NTD NYHETER: VECKA 8, 2026

I've also done a lot of research. One is, what kind of government does China need? To put it simply, these two books. What kind of government does China need? And this is a call from the U.S. executive committee. This book is more... I don't know if you can read it. Today, as we approach the Beijing Olympic Games, I ask you to pay attention to the ongoing human rights disaster in China and wish you to forward my appeal to the whole world. I ask you to seriously consider the outlook of morality, justice, and humanity for today's mankind, as well as to what extent such values are undermined in China. In a world where the mainstream political forces value profit above everything else, where morality is sneered at, we tried in vain to urge the International Olympic Committee to perform its duties. But still, I choose to express myself in a way that has almost led to the annihilation of my whole family. I choose to present to the international community what is happening in China, the vivid scenes going on in parallel with the preparations for the Olympic Games, but that are totally against the Olympic spirit. Though at this moment, people are busy congratulating themselves on what they have gained from the coming Olympic Games, I choose to do so despite the danger it may bring to myself, because I consider it my obligation as a human being and as a Chinese person. But Gao's appeal may have come too late. On September 6th, as he was drafting this open letter, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Sydney, Hu Jintao, the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary, invited U.S. President George W. Bush to come to Beijing to watch the Olympic Games. Bush accepted the invitation. And once again, he extended the invitation to me and Lauren, our family, to come to the Olympics. Of course, I was anxious to accept. For writing his open letter to the U.S. Congress, Gao was again abducted by the police, his head covered in a black hood. He was taken to a secret place. More than two months later, he returned home with scars and deteriorated health. At first, Gao didn't want to talk about his ordeal. But at his wife's urging, he eventually wrote out an account of what had happened to him in custody. Four men with electric batons began beating my head and all over my body. Nothing but the noise of the beating and my anxious breathing could be heard. I was beaten so badly that my whole body began shaking uncontrollably. I was shouted at by a guy whom I later learned was named Wang. All my clothes were pulled off, and I was totally naked. The electric shock batons were put all over me, and my whole body, my heart, lungs, and muscles began jumping under my skin uncontrollably. I was writhing on the ground in pain, trying to crawl away. Wang then shocked me in my genitals. My begging them to stop only returned laughing and more unbelievable torture. This torture continued until around noon on the third day. I don't know where I got the strength to endure. But somehow, I struggled to get away from their grasp, shouting the names of my two children, Tianyu and Gege. I hit my head on the edge of the table. My voice, calling my children's names, was chilling. It was extremely sad, remote, and unfamiliar. But my suicide attempt did not succeed. I thank Almighty God for this. It is He who rescued me. Gao's eyes were bleeding after he banged his head. He fell to the floor. But even then, the secret police didn't stop their brutality. They kept beating and shocking him with electric batons. They inserted bamboo pins into his genitals. In endless pain and under tremendous pressure from his interrogators, Gao was forced to make up stories about having had affairs with four women. After returning home, he tried to get back to a normal life. But leaving the torture behind wasn't so simple. That's it. But I didn't want to be a part of it. I'm not like that. I have a heavy heart. Because of Gao's suffering, I can't forget it in my head. I can't forget it. The day before yesterday, I said to them, I will never forget this before I die. It's like a technical process. I can't forget it. Sometimes, when I wake up at night, I think of this. Sometimes, when I go to the kitchen to wash the dishes, I think of this. I'm not saying that the torture was too much of a shock to me. What I'm saying is that such a process can exist in China. And those who represent China, those who represent our government, those who represent us, those who represent us to do our best, this is the most terrible thing. Although Gao and his family were struggling and forced to live in isolation, they had not been forgotten. His courage and fight for justice were being widely recognized by the international community. In 2007, Gao was granted the Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Award in Austria and the Courageous Advocacy Award by fellow lawyers at the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2008, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. With the 2008 Beijing Olympics approaching, the entire country was in a tense atmosphere. In the name of so-called safety precautions, the regime arrested tens of thousands of innocent people, especially activists, petitioners, and Falun Gong practitioners. While foreign dignitaries were enjoying the games in Beijing, Gao's family was forced out of the city. As the splendid fireworks from the Beijing Olympics ceased, Gao's daughter, Ge Ge, found herself unable to go to school. She was denied admission by multiple