Chen Guangcheng’s True Worth to America

Published in Hong Kong Commercial Daily
(China) on 12 May 2012
by Jin Ping Chu (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Edmond Lau. Edited by Katya Abazajian.
Recent happenings in Asia have clarified Hillary Clinton's “smart strategy,” a political tactic she has emphasized ever since her appointment as the U.S. secretary of state. Externally, the gist of the strategy is to convince small Asian nations to create drama outside China's doorstep and contain its military influence within the continent. While China gets itself occupied with these petty issues, America looks to build influence in the Far East. Internally, America would encourage dissenting voices in China to magnify the dissatisfaction with the government. The Hong Kong media is a rebellious voice; its constant negative perspective on the CCP is a perfect fit to America's plans. The media would highlight the unjust treatment with human rights lawyers to gather sympathy around the world while the CCP would adopt the villain’s role.

Chen as America's Important Chess Piece

Human rights lawyer Chen Guangshing is a candidate carefully selected by the U.S. government. Without proper attorney training and certification, private practice is out of the question for the blind activist. Hence, America insists on calling him a lawyer and further portrays him as the ultimate weakling to draw sympathy worldwide. These are calculated moves on the U.S. government's behalf as their politicians have been monitoring and sponsoring Chen financially since year 2000.

Neither Chen nor his wife has a proper job but their decent lives in the rural village in Shandong lead to the question of how. Chen indeed has a job: to expose China's dark sides such as birth policy, normal and blind civilians' rights issues, corruption within the government, etc. to various media and foreign sources like Radio Free Asia. These organizations and overseas media help spread these materials to raise global awareness. These problems can sabotage China's image and possibly create room for condemnation. America means to exploit China's weakness and nothing is more effective than manipulating the voices of opposition within the country. America's continuous efforts in collaborating with these activists over the years have established an anti-government network within China.

America is the perpetrator in developing Chen's heroic persona. Back in 2006, Time magazine included Chen as one of the Time 100. In March 2007, Chen received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. It is an accolade which honors Asian individuals or organizations with outstanding achievements. It is also known as the East's Nobel Prize. Some western media and anti-communist groups in Hong Kong even dubbed Chen as the flattering "Barefoot Lawyer" and "Rights Protection Hero.” As always greater fame comes with greater responsibilities and Chen has received more difficult assignments from the U.S. government ever since.

Chen is known as the "blind lawyer,” but he does not make a living by taking on cases. A fellow activist, Liu Xiao Bo, complimented Chen's clear conscience in one of his essays: "Mr. Chen was born and raised in the farm and lost his vision when he was 12 months old... Sometime between 2000 and 2001, Chen started a project that aimed at protecting the handicapped from human rights abuse and received funding from the British government. In January 2005, he was in charge of the activist project in his hometown Shan Dong, financially backed by the NED." According to the media, the NED alone has contributed 4 million RMB, and both the CIA and the U.S. Congress were pulling strings behind the curtain.

Over the last two decades, the U.S. government has spent billions nurturing student activists who fled China after the Tiananmen Massacre. The objective was to see these exiles return to their homeland in the future and cause havoc for the Communist regime. However, examples such as Fang Lizhi, Wei Jin Sheng and Wang Dan have yet to trouble the Chinese regime thus far. For 20 years, "The Alliance" (Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China) has been bad-mouthing the CCP's reputation in Hong Kong but its efforts have been futile. The U.S. government is of the opinion that the "Rehabilitate June 4" anti-CCP propaganda fails because public support is weak. After all, the population in Hong Kong were never direct victims of the massacre and it would be difficult to generate the rage needed to overthrow the Communist Party. As China enters a new age in economic development, the government is unable to keep up with its management. Corruption, the widened gap between the wealthy and poor, and insufficiency in housing, medicare, education and social security may be the spark for more unrest in China. The Alliance believes the time has come to take advantage of the situation and is switching its propaganda focus. Instead of the old Tiananmen jargon it seems like society discontent towards rights activists' treatment may result in further chaos in China. The U.S. government has set the stage for another "Arab Spring" in China and is resuming its support of the activists, which also serves as a litmus test to China's tolerance concerning human rights issues.

The U.S. Embassy of Beijing's involvement in the Chen Guangshing drama was a provocative move by the American government, with the intention to see possible flexibility in strategy changes.

