Harry Wu

A former Chinese political prisoner, Harry Wu has repeatedly risked his life by returning to China to document its many human rights violations.

Having spent 19 years imprisoned in the laogai (Chinese for “labor and reform camp”), Wu is especially concerned with China’s mistreatment of its prisoners. He has reported that prisoners in the laogai are used as slave labor and that their organs are harvested for transplants.

Wu’s account of his imprisonment can be found in his internationally best-selling memoir, Bitter Winds. It recounts in horrific detail Wu’s life in the “Bamboo Gulag” and the extraordinary acts of courage it required for him to survive.

His second book, Troublemaker: One Man’s Crusade Against China’s Cruelty, details his furtive visits to his homeland since his release to investigate its human rights abuses. Although he faces imprisonment if he returns, Wu vows to continue to expose China’s crimes through every possible means.

Wu’s engrossing presentation provides graphic proof of China’s mistreatment of its own people. It also offers a glimpse into its future role as a superpower and a new Cold War between China and the United States that may darken the bright hopes of the 21st century.