high schools because of her father's activism. This sent the girl into despair. Ge Ge, who was 15 years old at the time, started harming herself and even attempted suicide. In January 2009, exhausted by years of harassment and surveillance, Ge Ge and her two children managed to escape the secret police and flee to Thailand, then the United States. A month later, in the middle of Chinese New Year, Gao was abducted again by secret police while visiting his hometown in Shanxi Province. As word of Gao's abduction spread, the international community galvanized to call on the Chinese government to release him. Well, let me take this opportunity to again urge the Chinese government to ensure that Gao Zhisheng is immediately released from custody and to clarify the details surrounding his case and his whereabouts. We need to find a way to convince the Chinese government to tell us what has happened to Mr. Gao, what have they done with him, how do they justify it, and when, when, when will they tell us that they will release this man to be with his family and begin to accord people like Mr. Gao and others who stand up for the rights of others the same human rights that we would expect them to be given. Thanks to this pressure, Gao resurfaced on March 28, 2010, after more than a year in custody without a word. A couple of days later, Bill Schiller, from the Toronto Star, visited Gao at his Beijing apartment. In his article, Schiller wrote, Looking thinner but unbroken, Gao said he was standing down from his role as a leading dissident, but he was not walking away from his basic principles. Gao said, Undoubtedly, I'll be giving up a role. But giving up a role doesn't mean giving up one's fundamental point of view. Within days, Gao disappeared again. Nine months later, in January 2011, the Associated Press published an exclusive interview they had conducted with Gao during his short period of resurfacing. In it, Gao described the torture and beatings during the year he had gone missing as the worst he had ever endured. By granting the interview, he was violating the conditions set by the authorities. But he told the journalist that if he disappeared again, the report could be published. Not long after the Associated Press report came out, an article that Gao himself had written two years earlier, titled Speaking From My Heart, was published. Geng He had smuggled it out when she left China, but she misplaced it during the journey. Two years later, it was finally found. In the article, Gao once again speaks out against the suffering of the Chinese people at the hands of a ruthless communist regime while calling for more international help for fellow democracy and human rights activists. At the end, Gao writes, The publication of this article will cause me to be kidnapped again. Kidnappings are part of my normal living now. If it comes again, then let it come. My experience with Gao Jisheng was that he stood up for justice in the rule of law, which was admirable. He was persecuted for it, which was deplorable. But what was striking was that he stood his ground as the persecution continued and accelerated. He couldn't help but know that as he was standing up for human rights, that he was going to be persecuted for it. But he did it anyways. To me, well, I hope never to be in a situation like Gao Jisheng found himself. But if I were, I would hope to behave the way he did. His behavior. Mom, you keep saying, Save dad. In a historic trial in Hong Kong, on February 9, the pro-democratic activist Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years behind bars according to Beijing's National Security Law. President Trump has personally asked China's leader Xi Jinping to consider Lai's release. Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. It's the heaviest penalty so far under China's 2020 National Security Law, which virtually silences dissenting opinions in Hong Kong, just like it has been over the last century in China. Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls it an unjust and tragic conclusion to this case, saying, We urge the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole. House Select Committee on the CCP chairman John Molinar says this is the latest in the human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party of overstepping its promise of one country, two systems in Hong Kong. He said he'll work in Congress to sanction those responsible. Jimmy Lai's son Sebastian says the 20-year sentence of his 78-year-old father amounts to life in prison. Obviously it was expected, but it was still pretty devastating. You kind of have doubt as to whether I'll see my father again. Lai was convicted back in December of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and sedition. And at that time, President Trump said, I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release. He's not well. He's an older man, and he's not well. So I did put that request out. We'll see what happens. Sebastian Lai says he's grateful for Trump's support for his father. The President of the United States, President Trump, which has said that he will free my father, something I've been incredibly grateful for, has given my family a lot of hope. And at this point, it's about saving him. