As the Olympic torch was lit in Athens this week , a court in China sentenced a man to five years in prison after he dared to say the principle of human rights is more important than the Olympic Games.Unemployed former factory worker, Yang Chunlin, 54, gathered more than 10,000 signatures on a petition last year, appealing against illegal seizures of land from poor farmers by powerful local officials in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.
The petition letter began: “We want human rights, not the Olympics.”
Yang was promptly arrested July 6 and charged with trying to subvert state power - a broad charge frequently used against those who openly criticize the government.
After Yang’s trial last month - which lasted less than a day - Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch said she feared that, “soon it will be official that objecting to the Olympics is a crime in China.”
In fact, prosecution of outspoken Chinese citizens has picked up pace in the final months before the Games.
Yang’s is the third case of a well-known dissident to come before the courts in recent weeks.
The petition letter began: “We want human rights, not the Olympics.”
Yang was promptly arrested July 6 and charged with trying to subvert state power - a broad charge frequently used against those who openly criticize the government.
After Yang’s trial last month - which lasted less than a day - Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch said she feared that, “soon it will be official that objecting to the Olympics is a crime in China.”
In fact, prosecution of outspoken Chinese citizens has picked up pace in the final months before the Games.
Yang’s is the third case of a well-known dissident to come before the courts in recent weeks.
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