Dr. Yang Jianli and Rep. Jonathan Hecht will speak of their experiences with, and their hopes for, for human rights in China.
Dr. Yang Jianli is a leader in the pro democracy movement in China. After serving in a Chinese prison for 5 years for “spying” in his home country, upon his release Dr. Yang formed Initiatives for China, a pro-democracy movement committed to a peaceful transition to democracy in China. He firmly believes that continued U.S. leadership in holding China accountable for respecting the human and political rights of its citizens is a critical component for world stability and for the peaceful transition to a democratic society in China.
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Jonathan Hecht, currently a state representative from Watertown and Cambridge to the General Court of Massachusetts, previously worked as an attorney on law and human rights in China. Through the Ford Foundation, and then Harvard and Yale Law Schools, he developed and implemented programs to support Chinese legal experts and organizations working to promote the rule of law and respect for human rights in China. His academic research has focused on human rights problems in the Chinese criminal justice system.
