Dissidents Protest Obama's Upcoming Visit to China
2009-11-10 9:55
In Beijing, a group of dissidents tried to apply for a demonstration last Friday, to protest the visit of United States President Barack Obama. They hoped it would draw attention to the Chinese regime’s human rights violations. But Beijing officials rejected their application.
Qi Zhiyong, who survived the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, says the U.S. President’s upcoming visit is already affecting him.
[Qi Zhiyong, Pro-Democracy Dissident]:
“[Obama’s] visit to China only involves discussions on climate change, or economic issues. We hope that he will bring up the issue of human rights, and truly improve China’s human rights. In fact, his [upcoming] visit has indirectly caused our rights as well as our living spaces to be trampled on. Because of his visit people like me and other dissidents are being affected. I have been subjected to a formless oppression, whether it’s house arrest, or being taken away from Beijing.”
Qi says many dissidents have received warnings from police not to go to Beijing during Obama’s visit.
According to Beijing dissident Li Jingping, the local city patrol is arresting street vendors and stall operators ahead of Obama’s visit. Here’s a statement he made on the online-news service Boxun.com.
Qi Zhiyong, who survived the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, says the U.S. President’s upcoming visit is already affecting him.
[Qi Zhiyong, Pro-Democracy Dissident]:
“[Obama’s] visit to China only involves discussions on climate change, or economic issues. We hope that he will bring up the issue of human rights, and truly improve China’s human rights. In fact, his [upcoming] visit has indirectly caused our rights as well as our living spaces to be trampled on. Because of his visit people like me and other dissidents are being affected. I have been subjected to a formless oppression, whether it’s house arrest, or being taken away from Beijing.”
Qi says many dissidents have received warnings from police not to go to Beijing during Obama’s visit.
According to Beijing dissident Li Jingping, the local city patrol is arresting street vendors and stall operators ahead of Obama’s visit. Here’s a statement he made on the online-news service Boxun.com.
[Li Jing Ping, Beijing Dissident]:
“In China, because of Obama’s visit, human rights have been taken away.”
Boxun reported on Monday that both Li and Qi have been detained. They were taken from Beijing’s Ritan Park where the protest was planned to take place.
