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| Chen Guangcheng: 'When people overcome fear, change is inevitable' | Chen Guangcheng: 'When people overcome fear, change is inevitable' |
| (8 days later) | |
| Chen Guangcheng has earned his stripes. Blinded by fever as an infant, the 40-year-old self-taught lawyer has been jailed for fighting forced abortions, confined to his home by thugs, intimidated, beaten and starved. He escaped from extralegal house arrest this spring and found refuge at the US embassy in Beijing. | Chen Guangcheng has earned his stripes. Blinded by fever as an infant, the 40-year-old self-taught lawyer has been jailed for fighting forced abortions, confined to his home by thugs, intimidated, beaten and starved. He escaped from extralegal house arrest this spring and found refuge at the US embassy in Beijing. |
| His present couldn't be much different from his past. Since arriving in Manhattan in May, he has lived with his wife and two children in a three-bedroom apartment near New York University, where he studies law on a fellowship. | His present couldn't be much different from his past. Since arriving in Manhattan in May, he has lived with his wife and two children in a three-bedroom apartment near New York University, where he studies law on a fellowship. |
| In New York, Chen has become a potent symbol of resilience and empowerment – the triumph of a dogged individual over a corrupt, oppressive state – and he plays the part with gusto. | In New York, Chen has become a potent symbol of resilience and empowerment – the triumph of a dogged individual over a corrupt, oppressive state – and he plays the part with gusto. |
| "Chinese people have realised that the dictatorial regime is a source of social injustice – everyone knows this now," he said in a phone interview this week. People are gradually overcoming their fear. And when the number of people who have overcome their fear has reached a certain threshold, change is inevitable." | "Chinese people have realised that the dictatorial regime is a source of social injustice – everyone knows this now," he said in a phone interview this week. People are gradually overcoming their fear. And when the number of people who have overcome their fear has reached a certain threshold, change is inevitable." |
| But how will things change, exactly? And when? Chen isn't sure. The proliferation of microblogs in China now allows information to travel faster than censors can contain it, and a once-in-a-decade leadership transition last month brought vague hopes of political reform. | But how will things change, exactly? And when? Chen isn't sure. The proliferation of microblogs in China now allows information to travel faster than censors can contain it, and a once-in-a-decade leadership transition last month brought vague hopes of political reform. |
| Yet Chen's situation also brings the country's systemic injustices into sharp relief. | Yet Chen's situation also brings the country's systemic injustices into sharp relief. |
| The ruling Communist party still controls the media and the courts; its officials act with shocking impunity. Chen may never be allowed back into the country, though no laws dictate that he must remain abroad. | The ruling Communist party still controls the media and the courts; its officials act with shocking impunity. Chen may never be allowed back into the country, though no laws dictate that he must remain abroad. |
| Furthermore, his acrimonious relationship with authorities in his coastal Shandong province hometown is far from over. Linyi City authorities have imprisoned his 33-year-old nephew Chen Kegui for defending himself against stick-wielding officials and security agents on the night of Chen's escape. | Furthermore, his acrimonious relationship with authorities in his coastal Shandong province hometown is far from over. Linyi City authorities have imprisoned his 33-year-old nephew Chen Kegui for defending himself against stick-wielding officials and security agents on the night of Chen's escape. |
| They broke down his door and wrecked his furniture; he lashed at them with a knife, injuring three. Chen believes the case is retaliatory, but remains unbowed. "Intimidation and threats cannot alter our rules of conduct," he said. "The Communist party rulers are wrong if they think that imprisoning Chen Kegui will curtail my speech." | They broke down his door and wrecked his furniture; he lashed at them with a knife, injuring three. Chen believes the case is retaliatory, but remains unbowed. "Intimidation and threats cannot alter our rules of conduct," he said. "The Communist party rulers are wrong if they think that imprisoning Chen Kegui will curtail my speech." |
| Last month, the people's court of Yinan county sentenced Chen Kegui to three years in prison for "intent to injury", drawing harsh criticism from the Obama administration and scores of international rights groups. | Last month, the people's court of Yinan county sentenced Chen Kegui to three years in prison for "intent to injury", drawing harsh criticism from the Obama administration and scores of international rights groups. |
| The court barred Chen's nephew from appointing his own lawyers. It gave his parents four hours' notice of the trial, and then forbade them from attending. "A few days ago, the spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, Hong Lei, said shamelessly that China is a country ruled by law," said Chen. "But how can a law-governed state allow party leaders to conduct illegal activities in its citizens' houses?" | The court barred Chen's nephew from appointing his own lawyers. It gave his parents four hours' notice of the trial, and then forbade them from attending. "A few days ago, the spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, Hong Lei, said shamelessly that China is a country ruled by law," said Chen. "But how can a law-governed state allow party leaders to conduct illegal activities in its citizens' houses?" |
