(Washington, D.C., Dec. 5, 2011)\u00a0 Women\u2019s Rights Without Frontiers president Reggie Littlejohn has been invited to join other human rights activists and China scholars to testify at a hearing commemorating the one-year anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese political prisoner Liu Xiaobo.\u00a0 She has been asked to testify regarding Chen Guangcheng, who was arrested in 2006 for helping to expose the Chinese government\u2019s use of forced abortion and involuntary sterilization to enforce its \u201cOne Child Policy.\u201d\u00a0 He remains under house arrest and his health is in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
Littlejohn is also submitting a report from Chen Guangcheng\u2019s 2005 investigation into coercive family planning in Linyi City, Shandong Province. A member of Chen\u2019s team, celebrated human rights attorney Teng Biao, drafted the report, which contains extensive witness statements from cases Chen and his team were investigating before Chen was jailed.\u00a0 In this report are detailed accounts regarding:<\/p>\n
Littlejohn stated:\u00a0 \u201cThe Chen Guangcheng report makes clear:\u00a0 the spirit of the Cultural Revolution lives on in China\u2019s Family Planning death machine.\u00a0 WRWF has chosen to release the names of the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity, so that they can be held accountable before the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Things may not have improved in Linyi since 2005.\u00a0 Earlier this year, Family Planning Officials stabbed a man to death. http:\/\/www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org\/blog\/?p=147<\/a><\/p>\n A woman, six months pregnant, recently died during a forced abortion in Lijing County, also in Shandong Province.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org\/blog\/?p=429<\/a><\/p>\n In early October, an unconfirmed report went out stating that villagers had said that Chen had died.\u00a0 Efforts to confirm that report failed, as it was impossible to gain access to Chen\u2019s village to verify it.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, Women\u2019s Rights Without Frontiers received a credible report that Chen is indeed alive.\u00a0 In fact, according to a key activist in China, the conditions of Chen\u2019s detention have improved slightly.<\/p>\n According to this source, who requested anonymity, \u201cNow his mother is allowed to go outside to buy food although escorted by three guards, and his health also is getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n The source attributed the improved treatment of Chen to the fact that \u201cChen\u2019s situation was exposed and got huge public attention,\u201d both within China and internationally.<\/p>\n Littlejohn stated that, in addition to international citizen movements, official action is necessary to free Chen. \u201cWe commend the courageous and persistent efforts of Rep. Chris Smith to visit Chen and urge the Chinese government to grant him a visa.\u00a0 We also urge U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, to visit Chen directly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Chinese Communist Party has attempted to silence Chen, but they cannot silence the voices of millions in China crying for his freedom,\u201d she added. \u201cThe report that Chen is alive and in improved condition should not be a reason to relax efforts on his behalf.\u00a0 To the contrary, these efforts are having an impact and should intensify until Chen is free. We demand the immediate, unqualified release of Chen Guangcheng and his family. Chen\u2019s ongoing house arrest is illegal and his medical condition remains weak.\u201d<\/p>\n View the Congressional-Executive Commission on China Hearing Notice:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.cecc.gov\/pages\/hearings\/general\/hearing2\/index.php<\/a><\/p>\n Read Littlejohn\u2019s full testimony here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org\/blog\/?p=503<\/a><\/p>\n Read the Chen Guangcheng report here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org\/blog\/?p=510<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (Washington, D.C., Dec. 5, 2011)\u00a0 Women\u2019s Rights Without Frontiers president Reggie Littlejohn has been invited to join other human rights activists and China scholars to testify at a hearing commemorating the one-year anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace … Continue reading