According to informed sources inside China, in the past three days largegroups of people have been gathering outside of Zhao's Beijing home,requesting permission to see him. The groups, which range in size from adozen to upwards of 100 people, seem to be made up largely of Zhao'sformer subordinates and his close friends and relatives. While Zhao'shome has in recent years been constantly surrounded by police, securityseems to have been reduced more recently, and some of the people waitingoutside have been allowed to register their names and gain admittance toZhao's home. A relative of Zhao living in the United States telephonedhim to confirm these reports, but Zhao said that little has actuallychanged, and the people he would really like to see are not beingallowed to see him. (boxun.com)

Zhao Ziyang was the most senior official to be purged in connection withthe 1989 crackdown. A proponent of political reform, Zhao believed thatthe establishment of democracy could avoid the repetition of disastrousevents such as the Cultural Revolution. On May 19, 1989, Zhao tearfullybegged student protesters to leave Tiananmen Square. That was the lasttime he was seen in public. The Chinese government declared martial lawthe next day, and violently suppressed the movement on June 3-4. Zhao,living under house arrest ever since, marks his 85th birthday on October17 and is reported to be in frail health.

A growing number of former officials and dissident intellectuals havebegun organizing a number of activities to mark Zhao Ziyang's birthdayand call for his release. These activities include:

* Articles posted on the Internet by writers such as formerofficials Bao Tong and Bao Zhunxin, and overseas activists such as SuShaozhi, Yu Haocheng, Chen Yizi, Yan Jiaqi, Zhang Wei and Wu Guoguang;

* A letter to the Chinese government calling for Zhao's personalfreedom to be restored, which China scholars Andrew Nathan and PerryLink are circulating among the overseas academic community;

* A special conference at Columbia University scheduled on Zhao'sbirthday to review Zhao's contributions to China's political reform;

* An online petition collecting signatures in China and abroadcalling for Zhao to be released from house arrest. (boxun.com)