(Listen to Stephanie Ho’s report via BosNewsLife’s affiliate Voice of America (VOA))
Ho report – Download (MP3)
Ho report – Listen (MP3)
Among those expressing concern about dissidents was Congressman Chris Smith, the ranking Republican member of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which was set up in 2000, after then-President Bill Clinton permanently renewed Most Favored Nation trade status for China.
Smith, who is an outspoken critic of China, told reporters Tuesday, July 1, that the upcoming Olympics "has triggered a massive crackdown designed to silence and put beyond reach all those whose views differ from the official ‘harmonious’ government line." Rights groups and church leaders have told BosNewsLife they are also concerned about a crackdown on unregisterd house churches.
In comments aired by the Voice of America (VOA) network, Smith said Chinese authorities thwarted one of the goals for his three-day trip. "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," he added.
Two of the Chinese dissidents who could not meet the American legislators were identified as lawyers Li Baiguang and Li Heping. The two Chinese activists had met President George Bush in the White House, earlier this month, after receiving awards from the US National Endowment for Democracy, VOA reported.
POLICE GUARDS
The third was lawyer Teng Biao, who Smith says still had four police guards outside his house as of Monday. Congressman Frank Wolf, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accompanied his colleague to Beijing. He said they presented a list of 734 Chinese political-prisoner cases to Li Zhaoxing, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s legislature.
"No list of Chinese political prisoners is ever likely to be complete, but I think this is the most extensive and most complete list around," explained Wolf. It was not immediately clear how
many Christian proners were among them, but China Aid Association and other rights groups have reported there are many Christian leaders and other believers held in several Chinese prisons and labor camps, BosNewsLife monitored.
In a reaction, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said he was not aware of the political prisoner list presented by the two US congressmen. But he warned that if they did indeed submit such a list, "that is not consistent with the official purpose" of their visit.
The American lawmakers spoke to reporters in Beijing, one day after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with China’s top leaders.
She raised human rights issues in her meetings, but stressed friendship rather than disagreement. (Stephanie Ho reports for BosNewsLife’s affiliate the Voice of America (VOA) from Beijing. BosNewsLife’s NEWS Watch is a regular look at key news developments impacting the Church and/or Compassionate professionals).
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