This Sunday Mary, the expectant mother of Jesus, sings a song of justice and equality in anticipation of her son's birth. It is a favourite passage, a hopeful one.Perhaps it needs to be sung on behalf of the people of China today as human rights activist Liu Xiaobo is awarded his Nobel Peace Prize in absentia. There will be an empty chair in Stockholm acknowledging that he still languishes in a prison cell. China and a number of other nations with dubious human rights records will be boycotting the presentation.
The Chinese government has blocked news of the award today and created an absurd "alternative" Confucius award in a rather pathetic attempt to divert attention from the Nobel prize and the country's miserable human rights record.
This past week the Chinese government also held a conference of Roman Catholic bishops where they appointed their own puppet leaders or forced those duly appointed to attend. Those who refused were punished. It is another attempt to control religion in China while claiming religious freedom.
I'm baffled as to why these violations stir so little response, even when they include persecution of brothers and sisters in Christ. In my opinion we should be outraged.
Why are we so unresponsive? Does might really make right?
You're right - we should be outraged. I wonder if the constant exposure from the media about dismal human rights from countries such as Iran, China and many others(how about much of the African continent - I have heard some horror stories from colleagues posted in locations out there), has desensitized us all. Too bad it may have done this rather than force those countries to treat its citizens better.
ReplyDeleteChina is like the big kid on the block that feels he doesn't have to grow up. Always got along this way (being the bully) now is afraid to change.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. I agree johnny with your word "desensitized." We assumed that better communication of world events and glaobalization would make us more responsive. Instead we are more concerned about trade than human rights.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment as well sjd. The temptation for empires (rising or falling) is to assume they are not accountable and that every one else should acquiese to their agendas -- remember George Bush telling us that if we weren't for the invasion of Iraq we were against the United States?