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently met with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping over trade talks. And Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. But Sebastian Lai says the UK needs to do more for his father and not seek to normalize relations with China. There's no normalization until my father's out. There's no closer relationship until my father's out because if they can't even do something so simple, then what can we possibly expect from that relationship? Jimmy Lai founded the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, once a vocal critic of Beijing. His arrest was among the first under the national security law in 2020. And he had the opportunity to leave Hong Kong, avoid arrest, and save his fortune. But if I leave, I will totally disgrace myself and also undermine the solidarity of the democratic movement. Looking ahead, President Trump is expected to visit Beijing in April, potentially an opportunity to push again for Lai's freedom. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. The 78-year-old pro-democratic British businessman from Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on February 9 by a court in Hong Kong to 20 years in prison. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called a ruling for an To discuss these events, NTD's Steve Lance, accompanied by Joseph Sella, former US ambassador to Fiji, and friend of Jimmy Lai. Here's Jimmy Lai's son, Sebastian, commenting on this. If they're not even willing to do something like that, I think that tells you all you need to know about the relationship. Ambassador, how many more instances of the CCP's transnational repression do we have to witness? And what does this ultimately show us about the nature of the CCP and how the world's community should be treating them, especially the UK? Well, I think they're very opportunistic and they will seize a moment if they find a weak link, if you will. And regrettably, for his country, which he bears citizenship to, really has not fought for him as stridently as, I would argue, the United States has. And that's regrettable. And I'm hoping that this is a moment for the world to be aware of the malign ways and to be very careful of the dealings that China has in these international situations, but on their own shores, the malign activities, subnational incursions, and so forth. So I'm hopeful that we'll see a repeat of history, perhaps through the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Rubio, where soon enough, Jimmy will be freed. I'm praying for that. During the last interview before his arrest, Jimmy Lai was actually speaking on his loyalty to Hong Kong. I come here with one dollar. I got everything I have because of this place. You know, a wonderful family. You know, they're very supportive. If this is the payback time, this is my redemption. You must fear some things for your family, for Hong Kong, for your loved ones. Yes, I do have fear. You're right. For decades, Ambassador, it was a one country, two systems recognition where, you know, the British handed it over to China, and then it really sort of took effect, the CCP implementing its own policy there gradually as that finally, you know, took place. Talk to us about the decisions that Jimmy Lai made to stay and fight for freedom in Hong Kong. I think it's a testament to his character. I think it's a testament to his faith. He is a role model for others who are subjugated under the boot of totalitarianism around the world and will be forever, come what may for Jimmy. And he is, he has traveled the heights of power. And in business, has met great success. However, that is very transitory for him. He knows he could have gotten on a plane as soon as he knew what was coming, but he opted to stay and fight on principle. And what is not transitory is his faith and belief in Jesus. And he is a solid believer in the Catholic Church and is a witness for all to follow, whether laity or religious. And certainly should be an inspiration to those fighting for freedom against subjugation around the world, civilians and elected officials alike. So he was obviously a very successful business tycoon in Hong Kong. He also founded the Apple Daily, which was a media conglomerate. So this really, at the core of all of this, we're looking at freedom of speech and a free press. In Hong Kong, independent media, since merging with mainland China, has been under tremendous pressure to just simply survive. For example, our sister media, the Epoch Times, had to stop printing in Hong Kong. We had folks in the Epoch Times print press. It was ransacked and set on fire, the print presses. Why is the loss of free press key to the CCP's control in Hong Kong? Because they want to drive the narrative from the top down. They control everything from the top down, no matter the sector or strata, business, academia, media. If we have a media presence from the United States there, they have to be bought in so that they can censor. And they do not want the unvarnished truth to be told, as your good offices do, as Apple Daily did, because I think that would expose the nature of the Chinese Communist Party, its nefarious ways, that I do not really think will stand the test of time. In the Cold War, we saw that that was painful, very difficult, very bloody time. But eventually that Cold War ended, the Soviet Union collapsed. And I think that the Chinese Communist Party, Marxism, Leninism, is really radically contrary to human nature and ultimately will not stand the test of time. So I think they're very insecure about the nature of their ideology. And it could quickly come to an end if the winds of freedom were to blow and they're being very careful to make sure that doesn't happen. Former Ambassador Joseph Sella, really appreciate you joining us.