[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E916-E917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE COURAGE TO STAND ALONE--THE PUBLICATION OF LETTERS AND WRITINGS OF 
                CHINESE DEMOCRACY LEADER, WEI JINGSHENG

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 1997

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me today in 
paying tribute to an outstanding voice for human rights in the People's 
Republic of China, and to join me in demanding his immediate release 
from prison.
  Wei Jingsheng, a former soldier and an electrician at the Beijing 
Zoo, has become the best known pro-democracy activist in China today. 
He challenged China's authoritarian system first in the late 1970's by 
mounting posters calling for freedom and democracy on the famous 
``Democracy Wall'' in Beijing. For the ``crime'' of speaking out for 
democracy, he was jailed on charges of ``counter-revolutionary'' 
activities in 1979 and remained a prisoner of conscience until 
September 1993.
  Immediately after his release from prison in 1993, Wei Jingsheng was 
threatened and intimidated by Chinese authorities for speaking out 
publicly in support of democracy and freedom of speech. He also 
continued to maintain contacts with foreigners, including my good 
friend, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights 
and Labor, John Shattuck.
  Shortly after meeting with John Shattuck, Wei Jingsheng was again 
arrested, and in a blatant violation of Article 48 of the Chinese 
Criminal Procedure Law--which stipulates that a person can only be held 
for 10 days without charge--he was held incommunicado for almost 20 
months. Prior to his trial, his family

[[Page E917]]

had no information about his whereabouts or the charges being brought 
against him. In a trial which leading human rights groups called a 
mockery of justice, Wei Jingsheng was charged with activities aimed at 
toppling the Chinese Government, and he was sentenced to 14 years in 
prison on December 12, 1995.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we are marking the publication of Wei Jingsheng's 
remarkable book ``The Courage To Stand Alone: Letters From Prison and 
Other Writings.'' It is the determination, the tenacity, and the 
courage of men and women such as Wei Jingsheng that will change China, 
that will bring a new day of respect for human rights in China. Clearly 
we have not yet reached a time when freedom and democracy flourish in 
the People's Republic of China, but the brave pioneers of a better and 
more human future for China, such as Wei Jingsheng, will bring about 
that day. We in the United States Congress must continue our support 
for their struggle, for respect by the Chinese Government for human 
rights.

                          ____________________