Image via WikipediaFreedom is the Highest Value of Human Life
Speech in Rhode Island at “Democracy Day at the State House” April 27, 2004
Xu Wenli
Respected Speaker of the House
Ladies, gentlemen
Fellow friends,
I am very honored to speak at the State House today. I thank you for your calling this event, “Democracy Day at the State House.”
Rhode Island is a beautiful state. It borders the vast Atlantic Ocean, with glittering jewels like Newport scattered everywhere.
I am honored to tell all of you, now I have also become a Rhode Island resident. I consider Rhode Island my second home.
The reason I consider Rhode Island my second home is not merely because of its beauty. For me, as political exile, it is more importantly because Rhode Island was the first state in the history of the U.S., to declare its independence.
Rhode Island is a free state. Here, it is extremely open and liberal, including my place of employment, Brown University, and the 1 million open-minded, liberal and hospitable people of Rhode Island.
The founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, was an individual in pursuit of freedom. He did not fear the risks facing him and he hacked his way through the difficulties.
Williams’s successor, Stephen Hopkins was a participant in the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. In his former residence, I can almost see the figures of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, founders of America.
All of these figures have given me great encouragement to continue my life’s struggle for freedom, democracy, and human rights in China.
This is because I am much like them. I have always seen freedom as the greatest value of human life.
Because of this, I never avoided the disaster of imprisonment. And today I will not find the slightest bit of complacency just because I now have a life of freedom.
Today, I would like to use this sacred platform to tell you all that in the next ten years the benefit of the United States and the people of the United States depends on whether or not China, a nation of 1.3 billion people, about 10 million square km, that has increasingly wide-ranging and profound trade relations with the U.S, is able to realize a stable transition into a constitutional democratic governmental system. It also depends on whether or not this future Chinese government, that has implemented constitutionalism and democracy, shares a friendly relationship with you.
I can understand that the two parties of the U.S. government consistently feel that only a stable and prosperous China is compatible with the national interests of the U.S.
I would also like to tell you, however, that China can only become a stable, strong, prosperous, and friendly nation under constitutionalism and democracy.
An autocratic China cannot possibly establish stability and prosperity. An autocratic Chinese government is unsafe to the Chinese people, unsafe to world peace, and unsafe to the U.S. and the American people.
Recently, SARS quickly became a major threat to the lives of the Chinese people and the people of all nations of the world. Last year when it first broke out, the Chinese Communist Party government concealed the disease from the entire world and, through just international opinion, received condemnation.
The Chinese Communist Party has no intention to correct their mistakes, while they guarantee that they would not conceal the truth of any incidents. Due to a recent strategic error of the Chinese authorities, the possibility of another outbreak in Mainland China has again presented itself.
Reality tells us again, an autocratic government cannot be trusted.
I hope that reminding you of this kind case will strengthen your resolve to help and support my colleagues and me in our struggle for the realization of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.
I believe that our mission will obtain your further energetic support and sincere aide.
Thank you.
Related posts:
Human rights is the best cause to protect