China has had four different constitutions in the past forty-five years. Their modern constitution is composed of 138 articles and divided into four parts. This current constitution of China embodies the fundamental rights of citizens. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion are all written into the constitution. Tragically the written rights are not meant to be practiced by the citizens. The government has prosecuted several citizens who attempted to exercise their constitutional rights. In the past few years there have been several trials in China prosecuting citizens who speak in favor a democratic government. These individuals publish and write different letters and articles and send them to the government attempting to peacefully influence a change the government to a democratic structure.
Wang Dan is one such person. Dan wrote a letter to the Chinese government with the purpose of presenting to his government the importance of freedom of expression. He also included an appeal to the government officials to release those in prison. Presumably the government found Dan's exercise of freedom of speech offensive because he received an eleven year jail sentence for sending the appeal to the officials. Many other citizens have also suffered the repercussions of the states brutal attack on persons who state opinions in opposition to the communist government. People who speak against a democratic republic are praised. The freedom of speech had been promised to the citizens and written in the constitution but the government ignores the constitution that they wrote when it strays from the current structure of the Chinese government.