Initiatives for China header image 2

Press Conference

November 24th, 2009 · No Comments

Regarding the Situation of
Human Rights Lawyer Feng Zhenghu

Update: Airlift of food and supplies enters 4th week amid growing pressure on Obama Administration to take decisive action on the deteriorating human rights situation in China. (for Complete Statement and Updates, please visit: http://initiativesforchina.org/feng-zhenghu/)

Conference Information:


Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Where: Rayburn HOB

Room: #2456

Who:

T Kumar, Director of International Advocacy, Amnesty International

Yang Jianli, President, Initiatives for China, Harvard Fellow

Michael Horowitz, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

10 Blacklisted Chinese Citizens will speaker on the practice by the Chinese government of denial of entry to its citizens.

Overview:
Presenting a clear challenge to the “blacklisting” practices of the Chinese government, which bar Chinese citizens with valid passports from returning home, noted human rights lawyer and signatory to Charter 08, Mr. Feng Zhenghu has been encamped at the customs area in Tokyo’s Narita Airport since November 3. He has been surviving on “airlifts” of food and supplies from supporters flying in from neighboring countries. Several blacklisted Chinese citizens will speak at the conference amid growing media attention and increasing pressure on the Obama Administration to take action regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in China.

The conference will include several blacklisted Chinese citizens

Background Information:
1. A complete brief on the Mr. Feng Situation can be found the Initiatives for China website: http://initiativesforchina.org/feng-zhenghu/
2. November 19 LA Times article on Feng situation:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-japan-terminal-man19-2009nov19,0,29937.story


Initiatives for China advocates for a peaceful transition to democracy and political reform in China through education, promoting unity, advancing citizen power, and building overseas support.

Contact Information

Jim Geheran, Director
Initiatives for China
jgeheran@initiativesforchina.org
202.290.1423 (O)
508.494.5682 (C)

Tags: Uncategorized

Introduction to the Founder

Dr. Yang Jianli

Founder and President of Initiatives for China, Dr. Yang Jianli was born in Shandong Province in northern China. A graduate of Beijing Normal University, Dr. Yang holds a PhD. in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in Political Economy from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. In 1989, at the age of 26, his fellow graduate students at Berkeley selected him to go to Beijing in support of their counterparts in China who were demonstrating for democracy in Tiananmen Square. He arrived in Tiananmen Square in time to witness the massacre of thousands of peaceful demonstrators by the guns and tanks of the Chinese government. This event fundamentally changed young Jianli's future. He narrowly escaped capture and returned to the United States where he committed himself to studying democracy. Read more...