MARK M ALDRIDGE - China Jails Liu Xiaobo           a.userlink { color: #000000; } a.userlink:visited { color: #25120d; } a.userlink:hover { color: #25120d; } font[size="1"] { font-size:10px; } font[size="2"] { font-size:13px; } font[size="3"] { font-size:16px; } font[size="4"] { font-size:18px; } font[size="5"] { font-size:24px; } font[size="6"] { font-size:32px; } font[size="7"] { font-size:48px; } .GuestBookMessage { font-family: Times New Roman; color: #25120d; font-size: 13px; } .GuestBookMessageRow { font-family: Times New Roman; color: #25120d; font-size: 12px; } .GuestBookHeader { font-family: Times New Roman; color: #25120d; font-size: 12px; }                                                                                         China Leads the way in regards to the total disrespect of Rights and Liberties Once again China flex’s its muscle barring Australian and other European Diplomats from overseeing an open public trial, where as we have come to expect any Government Opposition is met with harsh penalty. Liu Xiaobo has been in custody with out charge for over 18 months and now is being jailed for 11 years for doing nothing more than fighting for democracy, with world governments demanding his release with the argument of Chinas signatory to international treaties which are inclusive of civil rights and liberties.  I can’t help but wonder why even though Australia were barred from attending, they have remained somewhat silent, or is it the fact that in recent years our Government have become ignorant of our signatory to such documents as the UN Declaration of Human rights. Many pieces of recent legislation in my State of South Australia are somewhat putting us on the same path as China in regard to police state type powers, attacks on our separation of powers and blatant disregard of our rights, Liberties and freedoms. Democracy is the corner stone of society, yet even our freedoms in regards to our electoral system are some what diminished, and with laws in place right now in South Australia that enable jail sentences for issues as minor as association, with out the safe guards of equality before the law, presumptions of innocence et all, I fear we are heading in the same direction. Chinas choice of the 25 December to jail Liu clearly was an attempt to keep the bad news out of the world media, in a similar way we see our Governments spending millions on their mighty spin machine’s, with reports just today (HHmmmm 25/12/09) of South Australia’s Premier Mike Rann spending record amounts of money on Spin doctors to sell their failings to the electorate. While the rest of the world are demanding “A Fair Go” for Liu Xiaobo, and the rights of the oppressed Chinese people, I hope and pray the take a glimpse our way.  Mark M Aldridge Independent Candidate for the Legislative CouncilSouth Australian State Election March 2010 08 82847482 / 0403379500                                  aldridgemark@bigpond.comwww.markmaldridge.comwww.howtovoteinsa.net https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/25/china-jails-liu-xiaobo                      Website provided by Vistaprint