BROWNBACK CALLS FOR RELEASE OF CHINESE PRISONER
Condemns China's continuing disregard for human rights

Sam Brownback

NEWS RELEASE

Contact Brian Hart/Aaron Groote

May 13, 2004

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today condemned the decision of the Chinese government to sentence a democracy advocate to five years in prison.

"I am outraged and grieved by the Chinese communist government's deplorable decision to sentence Dr. Yang Jianli to five years in prison," Brownback said. "I share the disappointment and frustration of many of my colleagues, and I condemn the Chinese government's blatant and ongoing disregard for basic human rights. Once again, I call on the Chinese government to immediately release Dr. Yang Jianli and allow for his return to the United States."

Many have watched the case unfold, as Yang Jianli has become one of the most well known Chinese dissidents currently in prison. As a result of his support for the democracy movement during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, he was exiled and blacklisted. Two years ago, Yang Jianli traveled to China using false documents and was arrested and detained incommunicado for two years on charges of illegal border crossing and espionage. The maximum sentence for entering with false identification is one year. Despite Chinese law, stipulating that a verdict must be filed two and one half months after the completion of an investigation, he remained in detention for an additional 164 days until his sentencing.

On June 3, 2003 the United Nations Human Rights Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Dr. Yang Jianli's arrest and detention were in violation of Article 9 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Brownback continued, "China must know and the world must know that denial of basic human rights will no longer be tolerated. Dr. Yang is just one of the many who suffer daily under the harsh rule of those who refuse to embrace democracy. We must let his story and his voice be heard for the millions of others who cannot speak out. For two years Congress has been calling for his release, and the administration has discussed the case during visits with dignitaries. I hope my colleagues will join me in increasing pressure on the People's Republic of China and standing for what is right and just around the world."

Dr. Yang Jianli of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a scholar, pro-democracy activist and president of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century. He is also a Chinese-born, legal permanent resident of the United States. In addition, he holds two doctoral degrees from the University of California Berkeley and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Sam Brownback
United States Senator - Kansas
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6521
http://brownback.senate.gov

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Source: "yangjianli.com".