China university 'sacks scholar for political criticism'

[JayAtl]

A law professor in China says he has been sacked after refusing to apologise for writing articles criticising the government.

Zhang Xuehong said he was dismissed by the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai on Monday.

He says university officials had asked him to retract views expressed in articles that raised questions about top leaders and one-party rule.

The university has not officially commented on the matter.

In June Mr Zhang published a piece advocating constitutional rule and criticising the leadership of the Communist Party, including President Xi Jinping.

Another piece, New Common Sense, questions the legality of one-party rule.

He said the university suspended him from teaching responsibilities in August. He added that university officials asked him last month if he was ready to apologise for his actions.

"I said I did nothing wrong, so there's nothing to admit to," he told Reuters news agency.

Mr Zhang, who is also a human rights lawyer, said he would file a lawsuit once he received written notice from the university. He had only been notified verbally.

His dismissal follows the expulsion of outspoken economist and free speech advocate Xia Yeliang in October from Peking University.

Mr Xia helped draft the Charter 08 manifesto, which calls for political change in China. He is a friend of jailed 2010 Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo.

Mr Xia's dismissal came as Chinese leaders stepped up control of the media and internet, arresting bloggers and activists.

BBC News - China university 'sacks scholar for political criticism'

 

[JayAtl]

I don't get why mere words, a scholarly article is such a threat to the Chinese. Can the high IQ chinese not handle reading views? Why does the CCP constantly tell the rest of the world that the common chinese is not smart enough to consume mere words expressed in an article?

 

[TruthSeeker]

^^^^ This is not surprising. Communism, by it's very nature, must be imposed on a population by excessive force. The Chinese Communist Party cannot exist if it allows true political freedom of any kind. The leaders of the CCP are extremely selfish about their own economic comfort and power. They will guard their privileged status until their death. Only a revolution, at least a mild one, will save the Chinese people from their dictators.

 

[timetravel]

I don't get why mere words, a scholarly article is such a threat to the Chinese. Can the high IQ chinese not handle reading views? Why does the CCP constantly tell the rest of the world that the common chinese is not smart enough to consume mere words expressed in an article?

they can handle reading tons of such articles. they have thick skin.

But what they cannot handle is 1.2 billion Chinese getting influenced by this kind of thinking and asking for political freedom and protesting on streets for having their rights.

CCP do not allow the first dissenting voice or else they fear there might soon be 1.2 billion dissenting voices.

 

[JayAtl]

they can handle reading tons of such articles. they have thick skin.

But what they cannot handle is 1.2 billion Chinese getting influenced by this kind of thinking and asking for political freedom and protesting on streets for having their rights.

CCP do not allow the first dissenting voice or else they fear there might soon be 1.2 billion dissenting voices.

History shows your 1st sentence is suspect. jus saying...

 

[Developereo]

I have friends at Harvard who say that if you stray into "questionable" territory you will commit academic suicide. You may escape being sacked (if you are tenured) but there are always repercussions.

All institutions have unspoken guidelines about fitting in.

 

[JSCh]

A political activist that was involved in the "08 charter"(a proposed alternate constitution) in 2008 and friend of 2010 Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo who was one of the author of "08 charter".

He got suspended from teaching responsibilities in 2013 because "In June Mr Zhang published a piece advocating constitutional rule and criticising the leadership of the Communist Party, including President Xi Jinping."

Suspended from teaching!! That is it???!!!!!

I mean not tortured and killed? At least beaten up and put in jail! How the hell did the article get published? Shouldn't the editor be shot?

For heaven sake, the guy criticized the president! He criticized the constitution??!!</sarcasm>

Well, these activists has a political agenda, they like getting sacked so that they can cry political persecution, that way they can get notice by the western media.

These people, yes including that peace laureate Liu Xiaobo are practical unknown in Chinese society both before and after they became known and parade by the west.

But at least they generate some news that the western media can use to smear China and give some justification for the budget to western taxpayer.

The same game has been played for the last 60 years.

Just another page turning...

 

[gambit]

I have friends at Harvard who say that if you stray into "questionable" territory you will commit academic suicide. You may escape being sacked (if you are tenured) but there are always repercussions.

All institutions have unspoken guidelines about fitting in.

Questionable territory? You mean like: He says university officials had asked him to retract views expressed in articles that raised questions about top leaders and one-party rule.

How many Harvard academics were ostracized, not fired, just socially disassociated, from criticizing the US government?

 

[Developereo]

Questionable territory? You mean like: He says university officials had asked him to retract views expressed in articles that raised questions about top leaders and one-party rule.

How many Harvard academics were ostracized, not fired, just socially disassociated, from criticizing the US government?

I was making a broader point about academic research, not specifically about political activism.

Anyone who has submitted a research proposal in academia knows that there's always a "X-factor" in whether the proposal is approved. The "X-factor" is smaller in the hard sciences because objective criteria are better defined, but there's more wiggle room in the social sciences, often reflecting the biases within the committee.

Given the pressure to "publish or perish", people quickly learn to either adjust their interests, or move to another university.

 

[Hasbara Buster]

That happens regularly in the U.S.