Petition to Mr. Annan, UN Secretary-General

July 12, 2002

The Honorable Kofi A. Annan

Secretary-General

United Nations

New York, NY 10017

U.S.A.

Dear Mr. Annan:

We, the undersigned are academics, journalists, human rights activists and business people from different countries who have specialized in China or worked with Chinese colleagues. We are writing to you in regard to the Chinese Government¡¯s violation of international human rights law embodied in both the United Nations ¡°International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights¡± and the general principles of international law. We ask you to intervene in this matter and to call upon United Nations members to express their concern over this incident.

On May 10, 2002, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Kong Quan confirmed at a press conference that the Chinese Government detained U.S. permanent resident Dr. Yang Jianli in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China on April 26, 2002 and that the reason for this detention is that Dr. Yang entered China using his friend¡¯s passport and ID. Dr. Yang has been kept incommunicado by an unnamed agency in an unnamed place ever since April 26 and has been denied access to family, friends and a lawyer in violation of Chinese law as well as international law.

Dr. Yang Jianli is a citizen of China. However, because of his dissident political views, the Chinese Government put him on a list of people who are banned from entering China. Dr. Yang had applied several times to the Chinese Government for renewal of his passport, but each time his application was denied. He was thus deprived of his right to return to his own country. This was why Dr. Yang had to use his friend¡¯s passport to enter China. Yang Jianli¡¯s case has raised widespread attention and sympathy.

The Chinese Government signed the ¡°International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights¡± in 1998 but has not ratified it. Article 12 of this Covenant, reflecting a widely-held principle of international law, states that ¡°No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.¡± What the Chinese Government did to Dr. Yang Jianli violated this Covenant and the basic principles of international law to which all countries are subject. The United Nations should protest to the Chinese Government and request it to provide an explanation of this matter. Only in this way can the sanctity of the Covenant and international human rights be maintained.

The deprivation of a citizen¡¯s right to enter his own country is the cause of the Yang Jianli incident. We sincerely request that you urge the Chinese Government to immediately release Dr. Yang Jianli and to issue him a valid passport, so that his right to enter his own country will be realized.

Sincerely Yours,

(The signatories of this letter represent only themselves. No endorsement by their affiliated institution or employer is implied.)

