NEW YORK—Several Chinese organizations launched a global petition called “Looking for Gao Zhisheng,” on Oct. 20. Their goal is to rescue the prominent Chinese human rights lawyer from the Chinese communist regime. The groups urged President Obama to help free Mr. Gao when he visits China in November.
The China Interim Government, the Chinese Social Democratic Party in the U.S., the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and other concerned groups held a seminar on Oct. 20 in Flushing, New York, calling for people to join the rescue effort.
Known as "China’s Conscience," lawyer Gao Zhisheng has previously been arrested and tortured for defending Falun Gong practitioners and house Christians—two groups persecuted by the Chinese regime. He has been missing since security agents abducted him on Feb. 4. His whereabouts are unknown.
Gao’s wife, Geng He, published an open letter on Oct. 3 titled, “Gao Zhisheng, my husband and the father of my children—where are you?” She wrote that she and her children have worried terribly about Gao because they had not heard anything from him for 10 months, and do not know if he is alive.
The Chinese Embassy recently told John Kamm, founder and executive director of the Dui Hua (“dialogue") Foundation that “Gao is not being mistreated, is fine” and is not being subjected to “compulsory legal measures.”
The regime has not answered queries on his whereabouts.
Letter urging President Obama to rescue Gao
“Even Gao’s wife and children don’t know where he is. This cannot continue,” seminar host Mr. Tang Boqiao, told the attendees.
“In the land of China under the rule of the Communist regime, a most well-known human rights lawyer has just evaporated from the world. What an irony this is to the world’s civilized society. We need to spread this message far and wide,” said Mr. Tang.
Mr. Tang also said a letter has been sent to President Obama urging him to help free Mr. Gao when he visits China in the coming months.
Mr. Gao is being persecuted for defending Falun Gong practitioners who have been suffering the most severe persecution in China, said Shen Ting, chairperson of the Coalition of the Chinese People Facing Injustice. The Communist regime has relentlessly and inhumanly persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, she added.
“Appellants, rights activists, and Falun Gong practitioners should all make relentless efforts to rescue Gao Zhisheng. We do not have any information about Gao now. His family has fled to the U.S. We hope Gao can escape from the control of the Chinese communist regime and reunite with his family in the U.S.”
‘Where did Gao Zhisheng do wrong?’
Mr. He Tiankai, 89, also spoke out for Gao, “The Chinese Communist regime has been tormenting itself, the country, and the people for the past 60 years…Where did Gao Zhisheng do wrong? Now he has gone missing. Isn’t this ‘tormenting?’” Mr. He directed his question to Chinese regime leader Hu Jintao.
T shirts with slogans calling for Gao's rescue and books he wrote were available at the seminar. Mr. Xiao Jing, a representative of Broad Press, an independent Chinese publishing house, brought these items to the seminar. He said that Gao’s book, God is Fighting Shoulder to Shoulder with Us, has received a lot of attention in and outside of China. He called for people to concern themselves with lawyer Gao’s well being.
Dr. Li Dayong, a representative of the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP, said that the number of people quitting the CCP has bounced back since Oct. 1, China’s National Day, adding that “An average of 50,000 to 60,000 people withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organization on a daily basis, indicating that people’s minds have changed.”