Hillary Clinton Orchestrates the Operation

There were reports that on April 25, the U.S. Embassy in China received a call from Nanjing activist He Peirong (aka "Pearl") concerning Chen's whereabouts. After learning of Chen's hideout in suburban Beijing and his leg injury, the State Department called an emergency meeting, for which Hillary Clinton decided to have officials escort Chen to the embassy. They probably thought their vehicles' embassy status was enough to camouflage their plan to pick up Chen, but the Chinese government already knew the ins and outs about the operation. The CCP held on to these facts and condemned the U.S. government for violating the Geneva Pact for its direct involvement in the Chen Guangshing incident. During a recap, an American official admitted the significance behind this controversial matter between the two countries and that its outcome could remain a conundrum.

According to the American press, once Chen arrived to the embassy, the U.S. Department of State held several meetings to decide on solutions for the diplomatic crisis. On April 27, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell revealed updates on Chen to Chinese delegates as an attempt to force them to the table for direct talks. By detonating the bomb, America was playing hardball with the CCP and looked to support the activists even more blatantly in future days.

Kurt Campbell flew to Beijing to meet with Ambassador Gary Locke and Legal Adviser Harold Hongju Koh to discuss crisis management. Everyone knew the crisis must be taken care of or else the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the two countries, scheduled to take place in the next few days, would be endangered.

The Chinese government held a firm stance regarding the matter and America knew right away that its plan to forcefully take Chen under its wings had failed. According to Chen, he was convinced to leave the embassy after embassy officials told him that his wife could be beaten to death. The U.S. Department of State spokesperson refuted Chen's claims: "The U.S. Embassy has never expressed such words to Mr. Chen, and neither did the Chinese government request to transmit such a message to him."

Considering the evidence available, it is obvious that America has violated international pacts. The American government's behavior was inappropriate for its interruption in China's domestic affairs. Without a doubt, the Chinese government needs to take necessary measures to avoid similar scenarios from happening in the future. Despite America's continuous emphasis on building a formidable and trusting relationship between the two nations, the Chen Guangshing incident shows that its sincerity is lacking. The atmosphere is getting tense and there have been rumors about Gary Locke's possible departure from Beijing. Moreover, Hillary Clinton may also leave her post come November. After all, if the wind comes from an empty cave, it is not without a reason.


美國重用陳光誠的背后

2012年 05月 12日 09:47 中國窗

金屏礎

美國國務卿希拉莉擔任國務卿以后,一再提出所謂「巧實力」的策略,現在已經逐步明顯化:就是集中力量,部署戰略東移,在亞洲建立圍堵中國的軍事集團,坐收漁人之利。同時,煽動中國人攻擊中國政府,還透過香港的反共傳媒,不斷摥造和傳播群體事件,爭取國際社會對維權律師的同情。

美國精心挑選的棋子

陳光誠正是美國精心挑選的一個棋子,他是一個盲人,沒有受過正式法律訓練,沒有參加過律師考試,不可能靠當律師賺錢,但是美國夾硬說他是「律師」,并且把他打扮成弱者,博取同情。美國的政客,在2000年就相中了陳光誠,給予許多金錢上的好處。

陳光誠在山東農村,兩夫婦都不工作,為什麼生活過得那麼好?原來他的工作,就是聯繫境內外的一些組織和媒體,例如境外自由亞洲廣播電台等,為其提供中國計劃生育、國內人權、盲人權利保障、政府官員腐敗等情况,放大中國發展中存在的矛盾和問題,損害國家形象,讓西方找到更多攻擊中國的藉口。美國要在中國打開缺口,就要一些生活在中國、唱衰中國的組織,美國人不斷協助維權分子一個一個地串連,建立一個網絡。

美國還塑造這個網絡的核心人物,樹立陳光誠的人權英雄形象,美國《時代》雜誌把陳光誠選舉為美國《時代》雜誌2006年時代百大人物;2007年3月,陳光誠獲得英國人權組織查禁目錄頒發的言論自由獎;2007年7月,獲得由紐約洛克菲勒兄弟基金會創立的麥格塞塞獎——一個專門頒發給亞洲有杰出成就的人士或組織的榮譽,有「亞洲諾貝爾獎」之稱。西方媒體和香港的某些反共傳媒吹捧陳光誠為「赤腳律師」、「維權英雄」。有了名氣,接着美國就給予一些維權任務。

