The New York Times is reporting that two lawyers who offered to defend, pro-bono, monks arrested for the protests earlier this year have had their licenses suspended and can no longer practice law. Basically, for even attempting a fair trial in China for people who the communist party disagrees with will result in instant loss of your livelihood.

NYTimes explains:

Lawyers are increasingly at the cutting edge of efforts to push systemic change in China. Self-styled “rights defenders” regard the law as a tool to expand and protect the rights of individuals in an authoritarian political system. But the ruling Communist Party is often wary of lawyers who try to challenge what it regards as the unassailable pre-eminence of the party in society.

One of the lawyers who was suspended is quoted:

Last month, before a final decision had been made on the licenses, Mr. Jiang said his status was in jeopardy because of his willingness to handle “sensitive cases.” “As a lawyer, I only care about whether the case can be legally defended,” Mr. Jiang told The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. “I will follow the right rules within the law. I don’t know how to judge whether a case is sensitive or not.”