European Parliament Vice President Writes to Chinese Ambassador Strongly Urging the Immediate Release of Cao Dong and Gao Zhisheng

On October 27, 2006, Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott, European
Parliament Vice President, wrote a letter to the Chinese Ambassador in Belgium,
strongly urging the immediate release of Cao Dong and Gao Zhisheng. Vice President
McMillan-Scott firmly states that he will refer this matter to the United Nations
in person when he visits the United Nations on November 8-9, 2006.


European
Parliament

Edward McMillan-Scott

Vice President

Mr Guan Chengyuan
Chinese Ambassador
Avenue de Tervuren 433-445

1150 Brussels
Belgium

27 October 2006

Ambassador,

MR.
CAO DONG
MR. GAO ZHISHENG

I first wrote to you in the matter of Mr Cao
Dong on 5 June 2006 and again on 16 June 2006. I have yet to receive a response.

On 21 May in Beijing I held a meeting with Mr Cao Dong, a Falun Gong practitioner,
who had been 'administratively detained' for his religious beliefs.
He had discharged his sentence and was guilty of no crime. Following this meeting,
he was arrested.

I have recently learned that he is still being detained by
the Chinese public authorities, has been transferred to Gansu province and is
being held in the Public Security Bureau detention center. An arrest warrant for
'producing Falun Gong material' was issued on September 29, 2006. I
now insist that your superiors release him immediately: I am about to refer this
matter to the United Nations in person.

On 4 June I spoke at some length on
the telephone to Mr Gao Zhisheng in Beijing. As you know, he is a distinguished
human rights lawyer. Your regime has arrested him and charged him with 'subversion'.
Unless he too is released forthwith I shall also refer his case personally to
the United Nations, which I visit on 8-9 November.

Edward McMillan-Scott

CC: Mrs Ferrero Waldner; Mr Borrell-Fontelles; Mr Dirk Sterckx


Download the letter in PDF format

Posting
date: 3/Nov/2006

Original article date: 1/Nov/2006
Category: World
News

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