From: "Ignatius Ding" <ding@HPSMTC1.CUP.HP.COM>
Subject:      Re: Whose fault is it anyway?
Reply-To: "Ignatius Ding" <ding@HPSMTC1.CUP.HP.COM>
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 22:16:10 GMT
Comments: To: Dennis.D.Lee@Eng.Sun.COM, donovan@csl.sri.com,
              hknet@cs.wisc.edu, ho@mips.com,
              ifcss%WAM.UMD.EDU@uga.cc.uga.edu,
              joseph_ng%5y@hp0200.desk.hp.com, jung_lin%40@hp1900.desk.hp.COM,
              sdc@longhorn.Corp.sun.com, ggach@pandora.sf.ca.us,
              xwu@janus.Berkeley.EDU, cnd-editor@sdsc.edu,
              melody@hpsmtc1.cup.hp.com, jchu@hpsmtc1.cup.hp.com,
              wuling@s1.msi.umn.edu, li@perry.berkeley.edu,
              jyee@eclair.berkeley.edu, Isaac.Chen@Eng.Sun.COM,
              ide!ide.com!cai@uunet.UU.NET, wwang@mail1.cis.umn.edu,
              china-nt@uga.cc.uga.edu

(Forwarded message)
===============================================================================

Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 14:52:14 PDT
>From: plowe@falcore.synoptics.com (Patricia Lowe)
To: ding@hpsmtc1.cup.hp.com
Subject: Re:  Whose Fault is it anyway?
Status: RO

Can you broadcast my following response to the irate PRC individuals who feel
that support of Shen Tong's trip and release by American legislators is foreign
interference with the Chinese people's self determination?

My first response is the question ...what self-determination?  If Chinese
people really could express their feelings and wishes freely; why do you think
so many Chinese prodemocracy activists have had to flee China for the U.S.,
Europe, etc.?  Is killing and jailing dissidents the Chinese government's
method of being receptive to the will of the Chinese people?

In an ideal world, U.S. could help setup forums of overseas Chinese in the
U.S., escaped Chinese dissidents, and Chinese government officials to hammer
out a mutually agreeable program of social, political and economic reform.
Unfortunately, most of the Chinese government still believes that power comes
from the barrel of a gun so this will certainly be impossible event for the
near term.  America's tools of persuasion and influence with China are few.
Chinese government has shown how little it cares for the will of its people
with Tienanmen Massacre and the subsequent jailing, torture, harassment and
even killing of Chinese people who show desire for freedom, democracy and
reform.

The Chinese government has shown even more how little it cares for world
opinion by its continued sales of weapons to Iraq and many volatile Middle East
and African countries with terrorist tendencies; despite worldwide condemnation
and outcry.  The only issue that the Chinese government shows any concern for
is money and its continued flow into China.  MFN is NOT a right, it is a
privilege that the American nation extends to countries it regards as friendly,
sharing a common moral and ethical understanding with regards to human rights,
etc.  If the U.S. really applied the standard of measurement required to
receive MFN to China....China would most certainly fail.  It is only President
Bush's obvious favoritism to his old buddies Deng and Li that continues China's
MFN privileges.  If the U.S. legislature is finally ready to play fair and
apply the same standards to China as every other nation for qualifying for MFN;
then I'd say it's about time.

As for what "non-Chinese" say, who is REALLY Chinese by your definition?
Ethnic Chinese, Taiwan Chinese, HK Chinese, Mainland Chinese, Overseas Chinese?
... or some subset thereof.  How very inconsistent you and others of your mind-
set are.  When China has earthquakes or floods; it's fine for "non-Chinese" to
donate food, money, equipment and manpower for relief and rebuilding.  It's
fine for foreign businesses to develop China's resources:  its land, people,
infrastructure and invest their own non-Chinese capital.  When China wants to
borrow money for development and building; it is more than willing to turn to
the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank (owned and run by
non-Chinese governments and their agencies).  But when it comes to human rights
abuses, suddenly only the true Chinese can have a voice in this matter...no one
else has a right to the opinion.  If China doesn't want to be infected with
Western ideas and influence; then maybe Mao was right after all...China must be
isolationist and self- sufficient.  Then no non-Chinese government or
individuals opinion will possibly influence the "internal policies" of China.
Still, I don't see a lot of enthusiasm, even by the Chinese officials for
returning to the isolationist era.


In the meanwhile, the U.S. has seen the thousands that were wounded and killed
at Tienanmen; they continue to receive reliable reports of illegal
imprisonment, torture and killings of political and religious dissidents.  The
fact that these "true" Chinese are willing to make a statement of their desire
for democratic reform with their freedom and their very lives should be
considered a strong expression of their opinions; especially in a state where
the general public does not have access to or any control of any of the media
(radio, magazines, TV, newspapers, etc) as all these are state controlled.  Is
America, the long-declared home of democracy supposed to turn a blind eye to
these "statement" and fail to use its only effective tool in persuading China
of its error in its human rights practicies?  MFN. I think not.

Patti Lowe
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china