Acceptance Remarks by Li Baiguang

I am grateful to NED for giving me the 2008 Democracy Award, which is great encouragement for me to continue to utilize the law to advance religious freedom in China

In the past 3 decades, China has achieved rapid economic development but political reforms remain relatively stagnant, and in some aspects have even deteriorated.

The result of a lack of supervision and checks and balances within China’s one party system is that China is lagging behind in advancing freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law.

However, my experiences tell me, that using law to protect citizens’ rights and freedom can play a role in restricting abuses of official authority and in empowering citizens in China.

As a lawyer, and with the support of my fellow countrymen and the international community, I will continue to utilize the law to fight arbitrary abuse of power, to educate officials, to seek justice for victims of rights abuses, and promote rule of law in China.

Acceptance Remarks by Li Heping

Today, I stand in a stronghold of Freedom and I am excited and inspired.

I want to thank all of those men and women concerned about human rights in China and around the globe. It is your hardwork that makes the world a better place.

God created humanity and every person has rights to four inalienable freedoms as mentioned by President Roosevelt:

1. Freedom from fear,
2. Freedom of speech and expression
3. Freedom of religion,
4. Freedom from want

Because humanity has limited tolerance of others, in many places around the world, to different degrees, these freedoms and the right of citizens to be their own masters is not guaranteed.

However, Chinese and Americans are working together tirelessly to improve human rights in the world. Americans have won respect of peoples from many different countries because of their outstanding contributions to human rights.

Between now and the time NED began to make the Democracy Award, 10 Chinese people have received this award and awareness of human rights has gradually increased. To have so many Chinese citizens receive this award makes it clear that China’s democracy is still not perfect and it needs the efforts and resources of more Chinese citizens as well as support from the international community to improve it.

Honorable ladies and gentlemen, if you consider commendable my normal professional labors and honor my efforts in the name of freedom, then I am filled with awe and am thankful beyond measure.

But all the glory belongs to god.