The venerable American law scholar, Jerome Cohen, offers "Sage Advice:"
The application for early release on medical grounds of the imprisoned activist-critic Hu Jia offers China’s leaders a golden opportunity to begin repairing their criminal justice system — the weakest link in their campaign to bolster the country’s “soft power”.
The Chinese government wants the world to admire a “rising China” not only for its phenomenal economic accomplishments and growing military prowess but also for the quality of its civilization. Yet, no matter how many Confucius Institutes the government establishes abroad to teach Chinese language and culture, the People’s Republic will not win international respect for its political and social progress until it ceases locking up political dissidents and treats those currently detained in a more humane manner.
Indeed, Confucius himself taught government officials to show benevolence and forgiveness in governing and administering punishment. Having recently resurrected the sage, China’s Communist Party leaders should follow this advice. Although many imprisoned Chinese writers are ill and lack medical care, the case of Hu Jia, 36-year old winner of Europe’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, would be a good place to start....
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