In Charter 08, a Call for Democracy in China

"By departing from these values, the Chinese government's approach to “modernization” has proven disastrous."

This statement is totally erroneous. First of all, the Chinese government has not departed these values. They have never really embrace these values. Every time there was any comment about how China implemented these values from outside, the Chinese government will predictably deny and object, and find excuses. There was never a case of gracefully accepting any comments.

Secondly, not embracing these values, or departing from them, is certainly not "disastrous", not to the Chinese government. No embracing these values is a very effective way to protect the government from dissent. Modernization, civilization, democracy must be viewed from a Chinese point of view, and with Chinese characteristics. The Chinese government's action clearly indicated that human rights and universal human values have no place in Chinese democracy, civilization and modernization. A modern China is the new China under CCP rule. And China is the only country in the world that has any civilization with Chinese characteristics. And the way CCP runs the country is the only democratic system of government. That's Chinese characteristics. China is democratic, modern and civilized, by definition.

Mr. Ramzy,
Will this Manifesto be counter-productive? Will it hinder the national government from fulfilling human rights reforms out of fear that while reeling in on the authority of the local governments it may also have the effect of limiting the national government's authority? Is the reaction limited to the detention of prominent intellectuals or will manifestos such as this one cause more lasting reactions?

[...] including novelist Ha Jin and dissent physicist Fang Lizhi have signed a letter in support of "Charter 08," the pro-democracy manifesto issued this week by several hundred mainland writers, lawyers and activists. Here's a link to a [...]

One can argue that not every timing is perfect. But then, which timing would be perfect for a Charter 08?
I think if there weren't people pushing for democracy, it would never come. The KMT gave up its one-party rule because they knew that they would lose majority support if the clung to it by all means (and some deliberations about being more attractive internationally may have played a role, too). But no dictatorship hands political power because its beneficiaries simply decide it's the right thing to do. It takes people who demand it.

The Washington Post today printed an Editorial on the subject of China's Charter 08 in a very skin-deep way. I left a comment, talking about the Conspiracy Theory regarding the time and purpose of publication of Charter 08.
The theory says it's a scheme run by the China National Security Agency to boost Liu Xiaobo and Yu Jie's leader status.

It's hard to prove it right or wrong. Time will tell us soon.

[...] In “Charter 08,” a Call for Democracy in China [...]