Yang Jianli Case Becoming "A Weathervane"China Support Network IN CHINA, A U.S. RESIDENT AND CITIZEN ARE NOT GIVEN DUE PROCESS May 24, 2002 (CSN) -- The case of Yang Jianli is becoming a heated cause of the Chinese democracy movement, where they have yet another collision with communist Chinese authorities. Yang Jianli began an odyssey, now closely-watched, by traveling from the U.S. to China on April 18 of this year. Yang Jianli is a U.S. permanent resident and representative of the Chinese democracy movement overseas. He returned to China to investigate workers' protests that have broken out in northeastern China, but he was arrested by the public security police in Kunming, Yunnan Province on April 26. Yang Jianli is an outstanding scholar who earned a doctorate in mathematics and a doctorate in international politics and economics. Yang Jianli's name has been blacklisted since June 1989, the month when a pro-democracy uprising was put down by the massacre at Tiananmen Square. Yang Jianli had traveled to Beijing to take money to the students who were calling for democracy in the Tiananmen Square uprising. The now-38 year old Yang Jianli heads the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, the Boston-based group which advocates democracy and rule of law in China. Yang Jianli's story now becomes joined by that of his wife, Fu Xiang ("Christina Fu"). Fu Xiang is a naturalized American citizen, and she and Yang Jianli live in the Boston, Massachusetts vicinity. On May 22, Fu Xiang attempted to enter China to assist Yang Jianli, asserting her rights as a relative of the detained activist. In Beijing, she was detained for two hours and then promptly expelled from the country. "China promises the world it follows a rule of law. So far, this case shows how empty this promise really is," declared Liu Qing, President of Human Rights in China, a rights group with offices in New York and Hong Kong. The Chinese police violated Chinese law by failing to inform Yang Jianli's family within 24 hours following his arrest about the reason for the detention, the place of detention, and how Yang Jianli was treated. In China, lawyers can not accept cases until a formal notice of arrest has been received. As a result of the police failure to follow procedures, Fu Xiang has been unable to hire a lawyer for her husband. In addition, she had made every effort to deal with the proper Chinese authorities on behalf of her husband without any success. Fu Xiang also approached the U.S. State Department and various senators and congressional representatives for help. Although the State Department contacted the Chinese government a number of times, there has been no progress. In a May 22 statement, Human Rights in China (HRIC) called upon the U.S government to support Fu Xiang's efforts to assert her rights under Chinese law. It called upon the Chinese government to allow Fu Xiang to visit her husband and to allow her to hire a lawyer on his behalf. Specifically, HRIC made three demands of the Chinese government: (1) abide by Chinese law to ensure fair proceedings, (2) to respect the rights of family members of detained persons, including visitation rights, and (3) to ensure that Yang Jianli is permitted to retain legal counsel. HONG KONG ALSO DETERIORATES ON RIGHTS In April, without justification, authorities in Hong Kong barred Harry Wu from entering the territory. Wu, Executive Director of the U.S.-based Laogai Research Foundation, is a leading human rights activist and prominent U.S. citizen. In a poll taken by the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, 71% found Wu’s expulsion a "worrying sign of the erosion of Hong Kong's independence from Beijing." A U.S. spokeswoman, Barbara Zigli, of the American Consulate in Hong Kong, condemned Wu’s expulsion and said, "This could have the effect of limiting the freedom of association and the free flow of ideas." Hong Kong legislator Cyd Ho commented, "It could be Harry Wu today, but it could be anybody tomorrow. It hurts the rights and the liberties of the Hong Kong people." Wu’s Laogai Research Foundation researches China's system of forced labor camps, a form of administrative detention without due process of law. The Laogai camps are the site of many beatings, torture, forced feedings, etc. The Laogai produce products for Western consumers, essentially with slave labor. Yang Jianli is the latest in a string of U.S.-trained academics to run into trouble in China. In a matter of months last year, China detained four in separate cases, hindering Sino-U.S. relations. ON THE EVE OF A MAJOR EVENT The troubles noted here are occurring in advance of a major news day for the Chinese democracy movement. On Saturday, June 1, the movement will observe the 13th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. For this year’s observance, facing the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, dissidents are assembling “a veritable reunion” of Tiananmen Square leadership. Top student leaders from the 1989 uprising will participate at the 6:30pm gathering. The event may include speeches or announcements from a series of dissident leaders. Harry Wu, Wei Jingsheng, Wuer Kaixi, Wang Dan, Li Lu, Shen Tong, and Yi Danxuan are among Chinese names expected. The event will also hear from leading U.S. supporters of Chinese democracy – Executive Director John Kusumi of the China Support Network, and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives. (2002-5-24) -------------------------- |