On Oct. 2nd, 2008 the New York Press relayed the message that China should allow Jailed Activist Hu Jia released from prison to receive medical attention. Hu Jia has been incarcerated for six months for a flawed conviction. Human Rights Watch also caution China that they must stop the harsh surveillence of Hu Jia's wife and children. Hu Jia is a leading advocate for HIV/AIDs and his outspoken criticism to the unjust abuse related to the preparations leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics had him imprisioned. He was sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison. Authorities have limited his access to his lawyer, thus violating Hu’s fundamental rights and resulting in proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards. He suffers from liver cirrhosis linked to chronic hepatitis B infection. “Hu Jia was incarcerated for doing nothing more than exercising rights expressly guaranteed by China’s constitution,” said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “If the government won’t exonerate Hu, it should at least release him to get proper medical care.” The main reason Hu is being targeted leads back to China's fear of losing face and the pressures of putting a good show on the world stage. Hu spoke out for the people living with HIV/AIDS because they had no one to speak out for them, he risked his voice and his life for the betterment of their health. HRW believed his arrest was due to a large scale crackdown on citizens criticizing the human rights abuse due to the 2008 Olympics. His health has been slowly declining and is in dire need of medical attention. They Chinese government is depriving him from receiving this. Hu Jia wife also is feeling the repercussions of her husbands imprisonment. Her house is being patrolled 24/7 by police officers and they are not allowed to leave the house and must be followed where ever they go. This is volating all of her basic human rights and this is highly unjust. HRW is warning China, they must stop this collective punishment.
This article only begins to tell the sad story of the citizens that are being punished for no just reason. It is sad and China is still proving that they will continue in these inhumane ways, collective punishment is not seen in this part of the world, but to many in other parts of the world they live in fear. They fear that they will be harmed for the actions of someone in their family. That is not humane, and not fair. China needs to realize that their actions are being watched and one day someone will have to answer to all this unjust punishments.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/10/01/china19897.htm
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