When Mr. Musk acquired Twitter, he promised that the American people would have a platform where they could freely speak their minds. But when an 11-year-old American citizen posted a letter for help on Twitter, her account was banned because it mentioned the Chinese government. It was only a little girl’s plea for help—something that violated neither laws nor morality. Just as they are banned from leaving China and cannot return home, their posts were also banned. Is it because Mr. Musk has interests in China?
In class, we once heard this quote: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This is the dividing line between a democratic society and authoritarian dictatorship.
Money can only represent a person’s standard of living; it cannot represent a person’s moral level. Satan seeks to provoke endless desire in people’s hearts so that he can lead them into an endless abyss.
Reply to Bureaucracy
We are very grateful for your concern and your suggestions. The process of seeking help has been as follows:
First, we contacted our constituency’s Member of Parliament. The MP immediately reached out to our national government’s foreign affairs department. The foreign affairs department told us to contact the Canadian Embassy in China. The Embassy told us to contact the Consulate in Guangzhou. The Guangzhou Consulate said they had no way to help and told us to find a Chinese lawyer. The Chinese lawyer took us to a Chinese government department, and the Chinese officials only gave us one sentence — “suspected job-related crime” — and then told us to leave.
And that was the end of it.
It sounds ridiculous, but it is the truth.
We very much want Chinese government officials to answer two questions:
First, how is it possible for us — two underage foreign citizens — to have committed any kind of “job-related crime” in China?
Second, in the absence of any evidence, is imposing restrictions on the personal freedom of underage foreign citizens considered a form of kidnapping?
Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to demand answers to these questions from them. We earnestly ask our national government to ask the Chinese government these two questions on our behalf.
At the same time, we suggest that our government issue a travel warning to all citizens. If we could have known in advance that a certain country’s government might place restrictions on foreign minors, I believe no reasonable person would allow their children to enter such a country.
At the inauguration ceremony of our country’s head of state, they all swear to protect the people of our nation.
When the personal freedom of our citizens is restricted overseas, it is understandable for them to bear the corresponding consequences if they have indeed violated local laws. However, as innocent minors, we are simply asking our own embassies and consulates to help us ask the local government one question: “What evidence and legal basis is there?” If they do not dare—or are unwilling—to even ask this question on our behalf, all we can feel is sorrow.
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Emily Minjun Chung 