Epoch Times: May 24, 2007 - We write this letter to urgently request that you help Mr. Gao Zhisheng , a highly important Chinese human rights lawyer, to come to the Unites States to receive the Courageous Advocacy Award by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). The date of the ABOTA award ceremony is June 30th of this year.
Gao, known as "China's conscience," has been a target of the Chinese communist regime ever since he called upon Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to end the persecution of Falun Gong by writing three open letters to the government, and began a relay hunger strike for human rights that spread around the world. His earlier work included defending land rights and other civil rights issues, and in 2001 was recognized as one of China's top ten lawyers.
He was arrested on August 15, 2006 following months of intense surveillance of him and his family, which involved attempts on his life. Gao was released from jail on December 22, but had not been heard from until April 6 of this year, when he was able to call Hu Jia, a prominent Chinese human rights activist and close friend of Gao, who then immediately released a letter by Gao dictated to him over the phone.
Though Gao has been forbidden by the CCP from communicating with the outside world, he has bravely tried to let the world know what is happening to his family, and what has happened to him, as a result of his support of human and civil rights in China.
In his letter, Gao recounts his treatment in prison, as well as his current situation. Despite being out of jail, Gao describes his home as a prison for him and his family, and how "no bird could even flee from my home." With his home often surrounded by more than one hundred plain-clothed police, he and his family are under constant surveillance, are denied any forms of communication, and are forbidden from meeting with anyone.
Gao described how he was abducted and beaten by more than 30 thugs on August 15, and when in prison how he was subjected to many hundreds of hours of physical and psychological torture. He tells about his highly secretive "public trial," and how one police officer told him that he had never seen so many police officers and vehicles mobilized for one man.
Gao writes further about the treatment of his family by China's regime: "Another thing is that the evil force openly holds my wife, two children, and my kin as hostages. They even deprived my wife's family and my hometown relatives of all means of survival. The CCP thugs continue to openly torment their spirits and to threaten me that they will thoroughly destroy the future of my children and the means of earning a living of my wife and all relatives of my and my wife's families. Although I had some understanding before of the evil nature of the regime—one that disregards justice, promotes shamelessness, has a complete lack of morality, and will do anything to realize its goal—I still underestimated how evil it is!"
So why has the CCP subjected Gao to such treatment? In his letter, Gao says, "Their main focus is on the relationship of me and Falun Gong—how deep this relationship is and my several open letters regarding Falun Gong. I feel clearly that the biggest worry of the evil force inside the regime is Falun Gong and the issue of civil rights."
Gao continues to be persecuted by the Chinese communist regime, and he and his family are paying a high price for seeking to uphold human rights and rule of law in China. Though Gao is not himself a Falun Gong practitioner, his support has brought to him persecution just the same.
We ask that you act to speak up for Gao's rights, and pressure the Chinese government to allow him to come to the United States to receive the Courageous Advocate Award. Gao wishes to come here to receive the award. He will, however, go back afterwards since his mission is to help the Chinese people obtain their rights. We ask that you write to China's leaders, specifically Hu Jintao, to ask that Gao be allowed to visit the United States, as well as to let them know that Gao's situation is known to the world, and that it is a source of concern.
Sincerely Yours,
Sherry Zhang, Ph.D.
Global Coalition to Support Gao Zhisheng
forgaozhisheng@verizon.net
On behalf of the following 144 organizations worldwide:
1. The Party for Freedom & Democracy in China (Sydney)
2. The Party for Freedom & Democracy in China (Oceania)
3. Support Network for the Persecuted in China
4. Secretary Bureau of The Alliance of Chinese Democratic Political Parties
5. The Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition (Australia)
6.The Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition (Sydney)
