Silence equals death

Human rights | Activists say the downplaying of human rights concerns by the Obama administration has not led to better relations with the world’s most violent regimes | Jamie Dean

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When six Chinese security officials arrived at Yu Jie's front door in the Chaoyang District on July 5, the dissident writer was editing an article with a lengthy but provocative title: "Terminating the State Security Bureau is the First Step Toward a Lasting Good Social Order."

The article is part of a book Yu plans to release through a Hong Kong publisher. The book—China's Best Actor: Wen Jiabao—is a criticism of the Chinese premier that won't find a willing publisher in the state-controlled environment of China's communist regime.

As security officials whisked Yu to an interrogation room at the nearby Dougezhuang Police Station, the outspoken Christian says he offered a simple prayer: "Almighty Lord, please grant me courage and wisdom to say what I should say, remain silent on what I should not say, and defeat the darkness and the evil."