Recent attacks on Google email systems in China compromised the privacy of communications by human rights activists. We have been advocating for many years on behalf of Chinese academics and other professionals who peacefully protest government policy. Lately, peaceful expressions in China of almost any political views that the authorities characterize as subversive have been punished by long prison sentences. For example, Huang Qui, who helped the parents of children killed in last year’s earthquake complain about shoddy school construction by downloading public petition forms from the Internet, was convicted to three years in prison for "possessing state secrets.” Guo Quan was sentenced to ten years in prison for writing articles critical of the government. Liu Xiaobo, who circulated Charter 08 calling for democratic reforms, has been sentenced to fifteen years in jail.

We applaud Google for trying to avoid giving support to suppression of the rights of the Chinese people. Despite the many business considerations involved in their decision, in the long run, we believe that China can only prosper as a modern and prosperous nation if its people are able to enjoy rights to free expression, free access to information, and scientific and academic freedom. Google's unwillingness to cooperate with censorship will ultimately reward China, the Chinese people, and the international community.