IWP Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Charles Roger Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Owen T. Smith, and Founder and President John Lenczowski present Harry Wu with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws.
(Photo by Thomas Zeeb)

On Saturday, May 19th, the Institute of World Politics presented Laogai Research Foundation executive director Harry Wu with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. Mr. Wu also had the honor of delivering the keynote address to the Institute's 2012 graduating class.

The Institute of World Politics is a graduate school of national security and international affairs located in Washington, DC. Founded in 1990 by Dr. John Lenczowski, the Institute is unique in its emphasis on cultivating civic virtue and strong moral character in tomorrow's statesmen and strategists. In keeping with this message, The Honorable Faith Ryan Whittlesey, former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland who was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, stressed that America needs to listen more, talk with global leaders, and engage in public diplomacy in order to rebuild goodwill overseas.

Harry Wu with The Honorable Faith Ryan Whittlesey and Mr. Owen T. Smith, Esq.

Harry Wu addresses the graduates.

In his keynote address, Harry Wu congratulated the graduates on all of their remarkable accomplishments, but emphasized that their greatest achievements are still to come. Wu told his own story of imprisonment and persecution in Communist China, but also of his lifelong battle for freedom and justice.

He recounted, "In 1990, the U.S. Congress invited me to testify on Laogai prison system. Senator Jesse Helms asked me, “How many camps are there? How many prisoners?” I myself had been imprisoned in 12 different camps over the course of my 19 years, but I realized I had no way to answer these questions. How many people went through what I went through? How many Chinese are still in the Laogai, while I sit here a free man? Who will speak out for them? That was when I realized my life’s purpose: to expose the Laogai and all the horrible crimes of China’s Communist Party."

For his crimes of thought and expression, Wu said, "The Communist Party wanted me to spend a total of 34 years of my life as a prison slave! And for what?! I was not a murderer or a thief; all I did was speak my mind and try to learn the truth about human rights abuse in China."

By telling his story, Mr. Wu hoped to draw attention to the need for future American policymakers and officials to take a stand against oppressive regimes and defend human rights. He told the graduates, "Freedom should not be considered a privilege. It is a right! But that does not mean that you should not appreciate it. When you work in politics or international affairs, of course it is important to recognize that all countries have different cultures and values. But I am sure about one thing. Inside, we are fundamentally the same. We all want and deserve our basic rights as human beings. The United States has worked hard to protect human liberty since before it was founded. When you work to serve your country and your fellow citizens, you are showing that you are thankful for these rights. But you must also exercise these rights; use them to speak up for those who do not yet enjoy basic freedoms, for those who are oppressed."

To read the full transcript of Harry Wu's keynote address, click here.

IWP’s class of 2012