The wife and children of prominent Chinese human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng safely arrived in the United States on March 11. Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) reporter Tang Qiwei had an exclusive interview with Gao’s wife Geng He on March 12.
Tang: I’m a reporter from RFA, Tang Qiwei. Thank you very much for having this interview with us. When did you leave China?
Geng: I left China on January 9.
Tang: You went to Thailand after leaving China, right?
Geng: Yes, I went to a second country.
Tang: How long did you stay in Thailand?
Geng: It was around January 16 when we got there.
Tang: How many days did you stay there?
Geng: We were there until March 10.
Tang: Why did you choose to leave China at the time?
Geng: The Chinese regime had been monitoring my family closely for a long time, and it had brought great inconvenience to our life and work. My daughter Gege was not able to attend school, and she became self-destructive and suicidal. I had no place to turn to, so I fled with my children.
Tang: Your daughter was suicidal? How old is she?
Geng: She is almost 16.
Tang: What was it like when you left?
Geng: Gege was never able to attend school and always stayed home. I remembered it was a Friday. I left my husband a note because I didn’t tell him about this. I didn’t have any other choice, so I fled with my children.
Tang: Which city were you in at the time?
Geng: Beijing. We left from Beijing. We took the train. With the help of friends, we escaped the police and slowly and step by step arrived at a second country. Many things happened during that time, but I can’t recall them now. We were on the road day and night, and it was very tough. I don’t even remember the places we travelled through.
Tang: From Beijing all the way to a second country—how long were you on the road?
Geng: We arrived on January 16, and we were on the road in between.
Tang: Why didn’t Mr. Gao flee with you and the children?
Geng: He would not be able to escape from the police because they have him under close surveillance, as if he was under house arrest.
Tang: Does Mr. Gao know of your current situation? Are you in contact with him?
Geng: We have no contact with each other. But on February 4, when I was in the second country, a friend said that he might have been arrested again. So I’m very worried.
Tang: When did you last contact him?
Geng: It was on January 9 when I left him a note and left home.
Tang: Can you tell us what was in the note you left him?
Geng: I left him a note that said our daughter was suffering because she could not attend school. I’m very upset, so I had no choice but to leave with the children. I was afraid that if I told my husband, he would not be able to let us go.
Tang: You have a son and a daughter, right?
Geng: Yes.
Tang: How old is your son?
Geng: My son is five and a half.
Tang: Does your son know what happened to his parents?
Geng: We did not tell him. But friends would talk about my husband being arrested, so he constantly asked where his dad went or ask, ‘Is daddy in prison again? Did he go to Shandong again?’ It is in Shandong that my husband was first arrested too! You can’t mention Shandong to him. One time when there was a TV commercial about Shandong, he asked again if daddy went to Shandong. Whenever he did not see his father, he would say that his father went to Shandong. He actually means a prison when he says Shandong.
Tang: What does your daughter think about this now?
Geng: She is just very fragile. She gets upset and depressed frequently. To apply for entry to the United States from a second country, there were procedures that proceeded slowly. For every step, she was very impatient and very anxious.
Tang: Who are the people who helped you with this rescue effort?
Geng: I want to thank many friends for helping me to arrive here safely. I want to thank people from different communities who cared for us. This rescue effort for us was especially difficult because we have been under surveillance by the Chinese regime for a long time. Friends who helped us escape have contributed enormously, and some even risked losing their lives. I especially want to thank a Falun Gong practitioner in Canada, his wife, a media worker whose last name is Zhang, and President of China Aid Association Mr. Bob Fu. There is also a young Falun Gong practitioner in China. He heard that Gege could not attend school, and he quit school and came to rescue us. I feel very sorry that he quit school while he had the chance to still attend, and yet he was there with us for the rescue process.
Tang: Do you have any specific plans after arriving in America?
Geng: We haven’t thought too much about it, only to come here first and comfort my children for now. My children’s minds are still very fragile. We’ll just relax for a while and comfort my daughter’s wounded heart, and let her calm down to study again. Studying is quite important for her.
Tang: Thank you very much for having this interview with us. I hope Mr. Gao can come and reunite with you and your family in America.
Geng: Good. Thank you.
Read the Chinese article
