hen Guangcheng, the blind rights activist, finally left Beijing for the United States late last month with his wife and two children. The 40 year-old is going to study law at New York University, which has offered him a fellowship. It seems a happy ending to a diplomatic drama between China and the United States, one sparked by Chen’s dramatic escape from house arrest and his seeking refuge at the U.S. Embassy.
Actually, Chen left with mixed feelings, worrying about the safety of his extended family. And some of his supporters also worry that he might have embarked on a journey that will see him sliding into irrelevance. The Chinese authorities will, most likely, prevent him from returning, the same way they’ve treated other dissidents.
With his departure, will his voice still be heard in his homeland?
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