The Chinese central government is still reeling from the escape of lawyer and human rights activist Chen Guangcheng.
In 2005 Chen filed a lawsuit on behalf of the victims of forced abortions and sterilisations in the Chinese village of Dongshigu. Despite the central government launching an investigation into the claims the court case was dismissed. Shortly after Chen was placed under house arrest and in 2006 he was sentenced to four years in prison. Upon his release in September 2010 local authorities saw fit to again detain him, placing him under house arrest until his escape last week.
These events have once more demonstrated China's zero tolerance policy on those who speak out against human rights violations. Chen's imprisonment and subsequent house arrest is just another example of the central government trying to silence the message by silencing the man. However, Chen is different from many previous victims of government imposed detainment in that he is not a typical academic or political opponent. Chen, who has been blind since the age of one, did not begin education until he was 18. He then worked as a masseur in a county hospital before teaching himself law and championing the grievances of local people.
“He incarnates everything that is wrong with China – the fallacy of the rule of law, the corruption and abuse of power,” says Nicholas Bequelin, China researcher at Human Rights Watch.
What is clear from the events of the past seven years, from Chen's court case in 2005 till his escape from house arrest last week, is that the Chinese government will go to extreme lengths to ensure that its officials are not held accountable for their human rights offences.
