A Chinese Laureate's Tale of Free Speech
The discussion about Mo Yan, this year’s Nobel laureate for literature, has been confusing and at times even assumed Orwellian features.
Advocates for the writer, whose pen name means “don’t speak,” argue that he should have the “right to remain silent.” This mantra seeks to defend him for not speaking out about the predicament of dissident writers in China, such as his fellow Nobel laureate and Charter 08 founder, Liu Xiaobo, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of subversion in 2009.
Perhaps some of Mo Yan’s defenders in the West are worried about the writer’s safety if he were to speak up for freedom of expression and against pervasive censorship in China?… Seguir leyendo »