陳光誠雖被稱為「盲人律師」,但他并不靠代理案子謀生,同樣受到西方青睞的劉曉波,在其一篇題為《目盲心亮的陳光誠先生》寫到:「陳光誠先生出身農民,不到一歲就雙目失明……2000-2001年,他在中國法學會發起并負責殘疾人維權項目,得到了英國聯邦基金的資助;2005年1月,他在山東負責執行由美國國家民主基金會(NED)支持的維權項目。」據境外媒體報道,僅美國國家民主基金會的支持,陳光誠就獲得400多萬元人民幣的資助。這個「大名鼎鼎」的基金,背后就是美國中央情報局,款項由美國國會審議劃撥。

美國20年來,一直培養在美國境內逃亡的民運分子,花費了以億元計的金錢,希望他們重返中國「鬧革命」,但是從方勵之到魏京生、王丹,都沒有發揮作用。事實上,香港支聯會搞搞震20多年,也沒有對內地產生任何影響。美國認為,所謂「平反六四」的反共宣傳,沒有群眾基礎,不可能達到顛覆中國政權的效果。中國進入改革的攻堅時期,社會的管理不到位,貧富懸殊,住房、醫療、教育等社會保障不足,最容易煽動群眾不滿和成為群體事件的引爆信管。他們認為要把「民運」轉型,轉移到「維權的斗爭」上來,反而會起分化和瓦解中國的效果。美國打算,為了迅速擴大政治影響,立即出現「阿拉伯之春」的氣候,讓美國大使起到包庇、支持、鼓勵「維權斗爭」的作用,測試中國的反應底線。

陳光誠從山東逃入美國駐北京大使館的鬧劇,正是美國大使館所一手策劃的試探氣球,看看戰略轉移的可行性。

希拉莉拍板助陳

據報道,美國駐北京大使館是在4月25日接到南京維權者何培蓉(網名「珍珠」)的電話,告知陳光誠躲藏在北京郊區,腿部在脫逃的過程中受傷。為此,美國國務院在美東時間25日深夜召開緊急會議,希拉莉拍板決定,護送陳光誠入美國駐北京大使館。美國大使館以為大使館的汽車擁有特權,便出動汽車到北京郊外接應陳光誠,以躲避國安人員的耳目。但這個情况,已經被中國有關部門及時察覺。所以,中國官方報道批評美國大使館直接卷入事件,違反了維也納公約。一名美國高層官員回顧說,當時「每個人都了解這次決定的重要性,前途無可預料,但將具有重大意義」。

美國報紙說,成功將陳光誠護送進美國駐北京大使館后,美國國務院又一連召開多次會議,主導危機處理。過兩天,4月27日當天,美國助理國務卿坎貝爾告知中國駐美國大使張業遂此事,陳光誠事件正式引爆。美國這樣做,就是強行把以大使館收容中國政治對抗者的行為擺到談判桌上,要測試中國怎樣反應,為以后更大規模地庇護維權分子鋪路。

隨后,坎貝爾飛往北京,與美國駐北京大使駱家輝、美國國務院法律顧問高洪柱共同在前線處理危機。如果處理得不好,四天后即將舉行的中美兩國戰略經濟對話會議就會流產。

中國的態度非常強硬,美國知道,公開利用大使館庇護陳光誠的計劃失敗了。美國大使駱家輝只好游說陳光誠離開美國駐華大使館。據陳光誠后來說,他是在美國駐華大使館人員告知他假如不離開美國大使館,他的妻子就會被打死的情况下才離開的。美國國務院發言人隨即對陳光誠的這種說法予以否認,表示:「美國大使館沒有人對陳光誠說過這樣的話,中國官員也沒有要求美國方面向陳光誠傳達這樣的話」。

大量的證據證明,美國的外交人員違反了國際準則和國際公約,美國政府企圖干預中國內部事務的行為非常露骨,如果不切實采取措施,保證以后不再發生類似事件,那麼,美國政府嘴巴上說的建立「中美兩國互信」,可信程度是非常低的。在這樣的背景下,美國方面傳出駱家輝受到壓力,可能離開北京,再接着,希拉莉傳出今年11月以后,就不再擔任國務卿了。空穴來風,未必無因。

(來源: 香港商報) 編輯: 叶小娟
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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