Human Rights Watch
On July 23, 2020, Sophie Richardson, China Director for Human Rights Watch, did an "Ask Me Anything" or an AMA on the website Reddit. It did not go well.
She is asked a straight forward question about support for the Communist Party of China and flounders. She distracts from the fact that the CPC has huge support in China. The replies tear her apart.
It is pointed out that a Harvard study established that the CPC has almost unanimous support by the people of China. She distracts from this, and tries to throw doubt on the study without actually raising any specific objections. She evokes the trope that no Chinese people are safe to speak their political opinion, something the study addresses. The replies make numeroues references to the CPC's broad base of support.
A question is asked about the neutrality of Human Rights Watch. She references differences in assessments between HRW and the USA, but the replies are not convinced. One person points out that Human Rights Watch has refused a call by multiple Noble laureates to reject members of the American government from the organization.
Someone asks how much time she spends in China and if she is capable of speaking Chinese. She deflects, referencing the supposed "Orwellian state surveillance." She says her Chinese is "not great these days."
Someone asks about Chinese police. She links to a ready-made piece of propaganda, while the replies attest to how different Chinese police are from Western police.
One user asks about threats to her safety, she deflects to a statement made by the Chinese government and their refusal to allow Ken Roth into the country. One user points out the role Human Rights Watch and Ken Roth have played in sanctioning vulnerable and Leftist countries.
A question is asked about what can be done to affect China. She advocates sanctions and trade war, while one user responds that such an approach will simply harm the average Chinese people and inspire an "Us vs Them" mentality.
One user asks what may have led to the seeming change in status quo in China. Unwilling or unable to give a materialist answer, she deflects and references the "black box" of "elite politics in China," ignoring all communication the Chinese government has made about its policies. One user responds with the reality: territorial control is paramount in China, and separatist movements threaten its internal stability.
