Jerry Yang Bit of a Yahoo
Jerry “Moral Pygmy” Yang sent Condoleezza Rice a letter Tuesday looking for a way to help imprisoned Chinese journalist Shi Tao get released early from his 10-year prison sentence. You may remember that, not coincidentally, billionaire Yang, who made his money as Yahoo!’s chief executive, is heavily responsible for Mr. Shi’s imprisonment, having giving Beijing access to his company’s files in the first place. So it’s not exactly like he’s been out in front of this issue–in a positive way I mean.
With Secretary Rice in Asia, it seemed like an ideal time for Yang to muster up the moral courage of someone who has already been raked through the press (he has had some more positive pieces as well). I hate to be cynical (no I don’t), but one has to wonder if there is anything of value behind Yang’s move. Here is BusinessWeek’s account of Yang’s new found religion:
In a letter sent Thursday to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Yang writes: “I believe it is essential for our government—led by the State Department—to actively pursue the release of Shi Tao, Wang Xiaoning and other Chinese dissidents who have been imprisoned for exercising internationally recognized rights of expression.”
The “window of opportunity to advance the cause of freedom” is now, as Beijing prepares to host the summer Olympics this year, he writes. “Yahoo deeply regrets the circumstances that led to the imprisonment of individuals in China.”
Isn’t this a little like OJ “deeply regretting” the circumstances that led to his wife’s murder? If only Yahoo! could go back in time and write a letter to those who allowed Mr. Shi’s imprisonment and convince that party to have reacted differently. If only that party had the moral clarity of Yahoo! (circa February 26, 2008). It seems pretty shallow, but then again there could be another side to the story.
The day after Yang’s letter Rice did indeed manage to open discussions with the Chinese on human rights. This, from the NY Times:
China suspended the exchanges in 2004 after the Bush administration sponsored an unsuccessful resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Commission attacking China’s human rights record.
“We are ready to resume the human rights dialogue,” the Chinese foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, said at a news conference with Ms. Rice in Beijing, Reuters reported. “We are willing to have exchanges and interactions with the U.S. and other countries on human rights on a basis of mutual respect, equality and noninterference in each others’ internal affairs.”
China is anxious to prevent critics and activists from linking its human rights record with the Olympic Games.
So maybe Jerry did do something good after all. But I’m not really sure if the talks are linked to the letter, or would even specifically cover Shi Tao’s imprisonment. Any thoughts?
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