Chinese human rights activist Feng Zhenghu was denied boarding a U.S. Northwest Airlines’ Tokyo-Shanghai flight on July 2, 2009 due to instructions from Chinese authorities. This was Feng’s fourth attempt since June to return home after a two-month visit to Japan.
Arriving at the Northwest check-in desk two hours before departure, Feng was told that Shanghai authorities had instructed the airline not to accept him unless he had a return ticket to Japan.
Feng questioned the authentication of the request. During the dispute Feng missed his flight. The airline promised to allow him to board a later flight as soon as Shanghai authorities provided a written document granting Feng entrance into China.
He has still not heard back from the airline.
Feng says he reserves the right to file a lawsuit against Northwest Airlines for forcing him to purchase extra tickets and assisting Chinese authorities from preventing a Chinese citizen from returning China, which is in violation of Japanese, United States, and Chinese laws.
Feng says he would try boarding a Northwest flight again next week, and will continue trying until he is allowed on board.
Feng said that he is a law-abiding citizen and will not consider taking a detour. He believes that Shanghai authorities will have to give into international pressure.
Meanwhile, Feng says that Shanghai authorities are constantly harassing his wife, a faculty member at Shanghai University’s School of Finance & Economics. According to Feng, officials are telling his wife to persuade him to give up returning to China.
46-year-old Feng Zhenghu has been an active human rights activist in China. Twenty years ago, Chinese authorities punished him for participating in the June 4th student democracy movement. Ten years ago, Feng returned to China after studying abroad in Japan, and published the book, “Overlook of Japanese Enterprises in Shanghai” in 2000. Soon after the publication was released, Chinese authorities accused him of doing “illegal business” and sentenced Feng to three years in prison and fined him 400,000 yuan (US$ 50,000).
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