(New York) -- Human Rights Watch today condemned the Chinese government's harassment of Bao Tong, a former Chinese Central Committee member imprisoned during the student protests in May 1989. In a letter to Chinese authorities made public today, Bao, who was released from prison in 1996, reports that security officials have stepped up their monitoring and harassment of him since the beginning of the year. (The text of the letter is below.)
"My personal freedom has been limited and violated. Day and night, whenever I step out of my home, there are always six people closely following me," Bao writes in the letter. Bao opposed the Chinese government decision to send troops into Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
In his letter, also sent to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, Bao Tong says that his treatment violates guarantees of free expression contained in the Chinese constitution and belies the "great and glorious" picture of conditions in China described in a recent "Human Rights White Paper" issued by Beijing.
"Bao Tong's arbitrary treatment shows just how little ‘rule of law' means in China," said Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington Director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. "He's out of jail, but he's by no means free. He's threatened by officials each time he publicly questions Communist Party policy or complains about invasion of his personal freedom."
Bao's letter was written on March 13, 2000, just prior to the opening of the annual meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. He calls on the Commission to take note of "what is unmentioned in the Chinese Human Rights White Paper," and observes that, "I am an old man, and I have neither fear nor illusions, but I feel obligated to confront such violations of a citizen's civil rights, even if that means my own imprisonment." A U.S.-sponsored resolution censuring China for its dismal human rights record is on the Commission's agenda.
Almost a year ago, at the time of the 1999 Commission meeting, Bao Tong called for the reversal of the official verdict on the 1989 protests. Four Public Security Bureau officials warned him that he was "endangering state security," a notoriously vague charge that has been used repeatedly this past year to sentence critics of the government to lengthy prison terms. Bao Tong also complains that reporters interviewing him have been frequently warned they would be punished, and that his phone service has been cut at the time of important political anniversaries.
Bao Tong was a senior aide to then Communist Party head Zhao Ziyang and author of many of China's economic reforms. Bao was detained on May 26, 1989, on his way to a Central Committee meeting. He was released in 1996 and kept under house arrest for one year. When his political rights were finally restored in May 1998, Bao Tong began speaking out against government and Party policies. The current curtailment of his civil rights, however, is the most egregious since his imprisonment.
"The Chinese government should immediately cease all harassment and threats against Bao Tong," said Jendrzejczyk.
Bao Tong's letter:
To: The Public Security Bureau of Beijing
The State Security Ministry
State Council of the Peoples Republic of China
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
Date: March 13, 2000
To Whom It May Concern,
It has come to my attention that our government has just published the Human Rights White Paper announcing that the people of China enjoy unprecedented democracy and freedom. I have also noticed that the U.N. Human Rights Commission is currently holding a meeting in Geneva.
I am compelled to urge you to note that the Human Right White Paper published by our government only mentions one side, the great and glorious side; however it does not touch upon the other side, that is, the many outstanding problems that need to be addressed. My own situation is actually an example of victimization attributable to these remaining problems.
First, my lawful right of freedom of expression has repeatedly been threatened. Ever since the government announced that my civil rights had been restored in May of 1998, I have spoken publicly, in accordance with Article 35 of the Constitution, about my opinions regarding China's political situation and its government's policy. However during these twenty-two months, I have been warned eight times by agents of the Public Security Bureau. They said that my actions constituted "endangering state security." I was told that the reporters who interviewed me were "punished" or were going to be "punished." Whenever any important political anniversaries came along, my telephone line had technical difficulties such that I would have no phone service for days.
Secondly, since the beginning of the year 2000, my personal freedom has been limited and violated. Day or night, whenever I step out of my home, there are always six people closely following me. They come with me when I accompany my granddaughter to school, and when I go to the hospital, bank or shops. They watch very closely to see who I talk to, what I do, and what I say. They even stopped me from getting into a taxi once, claiming that they were "executing orders," though they could never show me any legal justification to prove that they had the right to do so. In addition, it has long been a practice of the security agents to prevent guests from seeing me. The agents do not notify me of their actions. Perhaps their intention is to isolate me from the rest of society. This kind of violation of a citizen's individual freedom extends existing violations of citizens' political rights.
I believe that if such a thing can happen to me and it can not be resolved over a prolonged period of time, it can happen to other citizens as well. Therefore, given the publishing of the White Paper and the meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva, I believe it is my obligation to report these problems, none of which are not mentioned in our government's Human Rights White Paper.
All of my interviews and articles are public and in accessible media (such as the AP, Reuter, etc.). The Chinese Constitution is also accessible. I welcome you to make your own determination according to the law as to whether my actions should be protected or punished, and whether article 35 and 37 of the Chinese Constitution uphold my right to freedom of speech. I also urge the court to make its judgment. By doing so, it would make clear to the world how China executes its own constitution and law; and how China is upholding its commitment to the U.N. Human Right covenants.
I am an old man, and I have neither fear nor illusions, but I feel obligated to confront such violation of a citizen's civil rights, even if that means my own imprisonment.
I have also directly reported my situation to the local Public Security Bureau. Even if they can not improve my situation, my only hope lies in their redirecting this letter to you. I also hope the Chinese government will not make the mistake of being so one-sided again when writing a Human Rights White Paper. I also urge the U.N. Commission to note what is unmentioned in the Chinese Human Rights White Paper.
I thank you for you attention.
Regards,
Bao Tong
Shi Jing Sha District, Beijing, PRC.
