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BEIJING: China was carrying out a tragic crackdown on dissent ahead
of the Olympic after the police allegedly prevented rights activists
from meeting envoys in Beijing, a leading US congressman said
Tuesday.
“Tragically, the Olympics has triggered a
massive crackdown designed to silence and put beyond reach all those
whose views differ from the official ‘harmonious’ government
line,” Christopher Smith told journalists.
“On Sunday night, three human rights lawyers
with whom we had scheduled to have dinner, were threatened, then
taken away or placed under house arrest by the police. Our meeting
never occurred.”
The detained rights lawyers, veteran activists
Teng Biao, Li Heping and Li Baiguang, had not violated any law, he
said.
The two Li’s, believed to be unrelated, were
awarded by the US National Endowment for Democracy earlier this
month when they met with US President George W. Bush in the White
House.
Smith, who is traveling with fellow Congressman
Frank Wolf, is the ranking Republican on the Congressional-Executive
Commission on China. Both have followed China’s human rights
record for years.
During their visit, the two congressmen met with
China’s former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and handed over a list
of 734 “political prisoners” and urged their release.
China promised that its human rights record
would improve if it were allowed to host the Olympic Games was not
being realized, according to Smith.
“Just the opposite is happening,” he said.
“At the time, the argument certainly appeared
plausible, if not compelling, but in the years, now months, run-up
to the Olympics, the reality has been numbingly disappointing,”
Smith said.
He further urged the international community to
speak with one voice and not allow Beijing to whitewash its human
rights record.
“After a while the international community has
to really pierce this facade and speak truth to power, albeit with
clarity and respect,” Smith said.
“It is not the time to lower our voices.”
China has previously denied it is cracking down
on dissent ahead of next month’s Beijing Games, saying people have
been detained and jailed according to law.
-- AFP
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