Although Jimmy Lai is a British citizen imprisoned in Hong Kong, steps taken by Western countries to secure his release have been inadequate.
This history, well known to many around the globe, was repeated to me recently by Lai’s son Sebastien, who has fearlessly traveled the world to tell his father’s story and urge foreign leaders to pressure China for his release. Although Lai is a British citizen, Britain and other Western countries have done little to win his release. Too much Western money is invested in China — and China owns too much of America — for leaders to object too strenuously to Lai’s imprisonment.
Through several arrests on trumped-up charges, Lai has never let go his commitment to freedom, even as he was handcuffed, chained and. His purported crimes include peaceful participation in pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020. He was also convicted of organizing and attending the Aug. 18, 2019, demonstration in Victoria Park — which was attended by about 1.7 million other people. Yet another conviction followed his participation in the June 4, 2020, vigil for the victims of Tiananmen Square.
This nightmare of harassment and persecution, unimaginable to most Americans, is how China manages its critics. For standing for truth, Lai could become a modern-day martyr. Unless, that is, the United States and the United Kingdom step up. What are the chances?Lai’s family hasn’t seen him in three years. Sebastien told me the only glimpse he’s had of his father has been in a video China released showing him walking in the prison yard.
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