NEW YORK—It is an unfortunate but familiar sight, rows of quietly protesting Chinese people holding up banners of protest in Chinese and English on the sidewalk at the very western end of 42nd St., across the street from the Chinese Consulate. On Sunday afternoon a group of about 150 people representing several human rights groups stood in the cold wind coming off the Hudson River, in what must be the coldest spot in Manhattan, to request the release of noted human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng; believed to have been kidnapped by the Chinese Communist Party.
Beginning in December 2004 Gao Zhisheng wrote a series of open letters to the heads of the CCP, including Hu Jintao, the head of the communist party, and Wen Jiabao, China’s premier. “An Open Letter to China’s National People’s Congress” was followed by “Stop Persecuting Believers of Freedom and Mend Your Ties with the Chinese People” written in October 2005. On Dec. 12, 2005, he wrote another open letter to Hu and Wen, “Why One of China’s Top Attorneys Broke With the Communist Party.” In September 2007, Gao wrote an open letter to the U.S. Congress.
In each of the letters Gao addressed the CCP’s illegal and immoral persecution of the practitioners of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, as well as persecuted Christians.
In November 2005, Gao’s law firm in Beijing was suspended. On Aug. 15, 2006, Gao was kidnapped. Later, he was arrested with the excuse of “inciting subversion of state power.” On Dec. 12, 2006, the court conducted a trial without allowing Gao’s attorney to present his case. In the same year, on Dec. 22, Gao was sentenced to a three-year term on the pretense of “inciting subversion of state power,” with five years on probation.
It has been over two years since all of Gao’s connections to the outside world were cut off. In May 2007, the American Board of Trial Advocates granted Gao the Courageous Advocacy Award. In September 2007, Gao was kidnapped again and subjected to torture for 50 days, the gruesome details of his torture were revealed in a letter recently published during the United Nations Human Rights Council Hearing in Geneva.
Radio Free Asia has reported that on Feb. 6, last week, Gao was again kidnapped by the CCP in a covert operation. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
Jonathan Cao, president of the Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights, spoke at the rally on Sunday of his concern for Gao Zhisheng in light of recent events.
“We demand the Chinese government release him immediately and we condemn torture and support his fight for human rights in China.”
A young man from Fujian Province, Howie Jiang, now living in Boston, came to New York for the Rally on Sunday to speak on behalf of the renowned Chinese human rights advocate Dr. Yang Jianli, president of Initiatives for China. Howie Jiang is a volunteer for the Boston office of Initiatives for China.
“Gao fights for the Falun Gong practitioners in court and then he got kidnapped by the forces of the Chinese government, they tortured him mentally and physically really bad, it’s really terrible that the Chinese government would treat their own citizen like that, it’s really terrible.”
Ann Noonan, president of the NY chapter of the Visual Artists Guild, spoke at the rally on Sunday. The Visual Artists Guild is a non-profit organization that champions the right of freedom of speech and expression.
Ms. Noonan spoke on behalf of the Visual Artists Guild “The Visual Artists Guild is extremely concerned about the safety of Gao Zhisheng, a prominent human rights attorney, who has reportedly been forcibly removed from his home last week by more than 10 government security police in China and has not been heard from since.”
“Recently released reports about Mr. Gao’s earlier arrest in 2007 detailed violent beatings, electrical shocks applied to his genitals, and having his eyes burnt by lit cigarettes. This pattern of torture and abuse by PRC officials has caused great concern by all for this most recent arrest,” continued Noonan.
“The Visual Artists Guild calls for the release of Mr. Gao, as well as the release of all prisoners of conscience who continue to languish in China’s prisons.”
Beginning in December 2004 Gao Zhisheng wrote a series of open letters to the heads of the CCP, including Hu Jintao, the head of the communist party, and Wen Jiabao, China’s premier. “An Open Letter to China’s National People’s Congress” was followed by “Stop Persecuting Believers of Freedom and Mend Your Ties with the Chinese People” written in October 2005. On Dec. 12, 2005, he wrote another open letter to Hu and Wen, “Why One of China’s Top Attorneys Broke With the Communist Party.” In September 2007, Gao wrote an open letter to the U.S. Congress.
In each of the letters Gao addressed the CCP’s illegal and immoral persecution of the practitioners of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, as well as persecuted Christians.
In November 2005, Gao’s law firm in Beijing was suspended. On Aug. 15, 2006, Gao was kidnapped. Later, he was arrested with the excuse of “inciting subversion of state power.” On Dec. 12, 2006, the court conducted a trial without allowing Gao’s attorney to present his case. In the same year, on Dec. 22, Gao was sentenced to a three-year term on the pretense of “inciting subversion of state power,” with five years on probation.
It has been over two years since all of Gao’s connections to the outside world were cut off. In May 2007, the American Board of Trial Advocates granted Gao the Courageous Advocacy Award. In September 2007, Gao was kidnapped again and subjected to torture for 50 days, the gruesome details of his torture were revealed in a letter recently published during the United Nations Human Rights Council Hearing in Geneva.
Radio Free Asia has reported that on Feb. 6, last week, Gao was again kidnapped by the CCP in a covert operation. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
Jonathan Cao, president of the Chinese Coalition for Citizens Rights, spoke at the rally on Sunday of his concern for Gao Zhisheng in light of recent events.
“We demand the Chinese government release him immediately and we condemn torture and support his fight for human rights in China.”
A young man from Fujian Province, Howie Jiang, now living in Boston, came to New York for the Rally on Sunday to speak on behalf of the renowned Chinese human rights advocate Dr. Yang Jianli, president of Initiatives for China. Howie Jiang is a volunteer for the Boston office of Initiatives for China.
“Gao fights for the Falun Gong practitioners in court and then he got kidnapped by the forces of the Chinese government, they tortured him mentally and physically really bad, it’s really terrible that the Chinese government would treat their own citizen like that, it’s really terrible.”
Ann Noonan, president of the NY chapter of the Visual Artists Guild, spoke at the rally on Sunday. The Visual Artists Guild is a non-profit organization that champions the right of freedom of speech and expression.
Ms. Noonan spoke on behalf of the Visual Artists Guild “The Visual Artists Guild is extremely concerned about the safety of Gao Zhisheng, a prominent human rights attorney, who has reportedly been forcibly removed from his home last week by more than 10 government security police in China and has not been heard from since.”
“Recently released reports about Mr. Gao’s earlier arrest in 2007 detailed violent beatings, electrical shocks applied to his genitals, and having his eyes burnt by lit cigarettes. This pattern of torture and abuse by PRC officials has caused great concern by all for this most recent arrest,” continued Noonan.
“The Visual Artists Guild calls for the release of Mr. Gao, as well as the release of all prisoners of conscience who continue to languish in China’s prisons.”
