Letter From Minnesota Chinese Democracy Foundation to President BushMinnesota Chinese Democracy Foundation August 5, 2003
George W. Bush Dear Honorable Mr. President George Bush: I am writing to express my grave concern about the criminal accusation in China against Dr. Yang Jianli, who was arrested in April, 2002 and just put on trial on August 5th, 2003 in Beijing. I understand that Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the National Security Advisor, has repeatedly expressed her concern and kept Dr. Yang’s supporters informed of the high level contacts made by the U.S. government with the Chinese officials in the past year with regard to Dr. Yang’s case. At this critical moment while Dr. Yang is on trial, I am writing you again, Mr. President, and would like to request your immediate intervention of the possible conviction and imprisonment of Dr. Yang. As you know, Dr. Yang is an internationally renowned scholar and a long-time United States permanent resident who makes his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. In addition to his wife, young son and niece who are all American Citizens, Dr. Yang’s elderly parents and two sisters also live here in the U.S. He is the founder and president of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, which seeks to promote democratic practices in that country. You may have noticed that both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives have recently unanimously passed resolutions, S.R.184 and H.R.199, that condemn and deplore the lengthy incommunicado detention of Dr.Yang Jianli and the lack of due process afforded to him. Both the Senate and the House have called for his immediate and unconditional release by the Chinese government. Mr. President, this week, Dr. Yang was put on trial in Beijing on criminal charges of illegal return to China and spying for Taiwan. No member of the public, the press or even Dr. Yang's family, friends, or foreign legal advisers were permitted to attend the trial. The U.S. Embassy and the United Nations were also denied having an observer attend the proceeding – this despite the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention having recently determined that Dr. Yang's confinement violates minimum international human-rights standards. Dr. Yang’s attorney, Mo Shaoping, who has been unsuccessfully trying to assist him for more than 14 months, was finally allowed to see him only very recently - after the secret police finished their investigation and sent the case to the prosecutor's office. Up to that point, the police kept him incarcerated until they added an espionage charge, which not only enabled them to start the clock again on the time limit for Dr. Yang's detention, but also gave them something of an excuse for denying Dr. Yang access to legal counsel until they exhausted their investigation -- the case now is said to involve "state secrets." While no verdict was issued when the court adjourned several days ago, one is expected in a few weeks. I, and other supporters of Dr. Yang, would very much like to foster an increasingly positive relationship between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China, but Dr. Yang’s detention is getting in the way. And, it is interfering with China’s own efforts to be respected as an important world power. Mr. President, Dr. Yang , along with his family, is a member of All Saints Episcopal Church, in Brookline, Massachusetts where the clergy and parishioners are all very concerned about his situation and have followed his wife Christina’s tireless example to draw widespread attention, including significant media coverage, to his case locally, in Washington, and throughout this country and the world. Mr. President, I respectfully urge you to take whatever action you can under your power, to assist in facilitating Dr. Yang’s immediate and unconditional release. Thank you for your attention to this very urgent matter. Sincerely,
President -------------------------- |