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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Rule of Law and China's Recent Assault on Lawyers


The Chinese government has tried to break Tang Jitian's spirit. Failing, it now seeks to break his body. Tang, a Chinese human rights lawyer, was forcibly abducted from his home on Wednesday, February 16 by the Beijing police.

Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng likely serves as the most potent reminder of the lawlessness of the PSBBut as Gao Zhisheng took on more controversial cases -- particularly defending Falun Gong practitioners, a quasi-religious organization that the Chinese government perceives as a real threat to its power -- government respect for his work quickly faded.

The Obama Administration needs to publicly condemn the Chinese government's recent suppression of human rights lawyers, call for the release of Tang Jitian, and frankly question the Chinese government's commitment to a rule of law. Tang and Jiang's safety depends on it.

More at Huffington Post Blog

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