FFDW > > China Land Activist Tortured in Prison

[Massimo A. Allamandola]

"We want human rights, not the Olympics."

China Land Activist Tortured in Prison


 > By AUDRA ANG – 1 day ago
 >
 > BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese land rights activist imprisoned after
 > circulating a petition opposing the Beijing Olympics has been chained
 > for days in the same position and forced to clean up the waste of
 > other inmates, his sister and a rights group said Monday.
 >
 > Yang Chunlin was detained in July in his native province of
 > Heilongjiang in northeastern China and formally arrested a month
 > later, accused of subverting state power — a vague claim authorities
 > commonly use to clamp down on dissent.
 >
 > Yang Chunlin was detained in July in his native province of
 > Heilongjiang in northeastern China and formally arrested a month
 > later, accused of subverting state power — a vague claim authorities
 > commonly use to clamp down on dissent.
 >
 > Details of his case are unclear, but he has repeatedly been pressured
 > to confess, said his sister, Yang Chunping. She said Yang was not
 > allowed to see his lawyer.
 >
 > A laid-off factory worker, 52-year-old Yang Chunlin had in recent
 > years been helping Heilongjiang farmers seek compensation for
 > confiscated land.
 >
 > Before his arrest he had gathered more than 10,000 signatures, mainly
 > from farmers, for an open letter titled "We want human rights, not the
 > Olympics." It was not clear whom the letter was addressed to.
 >
 > Property disputes and illegal land grabs resulting from China's
 > economic boom have triggered protests around the country. Government
 > officials often have sided with developers, touching off the riots and
 > demonstrations.
 >
 > Land seizures have become a particularly sensitive issue ahead of the
 > 2008 Beijing Olympics. Activists have accused authorities of forcing
 > more than 1 million people from their homes to make way for new sports
 > venues.
 >
 > "My brother is not a criminal. He was trying to help the farmers to
 > get their land back," Yang Chunping said in a telephone interview.
 > "How can they call it a crime?"
 >
 > A released inmate imprisoned with Yang Chunlin told her Yang had been
 > subjected to two types of torture, including one where the prisoner's
 > arms and legs were stretched and chained to four corners of an iron
 > bed.
 >
 > China Human Rights Defenders, an international network of activists
 > and rights monitoring groups which has been following Yang's case,
 > reported the same details as the sister.
 >
 > "After a long period of time in the same position, the victim feels
 > pain all over her or his body. The victim has to eat, drink and
 > defecate in the same position," the group said Monday in an e-mail
 > statement.
 >
 > While torture is illegal in China, it is believed to be used widely by
 > police and government officials who rely heavily on coerced
 > confessions to prove criminal cases.
 >
 > "If a prisoner beats another prisoner, he should be punished, not the
 > one who was beaten," Yang Chunping said. "It's so unfair."
 >
 > She said her brother had also been forced to clean up the excrement of
 > prisoners subjected to similar torture.
 >
 > Telephone calls to the prison were not answered on Monday.
 > http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iM8SYkY05Wx80w_ECpklkTuT5LLgD8S52VDO3
 >
 > On 06/10/2007, Mark Barrett <marknbarrett at googlemail.com> wrote:
 > > Please support / forward
 > >
 > > http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Boycott-Olympics/
 > > reads: "China has continued to support the illegitimate Junta that
 > > continues to rule Burma. Recently Burma has seen massive peaceful
 > > protests from Monks and ordinary citizens alike, despite this the
 > > Junta has cracked down and begun the murder of the peaceful
 > > protesters. When an emergency session of the UNSC was called - China
 > > blocked Sanctions against the Junta. I feel that it is Immoral and
 > > unjust that China be able to benefit from western economies and obtain
 > > money that would come from the Olympic games they are due to host. I
 > > call on the British government to boycott the '08 Olympic games in
 > > response to this disgraceful situation."
 > >
 > > On 04/10/2007, Mark Barrett <marknbarrett at googlemail.com> wrote:
 > > > maybe we could suggest/develop with Land, Burma, Tibet & 2012 
Olympic/other relevant action groups a public boycott, letter writing 
campaign (to shops and athletes for next year's Olympics), followed when 
necessary by a ratcheting up to direct action against chinese goods in 
stores such as these: http://www.buyhard.fsnet.co.uk/targetshops.htm
 >
 > > > ?
 >
 > --
 > 'A people's art is the genesis of their freedom'.
 > Claudia Jones