A human rights group sued Yahoo on Wednesday, accusing the Internet giant of abetting the torture of pro-democracy writers by releasing data that allowed China's government to identify them.The suit alleges that Yahoo helped the pack of thugs and criminals who pass for China's government identify internal dissident writers, so that they could be arrested, jailed and tortured. (China has always had a very... aggressive version of the Patriot Act in place, and past a certain level, one condition of doing business there and gaining access to the lucrative Chinese market has been a demonstrated willingness to be a collaborator.)
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, says the company was complicit in the arrests of 57-year-old Wang Xiaoning and other Chinese Internet activists. The suit is the latest development in a campaign by advocacy groups to spotlight the conduct of U.S. companies in China.
As they seek a slice of the booming Chinese market, Yahoo and other American companies have sometimes set aside core American values, such as free speech, to comply with the communist government's laws.
Advocates Sue Yahoo In Chinese Torture Case - Washington Post (April 18, 2007)
I know very little about the World Organization for Human Rights USA, the group that is helping Mr. Wang and his family file the lawsuit. I intend to do some due diligence, though; in this case, at least, they are on the side of the angels, and that suggests that they are potentially deserving of our help and support.
