Please Give the World An Explanation

　　The New York Times of the United States and Germany’s weekly Der Spiegel issued the latest information released by former CIA employee Edward Snowden， on March 22， claiming that the U.S. Government’s surveillance has also targeted several former Chinese state leaders as well as government departments and banks. The National Security Agency of the United States also tapped into servers at the headquarters of the Chinese’ technology company Huawei. Once again， the U.S. Government’s mass surveillance scandal has been thrown into the limelight. We demand the U.S. Government provide an explanation for its surveillance behaviors.

　　Edward Snowden shocked the world by disclosing the existence of PRISM， the U.S. Government’s surveillance program， last year， which shows that the government is not only spying on its own citizens， but also on leaders of other countries， including Germany， France and Israel. U.S. citizens， as well as the governments that have been the targets of surveillance， have all demanded the U.S. Government cease its surveillance actions， and account for its behaviors. However， up until now， the U.S. Government has continued to defend itself.

　　Some U.S. governmental officials argue that the government engages in such activities for the sake of anti-terrorism and security. We can understand this. However， fighting terrorism is by no means a justifiable reason for spying on whoever it wants to. To spy on its own citizens in addition to leaders of other countries (the state leaders of 122 countries are under U.S. surveillance)， goes far beyond any conceivably appropriate measures required to counter potential terrorist actions. Its surveillance also covers companies’ business secrets， and this could be construed as intellectual property theft， an act universally forbidden by international law.

　　Some U.S. officials also argue their behaviors are legal. However， even within the United States， to spy on the public is illegal， let alone spying on the leaders of other countries. This is in violation of diplomatic etiquette and as of now， there are no laws in the world that would justify such reckless surveillance. If the so-called “legal” justifications point to some clauses added to the National Security Act after the September 11 incident， then their argument is even more difficult to understand. To apply its own laws to other countries is violating basic international codes of conduct and also represents trampling on the dignity of the international community.

　　The U.S. Government’s surveillance program makes its denouncement of China even more ridiculous. Before the PRISM scandal unfolded in 2013， the United States had long claimed hacking attacks by China on the country’s Internet system， and even claimed that many of China’s hackers were backed up by the Chinese military. These claims were also made use of by the United States as an excuse to exert pressure on China. However， the fact shows that the U.S. Government is the real organizer and instigator of hacking attacks. The U.S. Government’s practice of double standards has again been exposed to the world.

　　China’s rise makes the United States uneasy. The United States needs to maintain security， but the precondition remains that it must also make others feel secure and win others’ trust. However， the surveillance scandal reveals that the U.S. Government is suspicious of its own citizens and even its allies. It is trying to appease this needless sense of paranoia by spying on others.

　　As a person needs medical treatment if he or she falls ill， an ailing government also needs treatment. It’s time for the U.S. Government to adjust its mentality， to give an explanation to the world and to offer apologies to those it has placed under its surveillance.

　　By Lan Xinzhen