China: CSW calls for release of prisoners of conscience

Twenty years on from the Tiananmen Square massacre Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said it remains deeply concerned about the state of human rights in China.

Of particular concern to CSW are the two cases of Alimujiang Yimiti, who may be sentenced to three years re-education through labour, and also the case of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who disappeared after being taken into police custody earlier this year.

Mr Yimiti has been detained since 12 February 2008. According to the China Aid Association, government sources told Mr Yimiti’s mother that the Kashi Public Security Bureau (PSB) is secretly planning to sentence her son to three years of re-education through labour. Sources say that the PSB originally arrested Yimiti in error and are now attempting to cover up their mistake with the three year sentence.

Mr Yimiti is a Uyghur Christian from Xinjiang province. He is charged with instigating separatism and stealing, penetrating, purchasing and illegally providing state secrets or intelligence to overseas organisations and individuals.The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found that Mr Yimiti is a victim of arbitrary detention.

The second case involves Mr Gao, a prominent human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize nominee who has been missing since 4 February 2009. He was forcibly taken away from his home in Shaanxi province by Chinese officials. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Since 2005, CSW said Mr Gao, a Christian, had been regularly arrested, beaten, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities because of his work defending human rights and freedom of religion. There is particular concern for his welfare and the China Aid Association have reported that sources inside China suggest he is being tortured.

Although Article 36 of the Chinese constitution recognises the right to hold a religious belief, in practice, many who do, are regularly harassed, tortured and imprisoned.

CSW’s Advocacy Director, Tina Lambert said: “Whilst recognising the progress in human rights since the tragedy of Tiananmen Square twenty years ago, there are still significant concerns to be addressed before China meets internationally agreed standards.

"We urge the Chinese government to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

"It is also imperative that we see the release of all prisoners of conscience including Alimujiang Yimiti and Gao Zhisheng, whose cases represent many other victims of ongoing repression."

CSW made the call on Thursday, the twentieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

More than 80 Chinese Christian marked the anniversary with a declaration calling for forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation, saying the massacre had "awakened our sense of social justice".

They added: "We are not fundamentally different from the decision-makers, commanders or transactors of the massacre, except for encountering the grace and forgiveness of God."