SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Chinese Media Calls Snowden's Potential Extradition a 'Betrayal'
Chinese newspaper The Daily Times expresses support for Edward Snowden
Jun 17, 2013
One of China's leading newspapers is asking NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden not to be returned to the US, calling his potential extradition a "betrayal" in a statement Monday which has garnered considerable attention, providing further evidence of the overwhelming global support of Snowden and his actions.
Discussing the potential of Snowden being turned over to U.S. officials, The Global Times writes:
It would be a face-losing outcome for both the Hong Kong SAR government and the Chinese Central government if Snowden is extradited back to the US. Unlike a common criminal, Snowden did not hurt anybody. His "crime" is that he blew the whistle on the US government's violation of civil rights. His action supported "human rights" as defined in the UN Charter, and has been applauded worldwide.
Snowden believes in the democracy and freedom of Hong Kong. His whistle-blowing is in the global public interest. Therefore, extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world. The image of Hong Kong would be forever tarnished.
As the AFP reports, Snowden "has exposed not only US cyber-espionage but also political fault lines in Hong Kong that are deepening as the territory, a proud bastion of free speech and protest, chafes under Chinese rule."
"...extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world."- The Global Times
According to experts, the incident provides a significant test of civil liberties, saying that it will "set a landmark on whether the city can govern itself without interference from Beijing."
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying has said that the government will handle the case "in accordance with the laws and established procedures of Hong Kong."
In the op-ed, The Global Times references a poll by the South China Morning Post that reveals that the majority of Hong Kong residents oppose extraditing Snowden to the US.
As for a potential obligation for China to aid the US, the unspecified author concludes, "the Chinese government has no responsibility to help the US quench the fire."
Lucia Brown is a summer editorial intern at Common Dreams.
_____________________
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
One of China's leading newspapers is asking NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden not to be returned to the US, calling his potential extradition a "betrayal" in a statement Monday which has garnered considerable attention, providing further evidence of the overwhelming global support of Snowden and his actions.
Discussing the potential of Snowden being turned over to U.S. officials, The Global Times writes:
It would be a face-losing outcome for both the Hong Kong SAR government and the Chinese Central government if Snowden is extradited back to the US. Unlike a common criminal, Snowden did not hurt anybody. His "crime" is that he blew the whistle on the US government's violation of civil rights. His action supported "human rights" as defined in the UN Charter, and has been applauded worldwide.
Snowden believes in the democracy and freedom of Hong Kong. His whistle-blowing is in the global public interest. Therefore, extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world. The image of Hong Kong would be forever tarnished.
As the AFP reports, Snowden "has exposed not only US cyber-espionage but also political fault lines in Hong Kong that are deepening as the territory, a proud bastion of free speech and protest, chafes under Chinese rule."
"...extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world."- The Global Times
According to experts, the incident provides a significant test of civil liberties, saying that it will "set a landmark on whether the city can govern itself without interference from Beijing."
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying has said that the government will handle the case "in accordance with the laws and established procedures of Hong Kong."
In the op-ed, The Global Times references a poll by the South China Morning Post that reveals that the majority of Hong Kong residents oppose extraditing Snowden to the US.
As for a potential obligation for China to aid the US, the unspecified author concludes, "the Chinese government has no responsibility to help the US quench the fire."
Lucia Brown is a summer editorial intern at Common Dreams.
_____________________
One of China's leading newspapers is asking NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden not to be returned to the US, calling his potential extradition a "betrayal" in a statement Monday which has garnered considerable attention, providing further evidence of the overwhelming global support of Snowden and his actions.
Discussing the potential of Snowden being turned over to U.S. officials, The Global Times writes:
It would be a face-losing outcome for both the Hong Kong SAR government and the Chinese Central government if Snowden is extradited back to the US. Unlike a common criminal, Snowden did not hurt anybody. His "crime" is that he blew the whistle on the US government's violation of civil rights. His action supported "human rights" as defined in the UN Charter, and has been applauded worldwide.
Snowden believes in the democracy and freedom of Hong Kong. His whistle-blowing is in the global public interest. Therefore, extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world. The image of Hong Kong would be forever tarnished.
As the AFP reports, Snowden "has exposed not only US cyber-espionage but also political fault lines in Hong Kong that are deepening as the territory, a proud bastion of free speech and protest, chafes under Chinese rule."
"...extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world."- The Global Times
According to experts, the incident provides a significant test of civil liberties, saying that it will "set a landmark on whether the city can govern itself without interference from Beijing."
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying has said that the government will handle the case "in accordance with the laws and established procedures of Hong Kong."
In the op-ed, The Global Times references a poll by the South China Morning Post that reveals that the majority of Hong Kong residents oppose extraditing Snowden to the US.
As for a potential obligation for China to aid the US, the unspecified author concludes, "the Chinese government has no responsibility to help the US quench the fire."
Lucia Brown is a summer editorial intern at Common Dreams.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.