In a Tuesday op-ed, Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei said he was “shocked” to learn of National Security Agency surveillance programs, accusing the U.S. of “behaving like China” by impinging the privacy of its citizens.
“I lived in the United States for 12 years,” Weiwei wrote in the Guardian. “This abuse of state power goes totally against my understanding of what it means to be a civilised society, and it will be shocking for me if American citizens allow this to continue. The US has a great tradition of individualism and privacy and has long been a centre for free thinking and creativity as a result.:
The political activist further reflected upon his own experience of being jailed by Chinese authorities, saying the U.S. program named PRISM that tracks internet data “encourages other nations.”
“In the Soviet Union before, in China today, and even in the US, officials always think what they do is necessary, and firmly believe they do what is best for the state and the people,” he added. “But the lesson that people should learn from history is the need to limit state power. If a government is elected by the people, and is genuinely working for the people, they should not give in to these temptations.”
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