Poet Li Bifeng Jailed for 12 Years

Chinese Poet Li Bifeng

 A Chinese poet was sentenced Monday by a court in southwestern China to 12 years in prison for contract fraud. The poet, Li Bifeng, who was formerly imprisoned for five years for his involvement in the Tiananmen Square democracy movement, was sentenced in Sichuan Province. Mr. Li’s wife said the case was related to a sales agreement that her husband had signed with a company to help sell some apartments but that the charges against him were “groundless.” A friend of Mr. Li’s, the exiled  Liao Yiwu, said Mr. Li, 48, was singled out because he was suspected of financing Mr. Liao’s escape from China last year. Mr. Liao said those suspicions were false.

It seems that ripples from the1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy demonstrations continue to have a resounding effect today after so many years. With my knowledge of China's current strict government and history, I don't think that it would be too far of a stretch to say that Li Bifeng might very well be the target of the Chinese government's wrath.

What do you think?
 
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