The global stir surrounding the mysterious disappearance of business mogul Jack Ma demands answers, and China must provide these immediately. If Ma is “laying low”, as has been reported, then he is clearly doing so out of fear that he will be taken into custody by the Chinese government for nothing more than achieving a level of success that Chinese Communist Party officials have deemed unacceptable. If the worst has happened and Ma has been disappeared against his will, it is an outrageous human rights violation that should prompt governments to respond forcefully and without delay. Moreover, such an abuse would starkly indicate that the global business community cannot trust China, which is clearly not afraid to threaten and intimidate those that are part of international business at the very highest levels. For years, China has manipulated global corporations and industries that wish to do business inside its borders, and now the government appears to be attacking the very businessmen that have helped put the country front and center in the global economy.

We call on global corporations and governments around the world to demand answers about Jack Ma from the Chinese, and we counsel them to be very wary of the corrupt and lawless Chinese government. China’s economic might should never provide cover for its appalling human rights abuses.