Literature
Norway
Chinese authorities ignore human rights
By Glenn
China is a country that in recent years has had tremendous development both economically and
in population. In 1949, China had a population of 500 million, at this moment 400 million did
not have enough to eat. Today the population is approximately 1.3 billion people. Before 1949,
the life expectancy was an average of 35 years of age, while today it is 70. In 1949, illiteracy
was nearly 80 percent, while today it is 12 percent. The annual economic growth rate has been
at around 10 percent, and the standard of living has increased very much. Unfortunately, even
if China had become a better financial situation and the standard of living has increased, the
authorities have not done much to improve the human rights in the country. Why do the
Chinese authorities ignore the human rights? What do the Chinese authorities fear?
China is receiving very much criticism for how the human rights are being ignored, especially
from the Western countries and the United Nations. China is coming very bad out in the
rankings of political and civil rights. Such rankings put emphasis on the different objectives
related to what we in the West associate with democracy and free society. This applies to the
rights to be able to organize themselves freely and to be able to say their freedom of
expression. Other rights that are seen as unfair are the legal system and legal practice that are
exercised against people who do not agree with the authorities and criminals. Many people
think negatively on the extensive use of the death penalty in China. In 2004, a member of the
Chinese Parliament boasted that at least 10000 people were executed in China each year.
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2010, Liu Xiaobo, is sitting in a prison in China. He was
sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 or in 2008 he was in prison for having supported the
Charter 08, which calls for democratic reforms in China. Chinese authorities did not like the
awards ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was not allowed to travel to Norway to receive
the award. Several human rights groups reported that the family Liu was not allowed to visit
him in prison, but according to Chinese laws, one has right to this once a month.
The authorities of China also reacted to the awards ceremony by cutting the political ties an ? ?YHY?Y[Y[? ? ?]???^K??H? H[?? ?\?[?\????\]Y[??\??????^H ?\? ]??[?H ?? Y?^Z[?????Y?X[? ?[[???]?\?[???Y?X[? ?[[??\?Y\?? ?\?H ? ?Y??[???[?[??X[ K[?]?X?[YH ?? ?\?[?\? ] H???Y?X[???ZY?Z[?\?\???\??Z ??0? ?K ??\???XZ?? H ?YHY?Y[Y[? \ ?]?? ?YH??[?^?][????H?[?\?H]]?]Y\?\?HY??ZY ???H?? ??? H]?[?Y[?[? H??[? ?K?B???[][?\?\? H??[?H\? H?\?[?? ???\? H?]H\ \?] \?[? HY?\?]]?B? ???\??]\?\? ? ?^H ?]ZY? \ [?[?H[[??]X??[?H ?]H][ K\\? H ?\?[K??H?[?\?H]]?]Y\? ?[?????X? H??XX?? [X[? ?Y? ??X?]\?H \? ?[ ?XZ?[? B???][?? H??[][?\?\? H[? HX??? ]H ??][?? ??\?]\??H?[?\?B?]]?]Y\???[[??[? H?\?[?\??\?[??[???[??[?K?X[?Y?\?? ??\?HY[X?\????H??[][?\?\? HXY \?H?\?\?H?[?\?H]]?]Y\??X\?[ ?? ][? H]?[???[??\?[? H?[?\?H??[][?] K HX???ZX?]?[?Y[? ??[ ?? ?\?[? \?? ?[?]\?B?H ?\?[?\? ??[H?? XX?H[? ?X?[] H[?\?XH[?\??[? H ?? ?\?H\?H ??YH? B??X\??? ? H H?[?\?H]]?]Y\???? ?[? H ? [][? ??]? H ?Y? ?? ]? [X[? ?Y? ?[??[?H?[??H[\ ??Y ???