Bloggers Unite! - Blogging for Hope

Today, May 15 2008 Marks Amnesty's Bloggers Unite campaign. It is a movement wherein millions of bloggers who signed up is writing the same thoughts at the same day. It hopes to achieve attention and more awareness to the pressing human rights violation issues that needs action. One of these issues is the call for the release of Shi Tao and other prisoners in China.

As you may all know, Beijing Olympics is fast approaching (August to be exact). Everyone is happy, everyone is on panic buying for fan t-shirts and banners, everyone getting ready to chant their team's song. And yet how many of the them... how many of us... know what is really happening in China. To better understand how this issues aroused interest in connection with Beijing Olympics you have to be aware how China got to host the Olympics in the first place. Being a host country for such a prestigious event doesn't just mean that you are seriously committed to sports it also means an avenue for a very lucrative opportunity both economically and politically. Initially, a lot of objections were raised on China's moral ascendancy to host the games. After all, the Olympics is suppose to be the avenue where we wield camaraderie and cooperation from different nations. Those and other principles where in direct contradiction with China's human rights records. They promised to improve those records, that is why we now have Beijing Olympics

But what's happening now?

There are still several prisoners of conscience that China holds on to. Shi Tao for example who is a journalist and wrote to an international organization via internet, the kind of system China has. There was no intention for rebellion or whatsoever. He was after all a journalist. Now, he is imprisoned. There are still several people who have stories like this. Ironic to think that in this day and age the internet is being hailed as the ultimate source of information. In China you can get imprisoned for being "too much informed" especially on things like democracy, press freedom, human rights.

Yahoo! Don't Violate Human Rights

Unfortunately, even companies are not spared from violating human rights. Yahoo gave the Chinese government what was supposedly private information from an individual. Yes, they spilled out private information which led to the 10 year imprisonment of Shi Tao without just trial and investigation. That means Yahoo infringed his right to privacy and sold out Shi Tao!
Imagine what a company could do to common people like us. You could be the next (or me O_O)

Let's take action for Shi Tao and other prisoners. End internet censorship! Everyone has the right to information.

Let's not forget Shi Tao and others who's only sin was exercising their human rights!


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