[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN SUPPORT OF WEI JINGSHENG

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 1997

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise again today to express my support 
for Wei Jingsheng and to call upon the Government of the People's 
Republic of China to release Mr. Wei immediately and to provide him 
with proper medical care.
  As the title of his book indicates, Wei Jingsheng has had the courage 
to stand alone in his demands for democracy in China. China's most 
famous political prisoner has been incarcerated for almost 20 years. 
But this has not kept him silent. His collection of letters ``The 
Courage to Stand Alone'' revives echoes of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 
``Letters From a Birmingham Jail.'' The moral power of Wei's words 
inspire the international campaign to nominate him for the Nobel Peace 
Prize.
  Mr. Speaker, recent alarming news from Wei's family underscore his 
need for immediate medical attention. His long suffering from heart 
disease and arthritis is now being compounded by debilitating back 
pain. A worsening neck problem is preventing him from even lifting his 
head. Reports indicate he has not seen a doctor in more than a year. 
This medical neglect must end, he must be given proper medical 
treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, Wei Jingsheng languishes in a prison because he refuses 
to be silent in his support of democracy and human rights. The world's 
focus on fellow dissidents such as Vaclev Havel and Adam Michik helped 
turn the tide in other oppressive societies. That same glare of moral 
outrage must now shift to China's treatment of Wei Jingsheng.
  The cases of Wei Jingsheng, Hao Fuyuan, and so many others jailed in 
the People's Republic of China represent an ongoing struggle. It is a 
battle that not only their families and friends must wage but a fight 
that all who believe in justice and freedom must join.
  And so, Mr. Speaker I ask my colleagues and supporters of liberty 
throughout this country and across the globe to join me in demanding 
freedom and proper medical care for Wei Jingsheng.

                          ____________________