| Chen grew up in impoverished Dongshigu village in Linyi city and began elementary school when he was 17. He audited law classes while studying acupuncture and massage in Nanjing (in China, blind people have limited career options). | Chen grew up in impoverished Dongshigu village in Linyi city and began elementary school when he was 17. He audited law classes while studying acupuncture and massage in Nanjing (in China, blind people have limited career options). |
| In 2005, he filed a class-action lawsuit against Linyi authorities for their brutal enforcement of the one-child policy, which included forced sterilisations and late-term abortions. | In 2005, he filed a class-action lawsuit against Linyi authorities for their brutal enforcement of the one-child policy, which included forced sterilisations and late-term abortions. |
| The authorities fought back. The following summer, they sentenced Chen to four years in prison for "disrupting traffic and damaging public property". | The authorities fought back. The following summer, they sentenced Chen to four years in prison for "disrupting traffic and damaging public property". |
| After his release in 2010, security agents confined him to his home. They covered his windows with sheet metal, beat him, cut his electricity, deprived his family of food, even confiscated his six-year-old daughter's toys. | After his release in 2010, security agents confined him to his home. They covered his windows with sheet metal, beat him, cut his electricity, deprived his family of food, even confiscated his six-year-old daughter's toys. |
| A stream of human rights activists and journalists attempted to visit Chen in confinement, but guards stopped them at the village entrance. Some were beaten, others robbed. Yet as word of Chen's condition spread on the country's popular microblogs, the stream turned into a river. The Batman actor Christian Bale drove to Dongshigu with a CNN crew while in China for a film premiere, but was physically assaulted and turned away. | A stream of human rights activists and journalists attempted to visit Chen in confinement, but guards stopped them at the village entrance. Some were beaten, others robbed. Yet as word of Chen's condition spread on the country's popular microblogs, the stream turned into a river. The Batman actor Christian Bale drove to Dongshigu with a CNN crew while in China for a film premiere, but was physically assaulted and turned away. |
| Chen escaped once in April, while guards thought he was sleeping. He broke his foot climbing over the wall surrounding his home, stumbled through the forest and met up with a fellow activist on a nearby road. | Chen escaped once in April, while guards thought he was sleeping. He broke his foot climbing over the wall surrounding his home, stumbled through the forest and met up with a fellow activist on a nearby road. |
| She drove him to Beijing, his minders in hot pursuit, but he found sanctuary at the US embassy. After days of high-stakes negotiations between American diplomats (including the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton) and China's foreign ministry, the Chinese government granted Chen a passport. Within hours, he was on a plane. | She drove him to Beijing, his minders in hot pursuit, but he found sanctuary at the US embassy. After days of high-stakes negotiations between American diplomats (including the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton) and China's foreign ministry, the Chinese government granted Chen a passport. Within hours, he was on a plane. |
| Despite the language barrier, Chen is slowly adapting to American life. He studies English for four hours each week in between classes on the declaration of independence, the United States constitution and criminal procedure law. | Despite the language barrier, Chen is slowly adapting to American life. He studies English for four hours each week in between classes on the declaration of independence, the United States constitution and criminal procedure law. |
| Every morning before breakfast, he listens to the news. He's sceptical about newly appointed party secretary Xi Jinping's promises to crack down on corruption. "Every ruler talks about reforms after getting into power," he said. "What they say does not count. The only thing that counts is what they actually do." | Every morning before breakfast, he listens to the news. He's sceptical about newly appointed party secretary Xi Jinping's promises to crack down on corruption. "Every ruler talks about reforms after getting into power," he said. "What they say does not count. The only thing that counts is what they actually do." |
| Chen expressed admiration for Zhai Xiaobin, a blogger who was arrested last month for posting a sensitive joke to Twitter, and immense gratitude to western media, Bale, and the scores of "netizens" who tried to visit him while he was under house arrest. | Chen expressed admiration for Zhai Xiaobin, a blogger who was arrested last month for posting a sensitive joke to Twitter, and immense gratitude to western media, Bale, and the scores of "netizens" who tried to visit him while he was under house arrest. |
| "Despite the humiliations, they continued to visit the place again and again, until they had exposed this problem to the whole country and the whole world," he said. "This perfectly illustrates the kindness in the Chinese ethos. No matter how many thugs humiliate and torture people, this kindness will never disappear." | "Despite the humiliations, they continued to visit the place again and again, until they had exposed this problem to the whole country and the whole world," he said. "This perfectly illustrates the kindness in the Chinese ethos. No matter how many thugs humiliate and torture people, this kindness will never disappear." |
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