[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 107 (Friday, July 27, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8337-S8338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PLIGHT OF DETAINED PERMANENT UNITED STATES RESIDENT LIU YAPING IN INNER 
                                MONGOLIA

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I rise today to bring to my colleague's 
attention a terribly distressing, and I am afraid, all too familiar 
situation; the arrest and detention of American citizens and permanent 
residents traveling in China. I specifically want to comment on the 
case of Mr. Liu Yaping. Mr. Liu is a resident of my home State of 
Connecticut and is married to a United States citizen. He has an 
American son and has been granted permanent residency in this country. 
Nevertheless, on a trip to his home country of China this past spring, 
he was abruptly detained and arrested on charges of tax evasion. More 
than four months after his initial arrest, the evidence against him for 
this alleged crime has yet to be produced by the Chinese authorities, 
and he has not been officially charged with a crime. In the meantime, 
he is being detained indefinitely.
  Liu Yaping has been held in near isolation in Inner Mongolia, and we 
suspect that he may have been mistreated during his time in prison. He 
has been unable to contact his family, and because he is a permanent 
resident of the U.S., and not a citizen, he has been denied the right 
to consult with United States diplomats while in detention. He has been 
granted only very limited access to his attorneys, and has been unable 
to answer the charges against him.
  The most troubling part of this story is that we have learned that 
Mr. Liu is ill and may die at any moment. It has been reported that he 
is suffering from a cerebral aneurysm, possibly caused by torture or 
beatings, for which he has gone largely untreated. Without immediate 
and appropriate medical attention, the aneurysm will continue to leak, 
and the danger is very real that he will die. His family has asked to 
review his medical records, but thus far this request has been denied. 
Instead, they receive only bills for medical services performed, 
without documentation or description. Mr. Liu's family has asked that 
he be transferred to a hospital in Beijing, but this request has been 
rejected by the Chinese government.
  I cannot begin to imagine the toll that this ordeal has taken on Mr. 
Liu's wife, and 15 year-old son. Knowing their loved one is alone and 
in danger, they wait anxiously for any notice from the Chinese 
authorities indicating that his situation has improved. Mrs. Liu has 
been in steady contact with my office and grows increasingly distraught 
with each day that passes with no news of her husband. The U.S. embassy 
in China, despite their best efforts, has not been able to make inroads 
in this case, and due to Mr. Liu's grave medical condition, time has 
become an important factor when considering his case.
  We cannot allow gross human rights violations to continue on our 
watch. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that our 
citizens and permanent residents receive just and equal treatment at 
home and abroad.
  As my colleagues know, in the past year, several American citizens 
and permanent residents have been detained in China. Gao Zhan, an 
American University researcher, was sentenced to 10 years on July 24, 
after a

[[Page S8338]]

lengthy detention and a brief trial, during which not a single witness 
was called. She was arrested on espionage charges and linked to 
recently convicted business Professor Li Shaomin, who was recently 
ordered deported. Mrs. Gao was recently granted medical parole, due to 
a worsening heart condition and, as a precedent exists for this type of 
parole, it is my hope that Mr. Liu will be granted a similar clemency. 
Until such time, though, we must do all we can to fight for the safety, 
basic human rights, and release of Mr. Liu.
  As you may know, the Senate has not stayed quiet on this matter. 
Along with several of my colleagues, I have signed on as a cosponsor to 
Senate Resolution 128, urging the release of Liu Yaping and other 
American permanent residents and U.S. citizens. However, despite the 
efforts of Congress, I believe that this is an issue best dealt with at 
higher diplomatic levels. As you know, this Saturday, Colin Powell will 
be arriving in China. Secretary Powell has expressed his frustration 
with the situation of Mr. Liu, and I hope that he will raise the issue 
of Liu Yaping's incarceration with the Chinese authorities. Although 
the Chinese government has indicated that it wishes to focus on the 
larger issues of trade and economic cooperation between our two 
countries, I feel that a frank discussion on human rights is an equal 
priority. I hope that such a discussion would lead to a better 
understanding of American concerns in this case specifically, and the 
eventual release of all prisoners wrongfully detained in China.
  I feel strongly that the Chinese government must understand that 
detaining our citizens without due process will only exacerbate the 
diplomatic tensions between our two nations. By creating a climate of 
fear for those Chinese-American citizens who would otherwise seek to 
bring their expertise and knowledge back to their homeland, China is 
discouraging the flow of intellectual capital back into its 
countryside, and compromising any confidence on the part of the United 
States regarding pledged improvements in human rights.
  I wish Secretary Powell well on his trip, and urge the Chinese 
government to release Mr. Liu. I have asked Secretary Powell to bring 
this case up specifically while in China. It is my sincere hope that 
this action will bear fruit, and this matter will soon be resolved. 
Hopefully, Mr. Liu will soon be at home again in Connecticut, safe, and 
in the company and care of his family.

                          ____________________