HVK Archives: China crackdown on dissidents resumes
China crackdown on dissidents resumes - The Indian Express
Deutsche Press Agenteur, Beijing
()
July 12, 1998
Title: China crackdown on dissidents resumes
Author: Deutsche Press Agenteur, Beijing
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 12, 1998
China police have detained five members of a newly formed
democratic opposition party in an organised swoop that took place
just a week after US President Bill Clinton's visit to China, a
Hong Kong-based human rights group said today.
The police rounded up key members of the China Democratic Party
throughout the day yesterday during a planned crackdown on
dissent, the information centre for human rights and democratic
movement in China said.
The new round of suppression has already begun right after
Clinton's visit to China.
This symbolises that the severe, nationwide suppression of
dissidents has resumed. At the same time it also proves that
Clinton has returned to America empty-handed on human rights
issue. What China did was really a slap in the face to Clinton,
the group said.
Dissident Wu Gaoxing in Taizhou city, Zhejiang, was the first to
be taken away by police yesterday morning. Later that same day,
several police took former 1989 student leader Wang Youcai away
>from home in Hangzhou.
Police also detained Wang Jianpei and Cheng Fan, who were meeting
with Wu Gaoxing at his home at the time of the detentions.
Without displaying a search warrant, police combed Wang's home
for one hour and took away his address book and a declaration of
the China Democratic Party, the group said.
Late last evening, several police took Away veteran dissident
Wang Donghai from his home in Hangzhou after searching his home.
Police have charged Wang Donghai with attempting to overthrow the
government, his wife confirmed by telephone on today.
"I am planning to go to the local public security bureau tomorrow
(Sunday) to look for him, his wife told DPA.
Local police in Hangzhou had earlier briefly detained Wang
Youcai, Zhu Yufu and Yu Tielong, and had warned them of the
dangers of founding their opposition party.
In Beijing today, veteran dissident Xu Wenli strongly protested
the police detentions.
The police overdid it. Wang Youcai and the other dissidents just
wanted to publicly register their party.
They only wanted to form preparatory committee for their party,
he said by telephone from his home.
On June 25, the same day Clinton arrived in Xian for the first
leg of a five-city, nine-day tour of China, Zhejiang-based
dissidents Wang Youcai, Wang Donghai and Lin Hui declared the
founding of the China Democratic Party, the first open challenge
to Beijing in the 50-year history of the Communist Party.
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