Safely Home, page 25
“Doesn’t surprise me.”
“Han says the government requires every company using encryption technology to register, and they monitor them. Not only can they watch e-mails, they can censor web content! Fortunately, he says the Party’s finding out they can’t control the web like they control newspapers and television. It’s borderless; it’s outside the lines. Anyway, about Harry Wu—since I couldn’t access the website, Han printed out about fifty pages and faxed them to me.”
“What do they say?”
“Harry Wu spent nineteen years in the Laogai. He claims the Business Coalition for U.S.–China Trade has totally glossed over the Laogai. I checked them out, and I’m afraid he’s right. They spent twelve million dollars lobbying to grant China permanent trade status. They talk about international groups being allowed to visit Chinese prisons but don’t mention the State Department’s report that says—and I’m quoting this printout—‘In all cases of forced labor identified by US Customs, the Chinese Ministry of Justice refused the request for inspection, ignored it, or simply denied the allegations without further elaboration.’”
“Listen, Ben, I need to tell you—”
“There’s more, Johnny. Singapore gave me five other web addresses on Chinese civil rights violations. I went to a hotel and got a connection, and I couldn’t call up a single one. They’re blocked, not just to Quan but to everyone in China, for all I know. Can you imagine? They censor sites that accuse them of censorship. And Han says if the source is in China, they may not just shut the operators down. They can arrest them!”
“Can you prove that?”
“Who knows? Anyway, the Laogai Research Foundation has documented one hundred forced labor camps, which produce eight hundred million dollars in sales. They’re listed under pseudonyms in international business directories. They claim there are a thousand more of these camps they’re trying to get documentation on. It’s unbelievable, Johnny. No due process, no compensation for work, terrible conditions, physical punishment rampant. It’s like a horror movie. And Quan’s in the thick of it!”
“Ben, listen, you really have to—”
“I’m telling you, Getz is sending the message to the Chinese government: Go ahead and do what you want to these people as long as we make a profit. It’s appeasement. It’s hypocrisy. We boycotted South Africa for a lot less than this. We’re pumping money into China while we look the other way. Free trade is one thing. But partnership? We need to send them a message: If you want our money and technology and partnership, you can’t do this. ”
“Ben, hold on, okay? We had this conversation years ago. We knew what we were getting into. We sat in a management team meeting and went over that poll of five hundred international businesses that named China the most corrupt country in Asia. Remember? We can’t change that overnight. The best thing we can do for human rights is what we’re doing. Prosperity will bring social reform with it; how many times have you preached that sermon? By doing business with them, we pull China into the world community, and that’s going to further human rights.”
“Or is that doublespeak, Johnny? We further human rights by participating in a business partnership with religious and political prisoners working without pay? Human rights is being furthered by the violation of human rights? We think we can bribe dictators into being nice to people?”
“Look, Ben. Stop right there.”
“No, you look. This report talks about the same thing in Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Sudan. US companies are in bed with governments that are persecuting people! And Getz is right there with them!”
“Ben! Calm down, would you? I’ve been trying to tell you, but you haven’t stopped to take a breath. I met with legal this morning.”
“Yeah?”
“Everybody sympathizes with your friend.”
“But . . . ?”
“But we can’t just pull the plug. What you’ve done hasn’t worked, and we’ve already jeopardized our partnership with PTE. Won Chi is really upset. We met with the executive committee, and they voted. We’re telling you to take no further action. Everybody agreed, including Martin.”
Five seconds of silence.
“Ben, are you there? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah. I only wish I hadn’t.”
“Come on, it’s just that—”
“It’s just that we care more about making money than about human rights.”
29
AS GRANDFATHER, father, and son stood shoulder to shoulder, Reader, standing before the portal to the earth, read the ancient words:
“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’
The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’”
Watcher looked down at several hundred faces spread across the earth. These were men, mostly, who resided in palaces and mansions and white houses and royal residences, most of them living in opulence, under the illusion of unbridled power. He raised his voice:
“Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
* * *
“I believe you didn’t know anything about this, Chi,” Ben said. “But this man’s in jail. As of today, he’s been in jail two weeks. Getz is part owner of this factory—we can’t be involved in forced labor of political or religious prisoners.”
“It is Chinese factory.”
“Yes, but we’re in partnership. We put up a large part of the money.”
“Contract says it is Chinese ownership.”
“I’m not arguing with that. I’m just saying . . . this is a very sensitive issue.”
“Has the Getz board said this, or is it thinking of Ben Fielding?”
“Well, I’ve talked with Martin, and he’s concerned.”
“Mr. Getz called yesterday to assure PTE he doesn’t want anything to upset our partnership.”
“That’s why I’m hoping you’ll do what you can to be sure my friend is released.”
“I am not a warden. I am a businessman.”
