Hu Jia spends his 35th birthday alone in prison

RSF

Leading human rights activist Hu Jia today spent his 35th birthday alone in his cell in Hubai prison in Tianjin (200 km southeast of Beijing). His wife, Zeng Jinyan, his mother and his sister were not allowed to see him. The police told them they were “too busy to make the necessary arrangements.” The last time his mother and sister were allowed to see him was on 4 May.

“The police have behaved disgracefully,” Reporters Without Borders said. “It is unacceptable that Hu Jia’s family has not been allowed to visit him on his birthday. We are worried about his health which is worsening steadily. He suffers from cirrhosis, as a result of an attack of hepatitis, but he has not had a single medical examination since his arrest. It is appalling that, just a few days before the start of the Olympic Games, a prisoner of conscience is not even being allowed to see his wife on his birthday.”[continues...]

Jailed China activist barred from seeing family on birthday: wife

Yahoo!

Jailed Chinese rights campaigner Hu Jia is in deteriorating health and police have barred relatives from seeing him on his birthday on Friday, the activist’s wife has written on her blog.

Police also prevented AFP reporters on Thursday from visiting his wife, Zeng Jinyan, despite China’s promises to allow foreign journalists freedom to report in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics.

The police action comes amid reports of a steady stream of arrests of dissidents and rights activists in the run-up to next month’s Games.

Zeng, who is confined to their small home in the “Bobo Freedom Village” apartment complex in Beijing with the couple’s nine-month-old baby, wrote on her blog that in a July 9 visit with Hu, he showed possible signs of anaemia.[continues...]

Amnesty calls on Scottish birthday support for imprisoned Chinese man ahead of Edinburgh Festival

Amnesty International UK

Chinese activist’s case to be highlighted at ‘Stand Up For Freedom’ comedy nights

Amnesty International is asking people in Scotland to send a birthday message of support for an imprisoned man in China who will be the focus of its campaigning at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

Hu Jia, who will be 35 tomorrow (Friday 25 July), is a Chinese human rights activist jailed for three and half years in April after being convicted of ‘inciting subversion’. Hu’s offence had been to speak out about Chinese government failures over AIDS prevention.

Amnesty is extremely concerned at recent reports that Hu is suffering from a serious liver disease and may not be getting proper medical treatment. Relatives who have managed to visit him in a jail near Beijing also report that guards have appointed four other prisoners to monitor him and that he is undergoing forced ‘reform’, including being made to sing ‘reform songs’.[continues...]

Open letter to China’s President Hu Jintao

From AI Australia

Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan has written an open letter to China’s President Hu Jintao.

8 July 2008
Your Excellency

With one month remaining until the much-anticipated start of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, I ask you to take five steps toward the “development of human rights” pledged by the Beijing Olympics Bid Committee in 2001. Over the last year Amnesty International has collected hundreds of thousands of voices from around the world echoing this call. I join them in urging you to take this historic opportunity to act.

Amnesty International recognises the Chinese Government’s efforts to address some longstanding human rights concerns. I am particularly encouraged by the apparent progress made in reducing the use of the death penalty through the Supreme Peoples Court review process. [continues...]

Human rights activist Hu Jia under heavy restrictions

From “News Desk”

Recently, renowned Beijing human rights advocate Hu Jia was transferred to Chaobai Prison in Tianjin. He has since been placed under heavy restrictions, in which four prisoners have been instructed to teach him the prison code. Hu’s mother, wife and daughter had visited him on June fifth. Subsequently Hu wrote separate letters to his parents, wife Jin Yan and young daughter.
According to insiders, there are policies in place that should allow for a family visit on the fifth of July, however officials have used “The Olympics” as an excuse to forbid the regular family visits. The title of Hu’s letter to his parents was “To Nurture”, to his wife he wrote “Like trees, thinking of each other”, and the letter for his daughter was entitled “Thanksgiving”.[continues...]

Olympics triggering tragic Chinese crackdown

BEIJING (AFP) - A leading US congressman said Tuesday China was carrying out a tragic crackdown to smother dissent during the Olympics, triggering a warning by Beijing to butt out or risk harming Sino-US ties.
“Tragically, the Olympics has triggered a massive crackdown designed to silence and put beyond reach all those whose views differ from the official ‘harmonious’ government line,” U.S. Representative Christopher Smith told journalists.

“On Sunday night, three human rights lawyers with whom we had scheduled to have dinner, were threatened, then taken away or placed under house arrest by the police. Our meeting never occurred.”

The detained rights lawyers, veteran activists Teng Biao, Li Heping and Li Baiguang, had not violated any law, he said.[continues...]

Imprisoned Activist Hu Jia Still Denied Access to Adequate Medical Care

CHRD (Chinese Human Rights Defenders, June 12, 2008) -

Imprisoned human rights defender Hu Jia (胡佳) continues to be denied access to adequate medical care.

Hu is in poor health and suffers from liver cirrhosis. Since his incarceration, Hu has had one physical check-up in late May, but neither he nor his family has been given access to the results. Authorities initially said that the results were ‘being examined’ and therefore not yet available. Later, the authorities said Hu’s health has “improved” without presenting evidence to support this claim. Hu’s family said Hu did not look well when they visited him on June 5.

The prison authorities also told Hu’s family that, according to the relevant Chinese law, unless he is so ill that his life is in immediate danger, sufferers of serious chronic illnesses would not be granted release for medical treatment until he has served a third of his sentence. Since the authorities have monopolized access to Hu’s current medical records, it is impossible for his family to dispute the authorities’ decision if and when they refuse to release Hu on medical grounds. [continues...]

Facebook and Twitter, political antagonists in China. Twitter se convierte en aliado de los blogueros para eludir la censura Twitter becomes ally of the bloggers to evade censorship

(Translated by Google from Spanish)

We speak from G1 O Globo, the success of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Curiously while Facebook has become a vehicle of support for the first Chinese minister, Twitter is used by dissidents to express their ideas.

China reached the end of February 221 million Internet users, for the first time surpassing the 215 million-US and becoming the largest community of the world, despite the many constraints that the network has in the Asian country. Internet became China in the medium preferred by younger because, in spite of government control of content, is still the best vehicle for discussion and expression of ideas in the country. [continues...]

Hu Jia denied external medical access while his wife has been sent to Fujian

From SOH News 10/06/08

The imprisonment of renowned Chinese human rights activist Hujia has been closely watched by many around the world. According to insiders, Hu’s wife, Zhen Jingyen and daughter boarded a plane under the watch of public security personnel on June fifth bound for her parent’s place in Fujian.

Zhen is currently under close watch by officials. SOH reporter who interviewed Hu’s attorney Li Fangping verified that the CCP has refused Hu’s application to access external medical attention, citing the reason is that Hu’s health condition is not yet critical. Attorney Li has expressed concerns over Hu Jia’s current situation. [continues...]