88 days and nights

Last night was the 88th night that my friend Wu Yuren has spent in custody.

88 is considered a lucky number in Chinese numerology. It would have been nice to hope that this could have been his last night in jail; but, unfortunately, it looks as if the powers-that-be are determined to proceed with the prosecution. Barring a miracle - the miracle of someone high up in the government realising that petty acts of persecution like this accomplish nothing but to make China look like a tin-pot dictatorship, seeing sense, ordering the case to be dropped - it seems that the best we can hope for is a speedy move to trial and a "light" sentence (1 year is usually the minimum for the offence he's likely to be charged with).

We have to keep working for the miracle. I don't want him to be gone for one year, or two, or three, or more. He should be released as soon as possible - not just for his and his family's sake, but for China's. Every day he stays in prison, the credibility of the Chinese legal system, the credibility of the Chinese constitution, the credibility of the Chinese government, the credibility of China as a 'modern power' and a 'responsible stakeholder' in world affairs sinks further into the mire.

Wu Yuren has been in jail quite long enough. It's time someone in the CCP leadership recognised this, and put an end to this madness.