“Look, you don’t have to agree with these Christians, but they’re decent people. They’re good citizens.”
“Do good citizens break the law?”
“Well, not usually, but—”
“Here, good citizens do not break the law. I have been told Bible says to obey government. Then why does your friend not obey Bible’s command?”
“Well, I—”
“Perhaps instead of trying to get business partners to reform Chinese society, Mr. Ben Fielding should ask his good citizen friend to obey what he claims to believe.”
* * *
“Let it go, Ben,” Martin said.
“We were duped into participating in slave labor. How can I let it go?”
“Slave labor’s pretty extreme, don’t you think? So is participating. We never agreed to this. We never knew about it.”
“Well, we know now.”
“Right. And they’ve assured us this won’t happen again, haven’t they? Chi says it’s all taken care of.” Martin sighed. “Besides, it’s a different culture.”
“This is wrong in any culture.”
“Prisoners in America work, don’t they?”
“But they have a choice. And they’re compensated, even if it’s not much. At least they’re taken through due process and convicted and sentenced. And the conditions are decent. It’s not the same thing.”
“Would you think that if it wasn’t your friend?”
“Of course.”
“Really? When we first started doing business in China, weren’t you Mr. Culturally Sensitive, the one who told us about the Emerging Giant and how we could have this mutually beneficial relationship? Symbiosis, you called it, remember? We all laughed at Johnny because he didn’t know what it meant—flunked science, I guess. And wasn’t it Jack and Doug and some of the sales guys who brought out this whole history of China jailing dissidents, violating human rights, bribery—the whole nine yards? Do you remember what you said when people got cold feet?”
One of the most annoying things about Martin was his memory.
“I said, ‘Sure, there are some human rights issues, but they’re blown out of proportion. Some of those people are lawbreakers. That’s why they’re in jail, and we can’t assume everything the amnesty groups say is true.’ But this is different, Martin. We do know it’s true. Quan isn’t a lawbreaker.”
“Not in your eyes. But then, it’s not your country, is it?”
“I knew these people weren’t paid much. But not paid at all? Forced labor?”
“They’re criminals. Why not let them be productive?”
“You’re telling me this doesn’t nag at your conscience?”
“Look, Ben, I feel sorry for your friend and his family. But if we try to force human rights issues, England and France and Germany—not to mention a dozen US companies—are right there to take our business. You said free trade’s a human right, and the people will suffer if we try to punish their government. ‘Business trumps politics.’ You said that. Remember?”
“I still agree with some of that. But maybe I was partly . . . wrong.”
There was a long pause as both men considered words Ben had never spoken before.
“Well,” Martin said, voice barely restrained, “don’t you think it’s a little late to have a conscience attack? I mean, first you reassure all of us there aren’t any moral reasons to stay out of China and that we’d actually be helping their huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Now you’ve gotten Getz so dependent on our China trade, if we fall through in Shanghai or Beijing, our stock will drop like a pheasant at a shotgun range. What do you expect me to do? Go to the board and tell them Getz International is going to pull the plug on China because Ben Fielding’s college roommate got arrested for breaking Chinese laws?”
“We don’t have to pull the plug. But we can’t stand by and let them persecute Quan just because he’s a Christian.”
“Maybe your friend’s the problem; did that ever occur to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re the one who fired Doug Roberts, aren’t you? Wasn’t it because his religion made him so obnoxious, people didn’t want to work with him?”
“That’s not the same thing. Quan’s been put in jail. And he’s doing slave labor.”
“Is that a difference in kind or degree? Okay, we all know Beijing goes overboard, but just like we have to stay on top of our personnel at Getz, they have to stay on top of their citizens. If what somebody thinks is the exercise of his faith interferes with the smooth operation of a business—or in their case, a society—the people in charge have to be able to take action. Of all people, I’d think you’d respect that.”
“I can’t believe this conversation.”
“I can’t believe you’re willing to hang my company out to dry.”
“That’s not what this is about.”
Martin sighed. “I’ve got a business to run in the absence of my top VP. What is it you want from me, Ben?”
“Won Chi is stonewalling me. He’s covering up. Give me the okay to take this straight to Dexing or someone else in PTE upper management. Anybody but Chi. Clear the way to get me to the PTE factory manager. Send me on behalf of Getz to the PSB chief, the Pushan warden, the mayor, the deputy mayor, the dogcatcher, anybody, everybody.”
“Stay away from the mayor’s office! I don’t want a scene.” Martin sighed again. “Okay, go to Dexing. I’ll e-mail him and tell him you’re just checking things out, trying to help your friend, but we have full confidence in PTE’s operation. We know it was an honest mistake. Okay? Tread lightly. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Maybe there’s only a few prisoners brought in, and maybe it’s no big deal. But listen to me, Ben, and listen well. I don’t want you to do anything that jeopardizes Getz. You hear me?”
