Australian conservatives are in an uproar about the state of discourse on university campuses, especially after instances such as Harvard students’ letter condemning Israel while omitting Hamas’ violence. The situation for freedom of expression has become ever more dire with the escalating violence of hot wars (e.g., Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Palestine) shrouded in misinformation. These wars’ erosion of Western countries’ morale and self-belief only worsens the threat of China emerging as a cultural and economic superpower. Rather than whining about campus wokesters, Australian conservatives must focus on supporting those detained in totalitarian regimes by sharing their stories and sending aid.

Currently, numerous professors from the free world continue to be arbitrarily detained in China. Australian writer Yang Hengjun remains detained in China on unfounded charges of espionage. Yuan Keqin, a Chinese historian who was working at a Japanese university, was detained and disappeared after he flew to China for a family funeral. Both men’s possibility of release is uncertain, though recent reports indicate that Yang has been subject to over 300 interrogations, intense torture, and is in extremely poor medical condition.

Conservative advocacy for writers like Yang and Yuan will achieve two purposes: modelling a positive vision of Western democracy, and overturning the left’s image of moral superiority which has been propagated in elite circles for too long.

In recent years the right has not done its part to maintain democracy’s good name. Whether unjustly or not, the right’s reputation is either that of uncouth MAGA caps storming the Capitol, stuffy tweed suits tutting about political correctness, or mining magnates’ callous environmental destruction.

At the same time, the political right is recognising that a positive vision of the future – one characterised by prosperity, productivity and mental well-being – inspires listeners more than the narratives of climate catastrophe from the left or self-blame on the right present. By making a concrete contribution to the liberation of writers such as Yang, Yuan, and many others still lost in China, the right could demonstrate the positive potential of liberal ideals, and so fight back against China’s growing power.

The political right has long left global human rights advocacy to progressives, allowing the radical left in the anglophone world to establish itself as the advocate of marginalised people. Weak attempts to point out chips in this saintly image – such as the excommunication of racial and sexual minorities that reject the victimhood narrative – fail to counteract this narrative. The right may point out the threat of Communist China and censorship, but without fighting for the freedom of people suffering under such regimes, these are nothing but empty talking points, Twitter storms, and campus squabbling.

A more effective way to undermine the left’s claim to moral superiority is to provide a better model of global activism. By seriously advocating for freedom of expression, the political right has a chance to refashion its reputation as one of restoration and aspiration for a free world. Dissidents are living examples of the universal good of liberal democratic values. The dissemination of these stories has culminated in projects such as the Dissident Project where freedom advocates from Cuba, Hong Kong, Venezuela, and North Korea share their experiences under totalitarianism to American classrooms and educate on the importance of individual liberty, economic freedom, and democratic governance. Australian conservatives must similarly platform detained writers in the Asia-Pacific.

Even more practical approaches to aiding exiles in totalitarian regimes would be to help these prisoners gain legal support. Dictatorships often justify their detainments of freedom-loving activists through spurious legal claims. Conservative networks are well-placed to provide the persistent legal expertise and financial backing required to dispel such accusations.

Finally, religious networks are equipped and have already begun to provide aid to people stuck in oppressive regimes. One example from North Korea is Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, a faith-based, private university that has provided channels for foreign (primarily US and South Korean) Christians to hold activities such as surf camps and tree-planting in North Korea. Faith-based organisations have also engaged in indirect methods of supporting North Koreans through advocacy abroad and language training programs. Cindy Yu of the Spectator has also detailed the English Church’s role in settling Hong Kong migrants into the UK after they have fled the National Security Law.

If the political right uses its inclinations towards pragmatism, emphasis on procedural fairness, and ample resources to support writers’ and journalists’ freedom of expression, the wider community will benefit. As once occurred during the Cold War, the sometimes tense alliance of various right-wingers and their sympathisers must reunite against the totalitarian regimes that threaten democratic societies.

Frances An is a Young Voices contributor (2023) and communications officer at the Perth chapter of PEN International.