Triple the profit, triple the rights?
Yahoo! has recently announced a massive profit increase. It doesn't seem that the company has a dollar to rights matching scheme in place! Even if most of the quarter's profit was thanks to Yahoo's stake in Chinese internet company, Alibaba.
Yahoo! owns a 49% share of Alibaba and both companies censor the internet for Chinese users. In the past when Yahoo! has been asked questions relating to censorship, privacy and human rights in China, some Yahoo! explanations have attempted to pass responsibility to Alibaba. As this recent profit announcement shows, the reality is that the two companies are inextricably linked and Yahoo! could choose to implement some positive human rights policies which would affect the practices of both companies.
Yahoo! was responsible for providing Chinese authorities with Shi Tao's personal information after he sent an email from his Yahoo! account to a US address. The information led to his 10 year sentence for 'divulging state secrets' or, rather, his peaceful and legitimate use of the internet and his human right to freedom of expression It would seem that with growing profits, increasing market share in China, an embarrassing incident in US Congress last year about the Shi Tao case - there is much more Yahoo! could do to improve its human rights policies and practices, perhaps tripling its efforts?
Obviously, it shouldn't matter what a company's earnings, human rights are universal and should be upheld by all. But surely Yahoo! your position means your words and actions have a little more bang for their buck in China!
Comments
Sophie Peer | Posted on 5 May 2008, 01:56PM | Report comment
No, hboGYT you have that absolutely wrong - they are called ‘Universal human rights’ for a reason. My right is no different to yours or to a person born in any corner of the world.
There is no reason why human rights progress requires economic decline.
hboGYT | Posted on 2 May 2008, 09:08PM | Report comment
You make me laugh.
It is the typical western notion that any independent observer should see the Chinese government as evil. I speak for the Chinese government because they are doing the right thing for Chinese people.
Our human right is our business, and yours is your business.
We should not share a common cause at all.
I genuinely support greater freedom and material comfort for Chinese people, while you are to prolong their suffering wether intentionally or unintentionally.
If you show strong interest, I can elaborate further.
Simon Sarfaty | Posted on 2 May 2008, 06:35PM | Report comment
Are you, hboGYT a hidden spokesperson for the Chinese Government? Human rights are everybody’s business, anywhere in the world. As as Australian citizen, I have no objection whatsoever to the UN or AI involving itself in issues concerning rights and responsibilities of Australian governments re Aboriginal issues, etc. These things need to be discussed and acted upon wherever appropriate. Shame on you for suggesting Chinese are treating like second class citizens in the Western world. There are many, many more people who are treated much worse in the West than yourselves. How about uniting with a common cause to make it better for everyone the world over?
hboGYT | Posted on 1 May 2008, 05:33PM | Report comment
Ignorant! allowing too much freedom would only jeopardise other important economic objectives. But you don’t care if us Chinese people have to work as slaves for you forever, don’t you? Even your welfare cheats live more comfortable than many of our middle class employees. So you have the engergy to whine about something that is not your business.