7. Chinese Labor Party (Australia)
8. Epoch Trade
9. Sydney Culture & Art Connection Center
10. Wudang School of Qigong
11. Heavenly River Writing House
12. Australia branches of Alliance for a Democratic China
13. Australia Chinese Writer's Association for Peace
14. The Party for Freedom & Democracy in China (Melbourne)
15. The Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition (Melbourne)
16. Association of Australian Public Supporting the Right of Falun Gong Belief
17. SFU China Research Association
18. Global Alliance for Democracy and Peace, Vancouver Chapter
19. Lin Zhao's Spirit Promoting Association
20. Vancouver Cast Off CCP Advocacy Society
21. Unistar Computer Inc.
22. The European Alliance of the Communist True History
23. Federation for a Democratic China (Canada)
24. June 4th Massacre Investigation
25. Lotus Flower Art Group
26. Minghui School of Canada
27. Friends of Falun Gong Association Of Canada
28. Chinese Community Centre of Metro Toronto
29. Mothers and Grandmothers for a Safe China and a Safe Canada
30. Preparation Committee of Chinese United States
31. PostmanChinese
32. Chinese Yidugongdu Liaison Center
33. Danmark Branch of Chinese Democracy Party
34. Union Government of China
35. Hong Kong Bright Strength Limited
36. Tianyao Web
37. Federation for a Democratic China (Denmark)
38. New China Magazine
39. Association of Chinese Students and Scholars in Germany
40. Yau Tsim Mong Mutual Development Association
41. Hong Kong Community Development Network
42. Southern Democratic Alliance
43. James Lung's Office of Community Service
44. The Front-Line Magazine
45. Chinese Students Association in Ireland
46. The Party for Freedom & Democracy in China (New Zealand)
47. The Party for Freedom & Democracy in China (Auckland)
48. Nursery of Minghui School in Taiwan
49. China Support Network
50. Visual Artists Guild
51. The Global Coalition of Chinese Veterans Who Have Quit the CCP
52. Global Coalition of the Good Riddance CCP
53. San Diego Society for the Protection of Freedom of Press
54. Omnifood, Inc
55. Friends of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in San Diego
56. The Coalition to Rescue Persecuted Intellectuals in Mainland China
57. Coalition to Rescue Orphans of the Persecuted Individuals in Mainland China
58. Overseas Exiles Headquarter of Chinese Democracy Party
59.Caring for China Center
60. Liberty Bell Forum
61. Delaware Asian Culture Center
62. NTDTV Philadelphia
63. Sound of Hope Radio Philadelphia
64. Epoch Times Philadelphia
65. Greater Philadelphia Asian Culture Center
66. Committee for defending Orthodox Chinese Legacy and Language
67. The Alliance of Chinese Democracy
68. The Velvet Action Of China
69. China Democracy Party World Union
70. China Peace
71. Chinese Republican Party
72. Chinese Political Refugee Association
73. Zhao Ziyang Funeral Committee
74. Health & Life Biweekly
75. Association For Asian Research
76. UltraReach Internet Corp
77. Tianjiao Cultrue & Art Center
78. SecretChina News Net
79. Garden Networks
80. Concord International
81. Sino-Tibet Study Group
82. Friends of Falun Gong
83. Dynaweb
84. Oriental Culture Association
85. Brilliance Services Inc.
86. Chinese New Immigrant Association
87. Broadpress Inc
88. Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
89. The Way of China Bimonthly Electronic Magazine
90. Netdigest
91. Nine Commentaries on the CCP Website
92. Beijing Spring
93. NewCosmos Systems
94. The Press of Overseas Chinese Students
95. China Affairs
96. Social Democratic Party, U. S. West Branch
97. Chinese Democracy Education Foundation
98. China Forum (Los Angeles)
99. Overseas Chinese Democratic Poets Association
100. Hong Kong Forum (Los Angeles)
101. Traditional Chinese Cultural Centre in Southern California
102. Metropolitan Los Angeles and Orange County "Quitting the CCP" Service Center
103. New Culture Center of Illinois
104. Foundation for East-West Cultural & Technological Exchange
105. Chinascope
106. China Mental Health Watch
107. Sound of Hope Radio Network
108. Global Information Freedom Inc
109. Global Coalition Against Exporting State-Terrorism from CCP
110. Minghui School
111. Washington Forum
112. FGM Media, Inc
113. Fa Wang Hui Hui (Human Rights Violation Investigation Organization)
114. The Epoch Times
115. Press Freedom and Human Rights League
116. Preparatory Committee for Safeguarding the Northern Homeland
117. 6.28 Watch
118. Yale Falun Gong Club
119. Connecticut Chinese Culture Association
120. Amnesty China
121. New England Life and Science Research Association
122. Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners and worldwide branches
123. United Services & Trading Co.
124. The Fraternity of Overseas Chinese Veteran
125. International Institute of Future Science & Culture
126. Alliance to Protect the Rights of Women and Children
127. Great Thinking Club
128. China Democracy and Long March Foundation of Boston
129. Boston New Life and Culture Center
130. Boston Forum
131. Friends of Hong Kong and Macao at Boston
132. Boston-Chinese Macao Club
133. China Forum (UC Berkeley)
134. Friends of Charles Lee
135. Center for Global Culture Exchange
136. Federation for a Democratic China
137. The Startup of Macao Democracy
138. China Social Democratic Party
139. The Solidarity Union of Democrats of China
140. Global Service Center for Quitting CCP
141. Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation
142. Bye CCP
143. World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
144. The Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice
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