Today's guest is Mark Clifford, former editor in chief of the South China Morning Post whose recent book, The Troublemaker, chronicles the life of Jimmy Lai, a man who escaped mainland Communist China to Hong Kong as a child and went on to become a self-made billionaire. But now at age 77, Lai is a political prisoner, currently on trial in China for his unwavering criticism of the government, particularly as it relates to a pro-democracy publication he founded called Apple Daily.
Clifford and Reason's Billy Binion talked about Lai's humble beginnings; his cinematic escape to freedom; his fearless pro-democracy activism; his life in prison, where he's been held in solitary confinement for years; and the importance of safeguarding free expression around the world.
1:01—Who is Jimmy Lai?
4:50—Lai's astounding business success in Hong Kong
5:15—Lai's turn toward politics after June 4, 1989
6:06—The Lai family during the Cultural Revolution in China
10:37—Lai's gradual political awakening
18:42—Lai's newspaper and magazine promoting free speech and democracy
20:51—How the Chinese government tried to intimidate Lai
28:12—Mass protests and Chinese Communist Party crackdowns in Hong Kong
32:28—How meeting with Mike Pence, John Bolton, and Mike Pompeo got Lai arrested
38:47—Lai's prison life and friendship with Natan Sharansky
48:28—Clifford's career in Asia
52:18—How Clifford got out of Hong Kong
54:18—Why people should care about Jimmy Lai
- Video editor: Ian Keyser
- Graphics: César Báez
The post Mark Clifford: A Political Prisoner Fights for Free Speech in China appeared first on Reason.com.
