Kathianne
05-03-2012, 07:38 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinese-activist-chen-guangcheng-wants-to-fly-out-with-clinton/2012/05/03/gIQApPkNyT_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop
Activist Chen Guangcheng says China not honoring deal with U.S. officials By Keith B. Richburg (http://www.washingtonpost.com/keith-b-richburg/2011/03/03/ABszxON_page.html) and William Wan (http://www.washingtonpost.com/william-wan/2011/03/02/ABlzvmP_page.html), Updated: Thursday, May 3, 2:39 PM BEIJING — Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinas-dissidents/2012/04/27/gIQA3YyNlT_gallery.html#photo=1) on Thursday began a second night isolated in a central Beijing hospital, as police and security guards barred U.S. diplomats, journalists and Chen supporters from seeing him, and as the activist told various news outlets that he now wants to leave China with his family for asylum in the United States.
In an interview early Friday with The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chen-says-china-not-honoring-agreement-wants-to-see-us-diplomats/2012/05/03/gIQAX0jUzT_story.html), Chen clarified that he wants to go to the United States only temporarily and insists on the freedom to return to China. He said he left the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday of his own free will, but he charged that the Chinese government is reneging on promises to U.S. officials to fully restore his freedom.
“The U.S. Embassy helped me a lot,” Chen said. “But I don’t think the Chinese side is obeying the agreement well.”
U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/gary-locke-is-star-in-china-as-first-us-ambassador-of-chinese-ancestry/2011/11/28/gIQA703DEO_story.html) said Thursday that “it’s apparent now that he’s had a change of heart” and wants to go to the United States. Chen had previously insisted that he wanted to remain in China, U.S. officials said. In an interview broadcast on CNN, Locke said U.S. diplomats spoke twice with Chen by telephone Thursday and met in person with his wife, Yuan Weijing. He said the United States was now assessing how best to assist Chen.
But the reality of granting him any assistance has become far more complex since Chen left the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday, six days after escaping de facto house arrest in his village (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/a-dramatic-tale-of-escape-for-blind-chinese-activist/2012/04/27/gIQANlUWmT_story.html). Now he is under the control of Chinese police and security authorities, who were blocking all access to the activist. U.S. diplomats were frustrated in their attempts to enter the hospital to have a face-to-face meeting with Chen all day Thursday, and they had to meet his wife outside.
“We haven’t had either a diplomat or a doctor in to see him,” said one U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to be more candid. “There’s plenty of anxiety about what’s going on.” The official said U.S. diplomats even had extraordinary difficulties trying to telephone Chen, and their two calls with him were extremely brief, with one call cut off after just seconds.
Campaigning in Virginia, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney castigated the U.S. Embassy and the Obama administration for their handling of the Chen case.
“It’s also apparent, according to these reports, if they’re accurate, that our embassy failed to put in place the kind of verifiable measures that would have assured the safety of Mr. Chen and his family.,” Romney said. “If these reports are true, this is dark day for freedom, and it’s a day of shame for the Obama administration. We are a place of freedom, here and around the world, and we should stand up and defend freedom wherever it is under attack.”
At Beijing’s Chaoyang hospital, police and security guards roughly pushed away journalists and a small number of Chen’s supporters who tried to gain access to see him in his first-floor room...
Activist Chen Guangcheng says China not honoring deal with U.S. officials By Keith B. Richburg (http://www.washingtonpost.com/keith-b-richburg/2011/03/03/ABszxON_page.html) and William Wan (http://www.washingtonpost.com/william-wan/2011/03/02/ABlzvmP_page.html), Updated: Thursday, May 3, 2:39 PM BEIJING — Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinas-dissidents/2012/04/27/gIQA3YyNlT_gallery.html#photo=1) on Thursday began a second night isolated in a central Beijing hospital, as police and security guards barred U.S. diplomats, journalists and Chen supporters from seeing him, and as the activist told various news outlets that he now wants to leave China with his family for asylum in the United States.
In an interview early Friday with The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chen-says-china-not-honoring-agreement-wants-to-see-us-diplomats/2012/05/03/gIQAX0jUzT_story.html), Chen clarified that he wants to go to the United States only temporarily and insists on the freedom to return to China. He said he left the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday of his own free will, but he charged that the Chinese government is reneging on promises to U.S. officials to fully restore his freedom.
“The U.S. Embassy helped me a lot,” Chen said. “But I don’t think the Chinese side is obeying the agreement well.”
U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/gary-locke-is-star-in-china-as-first-us-ambassador-of-chinese-ancestry/2011/11/28/gIQA703DEO_story.html) said Thursday that “it’s apparent now that he’s had a change of heart” and wants to go to the United States. Chen had previously insisted that he wanted to remain in China, U.S. officials said. In an interview broadcast on CNN, Locke said U.S. diplomats spoke twice with Chen by telephone Thursday and met in person with his wife, Yuan Weijing. He said the United States was now assessing how best to assist Chen.
But the reality of granting him any assistance has become far more complex since Chen left the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday, six days after escaping de facto house arrest in his village (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/a-dramatic-tale-of-escape-for-blind-chinese-activist/2012/04/27/gIQANlUWmT_story.html). Now he is under the control of Chinese police and security authorities, who were blocking all access to the activist. U.S. diplomats were frustrated in their attempts to enter the hospital to have a face-to-face meeting with Chen all day Thursday, and they had to meet his wife outside.
“We haven’t had either a diplomat or a doctor in to see him,” said one U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to be more candid. “There’s plenty of anxiety about what’s going on.” The official said U.S. diplomats even had extraordinary difficulties trying to telephone Chen, and their two calls with him were extremely brief, with one call cut off after just seconds.
Campaigning in Virginia, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney castigated the U.S. Embassy and the Obama administration for their handling of the Chen case.
“It’s also apparent, according to these reports, if they’re accurate, that our embassy failed to put in place the kind of verifiable measures that would have assured the safety of Mr. Chen and his family.,” Romney said. “If these reports are true, this is dark day for freedom, and it’s a day of shame for the Obama administration. We are a place of freedom, here and around the world, and we should stand up and defend freedom wherever it is under attack.”
At Beijing’s Chaoyang hospital, police and security guards roughly pushed away journalists and a small number of Chen’s supporters who tried to gain access to see him in his first-floor room...