It’s a bit odd coming from Qatar (a country rated by Freedom House as Not Free), but this editorial makes a good point – that when President Bush travels to the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer, he should use the opportunity to meet with Chinese dissidents.
“Bush should also meet with “petitioners,” ordinary Chinese citizens who travel to Beijing from the provinces to appeal for redress of injustices and abuse by local and provincial authorities. These are some of China’s most vulnerable. One of their leading advocates, Liu Jie, helped organise an open letter signed by more than 12,000 petitioners asking for political reforms, freedoms of speech and association, and improvements in the petitioning system. Liu, who suffered abuse as a petitioner herself, was picked up by security agents in mid-October and later sentenced without trial to “re-education through labour.” If she is free – and especially if she is not – President Bush should seek to meet Liu Jie.”
And after that, maybe he could go to Qatar and meet with dissidents there.
