In a radio interview this morning, Helen Clark said she would raise human rights with Chinese authorities when she is there next month to sign a preferential free trade deal with the Chinese regime. Well, here's something she could raise. Last year, Yang Chunlin, an unemployed factory worker from Heilongjiang province, circulated a petition saying "We don't want the Olympics, we want human rights". For this, he has just been convicted of "subversion" and sentenced to five years imprionment.
This is one of the most basic political freedoms there is: the freedom to point out problems and ask the government for redress. China denies that freedom to its citizens. Will Helen Clark raise this with China, or will she follow the usual cowardly path of keeping her mouth shut so as not to jepordise the profits of New Zealand farmers?