Name Work unit or home address

Antreassian, Silva	Harvard University, US
Ayanian, John	Harvard University, US
Belcher, Babara	Resident in Boston, US
Belcher, Lillian	Resident in Boston, US
Belknap, Rosalie	Resident in Boston, US
Blood, Sarah	Resident in Boston, US
Cai, Chengzhong	Resident in France
Chan, Liyuan	Resident in Germany
Che, Chungchi	Resident in US
Chen, Aiping	Resident in Germany
Chen, Hua	Resident in Europe
Chen, Hushan	Resident in Europe
Chen, Liqun	Resident in New YorK, US
Chen, Lixiang	Resident in Europe
Chen, Ping	Resident in Netherlands
Chen, Shi	Resident in Europe
Chen, Tao	Resident in Europe
Chen, Xiaoping	Harvard University, US
Chen, Yan	Resident in Germany
Chen, Yingkun	Resident in France
Chen, Yu	Resident in Germany
Chen, Yuying	Resident in France
Chen, Zhihe	Resident in Germany
Chen, Zhiqiang	Resident in Boston, US
Cheng, Lianzhong	Resident in France
Chu, Haiguang	Resident in US
Coming, Steve	Resident in Boston, US
Dai, Jie	Resident in US
Dalton, Dylan	Resident in Boston, US
Davis, Kim	Resident in Boston, US
Deters, Levi	Resident in Boston, US
Ding, Shu	Norm Dale Community College, US
Dong, Zhifei	Resident in France
Dove, David	Resident in Boston, US
Eosco, Joanne T.	Resident in Boston, US
Fang, Xu	Resident in Germany
Fei, Liangyong	Resident in Germany
Fisher, Frances	Resident in Boston, US
Frederick, Freeman	Resident in Boston, US
Fu, Hehua	Resident in France
Fu, Raobo	Resident in Germany
Gao, Ping	Resident in New YorK, US
Gao, Guangjun	Resident in New YorK, US
Gao, Youquan	Resident in Europe
Goodman, B.F.	Resident in Boston, US
Goodman, Ellen	Resident in Boston, US
Guo, Chen	Resident in Germany
He, Baoping	Resident in US
He, Qingyi	Resident in Germany
Hu, Ping	Editor of Beijing Spring, US
Hu, Xing	Resident in Germany
Hua, Baode	Resident in France
Hua, Fred	Resident in US
Huang, Geqing	Resident in US
Huang, Heqing	Resident in Spain
Huang, Jianwu	Resident in Germany
Huang, Leo	College Professor in Chicago, US
Huskamp,	Haiden Harvard University, US
Ishii, Karen	Resident in Boston, US
Ji, Dunmu	Resident in US
Jin, Dao	Resident in US
Jin, Lin	Resident in Germany
Jin, Yaoru	Former Editor-in-Chief of Wenhui Daily in Hong Kong
Kang, Qiuxing	Resident in France
Kang, Zhengguo	Yale University, US
Katz, Harry	Resident in Boston, US
Keating, Nancy	Harvard University, US
Lan, Wei	Resident in Denmark
Landrum, Mary Beth	Harvard University, US
Li Hui Wen	Resident in Germany
Li, Gang	Resident in US
Li, Hongwu	Resident in US
Li, Huaqiu	Resident in Germany
Li, James	Resident in US
Li, Li	Resident in Spain
Li, Ming	Resident in US
Li, Mingying	Resident in Europe
Li, Ping	Resident in Germany
Li, Xiaojing	Resident in Europe
Lieb, Carol	Resident in Boston, US
Lin, Caijun	Resident in Germany
Lin, Guan	Resident in Germany
Lin, Guanghua	Resident in US
Lin, Jinbao	Resident in Germany
Lin, Luming	Resident in Germany
Liu, Bingyan	Former Chairperson of Princeton China Initiative, US
Liu, Dongqiang	Resident in France
Liu, Gang	Resident in Denmark
Liu, Yang	Resident in Europe
Long, Hui	Resident in US
Lu, Fei	Resident in Europe
Malouf, Ed	Resident in Boston, US
Mancini, Linda	Resident in Boston, US
Manus, Wendy	Resident in Boston, US
Mao, Xiaoming	Resident in Europe
Marques, Carol	Resident in Boston, US
Marques, Richard	Resident in Boston, US
McGuire, Thomas	Harvard University, US
Meara, Ellen	Harvard University, US
Meeks, James	Harvard University, US
Miller, Kenneth	Resident in Boston, US
Muto, Lisa	Harvard University, US
Normand, Sharon-Lise	Harvard University, US
Obara, Kayoko	Resident in Boston, US
Pakes, Juliana	Harvard University, US
Paknejad, Janice	Resident in Boston, US
Paknejad, Masoud	Resident in Boston, US
Palo, Marcia	Harvard University, US
Pan, Guoping	Resident in New YorK, US
Peng, Xiaoming	The Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in Germany
Pfarrer, David	Harvard University, US
Pronovost, Nancy	Resident in Boston, US
Qi, Yong	Resident in Europe
Qian, Yuejun	Resident in Demark
Qin, Mei	Resident in Italy
Qiu, Pingliang	Resident in Europe
Qu, Jie	Resident in Europe
Ren, Songlin	Veritas Software Corp.
Ren, Yougan	Resident in US
Robinson, Richard D.	Harvard University, US
Rosental, Greg	Resident in Boston, US
Shen, Qizhao	Resident in Germany
Smith, Nancy	Harvard University, US
Song, Yongyi	Dickinson College, US
Sun, Jiaping	Resident in Europe
Sun, Le	Resident in Europe
Sun, Xuejian	Resident in US
Symonds, Amy	Resident in Boston, US
Tao, Xinping	Resident in Europe
Tao, Ye	Resident in US
Teaxler, Jeanne	Resident in Boston, US
Tian, Chenlong	Resident in France
Traxler, Rurh	Resident in Boston, US
Volya, Rita	Harvard University, US
Wang, Ce	The Oversea Chinese Freedom Democratic Party
Wang, Dan	Harvard University, US
Wang, Dunyong	Resident in France
Wang, Fu	Resident in Europe
Wang, Gang	Resident in Europe
Wang, Guangchen	Resident in Europe
Wang, Guoxing	Resident in Europe
Wang, Jinsheng	The Oversea Chinese Democracy Coalition, US
Wang, Juntao	Columbia University, US
Wang, Lan	Resident in Germany
Wang, Lou	Resident in Europe
Wang, Ping	Resident in US
Wang, Wenbin	Resident in Germany
Wang, Wenluo	Resident in US
Wei, Chao	Resident in Europe
Wei, Quanbao	Resident in New YorK, US
Wu, Jiang	Resident in France
Xia, Tian	Resident in Europe
Xiao, Wei	Resident in Europe
XiaoLin	Resident in Europe
Xing, Zheng	Resident in US
Xing, Dakun	Resident in New YorK, US
Xu, Delin	Resident in US
Xu, Yi	Northwestern University, US
Shao, John	Oklahoma City University, US
Yan, Jianqi	Former Director of Institute of Politic Science at Chinese
	Academy of Social Science
Yan, Ke	Resident in Germany
Yan, Kerui	Resident in Germany
Yang Jin	Resident in Europe
Yang, Chenmin	West Virginia University, US
Yang, Guang	Resident in Denmark
Yang, Hua	Resident in France
Yang, Xiaokai	Monash University, Australia
Yi, Gai	Dr. Jianli Yang Going Back to China Supporting Group
Yu, Haocheng	Former President of Mass Press in China
Yu, Lisheng	Resident in Germany
Yu, Mingkang	Resident in Europe
Yuan, Wenxing	Resident in Europe
Yue, Wu	Resident in France
Yun, Xia	Resident in US
Zhang, Fucheng	Resident in US
Zhang, Ling	Resident in Europe
Zhang, Jingxian	Resident in New YorK, US
Zhang, Lun	Resident in US
Zhang, Ming	University of California at Berkeley, US
Zhang, Weiguo	The Foundation of 21 Century in China, US
Zhang, Yin	Resident in Netherlands
Zhao, Pinlu	Resident in New YorK, US
Zheng, Guoqing	Resident in France
Zhou, Fa	Resident in Germany
Zhou, Yongjun	Resident in Washington
Zhou, Jian	Resident in US
Zhou, Zhenhua	Resident in Europe
Zhu, Guoqiang	Resident in Europe
Zhuang, Luo	Resident in Europe

(Notice: Each signature to ¡°Dr. Yang Jianli Going Back to China Supporting Group¡± signed by scholar was by fax or email)

Coordinator: Mr. Gai Yi

Dr. Yang Jianli Going Back to China Supporting Group

P.O. Box: 740204, Rego Park, NY 11374 U.S.A.

E - mail£ºwatchcc@hotmail.com

Tel: (718) 657-2756, (917) 882-8263

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Source: "ChinaEWeekly".