China: Ai Weiwei held for ‘economic crimes’

Hi everyone,

Today I am writing you from China. When you think of China, the first facts that appear in your head are probably a large country with over 1.3 billion people, the largest population in the world;  Beijing;  Great Wall of China  and one-child policy. But there is one other fact that is notorious for China: that human rights and freedom of speech aren’t always respected.

A recent example of that last fact is that artist Ai Weiwei has been taken in custody. The government says he is being investigated for “economic crimes”.

Ai Weiwei is a respected Chinese conceptual artist whose work is exhibited around the world. He is also an activist who investigates government corruption.

Thursday 7^th April, the Chinese government confirmed that Ai has been arrested Sunday at Beijing’s airport. Along with this message, the government warned other countries not to interfere in the case because it has nothing to do with human rights or freedom of speech.

Since the revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa began rattling the regimes, China’s communist leaders have become worried about the unrest spreading to China.

The authorities have responded with dual approach: promises to address the criticism of ordinary Chinese on the one hand; and a heavy-handed security clampdown on the other hand. Ai is the most well-known figure arrested so far but dozens of others, mostly human rights lawyers, activists, writers and bloggers were detained too.

The U.S. State Department, the European Union and various human rights groups have called for the release of Ai and all the detainees. Human rights campaigners note that the authorities seem to be aiming opinion-makers who expressed personal views on the Internet and on micro blogging sites like Twitter.

The recent round of arrests, especially involving the bloggers like Ai Weiwei, is particularly alarming. The Chinese government won’t stop till they have disarmed all criticizers and troublemakers. And what are we going to do? Are we just going to stand aside? I hope something will change soon and that the human rights and freedom of speech will be truly respected in China.

Greetings, Laura

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-ai-held-for-economic-crimes---then-spokesmans-words-disappear/2011/04/07/AFBKBcuC_story.html