No Rule of Law, No "Bad" Books

Absence of the rule of law most harms the weakest members of society. Further proof of that is found in a story about two authors in China who were bold enough to write a book describing the abuse, and even murder, of Chinese peasants by low-level communist party functionaries in rural areas. As outlined in today's NYT, Chen Guidi and Wu Chuntao, who are husband and wife, find themselves subject of a corrupt lawsuit they're bound to lose and holders of a copyright they can't enforce. Their book, An Investigation of China's Peasantry, exposes the plight of China's 750 million peasants who, without benefit of the rule of law, are open to constant abuse by local powers who act independently of Beijing. This means that, whatever "reforms" the dictators proclaim to help the mass of their countrymen, peasant farmers continue to suffer. Of course, if Beijing was truly serious about helping out China's poorest citizens, it would institute the rule of law, an independent judiciary, fundamental freedoms, and the like. But doing so would undermine their own illegitimate rule, so don't look for any such measures anytime soon.

Ms. Wu and Mr. Chens's book sold briskly when it appeared, but by March the government's censors knew they had trouble on their hands in the form of an honest, uncensored look at peasant life. They therefore ordered the government-owned publisher of the volume to cut off production and cease all advertising. That opened the door to another abuse common in nations that lack any rule of law -- pirating. As a result, of the seven million volumes in print, the couple has earned royalties on only 200,000.

Ms. Wu and Mr. Chen have amassed sufficient information to write another book, Fighting for Peasants in Court. They'll never get it published in China, of course, but wouldn't it be nice to see it, along with their first volume, appear in Chinese and English both on the Net and in hard copy? Any brave publishers out there?