Chinese lawyer stages hunger strike to protest persecution of mainland activists
(Feb. 07, 2006)Chinese lawyer stages hunger strike to protest persecution of mainland activists
By ALEXA OLESEN
Associated Press Writer
386 words
6 February 2006
03:44 AM
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
BEIJING (AP) - An outspoken Chinese lawyer known for defending people persecuted for their religious beliefs said Monday he had staged a hunger strike and called on others to participate to protest increasing violence against activists.
Gao Zhisheng, a Beijing-based lawyer who has represented followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement and other dissidents, said he and two supporters staged a 48-hour hunger strike that began Friday and ended Monday morning. He declined to identify the two supporters.
He said another two Beijing democracy activists, Hu Jia and Qi Zhiyong, started their own hunger strike when Gao stopped.
Gao said he hoped other activists and supporters would follow with their own 24-hour or 48-hour hunger strikes and that the protest can continue "as long as the thugs continue to target human rights protectors."
China has been wracked by a series of increasingly bold, sometimes violent, actions by villagers to bring attention to grievances ranging from pollution to corruption and illegal land seizures.
Many have led to violent clashes between protesters and police or armed gangs hired by local authorities.
Individual Chinese dissidents also frequently complain that they are followed, threatened and beaten up by plainclothes police or thugs hired by police.
The hunger strikes are a nonviolent protest against "hooliganism" targeting activists, which has been on the rise over the past six months, Gao said.
"This type of behavior has aroused much anger, and we believe it should be stopped. The police are not doing what they should to stop it," Gao said. "We call on the government to enforce existing laws to ensure that this type of abuse does not go on."
Gao decided to stage his hunger strike after Guo Feixiong, a fellow lawyer, was beaten Friday by a gang of unidentified men outside a police station in southern China's Guangdong province.
Guo last year represented villagers attempting to recall a local elected official over accusations of fraud. He told Gao that he and his family were being followed and harassed by thugs.
Guo tried to photograph the men and report them to local police in the southern city of Guangzhou but was beaten and had his film stolen, Gao said.
_(博讯记者：云宇) (boxun.com)
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