Even in death Liu Xiaobo is an inspiration to many Hong Kong people

Liu Xiaobo’s death has led to a lot of discussion, especially among young Hongkongers, about human rights in China.

I found his treatment distressing, not just during his years in custody, but as he was dying in hospital. I have also been upset over the treatment of his wife Liu Xia, who has remained under house arrest since 2010.

When it was clear Liu Xiaobo was seriously ill, Beijing’s reaction in treating the human rights activist was so negative. He was someone who wanted his country to develop further by consolidating democracy. He wished to present his views in a non-violent manner and was punished because of that. Foreign countries were willing to take him in for treatment and it is unacceptable that the Chinese government would not allow that.

Even after his death, his wife’s movements appear to have been restricted. She is treated in this way despite suffering from ill health.

Contrast this with Hong Kong, where we are still free to march and express our opinions.

On the mainland, such freedoms do not exist. People who call for free speech and protection of human rights get arrested and imprisoned. Some end up in re-education camps. And there have been reports of “black jails”, described by Wikipedia as a network of extra-legal prisons.