HUMAN RIGHTS
DEFENDERS
IN CHINA
ACT NOW!
CAGED BIRD
The familiar willow pattern was created for mass production in 18th century English potteries and remains still popular today. It has however, on closer examination, a more complex tale to tell. A simplified version of a Chinese myth of two escaping lovers, it is read in western culture as a story of triumph of love over adversity, but in Chinese culture, where the lover's disobedience to her father would have been read as subversion, it has a darker meaning.
In this video we travel into this apparently benign image with a virtual camera to find a current darkness, to reflect on a contemporary subversion. This journey from light to dark, mirrors, in a visual way, the journey made in the poem by Dr. Maya Angelou.
Dr. Angelou's "Caged Bird" is a work of world renown and poignancy for those struggling for freedom. Among African Americans, the caged bird was a symbol of chained slaves and while Angelou transposes this image to address the binding imposed by racism and discrimination, the poem has come to resonate with all those struggling for freedom.
The two enduring qualities of the bird in the poem are his voice and his ability to fly - both of which symbolize the plight of Chen Guangcheng in China today. Chen has sung, calling to attention efforts of forced sterilization and abortion carried out by local officials in Shangdong Province, and for that he has been caged - first in prison and then under house arrest and isolation from the rest of the world. And yet, his song carries forth, calling out for freedom.
Call, Write or Email
This Petition
I have read the news that Chen Guangcheng has escaped from his home – a home that had become a prison cell, where he was suffering physically and emotionally, along with his wife, mother and little daughter. This treatment – after Chen had already served his prison sentence – was cruel.
Despite his escape, I remain gravely concerned about the safety and well-being of Chen’s mother, his wife, Yuan Weijing, and their daughter Chen Kesi, as well as other family members. Additionally, I am deeply troubled by reports that one of those who made public the details of Chen's escape, He Peirong, is now in police custody.
As Chen Guangcheng calls for in his video, I am writing to call upon the Chinese Premier to launch an investigation into the abuse that Chen and his family have suffered in Dongshigu village, and which has been detailed in this video statement and in a letter smuggled out last June. This case has exposed the corruption and abuse of law at the local level in Shaunghou Township, led by Zhang Jian. This man must be investigated and held accountable, along with other officials abusing the laws of China and the rights of Chen Guangcheng and his family.
As a representative in this country, you should know that citizens around the world are outraged by the treatment of Chen Guangcheng, which ultimately forced him to extraordinary measures in the face of brutality.
This case, and those of other threatened, imprisoned and disappeared human rights defenders will continue to stain the reputation of China. I urge your office to communicate to Premier Wen Jiabao that it is in his power to ensure that a proper investigation is conducted in this case and that the nightmare for Chen, his family and his colleagues ends.