Dissident’s wife appeals to China’s Hu Jintao
24 July 2008, 04:26PM
Yuan Weijung, the wife of Chen Guangcheng, is stopped by police as she leaves her home. © Private
The wife of a blind, jailed Chinese activist has appealed to China's President to put a stop to the official harassment of her family.
Chen Guangcheng, who this year was named by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people, is serving four years and three months in jail. He was convicted of "damaging public property and gathering people to block traffic" in 2006.
He'd been helping villagers with a lawsuit against local authorities. They had been enforcing China's birth quotas and were making women in a local village have abortions and sterilisations.
From Reuters today, quoting a letter written by Chen Guangcheng's wife, Yuan Weijing:
" ... "Because of the Olympics' approach, people like me -- nothing but a rights defender's wife -- are being specially 'protected' by the government," she said, detailing the number of security guards who surround her house and make ordinary life impossible …
" …"I, like the people of this nation, am looking forward to the Olympics' arrival, and I hope for their success. At the same time, however, I am even more looking forward to the Olympics' end," …"
Features and analysis
Healthy homelands
An Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory is showing the government how to close the health gap.
Childbirth in Sierra Leone
Many women in Sierra Leone spend the final months of pregnancy and agonising hours of childbirth fearing for their lives.
Harming Children
Professor Louise Newman explains how detaining children on Christmas Island is likely to affect their mental health.
These features are taken from our Human Rights Defender magazine - subscribe free now
Stay Informed
Get Involved
After long-term imprisonment for speaking publicly about human rights issues, Wei Jingsheng was finally released with help from Amnesty International.
Your donation will be used to help individuals from around the world who are suffering from human rights violations.
Sitewide information
- Copyright © Amnesty International Australia
- ABN: 640 0280 6233
- Phone: 1300 300 920