Chairman Cox Marks Third Anniversary of PRC Imprisonment of Dr. Yang JianliRep. Christopher Cox
WASHINGTON (Tuesday, April 26, 2005)- Rep. Christopher Cox (R-CA), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, released the following statement marking the third anniversary of the People’s Republic of China's imprisonment of human rights activist, Dr. Yang Jianli: "Three years have gone by since the Communist regime of the People’s Republic of China, in violation of its own laws and international law, imprisoned an American father and scholar, Dr. Yang Jianli. Today, I join Dr. Yang's wife, Christina Fu, their children, all of my colleagues in Congress, and millions of concerned Americans in demanding Dr. Yang's immediate release. "Dr. Yang Jianli, because of his role as an organizer of the 1989 uprising in Tiananmen Square, was arrested when he attempted to visit his home in China in 2002. As soon as he stepped into the country, he was seized and taken into custody -- and he has been in jail ever since. He has been denied access to legal counsel, denied the legal rights guaranteed him even under PRC law, and denied the slightest recognition of his basic human rights. His deteriorating health makes the necessity of action all the more pressing. "Nearly two years ago, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 199 condemning the arbitrary detention of Dr. Yang Jianli. We called on the U.S. President to continue working for his release, and the Bush Administration has made the release of Dr. Yang one of its most important priorities -- Dr. Yang Jianli’s was one of three cases raised by Secretary Rice in her recent visit to Beijing. But the People's Republic of China continues to violate its own law, and to ignore international condemnation. The United Nations, two years ago, called Dr. Yang's imprisonment illegal, and declared it to be in violation of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. "This case is about more than future relations between the United States and the PRC. It is also about the future of all of the people of China. While he is a resident of the United States, Yang Jianli is also a proud citizen of China. He could have stayed in his comfortable life in the United States, but he has chosen instead to work in support of democracy for his fellow citizens. "Dr. Yang has fought for human rights for others. Now we must fight for him. This third anniversary is a cruel reminder that the PRC has not yet set Dr. Yang Jianli free. Because we will never forget him, or his family, or the larger cause to which he has dedicated himself, we will return to this fight each day until Yang Jianli is granted his freedom.” -------------------------- |