News

Wednesday September 22, 2010


U.S., EU Urged to Help Chinese Forced-Abortion Protester

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 22, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The leader of a Christian group has implored help from the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government and the European Parliament on behalf of two Chinese human rights advocates, one of whom who has been cut off from quality medical care despite his recent release from a prison sentence that shattered his health.

Reverend Bob Fu, president of the China Aid Association, filed a petition Monday to the two governments for immediate intervention in the high-profile case of human rights lawyers Chen Guangcheng, who was released from prison earlier this month, but who has since been held captive in his home as his health continues to deteriorate.

In 2005 Chen, a blind self-taught lawyer, exposed thousands of forced abortions carried out by Linyi family-planning programs, and provided legal assistance to the victims – poor, local farmers without legal aid.

Guangcheng activities ran afoul of the authorities, however, and he was ultimately sentenced to four years and three months in prison on the charges of “intentional destruction of properties and inciting a mob to disrupt traffic.”

According to the interview conducted by Zhang Min of Radio Free Asia on September 13, 2010, although the blind lawyer was released the morning of September 9th, he has been forbidden to leave his home, and his phone line was disconnected.

According to Chen’s wife, his health condition remains extremely poor, and state surveillance has effectively cut him off from quality medical treatment. During a September 13 interview, Chen Guangcheng and his wife made an urgent appeal to people everywhere and said they hoped permission would be granted as soon as possible for Chen to seek medical attention at a hospital not designated by the local authorities.

“What I’m concerned with the most is Guangcheng’s diarrhea and cough. On the day he was released from jail, he could hardly speak, and now he still coughs a lot at night,” said wife Yuan Weijing. “He has lost much weight and has more gray hair; just a mere glance at him shows he is a very frail man. We originally planned to do some lab tests after he was released from prison, but so far we can’t even leave our home. From the interstate highway to our door, there are four layers of guards who keep watch on us.”

Since September 13th, media have lost all contact with Chen and his family, who are sealed off in their own home. The government has reportedly threatened to throw Chen back into prison if he or his family contact the outside world again.

The China Aid Association has also petitioned for help on behalf of Jiang Tianyong, a Christian rights defense attorney who advocates for victims of the one-child policy and religious persecution in China, and a founding members of the Petitioners’ Rights Defense Lawyers Association of China. He and other rights defense attorneys drew media attention in October of last year for exposing these issues at a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at the U.S. House of Representatives.

From September 7th of this year, Attorney Jiang and his entire family have been suffering harassment and threats from government security agents, reports the advocacy group. The locks to his house were mysteriously changed by unidentified people, leaving him and his family without a home. After complaints to local authorities fell on deaf ears, Rev. Fu reports says the safety of Jiang’s entire family is now seriously threatened.

Fu has asked the U.S. and EU governments to pass emergency resolutions in support of Chen and Jiang, to monitor their situations and engage diplomatic negotiations with the Chinese government on their behalf. The leader also asked that consulates from the two governments send officials to visit the two advocates, and to work with the International Red Cross to dispatch emergency medical care to Chen Guangcheng.

To contact the Embassy of China in the U.S.:

3505 International Place, NW

Washington, DC 20008

Tel: (202) 495-2266

Cell: (202) 669-8024

Fax: (202) 495-2138

Email: [email protected]

Embassies in China:

US:

Public Affairs Section

55 An Jia Lou Road

Beijing PRC 100600

Tel: (010) 8531-4027

Fax: (010) 8531-3016

Email: [email protected]

EU:

15 Dongzhimenwai Daijie

Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100600

Telephone: (8610) 8454-8000

Fax: (8610) 84548011

E-mail: [email protected]

| Send Letter to Editor

0 Comments

    Loading...