writers lobby the chinese president
Open Letter to the Chinese President on His Visit to Nigeria
Your Excellency President Hu Jintao,
In the wake of your two-day visit to Nigeria, we the undersigned Nigerian writers could not but draw your attention to and deplore some of the practices of the Chinese government. China is emerging as another economic and political superpower whose foreign policy will bear a vast influence in world affairs. It very unlikely that a government that is repressive at home would have a foreign policy that differs from what it espouses and offers at home.
Truly your country is a fine example of rapid economic growth and prosperity to the developing nations, it must be so too in matters of basic human and environmental rights. First, we urge China to submit itself to global covenants on the environment. By declining to be a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol it shows that the Chinese government is not environmentally responsible and we doubt if its oil foray in Nigeria would not further ensure the eco-degradation of the Niger Delta.
We urge China to be open and responsive to human rights and fundamental freedoms part of which include freedom of _expression, religious and political liberties. We ask you to free many of our persecuted colleagues and other dissenters whose offence is expressing opinions that are different from the communist consensus. Some of these are Shi Tao, Cai Guihua, Han Lifa, Lin Hai, Zhang Shanguang and others recently imprisoned. Also we recall Zhou Jianhe, Wei Jingsheng, Wang Bingzhang, Bao Ge and many others who remain in forced exile.
We deplore western interests such as Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google which in doing business with China for acquiescing to its repressive modus operandi thereby becoming accomplices. The west must realize that the defeat of Soviet totalitarianism was possible because they stood firm, persistent and unambiguous on their position even in matters of trade and investments. Finally, we deplore China's strategic oil interest in Sudan which has not been favourable to the resolution of the protracted crisis in Darfur. China should be able to condemn the mass killings of a black minority in Darfur and boycott the Sudanese government that connived to perpetuate it. As you said in your recent stop over in Kenya that you operate "a policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries." This is outdated, unacceptable and dangerous. What is necessary is a policy of responsible interference.
ยท Deji Toye, Chris Ihidero, Damola Awoyokun, Rotimi Babatunde, Akin Adesokan are Nigerian writers resident in different parts of the world.
Your Excellency President Hu Jintao,
In the wake of your two-day visit to Nigeria, we the undersigned Nigerian writers could not but draw your attention to and deplore some of the practices of the Chinese government. China is emerging as another economic and political superpower whose foreign policy will bear a vast influence in world affairs. It very unlikely that a government that is repressive at home would have a foreign policy that differs from what it espouses and offers at home.
Truly your country is a fine example of rapid economic growth and prosperity to the developing nations, it must be so too in matters of basic human and environmental rights. First, we urge China to submit itself to global covenants on the environment. By declining to be a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol it shows that the Chinese government is not environmentally responsible and we doubt if its oil foray in Nigeria would not further ensure the eco-degradation of the Niger Delta.
We urge China to be open and responsive to human rights and fundamental freedoms part of which include freedom of _expression, religious and political liberties. We ask you to free many of our persecuted colleagues and other dissenters whose offence is expressing opinions that are different from the communist consensus. Some of these are Shi Tao, Cai Guihua, Han Lifa, Lin Hai, Zhang Shanguang and others recently imprisoned. Also we recall Zhou Jianhe, Wei Jingsheng, Wang Bingzhang, Bao Ge and many others who remain in forced exile.
We deplore western interests such as Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google which in doing business with China for acquiescing to its repressive modus operandi thereby becoming accomplices. The west must realize that the defeat of Soviet totalitarianism was possible because they stood firm, persistent and unambiguous on their position even in matters of trade and investments. Finally, we deplore China's strategic oil interest in Sudan which has not been favourable to the resolution of the protracted crisis in Darfur. China should be able to condemn the mass killings of a black minority in Darfur and boycott the Sudanese government that connived to perpetuate it. As you said in your recent stop over in Kenya that you operate "a policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries." This is outdated, unacceptable and dangerous. What is necessary is a policy of responsible interference.
ยท Deji Toye, Chris Ihidero, Damola Awoyokun, Rotimi Babatunde, Akin Adesokan are Nigerian writers resident in different parts of the world.
posted by Wordsbody at 6:20 pm
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