The Chinese Pan-Blue Coalition [1] initiated a hunger strike on July 6, and strongly requested that the authorities release the detained Chongqing youth, Zhang Qi. For this, leader of the Pan-Blue Coalition Sun Bu-er was summoned by the Wuhan National Security brigade for questioning.
Since Zhang Qi, a member of the Chinese Pan-Blue Coalition, was arrested by Chongqing National Security Criminal Affairs for displaying the Chinese National Party (Kuomingtang, KMT)’s party flag on June 23, support for Zhang from all over the world have poured in.
Because Zhang has been illegally held for over two weeks, the Chinese Pan-Blue Coalition protested against the regime’s trampling of human rights and its act against the constitution. Pan-Blue members have decided to start a hunger strike starting from July 6. Initiator of the hunger strike Chen Rongli said on July 6: “I started a hunger strike today to strongly request that the authorities release Zhang Qi.”
On July 6, democratic rights activist Deng Yongliang who was in Wuhan at that time rung Huang Qi, founder of the human rights website 6-4 Tianwang.com and informed him that Sun Bu-er was summoned by the Wuhan National Brigade for questioning.
Beijing renowned attorney Gao Zhisheng also joined the hunger strike in Beijing to support the protest.
Gao said in an interview that the protest is not entirely a fight for rights. It was to prove that these Chinese citizense were still living as human beins. How can displaying the KMT’s party flag hurt society? Hasn’t the CCP repeatedly emphasized variety? It is just that the CCP has never emphasized variety when it comes to party dictatorship and the Chinese citizens’ thoughts and speeches.
Gao pointed out that detention under the charge of “illegal gathering of an organization” is neither an administrative terminology nor is it a criminal terminology. It is a legal standard created by the Chongqing National Security Brigade, which is absurd. Administrative detention cannot exceed 15 days. We will wait for 20 days first, after 20 days, if Zhang is not released, an attorney will be arranged as soon as possible. If no attorney is available, I will defend him. I think if the authorities know that I am going to defend him, it is quite possible that they will release him. It (the authorities) does not want to have conflict with me at present.
Gao told Sun Bu-er that the group of young people represented by Sun is the reason that he persists in his protest.
He said: “Please tell Sun, many people around me also expressed their respect for him that people should not exist in silence. Although 1.3 billion Chinese are living in silence, we should not be fearful of being thrown into prison, but we don’t want to be in prison. When a person is not afraid of losing his job, when ten thousand, ten million, 100 million people are not afraid of losing their jobs; no one is going to lose his job. Be rational but not without persistence. There are thoughts on hunger strikes everyday and these are published on the website daily. If you stay hungry at home quietly, the CCP would not be concerned about the individual’s painful and life-threatening situation at all because it is a cold-blooded system. But the CCP cares about the hunger strike diary.”
At the same time, Gao expressed his respect for the Pan-Blue coalition. He said that he applauded coalition’s way of proving people’s existence. One should use actions, peaceful actions that conform to the spirit of the current law to prove one’s own existence. This is not radical whatsoever. The CCP’s only means to terrorize people is imprisonment. When you are not afraid of imprisonment, the regime cannot do anything to you.
Sun’s mother Ms. Guo Lizhu said that summons by the Wuhan National Security has already become a routine to them.
Note: [1] The party is named after the color of the Kuomintang emblem.
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