Jiang Yanyong Goes Free

Word is in that Beijing has released Jiang Yanyong, M.D., from custody. Jiang became an international hero for his efforts to expose government mendacity in hiding the SARS epidemic. He has also called on China's leaders to come clean on the Tiananmen Square Massacre and admit that putting down pro-democracy protests was a mistake. As June 4 -- the 15th anniversary of the massacre -- approached, Jiang and his wife, Hua Zhongwei, were seized as they were en route the U.S. embassy to obtain a visa to visit their daughter in California. I blogged on their ordeal here and here.

His release demonstrates that Beijing is susceptible to internal and external pressure. The leadership couldn't escape censure for its unlawful detention of this brave and honorable man, and for once in China the people are getting their way. A clear lesson emerges: keep the pressure on, demand democratic reforms (no matter how small), and use every resource available -- including blogs -- to spread the word about human rights abuses in China and elsewhere.