Hujia&jinyan’s spirit

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...]

AI Australia

Zeng Jinyan has received the letters that many supporters from around the world have written to her.

She and her husband, Hu Jia, are peaceful human rights activists in Beijing. Their activism included being advocates for human rights in China, blogging and making documentaries.

Following months of intimidation, Hu Jia was detained in December 2007 on suspicion of’inciting subversion of state power’. Zeng Jinyan has been under tight police surveillance since her husband’s arrest.

She has recently written to Amnesty International to thank all those who have sent letters encouraging her to remain hopeful, and informing her that international efforts continue to demand the release of her husband. [continues...]

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...]

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...]

CHRD (Chinese Human Rights Defenders, June 12, 200 -

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...]

(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...]

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...]

The irony of the olympic poster of chinese diver Hu Jia has been commented noted and commented upon in a couple of sites around the web….

Scholars Condemn Hu Jia’s Prison Sentence