Though you won't hear it from any Chinese media sources, former Communist Party Leader Zhao Ziyang died Monday after spending fifteen years under house-arrest. For those who remember the Tiananmen Square protests and subsequent massacre (tanks bulldozed hundreds of protesting students), Zhao broke from his party's hardline and made a passionate plea in defense of the protesters. His insolence proved politically fatal.

BBC News World has a great site covering Zhao Ziyang and the history of democratic reform in China. Particularly compelling is a piece on the new generation of youth in China. A quote:

"I think many young people like me pay less attention to politics, and more attention to living better and economic improvement. They don't care about politics in China."

Funny, you could exchange "USA" or "Canada" into that quote and it would still ring true. It would appear that for all the "good" that democracy can bring to a society, apathy and indifference are the insidious biproducts. Last time I checked, MTV China didn't exist so so much for Rock the Vote.

As the West circles China like vultures hoping to exploit unprecedented economic opportunities, the future doesn't look bright for non-trivial issues like human rights.

Please visit www.akaactivist.org for more.