and includes a scathing account of Communist rule. It describes its ambition for a political system in which the military, courts, schools and churches are accountable to the constitution rather than to a political party.
Pursuit of happiness. Charter 08 says of Chinese totalitarian Communism:
“Our political system continues to produce human rights disasters and social crises. … [A]s the ruling elite continues with impunity to crush and to strip away the rights of citizens to freedom, to property, and to the pursuit of happiness, we see the powerless in our society . . . becoming more militant and raising the possibility of a violent conflict of disastrous proportions. The decline of the current system has reached the point where change is no longer optional.”
Democracy in China would not only be more responsive and more fun; it would be a giant leap toward a future of peace.
Frank Warner
Update: Comment by George: “Ooh, it looks like we have 400 new organ donors!”
Inspiration from Czech Charter 77?
If history repeat itself, in 12 years they may get it. There is no external pressure (Reagan), but there may be enough internal cracks (economy for the most part) to break the current authoritarian system down in that time frame.
Meanwhile, these courageous people will probably have to endure prison and internment in mental health facilities.
Posted by: twobyfour | December 12, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Ooh, it looks like we have 400 new organ donors!
Posted by: George | December 12, 2008 at 11:12 PM
George, they will probably stay alive as long as the outside world knows their names and makes a fuss about them.
Posted by: jj mollo | December 12, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Ha!
Posted by: Frank Warner | December 13, 2008 at 03:16 AM