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Forum Founder Gets 8-Year Sentence for Online Post
Friday, November 2, 2012 21:10
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Chinese democracy activist, Cao Haibo, was sentenced to eight years in prison on October 31st for starting a web forum called “Strengthen China's Society.” It offered a platform for young Chinese to express their opinions on democratic rights and freedoms. Cao was arrested last October for his online comments. Authorities charged him with subversion, a vague accusation that's often used to silence dissent. He was tried in secrecy, and received his sentence this week. Chinese human rights lawyer, Tang Jingling, says Cao didn't have a full appreciation of the Communist regime, and did not realize his online comments would get him into trouble. Still, Tang was surprised at the severity of Cao's punishment. [Tang Jingling, China Mainland Lawyer]: (male, chinese) “The sentencing is really out of our anticipation. At first, we thought that if the authority dared to sentence him, it would be at most 3 or 4 years, which is a lot. However he was sentenced to 8 years. We can tell that the authority's suppression of human rights and dissidents is still very sever.” One resident who volunteered in the aftermaths of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes says that the system is slated against political dissidents. [Wang Xiaodong]: (male, chinese) “Public security can frame (you in) a crime, and then the procuratorate can prosecute you, and then the court sentences you. There's also the labor education system so they use some these three systems (together). So its really a mafia organization …
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2012-11-02 19:43:50
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RG3ar6st7k&feature=youtube_gdata
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