“I hear you.”
“I don’t want to have to yank you and give the PTE partnership to Jeffrey. I don’t want you off the fast track to getting my job when I retire. But make no mistake—if you take advantage of your position to exploit our partners for your own agenda, your credibility will be gone, and the reputation of Getz International will go down the toilet with it. I’m not going to let that happen, Ben. Bank on it. Our friendship can only take you so far. And trust me—you’re getting near the edge.”
* * *
Ben chopped down a rotten tree, taking big swings and enjoying the opportunity to smash something hard. He replenished the coal supply, black dust sticking to his sweaty skin. He wiped off what he could, then went to the sink and took a spot bath. He missed his weekly jaunts to the hotel—and missed showers more than anything. In four more days it would be December, two months since he’d left home. He pictured Pam, Melissa, and Kim, probably all at Pam’s mom’s for Thanksgiving. He wondered . . . were any of them thinking of him?
Ming sat on the floor looking at family pictures again. He saw her put her finger on a picture of Quan at the locksmith’s shop.
Ben poured a glass of water and sat on the floor. “You and Quan seem very much in love.”
Her face flushed red. Her eyes flickered, but before she looked down, Ben saw the unmistakable tugging of the smile on the edges of her lips.
“Yes,” she said with a girlish voice. “Very much.”
“Pam and I were in love too, once. It seems like a long time ago.” The moment he said it, he regretted it. Ming looked at him. He saw the pity in her eyes and squirmed.
“Quan knew you both in college,” Ming said slowly. “He does not understand why you would divorce.”
Ben shrugged. “Things happen. People change. We stopped loving each other.”
“What does this mean?”
“We lived our own lives. I had my career, golf, tennis. She had her writing, aerobics, the kids. You know how it is.”
Ming gazed at him, face blank. Clearly she didn’t know how it was.
“Did not your children bring you together?”
“For a time, I guess.”
“And do you not face difficulty together, hostility from the world, persecution that makes you stand together?”
“We had hard times. Real hard. But hostility, persecution? No. Those aren’t that common in America.”
Ming nodded. “Perhaps that was problem.”
“I’ve never thought of lack of hostility and persecution as a problem.”
“Wife and husband must be more than lovers. Must be comrades, soldiers fighting side by side for same great cause. Ming’s mother say, ‘Wife and husband should not only lie down face-to-face, but stand up shoulder to shoulder.’ They must face together the worst Mogui can do to them. And when they draw strength of Yesu, he bind them together.”
“That’s what happened to you and Quan?”
“We depend on each other, need each other. Quan tell me couples in America speak very openly of love. But also that they lose love and move from person to person. This I do not understand. Ming miss Quan as lover,” she said, voice quivering. “But especially as friend and comrade.”
Ben thought about his poor unsuccessful roommate, whose professional dreams had been dashed, who made a hundredth of Ben’s income and now sat in some godforsaken jail. What shocked Ben was the particular feeling he had toward Quan at this moment. He felt envy.
* * *
“Good news,” Johnny said. “As a result of shining the light on this thing, my source tells me they’ve transferred Li Quan back to Pushan Facility Six.”
“Transferred? Not released?”
“It’s a step in the right direction, isn’t it?”
“The Pushan police chief has it in for him. I don’t know how much influence he has at the jail, but . . .”
“If you’re telling me he’d be better off working in the factory, you’re a little late!”
“Sorry, Johnny. I really appreciate everything you’ve done. At least Getz is in the clear. With Quan, anyway. Who knows how many other prisoners still work there.”
“I don’t think I want to know,” Johnny said.
“Now that he’s back in Pushan, I’ll be there at Facility Six tomorrow. They’ll have to let me visit him.”
“I don’t think they have to let you do anything. But while you knock on doors at your end, I’ll check with my source. I hope we can get you access to your friend.” Johnny cleared his throat. “There’s one more thing, Ben. I’m not sure how to say this.”
“What?”
“My source got a photocopy of the charges against Li Quan. I had someone translate it for me. Not much new, except one thing. According to this report, there was someone else who relayed the information that Li Quan is illegally teaching Christianity to his underage son. That’s one of the most serious charges against him. It’s a major criminal offense.”
“Who made the accusation?”
“Well, the report was filed by our own PTE partner Won Chi. But it lists as his source of information . . . Ben Fielding.”
30
AFTER AN HOUR at the front desk of Facility Six, citing his business credentials and demonstrating his fluency in Mandarin, Ben was escorted by an armed guard to the edge of an eight-foot cyclone fence with a line of barbed wire woven through each diamond-shaped opening. The guard outside spoke to one inside, who disappeared through a shadowy door into the cell block.
