A ‘confession’ that reveals plenty about China; Washington Post, 8/7/16

Editorial Board, Washington Post; A ‘confession’ that reveals plenty about China:

"Ms. Wang has a remarkable record. Yet according to her statement last week, she disavows all of it. Her crusades for equal justice — particularly for women and girls — were merely the product of manipulation from “foreign forces” to “smear the party and attack the Chinese government.” Ms. Wang “won’t acknowledge, won’t recognize and won’t accept” an international human rights award she was given...

Ms. Wang has not been heard from since her statement, even though the Chinese government claims she has been set free on bail. The same is true of legal assistant Zhao Wei, who was supposed to be released last month after posting a confession online. Several of Ms. Wang’s colleagues are also in detention. A court began hearing their case last week, but the trial is open only to select members of the media. Two have been sentenced; one received seven years in prison while the other got a three-year suspended sentence. When the wives of other detainees traveled to Tianjin to seek information, they were placed under house arrest.

For years, Ms. Wang has been publicly committed to questioning the state. Now, in a chilling testament to Chinese tyranny, she has publicly condemned her own questions. Ten years ago, these lawyers could rarely get a case into court. Five years ago, some were disbarred. Today, they face trials far from free or fair — and the defense of human dignity is treated as treason."