[CounterCounterCulture]

Wang Youcai, a leading Chinese dissident imprisoned since 1998 has been released and allowed to seek medical attention in the United States after months of quiet diplomacy by U.S. officials, a rights group said March 4, 2004. The early medical parole of Wang, 37, who was serving an 11-year sentence for subversion after helping found the China Democracy Party, follows moves in the last week to reduce the sentence of an Uighur businesswoman in Xinjiang and the release of a Tibetan nun. Photo by Reuters REUTERS/

[cspackler]

OK, the title almost made milk come out of my nose... sory.

[risk]

A president who believes in freedom can make a difference!

[Lunatic Fringe]

Would you like to play with my Wang?

[keats5]

Thank God !

[Thane_Banquo]

He's a hero. If China had more like him, the country would be free.

[tallhappy]

Some background on Wang Youcai and the CDP arrests here.

Wang and two other founders of the Chinese Democracy Party were sentenced to 11, 12 and 13 years respectively back in 1998.

They and others were jailed around the same time Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan had been released from prison for their crimes of advocating freedom.

Just as now some people are trying to use this as some sort of positive indicator, they said the same thing back when Wei and Wang were released.

But the Chinese communists simply exile those they've jailed for years and arrest the current problems.

Wang Youcai was sentenced to 11 years for simply starting a political party. He served half this sentence and then is exiled forever by his jailers from his home country.

Other than the fact he is no longer in jail and subject to the horrible experience of Chinese prison this is in no way positive or progress.

The Chinese communists laugh themselves silly at our gullibility.

[tallhappy]

Some background on Wang Youcai and the CDP arrests here.

Wang and two other founders of the Chinese Democracy Party were sentenced to 11, 12 and 13 years respectively back in 1998.

They and others were jailed around the same time Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan had been released from prison for their crimes of advocating freedom.

Just as now some people are trying to use this as some sort of positive indicator, they said the same thing back when Wei and Wang were released.

But the Chinese communists simply exile those they've jailed for years and arrest the current problems.

Wang Youcai was sentenced to 11 years for simply starting a political party. He served half this sentence and then is exiled forever by his jailers from his home country.

Other than the fact he is no longer in jail and subject to the horrible experience of Chinese prison this is in no way positive or progress.

The Chinese communists laugh themselves silly at our gullibility.

[sharpink]

I say this every time I see a post on China. Someday we are going to have to pay the piper for our relations with China. In twenty years when China has closed the technological gap in arms they won't be releasing dissidents. Instead we will find a totalitarian country with territorial ambition that has spent the last 30 years arming itself to the teeth.

[yonif]

Good news. Looks like the Chinese these past few days are trying to look more open. This is in addition to their new amendment which will recognize private property.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

"I'm here with my friend Mr. Wang...no offense."

[Humidston]

Interesting first person story about Tiananmen Square....

We know a young Chinese scientist who happened to be in college at the time of the uprising. The government questioned each student as to whether or not they'd admit participating. Of course all the kids told the government that they were studying and had not attended any of the protests.

So the government ordered EVERY student in the college to write a paper - stating they were all studying. Our friend did so. Once Chinese officials had papers from all the kids, they announced the official government statement: The Tiananmen Square uprising DID NOT HAPPEN.

(Of course I asked him if he'd been in the streets and he just smiled politely. Then he indicated that he was uncomfortable discussing it. Clearly he was still nervous about it, even though he was safe in the U.S. and working for an American corporation.)

[RockinRight]

Just his wang? What about the rest of him?