Feb 7, 2022 5 min read

Nobody likes to toss a rotten fish into the world’s greatest sporting event, but somebody has to do it.

As all eyes turn to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, savoring the fearless, gravity-defying performances of the world’s best athletes, dozens of political prisoners languish in Chinese prison cells for the sin of peaceful protest. People such as tycoon Jimmy Lai, perhaps China’s most famous captive, would surely relish debating the big questions in public. What a simple, sweet luxury.

But that is hard to do when you’ve been muzzled and are facing the very real possibility of being disappeared.

If Lai’s name is new to you, it is well-known in Hong Kong and among human rights activists. Lai’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, now closed, is guilty of practicing journalism. Lai, along with several former Apple Daily executives, editors and at least one columnist, Yeung Ching-kee, have been charged with conspiracy to print, publish, sell and distribute “seditious publications.” Prosecutors allege that Lai’s outfit could “bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection” against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments.

Well, yeah. That’s the point of a free press, isn’t it? To speak truth to power while informing the public? When it comes to human rights violations and repressive, authoritarian regimes, there’s only one defensible position. But standing up to the Chinese Communist Party is a dangerous proposition requiring greater courage than most Western journalists generally ever have to summon. (Under a certain recent president, however, the media’s constitutional protections suddenly seemed less secure, and the physical safety of writers and broadcasters was no longer a sure thing.)

Lai, a recent convert to Catholicism, is willing to be a martyr for freedom, according to people familiar with his work and mission. One way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to shine a bright light on his (and others’) plight and urge the international community, especially corporate businesses, to take a stand. To that end, Lai’s face is being shone – projected, to be precise – on the facades of prominent buildings in major cities around the world throughout the Winter Games.

He will surely become familiar to thousands, if not millions, of people who happen past the Tower of London. (Lai holds dual citizenship in China and Britain.) He’ll also be on view on the exteriors of landmark buildings in the United States, including the Chinese Embassy in Washington and at NBC’s headquarters in New York.

These spotlights are the handiwork of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK), a nongovernmental organization created to draw attention to the way the Chinese Community Party has whittled away free expression, democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong. The party has postponed legislative elections, reduced the number of democratically elected seats, and imposed a “patriotism” litmus test on people wishing to participate in politics and government.

Sound vaguely familiar? Our country’s own Republican Party continues to lock arms with a former president who demanded loyalty from staff and GOP legislators, tried to impound election machines, overturn an election, and even now is encouraging his “patriots” to protest any perceived defamation of his name and character.

It isn’t the same, of course. Donald Trump is no communist, but the authoritarian parallels are hard to ignore.

In Hong Kong, we see how easily democratic norms can be eliminated; here at home, we see how quickly some people can be attracted to censorship or censure. Why, just Friday, the Republican National Committee voted to formally censure Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) for their involvement with the House investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Apparently, Cheney and Kinzinger failed the RNC’s patriot test. Being censured doesn’t compare to imprisonment, but the impulse to silence those with whom we disagree is the same.

As to China and Lai, it is a rare soul who would sacrifice himself – or a business to sacrifice its profits – to take a stand on behalf of humanity. But we can’t afford to ignore what happens to other countries as though they have nothing to do with us. They have everything to do with us, and we have the power, if not always the will, to exert economic and political pressures in defense of human rights.

So, there it is, your rotten fish. The Olympics have always been a moment for disengagement from the political, a pause from the harsh realities of international differences. In that spirit, I’ve tuned in with millions of others. I was mesmerized by American figure skater Nathan Chen’s hypnotic solo performance to “La Boheme” and could dedicate my life to watching replays.

But China was a sorry choice to host any display of human athletic achievement. Like a predator masquerading as something benign, China is a master of disguise and deceit. We should not be fooled by the smiling handshake or the pretty maidens all in a row.

Jimmy Lai would tell you all about it – if he could.

Kathleen Parker is a columnist for the Washington Post. Her email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.